I am thinking about buying a beater. My commute just went from 75 miles per day to 110 (all round trip). My 05 MCS/JCW is doing great with 52K miles on the clock, but I like it so much that I do not want to subject it to this length of commute every day.

For a "beater", I test drove a few cars today. Here's the list.

Honda Fit no manual available, didn't actually drive one
Honda Civic LX Sedan
Nissan Versa S (S means cheap, SL is slightly less cheap. Hard to imagine the S being the cheap model )
Toyota Yaris

Of the three that I drove, they were all basically the same. Slow, cheap feeling, overly light steering, but all of them handled and gripped the road better than I expected.

Any ideas on which one would be cheaper and easier to maintain? The Honda has a timing chain, the others use a rubber band that has to be replaced periodically . I have a buddy who tells me that all of these cars have solid lift and that all require valve adjustments, but the Honda is much easier to work on.

Here are my criteria for selection:
1. Manual Transmission
2. Air Conditioning
3. Life expectancy of 250K miles without major repairs (That strikes out the domestics, Kia, Hyundai, Daewoo, etc) Since I will be driving about 40K miles per year, that ain't that long.
4. Low purchase price.

I am and always have been a gearhead and a car fanatic, but this class of car motivates me about as much as shopping for a blender. I want cheap, dependable, and cheap on gas. I want to keep miles off my MINI and not waste a lot of money on something that is basically an appliance.

Help me get my MINI off the road!

Rawhyde

 

Why don't you look at the Scions. I was looking at the Tc when I got the Mini (my wife said I was only looking at it because it was cheap ($17,000 as I configured it)).

The Xa and Xb are both in the price of the Fit and Civic I believe. If you can find an Xa on the lot you might be able to get a deal on it as they are replacing it soon. The Tc is pretty peppy, I think they go out the door with around 168 HP. I was comparing it to the Acura RSX (again on my list when I ordered the Mini)

I'm not sure what the warranty is, but you're basically getting a Toyota. They even make TRD bolt on aftermarket products for it.

 

Why don't you buy a used Cooper? Does the car have to be new? I wouldn't buy a new car for your purposes. Or, just drive your MCS and repair as needed after the miles pile on! I mean, a Cooper is much safer than any of the vehicles you looked at, and so fantastic. You may find some low-mileage, late model Coopers on the lots as folks buy new 07s.

 

New or used - you can't beat Hondas. They run forever and get great gas mileage...

Donna

 

Well I drive 110 miles round trip every day and just got a new 06 MC. I use to drive a 99 Honda Accord and my wife drives a 05 Scion Xb (it was mine unit she took it from me). How much do you want to spend on a car because my 06 MC was only about 1k more then the Scion. And after one week of the MC I all but can not bring myself to drive anything else. Take the 200 dollars a month you would spend on a "beater" save if for two years and use it as a down payment for your next MC

 

I'd buy a used 1997 to 2000 Japanese Truck. Toyota, Nissan, even Honda... Runs forever, good gas mileage and you can haul stuff... It's what I do although my 94 Toyota is a bit older...

 

Mazda Miata!

I almost bought one because i wanted a beater too and theyre a ball to drive! (though they dont even touch a Mini)
Seriously though, theyre uber cheap in every way and efficient as well.

 

I have a friend at work whose wife bought him a Fit and after riding in it to various places I must admit that I am constantly amazed at how well engineered it seems. It's definitely not a MINI, but if I was in your situation I would definitely consider a Fit.

 

Just buy anything that will run and when it gives up pull it across the state line, put in curtains and rent it out! LOL

Sounds like an excuse to do a couple of afternoon twisty runs looking for a deal for sale in someone's yard up your way. Lots of 3-4yr old fairly well taken care of cars to be found that way.

Tim

 

It all depends on your tastes, but I don't think you can go wrong with the Fit. Honda engines are incredible; and the brand has a great track record for reliability and longevity.

I drive my MCS because cause it it fun, and there is nothing quite like it. My other cars are all Hondas (or Acura in the case of my wife's car).

If you want to find something used, a used Civic (especially since redesign in '06) would be a good bet also. But the Fit would be cheaper than a new Civic.

Good luck. Let us know what you choose...

 

How about an '03 MC or something? That way you could share hand-me-down shoes, that kind of thing.

 

+1 Keep it cheap, simple, and rugged.

 

Easy......Civic DX......

 

i vote for a Cooper, good gas mileage, I know its hard for some of yall to believe but it very fun to drive, not as much as yours but fun. Plus you know you want another MINI, we all do

 

Why not? What are you saving for?

If you love your car and intend to keep it "forever", the its far cheaper to just drive it until the wheels fall off than buy ANOTHER car and run two cars ... especially with insurance.

When the 05 engine dies ... how much is a new engine versus the cost of say a Fit or Yaris ... Fit or Yaris maybe $14K? How much for an new 06 engine?

Sure, your going to have to do normal maintenaince stuff with consumable like brakes but you would have to do the same with the Honda or Toyota.

I would say ... drive what you love ... literally until the wheels fall off. You will SAVE money over the long haul and enjoy your JCW

Read here http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...uyANewCar.aspx

Now tell us all ... what is going to put the smile on your face driving everyday ... a honda or a toyota? As some ppl say: "life is to short to drive a boring car"

Now this might sound funny coming from me who drives a Toyota SUV every work day when I could be driving something else. But my situation is different than yours.

 

If you are keen on getting the second car, the Scion xA should be available with good incentives to purchase. That model never really sold well compared to the xB and tC so it isn't too hard to find them on dealer lots with a decent price (plus newer models are inbound).

Slow? Check.
Reliable? Check.
Inexpensive? Check.
Fun? Check.

Not a bad little ride. Cheaper than a Honda Fit and maybe not quite as fun (that's a relative term in this market segment anyway), but for the mission you describe it could be a good answer.

 

Beater:
http://desmoines.craigslist.org/car/293918729.html

 

haha-now THAT's a beater!

 

Nice "patina!" Not quite sure this is what Rawhyde has in mind, though.

And since it seems that Rawhyde is seeking a non-MINI beater, I'm moving this from Coupe Talk (2002-2006) to Off Topic :: Autos.

 

honda crx. amazing gasmilage. fun to drive, parts are cheap and easy to come by. and the little motor lasts foreeeeever

 

here's mine... it's a 06 EX leased. wife drove it the other day and she
liked it...so im going to probably get my LegacyWgn back. i originally
got the civic for her but with the high miles she was putting on the last
6months was not lease friendly so had her drive my Legacy which i own.
but looks like she's going to be working from home pretty soon so im
kinda looking forward to getting my Legacy back. too bad she scratched
up the legacy pretty bad though. errrrrr... (i am secretly planning
a new A4wagon purchase)

 

...how when I think of "beater" this is what I think of:

 

I have that in the back of my mind, but the nearest MINI dealer is over 100 miles away. If I could find the right deal on an 05 or newer 5 speed Cooper, I might just do that. I don't want that Midlands gearbox. With some 15" wheels, I could get some tires that don't get eaten up in 15K miles....

Can't do a DX....no A/C. LX, now that is a possibility.

I'd like to lenghten the life of my MINI. I really have an attachment to that little car

The MINI as great as it is, does eat up tires with alarming frequency and due to some sickness in my family I cannot ditch the runflats and get cheaper longer lasting tires. If I HAVE to get home now, I HAVE to get home NOW. I'm in a very rural area so an "auto club" is worthless. Like I said, I love the MINI, but I think it'll cost a King's Ransom to keep on the road once it gets high mileage. (I also have a '95 Camaro B4C that has never seen rain and has 10,800 miles. Very very rare and very fast.) I'm no stranger to having several cars, I just don't care much for "practical cars". With my new situation, I'm considering buying a "practical car" either new or nearly new (like a CPO). Smart or not, I'd MUCH MUCH rather an '07 Fit, Civic, Versa, or Yaris take a door ding or a shopping cart smash than the MINI (or ESPECIALLY that Camaro, it NEVER gets parked anywhere unattended except at someone's home)

I want to order a new 335i around the first of next year. What I want is a new BMW, a very good MINI, and a dependable appliance for the daily commute.

Yep, that's a beater. The kind of "beater" I'm looking for is a tad more upscale than that one . I guess I shoulda called it a "Work Car" instead of a beater.

Thanks for all the inspiration!

Rawhyde

 

I'm looking for at the Suburu Outback in the Sport or 2,5i Basic. The new prices are not high, but to complete the exercise, I'm looking at late model used ones as well. Back in the years that I had 12 motorcycles in my garages, automobiles were not very important to me. During different periods I had a Mazda GLC and a Nissan Maxima for the beater/commuter. The key thing is to get something that runs a long time without any maintenance and other low operating costs.

 

damn, you sound like me.

yikes wat a dissappointment in the appearance!
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=120061#2