What to get for reliable cheap commuter

B00mb00m said:
the other thing is all the 02-08 cars have terrible pealing paint jobs. I can’t believe an OEM can have such a terrible clear coat process.
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There was a recall and repaint on certain paint colors, black was one of those colors. My '06 car was repainted circa '13.

B00mb00m said:
But 130k miles is a lot.
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Pre OBDII vehicles, or generic domestic make, I'd agree, but 130K on a cared for Honda or Toyota is nothing. Hell, I've seen 70K on a Toyota with no oil change or added oil. It only locked up because it ran out.
 
PNW_LJ said:
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I absolutely loved my Subaru Baja Turbo pickup.

I only sold it because it hit 200K and I wanted a Jeep so I traded it for a brand new JK.

Big mistake.

I had high hopes that the new Hyundai Santa Cruz would be a reincarnation of the Baja but unfortunately it is not.

I do admit that the Baja Turbo did stir my inner lesbian...

To OP, agree with the others for a cheap reliable commuter.

Get something Japanese, but AVOID any used Subaru Turbo since it is so easy for young drivers to upgrade the engine and then conveniently run out of money before doing the other NECESSARY supporting mods.

"What? I can add 50+HP in 10 minutes by installing an adjustable boost controller? SWEEEEET!!!!"

Try a Mazda something with a manual trans if you want to have fun commuting.
 
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I worked with a guy who was a project manager at a power plant construction site. He drove 100 miles a day up and down an interstate (50 miles each way) getting paid mileage. His daughter let her manual Toyota Yaris roll into a tree when she left it out of gear with no park brake and went in the house.

He bought it back from insurance with 20,000 miles on it. Hammered the trunk out to a 20 ft body repair job, laid a bead of caulk, and lag bolted the trunk shut.

Then drove it 600-700 miles a week for 3 years on the company travel rate per mile.

Maybe look subcompact.
 
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MaximusLJR06 said:
I don't how they are for reliability, but being an ST I would assume it's been road hard and put away wet by an 18-20 year old.
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If they haven’t broken it then it’s likely good to go. I’m probably harder on my vehicles than most 18-20 year olds. The fiestas I’ve driven have been fun little cars.
 
If you can find a decent VW TDI they are a lot of fun to drive and the MPG is phenomenal. Wife has been driving my 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI 60 miles round trip a day and burning 1 gallon a day. The 2015 year was all new with a newly designed 2.0 and a very nice interior and sound system on the base model. It feels like a rocket after driving the TJ. It does have DPF and DEF but we haven't had any problems and it is still covered under the 160,000 mile 11 year warranty that VW was forced to provide after they got busted.
 
We got my daughter a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. She really likes it.

But it will probably get stolen or broken into attempting to steal it thanks to their poor design and the internet. She just drove it 6000 miles in 3 months traveling around New England for work/sightseeing.

It gets 35 mpg average city/hwy.

I need to buy her a club for the steering wheel and a chipped push button start to replace the key. She wants to go to CA with a friend and I told her someone will likely steal her car there.
 
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Apparition said:
If they haven’t broken it then it’s likely good to go. I’m probably harder on my vehicles than most 18-20 year olds. The fiestas I’ve driven have been fun little cars.
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Did you have the 1.6L? Online reviews are really good for those little cars.
 
B1Toad said:
If you can find a decent VW TDI they are a lot of fun to drive and the MPG is phenomenal. Wife has been driving my 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI 60 miles round trip a day and burning 1 gallon a day. The 2015 year was all new with a newly designed 2.0 and a very nice interior and sound system on the base model. It feels like a rocket after driving the TJ. It does have DPF and DEF but we haven't had any problems and it is still covered under the 160,000 mile 11 year warranty that VW was forced to provide after they got busted.
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The reason I’m getting a commuter is because my 6.7 has DEF and DPF! I don’t want any more emissions in my life.

I was looking for an ALH with a manual but missed the last option on CL.
 
zackcj7 said:
Nissan is not in the same league as Toyota and Honda
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I used to hold Nissan to the same esteem due to my affinity for Datsuns and the Z line as well as their pickups. Sentras, Altimas and Maxima's used to be all over the place and just seemed like they wouldn't ever die, but it seems like they've gone downhill a lot since they ran into money troubles in the late 90s and got bailed out by and permanently entangled with Renault. They've felt cheap ever since and want to put a CVT in every damn thing they can....the most fun-sucking transmission technology ever devised.

I did enjoy my Infiniti G35 and I'd love a new Z but I wouldn't go for their commuter tier.
 
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freedom_in_4low said:
I used to hold Nissan to the same esteem due to my affinity for Datsuns and the Z line as well as their pickups. Sentras, Altimas and Maxima's used to be all over the place and just seemed like they wouldn't ever die, but it seems like they've gone downhill a lot since they ran into money troubles in the late 90s and got bailed out by and permanently entangled with Renault. They've felt cheap ever since and want to put a CVT in every damn thing they can....the most fun-sucking transmission technology ever devised.

I did enjoy my Infiniti G35 and I'd love a new Z but I wouldn't go for their commuter tier.
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Cvt just went out in my daughter's Nissan Versa..dealer didn't seem surprised even though the car only has 120k miles. $5500 for a new one with labor but the kicker? 12 month or 12K mile warranty!!! The person at the service desk even said Nissan doesn't have much faith in these transmissions. Ill sell it to someone dumb enough to put a used transmission into it
 
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I have a buddy that drives a ‘yota Prius C for his commuter. I think he paid 13k or something, about 3 years and 100,000 miles ago and hasn’t put any other money into it since (other than minimal maintenance). It had 80k or so miles when he bought it too.
 
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