Hi, im “Distance Courier” which means i drive about 250 to 300 miles a day. I need a reliable vehicle with great gas mileage. I currently have a 2008 Madza Tribute. It is the worst car i have ever bought. i bought it new and have nothing but problems with it. I guess i got the “lemon” of the bunch. Its nearing its 200,000 mark and i need a “new” vehicle. Any suggestions??? I was thinking about the honda CRV or the Scion XB whatcha think??? appriciate the advice.
The CRV won’t give you very good fuel economy. It is a crossover SUV, and they don’t usually get very good fuel economy.
How big are the packages you transport? How large of a vehicle do you need?
Well, i transport Bank Bags. About the size of a large ladies purse. About ten per day…
Buy a Crown Vic and get comfort, safety and reliability and 25-26 mpg. You LIVE in your car. FORGET gas mileage…
I would get a more basic model of Honda Civic.
If you consider 25-26 MPGs “great gas mileage,” you should consider Caddyman’s Crown Victoria advice. However, if you want to get better than 30 MPG, you will need something else.
I would start by test driving a Camry hybrid and both the V6 and I4 versions of the Accord. You should also consider the Ford Focus, the Hyundai Accent, and Scion models in addition to the XA.
As a Civic owner, I don’t think you would like to spend 250-300 miles per day in a Civic. They have a lot of road, wind, and engine noise, and for many people, they are not comfortable cars. The same goes for the Honda Fit. I don’t think it would be a good long haul car.
I know the Honda elements aren’t too sexy to look at but they’re pretty comfy (imo) and the doors swing out omnidirectionally (if that makes sense) so it’s easy to put alot of junk in the back. And with the 4 cyl engine it should get upper 20’s lower 30’s.
VW diesel.
Twotone
Golf or Jetta diesel – comfy, quiet, and, w/the TDI, good mileage.
Or a hybrid – city driving’s their forte.
Your Mazda is a Ford Escape…Mazda does make some smaller hatchbacks that drive well and are good economy cars. The 2wd Toyota Matrix has excellent loading and Corolla drive train. The Corolla is one the highest mileage non diesel/hybrids you can get. So Smaller Mazda, Matrix/Corolla with the Vibe by Pontiac as a Matrix clone. All should go well into mid to high 30s mpg highway.
All these suggestions are inexpensive and drive well…Forget hybrids. Over the road with non city driving, they aren’t worth the extra money. VW producta are potentially more troublesome than your Tribute.
300 miles a day, everyday, in an econo-box?? The timing belt replacement will eat up any gas savings. Go for comfort and quiet at 80 mph…
I wouldn’t automatically rule out any econobox since many of them have switched to timing chains in their most recent models.
Some people are comfortable doing 300 miles a day in an econobox, and some people aren’t.