I need a new commuter...

[TwistedCU]

...something better on fuel than my XJ. No, not a bike, traffic is insane and I want to live long enough to see my children have children

I did some number crunching and found that at $3 a gallon, I'll be spending $400 a month on gas if I stay on 4 ten hour days. If We go back to 5 eight hour days I'll be spending $500 a month.

I'll probably get a beater and sell the XJ. I'll definately buy another (YJ or CJ) Jeep before the XJ goes though

I'm thinking maybe an old VW Golf or Jetta with a diesel??? Any ideas/suggestions? I'm looking for something 35 mpg or over, but I don't want to ride around in balsa wood either (like that little Honda hybrid thingy).

 

[Sparky-Watts]

Best car for mileage I ever had was a '91 Honda Civic 5-speed manual. Got around 42 mpg with it. Bought it for $1600, drove the &@%$ out of it for a couple of years till the transmission was about to fall out, and sold it for $300. Sure wish I had it back now!!

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

RE: Guess WHAT?!?

Check out Saturns as well, we were real happy with a '96 SC2 we had, averaged around 35mpg and the DOHC 4cyl was peppy enough to get out of it's own way.

 

[White]

you can pickup a cavalier or sunfire cheap..... Saturns also.. check out ebay

 

[purpleyjgirl]

My grandma drives a saturn. Not only does it get good gas milage but the dealership takes really good care of her and the car (shes had it since 97')
I try and steal it as much as possible when i go on long trips :wink:
Im looking at a 99' kia right now, its a friend of mine whos selling it to me for $800. Funny you say u need a beater thos were my exsact words. She says it gets around 30mpg. GL with you search I think all of us jeep owners need a beater in our lives right now.

 

[LadyJeepFreak]

Good Luck twisted. I could sure use a beater but I'm in the middle of a freaking lease!! Darn I hate that these days with gas prices the way they are. I'd hate to sell my jeep (rather rip my arm off) but I wish I could afford another vehicle, but I just can't. Oh well, enjoy your beater for the both of us. I always heard nissans and hondas got good milage.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

I sold my sis-in-law a Saturn SC2 when I was working at the stealership. It was used, low miles, and since I worked there she got a really good deal on it. It's a great little car, gets good mileage, and is a blast to drive!!

 

[Junkpile]

Look into a small 2wd pickup. Good mileage and you can use it for something besides basic transportation.

 

[currupt4130]

i need a car that can tow a jeep and get good mileage all at once... anyone got one?

 

[mingez]

i need a car that can tow a jeep and get good mileage all at once... anyone got one?

Tacoma? Maybe a Hilux. I hear you can drive them into the ocean, set them on fire, and explode a building underneath them and they still run.

 

[judge09]

RE: how can i make power with a 4.2

i need a car that can tow a jeep and get good mileage all at once... anyone got one?

Tacoma? Maybe a Hilux. I hear you can drive them into the ocean, set them on fire, and explode a building underneath them and they still run.

The little Toyota pickups are pretty good for a small truck. We use to have some as company trucks. I dont remember what the gas mileage was though. They were indestructable though.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

My ol' '85 used to get 32mpg when it was new.....about 15 when I sold it.

 

[Sully]

RE: pics from tellico

Pretty soon I am going to be cruising in my white 96' station wagon saturn. Yea, I cant wait to not have to fill the tank every day!

 

[geopig]

Need transmission advice

I'm thinking maybe an old VW Golf or Jetta with a diesel??? Any ideas/suggestions? I'm looking for something 35 mpg or over, but I don't want to ride around in balsa wood either (like that little Honda hybrid thingy).

Hey TC. We recently owned a 96 VW golf that was great on gas ~34 mpg. We got rid of it (traded it in) because the automatic transmission was failing and all VW/Audi with auto trans (at least the 94-02 models) have to be replaced (~ $4000) rather than repaired. So if you do go the VW route get a manual transmission. Otherwise it was a really great vehicle that my wife used to commute 40 miles/day roundtrip, and if the trans was less money to fix we would still have it.

We traded it in for a new Honda Civic (just the regular version, not hybrid) and now she gets anywhere between 36-40 mpg on her commute.

I don't know what the diesel gas mileage is like with the golf's and jetta's but diesel fuel (at least in the LA area) is more expensive than regular fuel which seems crazy to me.

I'm going the bicycle route for commuting at least 3 days a week which will dramatically reduce my fuel costs! :lol:

 

[88Wrangles]

x2 on the Toyota pickup idea. I've got a 2wd '78 with a 20R engine and 5 speed transmission. I'm not sure exactly what the fuel milage is...but it's way up there!! Actually, I'd go find out the mpg, but I'm in the middle of putting in a new transmission right now. All I've done is exhaust and a Weber Carb. and it hauls!!

 

[TwistedCU]

Look into a small 2wd pickup. Good mileage and you can use it for something besides basic transportation.

I've considerd that. I had a 86 Toy 4x4 years ago and it got decent mileage. A 2WD with a 22RE engine would prolly get around 27 mpg.

Diesel fuel is the cheapest around here or at least equal to regular depending on what station you go to. I also have a 250 gal oil tank which would be great in the case of a gas shortage. #2 fuel oil is just diesel fuel. The Golf and Jettas claim 38 city/46 hwy.

My real roadblock is I am going to be on I83, I695, I95, and I97. Some of these roads have some very bad accident hotspots and I am used to being in something that can do some damge rather than folding up like an accordian. It kind of freaks me out to be in a small ride doing 65+ mph with all the bigger vehicles out there, but it looks like something I'll have to get used to.

I really don't want to get rid of the XJ either but if I keep it I can forget buying a SWB Jeep. That's the least of my concerns right now though... I'll figure that out after I get something. Well I have a couple weeks before I'm driving that far... I'll figure something out.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[jps4jeep]

loved my 88 dodge omni! awesome milage, tough as nail. bought it for $100, sold it one oil change, and two years later for $100

 

[TwistedCU]

I would have to condsider a GLH or even better, a GLHS if it were in decent shape.

Fun cars