What car would you pick? Balance of MPG, comfort, and fun

Bobzilla wrote: As much as I want to love the Mini, everyone I know with a used one has nothing but problems and they are almost always $$$$$$$$Texas.

Please explain to this MINI owning Texas boy what $$$$$$$$Texas means. I did get a bit of sticker shock when I asked the local MINI dealer what Inspection 2 would cost, decided I would do my own maintenance from then on.

Heh, I think I logged most of my miles at 23 in an armored HMMWV... Expensive, but not the most luxurious ride. I'd drive everything I can think of before making a call, a few years back I thought I was going to buy a TSX and ended up with a 350Z. That said, in your position and with that commute I'd buy a $8k Prius and bank the rest. Speaking from experience, the only thing that's going to make a 60 minute flat, straight commute interesting is a library card so you can listen to audiobooks on the drive. I find Malcolm Gladwell entertaining.

Edit: So my suggestion is Malcolm Gladwell.

Alfa Milano.

Mpg, Comfort, Fun: Maserati BiTurbo
Low mileage examples are easy to find!

Two turbos = twice the economy.
Fine Italian leather for opulent comfort
Fun and adventure any time you drive it.

ShadowSix wrote: Heh, I think I logged most of my miles at 23 in an armored HMMWV... Expensive, but not the most luxurious ride. I'd drive everything I can think of before making a call, a few years back I thought I was going to buy a TSX and ended up with a 350Z. That said, in your position and with that commute I'd buy a $8k Prius and bank the rest. Speaking from experience, the only thing that's going to make a 60 minute flat, straight commute interesting is a library card so you can listen to audiobooks on the drive. I find Malcolm Gladwell entertaining. Edit: So my suggestion is Malcolm Gladwell.

I would rather get up every morning and shoot my self in the head repeatedly with a staple gun than drive a freaking prius for two hours a day. I mean the commute is sucky enough, why make it suck worse by driving a sucky car.

C5 would be my choice.

mtn wrote: Might be moving in a couple of months,

Back to Chicago??? (Sorry, about the first song....it had to be done....hopefully the second one made up for it )

JohnRW1621 wrote: Mpg, Comfort, Fun: Maserati BiTurbo Low mileage examples are easy to find! Two turbos = twice the economy. Fine Italian leather for opulent comfort Fun and adventure any time you drive it.

....and not much fuel use because....well, because it will spend a lot of time like this I've never owned one, but based on what I have heard, you should run away if someone tries to give you one of those

SVreX wrote: I think you could get an R56 MINI Cooper S in that price range. Big win on fun factor and fuel economy (40 ish). Minor

Our does not get that type of mileage lucky to get 31-32 with only freeway driving over long distances and the S eats premium fuel unfortunately.

wearymicrobe wrote:

SVreX wrote: I think you could get an R56 MINI Cooper S in that price range. Big win on fun factor and fuel economy (40 ish). Minor

Our does not get that type of mileage lucky to get 31-32 with only freeway driving over long distances and the S eats premium fuel unfortunately.

I think it depends on how you drive. I know of quite a few folks in the local MINI clubs who have consistently pulled down 35+ mpg in their R56 S cars. My ex-g/f could get in the low 30's with her '03 MCS driven normally (~70 on the hwy). She usually runs mid-grade in it.

I would take a GTO over a C5 for a commute car. Spending most of the time driving down a strait freeway, it will do all the same things the vette is good at and be a much more comfortable and luxurious place to cruise. Plus, similar price gets you a newer car.

f350 diesel, lifted.

I'd imagine a GTI Golf would fit the bill. I got my butt kicked by one at autocross last weekend.

Beer Baron wrote: I would take a GTO over a C5 for a commute car. Spending most of the time driving down a strait freeway, it will do all the same things the vette is good at and be a much more comfortable and luxurious place to cruise. Plus, similar price gets you a newer car.

GTO has a nicer interior, yes. But I'm coming from a Miata. Any hardtop is going to be quieter, and I don't mind the Vette interior. GTO is also $200-$1,200 more a year in fuel, depending on what figures you believe and gas prices. I would believe the actual figure to be around $400-$600. Not a huge amount, but not insignificant.

Although we're completely ignoring tire prices here as well.

(GTO is completely in contention here)

Don't like VW's in general

One thing I have thought of though, is to do a veggie oil conversion. Might be interesting to have a stupidly big SUV with free gas.

7.3 Powerstroke Excursion smellin' like french fries? Awesome!

A fun car isn't going to make a lousy commute any better. The commute is lousy because it's lousy.

Get something that eats miles while doing as little damage to your wallet as possible.

I have a one-hour commute in Boston traffic. I drive a 96 Civic hatchback with windup windows and no power steering. It gets 40+ mpg and takes nothing to maintain. I take the savings and put it into my race car. I get to use the fun car for fun things (racing) and the boring car for boring things (commuting).

Prius is a serious suggestion and a good one.

nicksta43 wrote:

ShadowSix wrote: Heh, I think I logged most of my miles at 23 in an armored HMMWV... Expensive, but not the most luxurious ride. I'd drive everything I can think of before making a call, a few years back I thought I was going to buy a TSX and ended up with a 350Z. That said, in your position and with that commute I'd buy a $8k Prius and bank the rest. Speaking from experience, the only thing that's going to make a 60 minute flat, straight commute interesting is a library card so you can listen to audiobooks on the drive. I find Malcolm Gladwell entertaining. Edit: So my suggestion is Malcolm Gladwell.

I would rather get up every morning and shoot my self in the head repeatedly with a staple gun than drive a freaking prius for two hours a day. I mean the commute is sucky enough, why make it suck worse by driving a sucky car. C5 would be my choice.

I guess YMMV, but in my experience doing the long (1+ hour each way) boring commute thing in a 350Z and a B13 SE-R, doing the long boring commute in a fast or fun car doesn't make it any less boring. You're still doing 75 on a flat straight highway. You could be in a Ferrari F40 and it wouldn't be exciting. So, rather than be in a fast sportscar that will just give you one more reason to be frustrated with the commute, get a cheap-to-operate appliance and save your nickels and dimes for a fun backroad/autoX/track day car.

A C5 might look more impressive in your driveway, but a Prius and a Miata (maybe with a Flyin' Miata spending spree) will be more fun and less stressful in the long run.

I don't disagree with everyone suggesting Prius, but it will not work. I will have room for only one car, and I'll be damned if it is going to be a Prius. CRZ? Maybe.

But again, if this is my last car before kids come along (and seeing as my cars seem to stick around for 3 years minimum, there is halfway decent chance of it), I'll want it to be something slightly stupid before I have more responsibilities.

I would still rather make that sucky commute in a vette or viper or F40 or motorcycle or anything other than an eco box.

Hell, I change my vote to a 4th gen WS6 T/A

You might want to test drive a Mazda2. You can pick up a brand new one for inside your budget, it gets decent fuel economy on the highway and is still pretty fun to drive in the twisties.