Cheap fuel efficient cars?

[Shadow91]

Hey guys, so my dad just got transferred jobs and is now driving 84 miles a day round trip. He had been only driving less then 10 miles round trip for the last 18 years and so he has never needed a little car to run back and forth in. Currently hes taking his Ford F350 Super duty every day and its absolutely killing him in gas alone. So he asked me to look for a little beater car to run back in forth in that gets the best MPG avaliable and could be had for as close to 500 dollars but up to 1000. (spending 500+ in gas a month) So what are good, cheap little cars that get decent miles per gallon? Thanks a lot!

[SOHC-FTW]

If you can find one a HF crx d15b6.I had one in a ed6 with an si trans,PM6 ecu I/H/E which had a bit of pep for 62hp an got well over 45mpg.

[Accrdwgnguy]

Hyundai Accent. Kia Rio. Honda Civic. Toyota Corolla.

All those will get at least 30mpg. Hell Accord too, I get 28-30 mpg in my wagon. Anything is better than a super duty

[mtnbikaah]

my dad has an 02 accord ex 5spd, he's getting 33-35mpg commuting back and forth to work.....

prices on 98-02 accords have been coming down a bit lately.

hell even my 92 ex sedan 5spd i had was getting 33-35 commuting on the highway to work.

my other suggestion would be a civic. I almost bought a 96-00 civic HX with 135k miles for $3500 when i was looking for a new car last spring... Those can easily get over 40mpg on the highway (stay away from the CVT version).


- 2 cents

[ThatOneAccord]

Ford Escort hatchback, Ford probe, Honda CRX HF, Honda Civic, Honda insight (1st gen), Chevy cavalier (base model), Dodge neon, toyota crolla, toyota paseo, hyundia accent, hyundai elantra (made a 300+ miles trip had to fill up twice; 1 on the way there, 1 coming back), kia sportage (Gen 1), Toyota RAV4.

all that i could come up with off the top of my head. Hope this helps

[HardInThePaint]

Early 90's Geo Metro. U can find one of those for under $1000 all day long. And u can drive forever on a tank of gas.

[cloudasc]

I know its not a car, but has your dad considered a motorcycle, they can squeeze out much more mpg's. Although I know what the weather in washington in is like, so it wouldn't be an everyday thing, but could provide a nice alternative to the F-350. My dad bought a Honda Valkerie a couple years ago. He rotates between, the 97 F-250 (he just upgraded the turbo on it), the 88 Rx7 Convertable, and his 2001 Valkerie for his daily commute.

[JoshM]

What's your definition of "fuel efficient"?
Is he wanting 30mpg? 40mpg? 50mpg?

I know its not a car, but has your dad considered a motorcycle, they can squeeze out much more mpg's.

Considering there's a motorcycle in his sig, I'm sure he's thought about it.
However, a motorcycle is not a practical DD when traveling 85 miles/day.

[cloudasc]

Considering there's a motorcycle in his sig, I'm sure he's thought about it.
However, a motorcycle is not a practical DD when traveling 85 miles/day.

Lol, didn't see it :facepalm:, and you posted before I finished editing. (Wasn't ninja enough )

[JBradley500]

my GF has a 2002 neon 5 speed and it gets 34.5mpg (hand calculated many times) on her commute which is about 40 miles going 65mph and then almost 10 miles in town. she bought the car for 1900 bucks with 60k miles on it in 2009.

i was totally shocked but that thing is a money saver.

[RxAccord]

If he is a Ford fan he can get a Ford escort. I know there are some you can do a $500 maf upgrade and get almost 50mpg on pump gas. I knew a guy that did traveling sales and he was getting about 45-50mpg driving Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and back for sales.

I'd grab a CRX or 1.6L civic... My Titan gets about 16mpg so i hear what you mean if he has to drive that far. Honestly any 30mpg car would be a huge upgrade from any full size truck and there are tons out there.

I'd look for any mass produced small motor 4cyl since your budget is lower it's not going to be in the best condition so replacement parts would be something on the list. Civic & corolla are the ones that come to my mind.

[deevergote]

$500-$1000 cars don't have to be so old. You can get a cheap car from the late 90s for that price.

Just about any Japanese or Korean car will be decently efficient and reliable (though for mid-90s to late 90s, I'd stick to Hyundai only for Korean... no Kia, no Daewoo) I'd stay away from cheap domestics, and european cars can be pricey to repair (not to mention, electrical problems are commonly associated with euros)

[Shadow91]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions. And Yes, my whole family has motorcycles, his being an HD Ultra Classic, but with rain, wind and heavy traffic in the afternoons it can get scary with as many idiots out on the road. Plus that, its racking just a butt ton of miles on his bike. He doesnt care what it looks like, it can be 18 different colors and held together with duct tape, just has to be able to start up and make the 1680 miles a month back and forth. He's just looking for basically a throw away car that if it breaks then it can be fixed easily or just junked. Ive been on a hunt for a late 80's early 90s civic because i know how cheap parts are, can work on it, and great gas mileage. Plus that, its a honda. What brands do i need to stay away from having auto transmissions? Dont want a car thats gonna blow the trans in a month.. really looking for an 5speed but if we came across a auto in running shape, we'd take it. Thanks for the help guys.