Powerful cars with good gas mileage? Need help picking a new daily driver...

[CaptainInsane-O]

An SRT 4 is NOT going to get 23-24mpg! The best I got with mine was 19 driving like a grandma. Absolutely no boost for the whole tank, mostly highway too.

That car must have had issues... I've been daily driving an SRT-4 for nearly 4 years & average 24.5 ~ 25 mpg on my daily commute (just over 65 miles round trip) which is ~70% highway / 30% city streets and I don't drive like no blue-hair.

LMFAO!!!! Hahahaha! That is so true. I don't think I could do a neon just because of the boy ricer image.

It's not so bad really (I'm 36) just take the rear wing off, or swap for an SXT spoiler, and it'll blend into the crowd just as well as any of the other small sport sedans on the road. My skittle has been VERY reliable, ONLY issue in with nearly 70K miles is with a pin in the sunroof mechanism coming loose & heat warpage of my firewall trim (my fault for removing the rear hood gasket above the turbo, replaced under warranty & no reappearance.)

They respond REALLY well to mods (kinda like a certain Buford) and have a lot of aftermarket support. With just a Mopar cat back & drop in filter it made 224hp & 260 lb/ft on a Dynocom eddy-current dyno... bumped up to 272hp & 346lb/ft after adding a 3" O2 housing & downpipe, Mopar stage 2 wga and custom SCT XCal2 flash tune.

 

[turbo39151]

x10 on the Subaru. I have an 04 WRX wagon that I purchased new as a dd. I wanted something fast, reliable and utilitarian. I can drop the back seats and accomodate my 3 large dogs easily. The car gets great gas mileage, there is huge aftermarket support for them, there's AWD, etc...

I am at about 98k on the clock right now. The car has NEVER been back to the dealer for anything. I have replaced 2 light bulbs and one worn belt. That's it. The car gets regular maintenance and is due for a timing belt soon.

I can't say enough good stuff about this car. It's not a race car but it will move when you need it to, it's comfy to ride in for long distances and I can actually haul stuff in it too. I thing the biggest haul was a set of four 20" tires that I had to transport. The people didn't think they'd fit but they did. Still got good mpg with A/C and radio blasting...

Just my .02

Here's a pic:

If I had to buy again, this would be my top choice. You can find them pretty cheap since it's an older model...

Good luck with your search.

 

[tommyguns]

Has it been said yet? Ill say it.
2010 Ford Taurus w/ the 3.5 twin turbo 6. Advertised hp is 365, I believe. It's the SHO of course.
Can you imagine the possibilities? Upgraded turbos, bigger IC, etc.

 

[ronbuick]

simple, G8 GT or the GXP for a manual if you really want one.

Ron

 

[RatFink]

Chevy HHR SS
Reason: It has a lot of room. 4 adults can fit comfortably and its intercooled turbocharged. Several vendors are offering tuners, exhaust, intercoolers and better turbos. They come with a boost gauge installed and they offer a mini dash mounted info center that tell A/F ratio, fuel pressure, torque and some other useful info for tuning.

 

[Welby]

What the Hell, guys... He said $15,000, not $35,000+ for a turbo Taurus or $25,000 for an HHR, lol...

Next somebody'll recommend he gets a Veyron

 

[TType84]

C5 vette is cool and gets decent mileage, but I dont think thats gonna fly for insurance purposes as well as only being a 2 seater.

GTOs dont get good gas mileage, about 16 combined is what they are rated at.

Again, I want to be at least 22-23 combined and thats at a MINIMUM.
I would rather be near 25+. Doesnt have to be fast, not looking to replace the Monte or go faster than it, just something quick that will be fun as heck to drive everyday.

 

[boostingirl]

he can maybe pick up a older s60r for 18k

 

[streetknight]

My buddy just bought a 94' Anniversary Trans Am for $4,000

It runs high 13's and gets 25 on the highway and about 18 around town he said.

They're pretty cheap for the LT1 cars now.

 

[SS/GNX]

he can maybe pick up a older s60r for 18k

$18K is too much $$

 

["Turbo-T"]

Well I too was going to say SRT-4 but it seems that's not your cup of tea due to the image. I don't think they'd associate you with the rice boy image as long as you didn't plaster a ton of stickers on the side, a big fart can exhaust and a wing from Pep Boys on it. But that car in all reality would probably cover all the other bases for you.

I guess you could always just pick up a Ford Fairmont and install a turbo 2.3 out of an 88 T Bird. :tongue:

 

[SS/GNX]

My buddy just bought a 94' Anniversary Trans Am for $4,000

It runs high 13's and gets 25 on the highway and about 18 around town he said.

They're pretty cheap for the LT1 cars now.

LT1 cars have too many problems, I would rather get an LS1, but I had one and it doesn't get the mileage I am looking for.

I did like the suggestions about the turbo Miata and he S2000, only thing I'm on the fence about with those is winter and its a 2 seater. Being light as a feather and RWD it cant be good in the snow and a 2 seater is going to go as soon as I have a kid (wife is going to want one in the next 2 years so...)

The AWD subaru's would be a dream but again dont think 23MPG is going to happen. I had an 03 WRX for a while and that thing got MPGs in the teens at BEST.... not very good.

Nobody has mentioned the Caliber SRT4, I read they have 285HP, but I'm not sure what kind of gas mileage it gets. EPA its rated at 19/27. If it were between the 2.5GT and this car and the difference was only 1MPG I would choose the 2.5GT though...

What kind of mileage are those VWs getting in the city? (GTI)

 

[turbo39151]

The AWD subaru's would be a dream but again dont think 23MPG is going to happen. I had an 03 WRX for a while and that thing got MPGs in the teens at BEST.... not very good.

If you keep your foot out of it you will get better mpg. I get 22-25 regularly (some city/some hwy).

Hell, I've squeezed 18mpg out of my Supercharged Expedition! I get 25mpg out of the buick- but I baby it...It's all about how you drive the car. If it's gonna be a dd, I don't see you flying everywhere you go. I could be mistaken.

 

[Pronto]

You're going to have to modify your criteria. You're not going to find a car that runs on regular gas that runs 14s in your price range. You're mileage is not going to be in the mid 20s unless you baby it. Most cars that are sticks are 4 cyls that arn't that fast and the fast ones are turbos so it's back to premuim gas. You either have to pony up at the gas station or lower you performance standards. How about the Honda Civic SI 4dr? They look fun.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

kirban 2 cents worth

A few suggestions in looking over the posts in this thread....

First, as shown Volvo has really upgraded their look...not sure how their trade in value should up but I can tell you in an accident that is the car you want to be in as they really done their homework on their crumble zones....

I used to be in the towing business and seen wrecks first hand, and years ago my wife and I both had Volvos she had a 122 sedan and I had a supercharged 544 (look like a 48 ford coupe) both great cars.....(probably before you were driving age). 1961 and 1964 vintage.

Honda coupes are nice and have a elegent look to them inside & out. Very strong trade in value. Some of the other suggestions parts can be very costly....WRXs for example.

Now with the government involved with GM they will be looking at the same thing....if they expect to sell cars...must fun to drive, look great, and get great gas mileage.

Part of the key is finding something light weight and still safe for family etc....time will tell if GM can score in all those categories....

Obviousily the fun factor and gas factor almost for sure has to be tied into a manual shift vehicle perferably a 6 speed so rpms drop to around 1,500 to 1,800 at cruising speeds....or in an automatic 7 speed set up....either method should provide low end torque and drop off for cruising. Comfort is a major factor also.

Again lots of great suggestions presented in this post.....

kirbanperformance.com

denniskirban@yahoo.com

As mentioned by someone else great to read reviews on the internet from owners of any car you are considering...member the sales person will tell you anything as their goal is to close a deal....

 

[SS/GNX]

If you keep your foot out of it you will get better mpg. I get 22-25 regularly (some city/some hwy).

Hell, I've squeezed 18mpg out of my Supercharged Expedition! I get 25mpg out of the buick- but I baby it...It's all about how you drive the car. If it's gonna be a dd, I don't see you flying everywhere you go. I could be mistaken.[/QUOTE]

What Subie do you have? I would baby it unless I get pissed off or have a desire to gun @ss, which would happen at least once a day. One nice little petal to the metal and bang some gears, the rest of the time I'd drive normal.

 

[bison]

I got 8mpg on a tank full of c16 before. But it was a lot of fun:biggrin: Your only resort will be a t-charged AWD import with some mileage on it if you want something that is near stock and will get the mpg you want and be under 15k. Whats the point of having a performance car if your going to baby it? My daily driver is a Park Avenue and has probably seen WOT 5 times or less since ive owned it. It gets a combined mileage of over 25mpg unless im driving 90mph for extended time.

 

[turbo39151]

I have that Black 04 Wagon WRX.

 

[FINTLY518A]

What kind of mileage are those VWs getting in the city? (GTI)

Normal driving I get about 20-22 city and 26-28 highway.

 

[usetaboost]

LT1 cars have too many problems, I would rather get an LS1, but I had one and it doesn't get the mileage I am looking for.

I've been driving mine almost everyday with no problems except for the battery shelling out.

Just like everyone else says it's gonna be hard to find something under 15k that runs 14s and gets good gas mileage. an srt4 and a wrx are the only ones I can think of that could offer this. Good luck on your search