Mustanger
Well-Known Member
We just bought a Mazda3.... now THAT is a great car to drive & gets fantastic mileage!!! Check a Mazda3 out sometime...you might be impressed.
Daily Driver recommendations and input please
- Thread starter 1997GT4.6
- Start date
Mustanger
Well-Known Member
we bought a 2014 Sedan Grand touring & so far it is exceptional...Very luxurious leather inside, very quiet on the road, amazing in the corners & so smooth with the 6spd auto..it pulls like it is turbocharged almost. I really am not sure my 94 stock engine could keep up in acceleration & I would have to work a lot harder in the curves too...it is effortless to drive.
We are learning the bells & whistles the favorite so far is the backup camera & lane change monitoring/warning systems & the bunwarmer seats. We are getting 34mpg average with a high of 37 in one tankful of long distance driving. The seats are wonderful the longer you sit in them
We rented a Focus for a month last year thinking it would be our choice but the cockpit had us both cramped for legroom & the auto transmission lag & poor shifting & the impossible My Synch killed that idea... We almost bout a 2015 Rav4 but it is underpowered with only the 4 cyl...just adequate but boring...
We are learning the bells & whistles the favorite so far is the backup camera & lane change monitoring/warning systems & the bunwarmer seats. We are getting 34mpg average with a high of 37 in one tankful of long distance driving. The seats are wonderful the longer you sit in them
We rented a Focus for a month last year thinking it would be our choice but the cockpit had us both cramped for legroom & the auto transmission lag & poor shifting & the impossible My Synch killed that idea... We almost bout a 2015 Rav4 but it is underpowered with only the 4 cyl...just adequate but boring...
I'm going to agree with Mustanger. From my experience, I'd suggest getting an escort. I got my wife a 98 Escort SE 4 door. She's been DDing it for years as a grocery getter and kid transporter. It has well over 200K on the clock and still running strong. Aside from regular maintenance (oil, tires, plugs, wires, brake pads, etc) the only thing we've had to do to it over the last 5 or 6 years was replace the VSS when the speedo and odo stopped working (easy fix) and replace rear struts because they wore out. The escort is a very solid car and will run until the wheels fall off. I only paid $2400 for it back around 2008 or 2009.
Edit: Also, the fuel economy is freakin awesome. We took a long distance road trip to Charleston South Carolina from northern Indiana in this car twice, and each time we averaged between 38 and 42 mpg highway in between fill ups.
Edit: Also, the fuel economy is freakin awesome. We took a long distance road trip to Charleston South Carolina from northern Indiana in this car twice, and each time we averaged between 38 and 42 mpg highway in between fill ups.
[MENTION=8886]Mustanger[/MENTION] you really didn't like the new focus?
I was a passenger in a 13? Hatchback for like 20hrs. I loved the interior.
I was a passenger in a 13? Hatchback for like 20hrs. I loved the interior.
DavidBoren
Active Member
Toyota Cressida. It's not as new as the other cars mentioned, but it is rwd, so it will be fun to drive and it will leave you with your dignity intact.
OP
OP
1997GT4.6
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,992
- Reaction score
- 69
There is only 1 for sale here and it's at a body shop for sale so I know it was in an accident. They look like fun but none around here.
Great choice! I love the Mazda 3's. A friend of mine has one and its great! good for night time activities too haha. And another friend had a hathback 3 and it was fun. I love the speed 3s but way out of my budget. But the 3's even older ones are above what I want to spend.
OP
OP
1997GT4.6
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,992
- Reaction score
- 69
Wow that is impressive. I've heard nothing but bad news about the Escort. What motor is in that little car? I've been told to avoid those like the plague. I'm shocked lol.I'm going to agree with Mustanger. From my experience, I'd suggest getting an escort. I got my wife a 98 Escort SE 4 door. She's been DDing it for years as a grocery getter and kid transporter. It has well over 200K on the clock and still running strong. Aside from regular maintenance (oil, tires, plugs, wires, brake pads, etc) the only thing we've had to do to it over the last 5 or 6 years was replace the VSS when the speedo and odo stopped working (easy fix) and replace rear struts because they wore out. The escort is a very solid car and will run until the wheels fall off. I only paid $2400 for it back around 2008 or 2009.
Edit: Also, the fuel economy is freakin awesome. We took a long distance road trip to Charleston South Carolina from northern Indiana in this car twice, and each time we averaged between 38 and 42 mpg highway in between fill ups.
rwd would be perfect, but too old of a car for what I'm looking for at the moment.
Mustanger
Well-Known Member
Hey Orange... I WANTED to love the Focus so bad....but the cramped front seats & restricted leg room for us older folks started bothering both of us..Oh it was well done inside & was quiet enough but compared to the Mazda 3 it suffered a lot. The Auto tranny has a design fault and we had very irritating shift lag & take off...felt like we had a 4000rpm stall converter in every gear. Ford said it was normal they all do that which I don't believe....These issues plus the My Synch turned us off... I am going to write Ford in detail & let them know why we did not purchase a Focus.
I love the style, the looks of everything, the quality of build minus the tranny...the interior has been the class leader but we had to pass. We will see how the Mazda holds up now...our Daughter had an 04 Mazda 3 & now our grandaughter is driving it very few issues in reliability & is doing nicely approaching 200K miles So wish us luck!
It has the the little 4 cyl 2.0L CVH.
It makes a fantastic DD. Usually I'm DDing my Crown Vic or my Ranger, but I drive the wife's Escort on mini road trips for business to Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Cincinnati simply because it gets such excellent gas mileage. I'd buy another one of these cars in a heartbeat.
OP
OP
1997GT4.6
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2010
- Messages
- 1,992
- Reaction score
- 69
So that motor is stout you would say? I looked on CL and there is a total of 10 for sale locally, 2 being manuals but the 2 door zx2.
Yeah I've read it gets very good gas mileage! That's a big plus. I'll keep an eye out for one. I really like the focus too. I found a great deal on one today but the guy won't answer. $3k with 120k miles, oj owner, new tires, garaged, mint condition but its an auto.
The SE is the 4 door sedan. That's what we have because of the kids... we needed a 4 door. The ZX2 is the 2 door coupe version of the Escort and it's a bit more "sportier" than the sedan. The ZX2 also has a 2.0L, but it's the Zetec (which I don't have any personal experience with) and not the CVH that was found in the sedan. My sister had a ZX2 for a while as well as my sister-in-law and neither of them were very happy with the cars... but again, my personal experience is with the 98 SE and the 2.0 CVH. It's a great little engine. Not really a lot of power, but it provides more than enough to get that little car moving along nicely and the fuel economy is superb.
