DD suggestions

patooyee · Nov 18, 2013

My brother is wanting a different daily driver. He has up to $10,000 to spend, would prefer to stay around $7500. Obviously it will be used. Requirements:

- Gets good mileage.
- Must have a back seat large enough for one child seat.
- Must have good reliability / reputable brand.
- Does not need to be large. (He has a CRV that is his "big" vehicle / vacation vehicle. He says he can cram everything in the world he needs for a vacation into it.)
- AWD / 4x4 would be nice but not required.

He has become a minimalist, wants small everything, lowest cost of ownership everything, debt free everything. Recently sold his huge house on 6 acres and moved into a 3/2 in a cookie cutter neighborhood where you can't lie down between the houses. Sold his lawn mower and got a reel mower. Makes his own soap, won't allow paper towels in his house, counts the number of times he opens his garage door in order to conserve electricity, etc. You get the idea. I only mention it to get ya'll kind of in a similar mind set. I think he's taking it to somewhat of an extreme but I am also a minimalist by a lot of ya'lls standards so I won't fault him for it.

We keep coming back to an Accord or Vitara and he is hearing that the trans in the Vitara sucks even though the rest of the vehicle is decent. I suggested a Subaru but he says he just can't stomach his self-image in one.

What are we missing?

muddinmetal · Nov 18, 2013

In my useless opinion, accords and camrys are junk. He sounds like the kind of guy who would love a golf tdi, but the total cost of ownership may turn him away

patooyee · Nov 18, 2013

He would love, love, love a VW diesel but you're right. The instant they break they're thousands to fix and he can't work on his own junk.

zebrajeep · Nov 18, 2013

patooyee said:
He would love, love, love a VW

The VW force is strong in this family!!!

Just messin' with you.

I just sold the Rubicon after 17 years of DD Jeeps! Got a $1,700 14 year old Kia Sportage 2wd with 175K miles on it! Runs like a top! 19mpg in town, 29mpg on the road!! The Rubi got 12/15 mpg! Saves me $200 per year on insurance too!

With a RZR S, RZR 4, and rock buggy i just never used the Rubicon off road any more.

5onrocks · Nov 18, 2013

If he wants the awd, a Subaru is hard to beat all around.

patooyee · Nov 18, 2013

5onrocks said:
If he wants the awd, a Subaru is hard to beat all around.

I agree. He's probably seen by most as a ***** for everything he has downsized. Seems like he got over that image a while back on everything else, why worry about a Subaru? But my vehicles are a large part of my self image so I guess I understand.

kmcminn · Nov 18, 2013

Sounds like a Prius or a Smart Car kind of guy.

bbone · Nov 18, 2013

patooyee said:
He would love, love, love a VW diesel but you're right. The instant they break they're thousands to fix and he can't work on his own junk.

but he knows Jimmy AND Mike..

TacomaJD · Nov 18, 2013

Fawkin Saturn son! :flipoff1:

2002 Saturn L200
30 mpg's
2.2L Ecotec hampster wheel
157k miles and runs/drives/drifts, like a brand new one and I have beat the **** out of it. Drive it to work every day of the week.

:****:

zukiscott · Nov 19, 2013

Yep,,,kinda firm but with some bounce :dblthumb:

Neal3000 · Nov 19, 2013

patooyee said:
He has become a minimalist, wants small everything, lowest cost of ownership everything, debt free everything. Recently sold his huge house on 6 acres and moved into a 3/2 in a cookie cutter neighborhood where you can't lie down between the houses. Sold his lawn mower and got a reel mower. Makes his own soap, won't allow paper towels in his house, counts the number of times he opens his garage door in order to conserve electricity, etc. You get the idea. I only mention it to get ya'll kind of in a similar mind set. I think he's taking it to somewhat of an extreme but I am also a minimalist by a lot of ya'lls standards so I won't fault him for it.

after reading this i think the only choices are a prius or a suburu (with NPR and Obama stickers on the back)

bad80cj · Nov 19, 2013

Neal3000 said:
after reading this i think the only choices are a prius or a suburu (with NPR and Obama stickers on the back)

Dear God I hope he has not gotten to that level.

TBItoy · Nov 19, 2013

Re: Re: DD suggestions

Sounds like he needs a single speed bicycle

B Gillespie · Nov 19, 2013

Neal3000 said:
after reading this i think the only choices are a prius or a suburu (with NPR and Obama stickers on the back)

TBItoy said:
Sounds like he needs a single speed bicycle

Hey come on now, this thread is hitting a little too close to home... :ban:

TacomaJD · Nov 19, 2013

Re:

****, I'd drive the fawk out of a Prius right now if I could buy one for no more than what I've got in the Saturn :****:

Ain't nuttin gay about badass fuel economy!

Scarecrow · Nov 19, 2013

Honda Civic. I DD a 2001 Civic LX 4door. it aint fancy, even has a cassette player and no CD, but I average 35-36MPG and have gotten as much as 38 on the highway. it's slow, ugly, small and cheap. to tell the truth I don't even like the car, but it's paid for and I don't worry about it getting door dings or keyed. I used to DD a 1991 Toyota Mr2, my favorite of all the cars I've owned, and would trade my civic in heartbeat for a 2003-05 Mr2 spyder.

grcthird · Nov 19, 2013

Sounds like he has all he needs in the CRV. Why pay insurance, maintenance, ect on another car?

Small **** box staturn s series, cavalier, civic... dirt cheap to operate, utilitarian transportation, good on gas, plenty of them in junk yards and parts available in stores.

The-Boss · Nov 19, 2013

If he does mostly in town driving a hybrid will make a significant difference in mileage. If not it probably isn't worth the extra cost and maintenance. My DD is a corolla with 230k that runs like a top and gets 40mpg (calculated not lie ometer) running 65. I don't have an image to uphold so I leave the miles off the cummins and waste the money saved on other stuff.