My girlfriend is looking for a car... Both of us would like for her to get a classic car, but given her commute that may not be practical for mileage given today's gas prices. She decided she definitely doesn't like living at college due to the types of people living with her. She is considering getting a single dorm to not have a roommate, but would prefer to commute and wants a car either way. Her commute would be 100 miles a day (50 each way) 3 times a week, with 90% of that being highway driving at 65-80 MPH. So 300 miles a week, practically all highway. Depending on how much  her parents contribute her budget is anywhere from $2,500-$5,000. Cheaper is always better... She originally (before deciding to commute to school) was looking at older Lincolns, in the '68-'80 range. With this commute, the mileage of such cars is not going to be that practical. I was thinking since we both like old cars something like a 200 or 240 cube I6 Mustang/Falcon/Comet would be a nice car. She likes the mid '60s Falcons a good bit. Any suggestions on classic cars in that price range that get good mileage (20+) would be appreciated. Also, any input on that would be great too. Probably not going to get a classic, but knowing the options and practicality is good, just in case a good deal comes up. On a classic I can do most repairs myself. The idea would be to spend more money now for a solid _frame_ and body with minimal rust, and have a engine/trans in good condition. Something that would be practical, enjoyable as a classic, and would retain it's value whenever she sells it to get her Lincoln, or whatever suites her tastes in years to come. So now onto where I really need the help. New cars. I recommended to her that a newer compact sedan would probably be the best bet. Some import in the '85-'90 range with a 4 cyl would do good on mileage and be fairly reliable I believe. We are open to anything though. Mileage requirement of such a modern car would prefer to be 28+, but again, open to consider anything is it's a good car. She would prefer an automatic trans, though is willing to learn a manual. Personally I think it's best to stick with an automatic for the time being as she's still fairly new to driving and only recently got reasonably good at it. What relatively modern cars would be good for this commute within the given price range and have good mileage? Any suggestions are welcome, as well as any information. I'm particularly interested in what American cars would be practical and reliable for her use. Though I am personally leaning towards an 'older' econo-box type import for reliability and mileage reasons, I'd like to be educated about the American options. One option her mother was thinking about was giving her dad's car and having her dad get a newer car of his own liking. His car is a '93 Toyota Camry station wagon with the 3.0 V6. It has ~185,000 miles IIRC. Recently had axles replaced, has been taken good care of and been a reliable car. Has had practically no non-routine items to be fixed/repaired. What sort of reliability issues might this car have at it's current age with the given commute? How about timing belt/chain? If it's a belt that is definitely a concern, if it's a chain then it may be fine for a while longer. But then again I know nothing about Japanese cars, let alone modern ones, so please let me know what concerns there might be with this one. Thanks a lot for any and all information... This is an area where I know nothing about. If it were me getting a new car for a commute like this I'd just get the cheapest 4 cyl I could find and drive it till it had a major failure, then get another one to replace it. But this is my girlfriend and I want her to have something nice that she will like, or at least not dislike, that will be reliable and not end up costing a fortune in eitehr repairs or gas. Thanks again.     Cory

My girlfriend is looking for a car... Both of us would like for her to get a classic car, but given her commute that may not be practical for mileage given today's gas prices. She decided she definitely doesn't like living at college due to the types of people living with her. She is considering getting a single dorm to not have a roommate, but would prefer to commute and wants a car either way. Her commute would be 100 miles a day (50 each way) 3 times a week, with 90% of that being highway driving at 65-80 MPH. So 300 miles a week, practically all highway. Depending on how much  her parents contribute her budget is anywhere from $2,500-$5,000. Cheaper is always better... She originally (before deciding to commute to school) was looking at older Lincolns, in the '68-'80 range. With this commute, the mileage of such cars is not going to be that practical. I was thinking since we both like old cars something like a 200 or 240 cube I6 Mustang/Falcon/Comet would be a nice car. She likes the mid '60s Falcons a good bit. Any suggestions on classic cars in that price range that get good mileage (20+) would be appreciated. Also, any input on that would be great too. Probably not going to get a classic, but knowing the options and practicality is good, just in case a good deal comes up. On a classic I can do most repairs myself. The idea would be to spend more money now for a solid _frame_ and body with minimal rust, and have a engine/trans in good condition. Something that would be practical, enjoyable as a classic, and would retain it's value whenever she sells it to get her Lincoln, or whatever suites her tastes in years to come. So now onto where I really need the help. New cars. I recommended to her that a newer compact sedan would probably be the best bet. Some import in the '85-'90 range with a 4 cyl would do good on mileage and be fairly reliable I believe. We are open to anything though. Mileage requirement of such a modern car would prefer to be 28+, but again, open to consider anything is it's a good car. She would prefer an automatic trans, though is willing to learn a manual. Personally I think it's best to stick with an automatic for the time being as she's still fairly new to driving and only recently got reasonably good at it. What relatively modern cars would be good for this commute within the given price range and have good mileage? Any suggestions are welcome, as well as any information. I'm particularly interested in what American cars would be practical and reliable for her use. Though I am personally leaning towards an 'older' econo-box type import for reliability and mileage reasons, I'd like to be educated about the American options. One option her mother was thinking about was giving her dad's car and having her dad get a newer car of his own liking. His car is a '93 Toyota Camry station wagon with the 3.0 V6. It has ~185,000 miles IIRC. Recently had axles replaced, has been taken good care of and been a reliable car. Has had practically no non-routine items to be fixed/repaired. What sort of reliability issues might this car have at it's current age with the given commute? How about timing belt/chain? If it's a belt that is definitely a concern, if it's a chain then it may be fine for a while longer. But then again I know nothing about Japanese cars, let alone modern ones, so please let me know what concerns there might be with this one. Thanks a lot for any and all information... This is an area where I know nothing about. If it were me getting a new car for a commute like this I'd just get the cheapest 4 cyl I could find and drive it till it had a major failure, then get another one to replace it. But this is my girlfriend and I want her to have something nice that she will like, or at least not dislike, that will be reliable and not end up costing a fortune in eitehr repairs or gas. Thanks again.     Cory I'd recommend a VW Golf, early (small bumper) A2 series, but I'm sure you'll get other opinions.  Just happens to be what I grew up with so I can fix most stuff on them myself or at least know enough not to get shafted by whoever I pay to fix it.  A Bentley shop manual (accept no substitutes) is a must have accessory if you do get one.  Do not buy a VW with an auto trans unless it's been rebuilt by someone who knows what they're doing - they have a nasty habit of swapping fluids between the gearbox and final drive.  Not good for either component. The Camry is a good car too, guy I work with had one that he drove into the ground and it lasted over 200K miles with iffy maintenance.  I believe it does have a timing belt so you may want to look into that. good luck nate

So now onto where I really need the help. New cars. I recommended to her that a newer compact sedan would probably be the best bet. Some import in the '85-'90 range with a 4 cyl would do good on mileage and be fairly reliable I believe. We are open to anything though. Mileage requirement of such a modern car would prefer to be 28+, but again, open to consider anything is it's a good car. US EPA fuel economy numbers from 1985 to present can be found at http://www.fueleconomy.gov .  You may want to use that to get an idea of what is available for a given level of desired fuel economy.

I'd suggest a Honda Civic coupe but I know how you feel about those inferior jap cars.... But I think if she wants a reliable car, giving good gas mileage and she can have at least some fun driving from point A to point B, I have to suggest pretty much any car in the Honoyota line-up =)

*snipped* If you can find one around your area, a used Subaru from the early 90's would be good. A 90-94 Loyale is a fairly inexpensive car, doesn't rust out *too* bad in comparison to some of it's earlier GL counterparts, and aside from the normal stuff you'd expect from a car of that age (tires, brakes probably, CV joints, etc) they're good sturdy cars that last a long time, and go great in the snow if you get a 4WD model. One with under 150000 miles on the clock would be preferable. They're even fairly nice for an econo car - come with power windows, power door locks, cassette p_layer_ and more all as standard equiptment. Mine has 118K on it, and it gets about 28 MPG highway/25 MPG city. However, if you can afford a couple thousand more, go for a Subaru Legacy of that vintage - sturdier built, and most of them had AWD as a standard feature, rather than the on-demand 4WD the Loyales had (which I prefer over AWD, but to each his own). I used to drive 120 miles round-trip every day, mostly highway. My Loyale has only ever quit on me on the road twice, once when the fan belts snapped (my fault for not checking them for cracks, they were the originals on the car) and I had to pull over and call for help, and once a few weeks ago when the starter gave out (also the original one on the car) and it was still possible to start the car by jumping the relay. As someone else in this thread stated, yep, Hondas are good too, from what I've heard, but I've never owned or driven one. Anyway, like I said, if you can afford it, grab yourself a nice 93 or so Legacy with low miles. It'll last quite a while, gets respectable mileage, fits pretty well within your budget, and it comes in auto and manual flavors. Might want to have an independent mechanic who knows Subarus look the car over before you buy, though, to see if there are any major problems. I'd recommend getting a new Subaru, but they're a bit pricey. . There you go. Free advice, and worth every penny.         Good luck!        

Saab. Get a 1989-1995 900 or 9000 with the 4-cylinder turbo. Very economical (I get 30MPG plus on the highway in my 1995 9000; 27mpg around town); fun to drive (excellent handling, turbo is really, really good.) and holds a ton of stuff (hatchback). You should be able to find a good one in her budget. I went from a Lincoln Mark VIII to the Saab and the Saab is much more pleasant to drive, particularly on long trips. Very comfortable seats. Saab also has a great safety record which may cut her insurance rates. If you're doing the work on the car yourself, there's plenty of sources for parts and lots of help on the internet. Try www.saabnet.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it http://www.madmousergraphics.com web design, print design, photography