i need a small car that's inexpensive?

Question

my mom thinks i should get a saturn ION but i heard they don't last long. im also interested in a pontiac grand am,honda civic,kia spectra,mazda miata, or a toyota corrolla. i heard these are all great carsi need something to take me to and from work, and also to and from my college.i need an inexpensive to buy car, coz im on a limited budget.it needs excellant gas mileage to. at least 25 miles per gallon. plz only answer if u have driven these cars, and please tell me what you think of them!

Answer 1

I would say that the best buy over all is the Honda Civic, used or not. I have driven them all.

The Grand-Am offers a bit more room but thats only important if you have to carry extra people like kids (if you have any) or need a larger trunk for travelling but it has the worst resale value and it looks like crap after about 3-5 years. Still basically reliable though.

Kia Spectra is a joke. It is basically a throw-away car. Reliable enough but it has negative resale value.

Mazda Miata is a two seater. It is fun and fast but unless you are shorter that 5'4" then it will feel like riding around in a tuna can. Very reliable, very good resale value but space is a serious consideration. While you may ride around alone for 90% of the time the 10% of the time you will need to carry more than one passenger or have a trunk that you can use will make this car a definite aggravation.

Toyota Corolla is a good car, reliable, good resale value but I just prefer Hondas. This would probably be the #2 car. Hondas and Toyotas have gone neck and neck but I think Honda edges them out in creature comforts and ergonomics.

Answer 2

Buying a new car is almost always a tough choice, particularly with so many models in the American marketplace. Maybe this information can be of some help. (All gas mileage numbers are listed as city first, highway second.)

The Saturn Ion isn't really a bad car. It's plastic-bodied, so you'll never have to worry about the body rusting. However, the frame is still vulnerable. Consumer Reports ranks the car as okay in reliability, and gas mileage is rated as 26-35 with the manual transmission, 24-32 with the automatic. You can get it as a 2-Door coupe or a 4-Door sedan.

The Pontiac Grand Am is no longer available in the American market, but instead comes as the Pontiac G6. It's also average in reliability, and comes as a 4-Door sedan, 2-Door coupe, or a 2-Door cabriolet with a folding metal roof. It's semi-sporty, and gas mileage is rated as 23-33 with the 4-Cylinder and 20-30 with the 6-Cylinder, and only comes as an automatic. The coupe and cabriolet versions come only with the 6-Cylinder and are rated at 18-27 for the coupe and 17-24 for the cabriolet, mainly due to the extra weight for the top and the motor to power it. Expect similar numbers with the old Pontiac Grand Am, but no cabriolet model.

The Honda Civic is a good all-around car, and comes as a 2-Door coupe or a 4-Door sedan, and in several trim lines. It's reliability is excellent in the past, but the new model is untested as of yet, so you're still taking a slight risk. There's also a pair of high-performance versions called the SI and the SI Mugen. Gas mileage is rated as 30-40 for the 4-Cylinder manual, 28-39 for the 4-Cylinder automatic, and 49-51 for the 4-Cylinder Hybrid which only comes as an automatic.

The Kia Spectra is another reliable car, and likely to be the cheapest one of this bunch. It's available as a 4-Door sedan or a semi-sporty 4-Door microwagon called the Spectra 5. It's gas mileage is rated at 27-35 for the automatic, and 27-33 for the manual.

The Mazda MX-5 (also known as the Miata) is a tiny little sportscar, and will likely be the most expensive to insure. It's only available as a 2-Door convertible, with a cloth top or a folding metal hardtop. There's also only two seats, so don't expect to be hauling people anywhere. On the other hand, it's likely the coolest ride in this group. Gas mileage is rated as 25-30, and only comes as a manual.

The Toyota Corolla is the most reliable car in this group, and comes as a 4-Door sedan or a 4-Door wagon called the Corolla Matrix. You can also get a Pontiac version of the wagon called the Vibe that has the same engines and frame, but a different body and interior. There's a performance version of both the wagons, the Toyota Corolla Matrix XRS and the Pontiac Vibe GT. The Corolla sedan is rated at 32-41 for the 4-Cylinder manual and 30-38 for the 4-Cylinder automatic. The Corolla Matrix and Pontiac Vibe are rated at 30-36 for the 4-Cylinder manual and 29-34 for the 4-Cylinder automatic.

In your case, since you want excellent gas mileage and reliability, I'd go for the Honda Civic or the Toyota Corolla. Avoid the sporty versions, as they'll need higher insurance, and avoid the 2-Door versions unless you have no friends and not too much junk.

Other small, reliable cars you may consider and can find information on at their respective manufacturer websites (i.e. "Ford.com") and Wikipedia are as follows:

Chevrolet Aveo
Chevrolet Cobalt
Dodge Avenger
Ford Focus
Ford Fusion 4-Cylinder
Honda Fit
Hyundai Accent
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Rio
Mazda 3
Mercury Milan 4-Cylinder
Pontiac G5 (twin of Chevrolet Cobalt)
Scion TC
Scion XA
Scion XB
Subaru Impreza 4-Cylinder
Suzuki Aerio
Suzuki Reno
Suzuki SX4
Toyota Prius
Toyota Yaris
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Jetta

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.

Answer 3

Go with the Honda civic. They will hold value and have great gas mileage. The only bad thing about them is that they like tho rust over the back wheel wells. But that is because the salt from the icy roads gets stuck up there. Anyway Honda is a great choice I have never driven any other cars you have listed. I am a die hard Honda fan. If you go with the Honda you will not be disappointed. Try to stay away from KIA. I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings but they don't last as long as the Honda. Yes that is why the have the "amazing" warranty!

Answer 4

If you go with a Honda or Toyota, you can be sure that all you have to do is put gas in it and change the oil every 4000-5000 miles (3000 is a very conservative number that service departments recommend to get more business).
American cars are going to cost you more in the long run and aren't as reliable. I've always driven Hondas and my husband who likes the luxury European cars finally admitted that Hondas and Toyotas are a bargain for the use per dollar you get out of them AND they also have the highest resale value for that very reason, so you use it, enjoy it and when you want to sell it you're still smiling. I'd go with the Honda civic or the toyota Carrolla
Good luck. Hope you find one within your budget.

Answer 5

I recently sold my civic but when i was driving it I was getting 36-38 mpg. I now drive a toyota corolla and get about the same gas mileage. You won't regret a honda or toyota.

Answer 6

I bought a brand new 2006 Chevy Malibu last June for just 16000. gets good gas mileage, average 27 to 28, and has a good quality German made four cylinder engine.

Answer 7

Toyota Yaris. 40 MPG. Saturns are junk, Kias are crap, Mazdas are ok.

Answer 8

Get the Kia, they are reliable, get good gas milage and inexpensive.