cheap used subcompact ?

I have a 2003 6 cyl tundra truck with a camper on it. Given the
possibility
of high gas prices, I would like to know a good bet for
a used subcomact as a 2nd car. I would keep the truck at my mom's
and use it for weekend camping trips and drive the smaller car to work
etc.

I used to have a tercel which got 35 mpg and figured something like
that would be a good
bet. Edumnds.com lists a toyota echo 2 door 2001 to be valued at around
$ 7,000
but a search on auto trader showed higher prices than that. What other
models
and makes would be good (honda, nissan etc) ? I'd like to pay $5,000,
but perhaps I'll have to spend a bit more. I just want a car that will
run for a number of years without much major repair.When I bought my
truck, I had to get a new one as there where few used available,
hopefully with one of these subcompacts I'd have more options.

I'm affraid if gas goes up to $4/gal all these tiny used rice burners
are going to go up in price as well. Even if they are used.

<surfunbear@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1142922955.268575.101220@z34g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> I have a 2003 6 cyl tundra truck with a camper on it. Given the
> possibility
> of high gas prices, I would like to know a good bet for
> a used subcomact as a 2nd car. I would keep the truck at my mom's
> and use it for weekend camping trips and drive the smaller car to work
> etc.
>
> I used to have a tercel which got 35 mpg and figured something like
> that would be a good
> bet. Edumnds.com lists a toyota echo 2 door 2001 to be valued at around
> $ 7,000
> but a search on auto trader showed higher prices than that. What other
> models
> and makes would be good (honda, nissan etc) ? I'd like to pay $5,000,
> but perhaps I'll have to spend a bit more. I just want a car that will
> run for a number of years without much major repair.When I bought my
> truck, I had to get a new one as there where few used available,
> hopefully with one of these subcompacts I'd have more options.
>
> I'm affraid if gas goes up to $4/gal all these tiny used rice burners
> are going to go up in price as well. Even if they are used.
>[/color]

You might check Consumer Reports for guidance here and focus on Korean cars,
looking for a model with good reliability. They don't hold their value like
Toyotas and Hondas, at least not yet, so you could probably get a deal.

You might consider a Mazda or Mitsubishi but I don't think they get quite
the same fuel mileage as a Honda or Toyota.

You might look at a Cavalier or Sunbird or Ford Escort or Mercury Tracer.
Check CR for reliability guidance but, if you can get one cheap enough in
good enough condition, it might work out for you. Again, probably not quite
the same fuel economy as a Honda or Toyota.

You might also consider condition; look for one that runs well but has lots
of door dings or hail damange. They'll cost less and do you really care
what your commuter looks like?


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<surfunbear@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1142922955.268575.101220@z34g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> I have a 2003 6 cyl tundra truck with a camper on it. Given the
> possibility
> of high gas prices, I would like to know a good bet for
> a used subcomact as a 2nd car. I would keep the truck at my mom's
> and use it for weekend camping trips and drive the smaller car to work
> etc.
>
> I used to have a tercel which got 35 mpg and figured something like
> that would be a good
> bet. Edumnds.com lists a toyota echo 2 door 2001 to be valued at around
> $ 7,000
> but a search on auto trader showed higher prices than that. What other
> models
> and makes would be good (honda, nissan etc) ? I'd like to pay $5,000,
> but perhaps I'll have to spend a bit more. I just want a car that will
> run for a number of years without much major repair.When I bought my
> truck, I had to get a new one as there where few used available,
> hopefully with one of these subcompacts I'd have more options.
>
> I'm affraid if gas goes up to $4/gal all these tiny used rice burners
> are going to go up in price as well. Even if they are used.
>[/color]

How about looking at a 2000 Echo?
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

<surfunbear@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1142922955.268575.101220@z34g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>
> I have a 2003 6 cyl tundra truck with a camper on it. Given the
> possibility
> of high gas prices, I would like to know a good bet for
> a used subcomact as a 2nd car. I would keep the truck at my mom's
> and use it for weekend camping trips and drive the smaller car to work
> etc.
>
> I used to have a tercel which got 35 mpg and figured something like
> that would be a good
> bet. Edumnds.com lists a toyota echo 2 door 2001 to be valued at around
> $ 7,000
> but a search on auto trader showed higher prices than that. What other
> models
> and makes would be good (honda, nissan etc) ? I'd like to pay $5,000,
> but perhaps I'll have to spend a bit more. I just want a car that will
> run for a number of years without much major repair.When I bought my
> truck, I had to get a new one as there where few used available,
> hopefully with one of these subcompacts I'd have more options.
>
> I'm affraid if gas goes up to $4/gal all these tiny used rice burners
> are going to go up in price as well. Even if they are used.
>[/color]

They always do. Although the trend has been less than before, because people
don't remember the days of $0.35 or even $0.75 gas like I do. So, the prices
don't go sky high like they used to, but they DO go up.
Tercel is a good car. i sold mine for $1200 so I could buy a Supra that gets
half the mileage, but I sure do feel cool burning up all that gas! The
Tercel got 45 MPG with an Auto!
You should be able to find one for under $2000 now. But then again, the
price of gas has gone up about 15% since I sold mine.

DH wrote:
[color=blue]
> You might look at a Cavalier or Sunbird or Ford Escort or Mercury Tracer.
> Check CR for reliability guidance but, if you can get one cheap enough in
> good enough condition, it might work out for you. Again, probably not quite
> the same fuel economy as a Honda or Toyota.[/color]

All model years of Cavalier/Sunbird/Sunfire should be avoided.

On Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:36:52 -0500, High Tech Misfit <me@privacy.net>
wrote:
[color=blue]
>DH wrote:
>[color=green]
>> You might look at a Cavalier or Sunbird or Ford Escort or Mercury Tracer.
>> Check CR for reliability guidance but, if you can get one cheap enough in
>> good enough condition, it might work out for you. Again, probably not quite
>> the same fuel economy as a Honda or Toyota.[/color]
>
>All model years of Cavalier/Sunbird/Sunfire should be avoided.[/color]

Now THAT's an understatement. :)
--
gburnore at DataBasix dot Com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
How you look depends on where you go.
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"High Tech Misfit" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:1f443sx8towvs$.dlg@hightech.misfit...[color=blue]
> DH wrote:
>[color=green]
> > You might look at a Cavalier or Sunbird or Ford Escort or Mercury[/color][/color]
Tracer.[color=blue][color=green]
> > Check CR for reliability guidance but, if you can get one cheap enough[/color][/color]
in[color=blue][color=green]
> > good enough condition, it might work out for you. Again, probably not[/color][/color]
quite[color=blue][color=green]
> > the same fuel economy as a Honda or Toyota.[/color]
>
> All model years of Cavalier/Sunbird/Sunfire should be avoided.[/color]

I did caution the OP to check CR. I do like my Toyotas but it saddens me
that a car I once bought from GM - in the first model year! - and drove with
just about perfect satisfaction has dropped to "should be avoided."


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"DH" <dh@stargate.com> wrote in message
news:44216abe$0$13368$6d36acad@titian.nntpserver.com...[color=blue]
> "High Tech Misfit" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:1f443sx8towvs$.dlg@hightech.misfit...[color=green]
>> DH wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>> > You might look at a Cavalier or Sunbird or Ford Escort or Mercury[/color][/color]
> Tracer.[color=green][color=darkred]
>> > Check CR for reliability guidance but, if you can get one cheap enough[/color][/color]
> in[color=green][color=darkred]
>> > good enough condition, it might work out for you. Again, probably not[/color][/color]
> quite[color=green][color=darkred]
>> > the same fuel economy as a Honda or Toyota.[/color]
>>
>> All model years of Cavalier/Sunbird/Sunfire should be avoided.[/color]
>
> I did caution the OP to check CR. I do like my Toyotas but it saddens me
> that a car I once bought from GM - in the first model year! - and drove
> with
> just about perfect satisfaction has dropped to "should be avoided."
>
>
> *** Free account sponsored by SecureIX.com ***
> *** Encrypt your Internet usage with a free VPN account from
> [url]http://www.SecureIX.com[/url] ***[/color]


It would be nice to say that an American or Canadian made GM could be in my
driveway (... again, I owned several full size vans, they ran, but cost a
lot to maintain).

Sadly, the Aveo is made in Korea, and other GM models sold here in Canada
are also made in Korea by Daewoo.

Oh well..