What's the best small (good mileage) Chrysler product out there now?

[bull]

We're kicking around the notion of getting a small used car that gets good fuel mileage but I can't say I'm all that excited about the Neons. Seems like I've heard some not-so-good things about them on more than one occasion. My wife likes the VW Passats () and my sister-in-law has a Ford Focus that looks half decent. Is the Stratus any good? What would you guys buy if you were in the market for a high mpg car?

[4forty]

The Passat gets crappy mileage and uses Premium fuel, If you want Mopar your only choice is the Caliber  (Starting around $15K)  which gets 29 HWY (probaly with a good tailwind). I'm looking for High MPG, American and reasonable price for Girlfriends commuuter car, best deal seems to be the Chevy Cobalt XFE with gets 36+Hwy and starts at $14K,..... or you can turn Japanese.

can you tell I'm in the market too!!   Good Luck!

[Fitz73Chrgr]

Dont go Japanese!!

The Cobalt is supposed to be a really good car.  I've been thinking about one for myself. 

[SnoPro440]

I bought a new 05 Neon SRT-4 in the begining of 06.  I have 62K on it and I haven't had a single problem with it.  I drive about 90 miles a day and if I stay out of the turbo, I can squeeze about 31-32MPG out of it.  I haven't done any performance mods to it and I change the oil with Mobil 1 every 4-5K. I bought the wife a Mini Cooper S with high miles on it and she gets around 33MPG.  I don't really care for that car but she loves it.  I drove it one time to the do-it-yourself carwash and two DUDES came up to me and were checking me out and the car out.  That's the last time I will ever drive that thing.

[moparstuart]

We're kicking around the notion of getting a small used car that gets good fuel mileage but I can't say I'm all that excited about the Neons. Seems like I've heard some not-so-good things about them on more than one occasion. My wife likes the VW Passats () and my sister-in-law has a Ford Focus that looks half decent. Is the Stratus any good? What would you guys buy if you were in the market for a high mpg car?

i'm currently driving one of my used cars. It's a 97 sebring convert with a  2.5 L and am currently getting 35 mpg . I drive 60 miles each way everyday  all hwy miles. But this car has 120k and it and getting great gas mileage !

[Old Moparz]

Before I decided to replace my older tow vehicle 3 years ago with the Dodge Ram I have, I was looking into a PT Cruiser. The reason was that I kept seeing a NYC dealership advertising a brand new, stripped down model, for $9995 & thought it was pretty damn cheap. After researching the car some more, one thing that kept coming up was the good reliability record it had. I was seriously considering it, but decided that replacing the tow vehicle was more benificial at the time. I would have only added A/C to it to keep the cost down if I bought one.

[bull]

Before I decided to replace my older tow vehicle 3 years ago with the Dodge Ram I have, I was looking into a PT Cruiser. The reason was that I kept seeing a NYC dealership advertising a brand new, stripped down model, for $9995 & thought it was pretty damn cheap. After researching the car some more, one thing that kept coming up was the good reliability record it had. I was seriously considering it, but decided that replacing the tow vehicle was more benificial at the time. I would have only added A/C to it to keep the cost down if I bought one.

A coworker of mine has a PT and she's not too happy with it, mainly due to the high cost of maintenance on it. I can't swear to the accuracy of the following but she said you have to remove one of the front wheels to change out a headlight on that side. I've also heard some bad things about servicing the transmission on them as in you can only use a certain type of (expensive) fluid and it's a general PITA to work on. This is all hearsay mind you but I haven't heard as much bragging on them as I have complaints from different sources.

[bull]

Seperated at birth?

[moparstuart]

Before I decided to replace my older tow vehicle 3 years ago with the Dodge Ram I have, I was looking into a PT Cruiser. The reason was that I kept seeing a NYC dealership advertising a brand new, stripped down model, for $9995 & thought it was pretty damn cheap. After researching the car some more, one thing that kept coming up was the good reliability record it had. I was seriously considering it, but decided that replacing the tow vehicle was more benificial at the time. I would have only added A/C to it to keep the cost down if I bought one.

A coworker of mine has a PT and she's not too happy with it, mainly due to the high cost of maintenance on it. I can't swear to the accuracy of the following but she said you have to remove one of the front wheels to change out a headlight on that side. I've also heard some bad things about servicing the transmission on them as in you can only use a certain type of (expensive) fluid and it's a general PITA to work on. This is all hearsay mind you but I haven't heard as much bragging on them as I have complaints from different sources.

my mom has one and she loves it , it's an 01 the first year for the model.  Never had any problems.  That motor is a tight fit and tough to work on !
   but she had not had anyproblems with it .

[Old Moparz]

A coworker of mine has a PT and she's not too happy with it, mainly due to the high cost of maintenance on it. I can't swear to the accuracy of the following but she said you have to remove one of the front wheels to change out a headlight on that side. I've also heard some bad things about servicing the transmission on them as in you can only use a certain type of (expensive) fluid and it's a general PITA to work on. This is all hearsay mind you but I haven't heard as much bragging on them as I have complaints from different sources.

I don't recall where I was reading all the info I had on it, but I do remember one source at the time was one of the used car guides where they rate all the cars. I doubt it was Consumer Reports, but there are several similar ones. I don't know anyone personally, that owns one except for one friend of a friend. He bought his new & liked it, but it was reposessed before he put any significant miles on it. 

As for changing the headlight being a PITA, I had a Nissan pick up that you had to remove the entire grille on to get to the headlight hardware. The grille had these plastic, push & turn, spring loaded clips, holding it in place. No big deal, except it was January & cold when I had to do it & I thought all the plastic was going to shatter in my hands because of the cold temperatures. I only had to change each of the headlights once in 155,000 miles, so I wouldn't hold that against buying something.

Now if the tranny is an issue, well I'd definitely be concerned.


edit: I just picked these links at random. 

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2001-to-2007-chrysler-pt-cruiser-2.htm

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2006&make=Chrysler&model=PT%20Cruiser&trimid=-1

http://www99.epinions.com/auto_Make-2002_Chrysler_PT_Cruiser/display_~reviews

[RT DAVE]

My 04 RT neon (3.94 vs 3.55 gear and 150 hp as opposed 132) used to get 30 mpg at 75 mph.  I've heard the first gen cars are capable of high 30s.  I am currently looking at a 96 acr with 49K miles on it but it's a two door and has no ac or radio.   Calibers get crappy gas mileage on the highway for a small car but they make up for it in the city from what I've heard.   

[Charger_Fan]

I drove it one time to the do-it-yourself carwash and two DUDES came up to me and were checking me out and the car out.  That's the last time I will ever drive that thing.

I would have gone right back with the '68, just to set the record straight.

[RDR838]

Built by DaimlerChrysler

[Old Moparz]

Built by DaimlerChrysler

I can picture Bull haggling with the salesman on this one.   

[4forty]

THE "Smart CAR is Stupid!!!!  It's a joke, It only averages 35MPG! If I'm going to drive something this small I'm gonna need about 60+ MPG, Even Motor Trend & Car & Driver don't understand the "low" Mileage on this POS. If your looking at this you better also look at Toyota Yaris, Prius and Civic Hybrid. Much more room and comfort with back seat and better mileage!

[elanmars]

why the hate against japanese cars?

I don't get the brand loyalty thing, buy what car is BEST.

[chargerboy69]

My buddy is doing a 2002 Jetta diesel conversion. He will be running on old tranny fluid. He is supposed to be getting 50 mpg. Not to bad.

[moparstuart]

Built by DaimlerChrysler

I can picture Bull haggling with the salesman on this one.   

death trap

[472 R/T SE]

why the hate against japanese cars?

I don't get the brand loyalty thing, buy what car is BEST.

I don't know how you're getting hate out of the few responses I've read but whatever dude. 



bull, I like my '00 300m.  I researched lots of used Chrysler rigs before I made the purchase.  I always liked the way they looked when they came out and they run the 3.5 versus the sludge motor.  Lots of the magazines liked them when they came out and the drivetrain has been problem free for us.  Besides regular maintenance, in 4 years I've had the AC recharged and I replaced a rear door lock.  When you nail it, it drops down a gear or two and spins up to 6000 or so rpm but gets with the program.  A luxurious Neon if you will.

The little overheard console says 18.7 mpg and that's mostly in town.  I'm sure if I left the AC off...

Some research will do you good into what's been reliable over the years, just like you're doing. 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Go Japanese....          I haven't found a domestic car that is as well engineered as a Honda, Toyota, or similar....      You guys seem to think your balls will shrink if you buy foreign cars or something....      hell your average Toyota is more American than a new Dodge, Ford, or Chevy     

[4forty]

I agree for the most part Japanese cars were the better value (loved my '01 Accord) but not so much now....(seen the list of Tundra recalls lately) American cars are improving dramatically, they have to to survive! even if Japanese cars are built here the majority of the revenues returns to Japan, or Korea or wherever, not here at home to the USA.

[Mike DC]

 
I have no illusions about the American-ism of foreign makes.  (Domestic assembly of a foreign car is a small fraction of total cost. The huge engineering dollars all go overseas.)

But f*ck it, I'll buy foreign economy cars if it means more money gets saved for my '69 Chargers.



IMO the domestic options have been getting much better for this lately although 10 years ago the gap was still there.  So it depends on how old/high mileage you're shopping for.  The last decade's worth of domestic stuff can be great if you get the right model and if it's been maintained well. 


The Toyota/Honda option is kind of like buying Sony electronics --

These two brands seem like they're a notch overpriced for what they are, particularly when you're shopping used and you compare stats with other brands.  But something from either of them is also virtually guaranteed to be in the top 40% of the options at the least.  You don't always get the best thing for this extra money, but it's more like a very safe bet that it won't completely suck. 

I also think the Toy/Honda stuff does better on the small stuff than Detroit does.  Detroit is often making a drivetrain run every bit long as Japan now, but the Jap stuff's power windows and A/C still seem to keep working a few years longer in my experience. 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Well yes - Toyota Tundras do have a lot of Recalls...     but keep in mind where they are assembled (Texas) - not knocking america or anything but just spewing facts.. .      American cars have been getting better I'll admit - but foreign cars do still seem to be a better value and better all around cars.

[Ponch ®]

      hell your average Toyota is more American than a new Dodge, Ford, or Chevy     

What are you talking about? Just because my Charger was built in Canada with a mexican engine and a german transmission doesn't mean it's less American  .....

[Charger-Bodie]

Go Japanese....          I haven't found a domestic car that is as well engineered as a Honda, Toyota, or similar....      You guys seem to think your balls will shrink if you buy foreign cars or something....      hell your average Toyota is more American than a new Dodge, Ford, or Chevy     

The biggest problem with that is that the profits disappear from our economy.

[Todd Wilson]

We had a 2000 Neon that was a great car until the dude that ran the stoplight smoked it. It got 33 mpg on the highway. Excellent riding car. Good power and visibility. Coulda held a few more gallons of gas was my
only complaint. I really miss Dodge making Neons.

We had a 2003 2door Stratus. Rode good and had good power for the 4 cyl. Had some visibility problems towards the rear area kinda like the 3rd gen Chargers do.  It got 30mpg on the highway. Had to trade it in for a more family friendly unit as the 2door didnt work with a carseat. Only complaint I had about the Stratus was it was very hard for me to get in and out of with it being low and the angle of the seats. Leg room on the passenger side was a little cramped for a tall person. Drivers side was fine.

We got an 07 Caliber and its been a great car so far. 30mpg on the highway. In town mpg is around 20-21. Not what the window sticker said at 26 but thats still not bad for intown and it is a bigger vehicle then the Neon was and my wife thinks she is in a race all the time.

If I was in the market for a 2 little car I'd try and find a 04-06 Neon with 30000 or less miles  if you cant find them. They are hard to find around here.  Or I'd look at another Caliber or whats that little car called that looks like a small Charger? I have been curious as to how those are for riding in.

Todd

[4forty]

You mean Avenger.... (looks better than new "Charger")

Go Japanese....          I haven't found a domestic car that is as well engineered as a Honda, Toyota, or similar....      You guys seem to think your balls will shrink if you buy foreign cars or something....      hell your average Toyota is more American than a new Dodge, Ford, or Chevy     

The biggest problem with that is that the profits disappear from our economy. 

[RT DAVE]

We had a 2000 Neon that was a great car until the dude that ran the stoplight smoked it. It got 33 mpg on the highway. Excellent riding car. Good power and visibility. Coulda held a few more gallons of gas was my
only complaint. I really miss Dodge making Neons.

We had a 2003 2door Stratus. Rode good and had good power for the 4 cyl. Had some visibility problems towards the rear area kinda like the 3rd gen Chargers do.  It got 30mpg on the highway. Had to trade it in for a more family friendly unit as the 2door didnt work with a carseat. Only complaint I had about the Stratus was it was very hard for me to get in and out of with it being low and the angle of the seats. Leg room on the passenger side was a little cramped for a tall person. Drivers side was fine.

We got an 07 Caliber and its been a great car so far. 30mpg on the highway. In town mpg is around 20-21. Not what the window sticker said at 26 but thats still not bad for intown and it is a bigger vehicle then the Neon was and my wife thinks she is in a race all the time.

If I was in the market for a 2 little car I'd try and find a 04-06 Neon with 30000 or less miles  if you cant find them. They are hard to find around here.  Or I'd look at another Caliber or whats that little car called that looks like a small Charger? I have been curious as to how those are for riding in.

Todd

It has more room in the cabin than a neon but the trunk is TINY... 

[craigandlynda]

the objective is lowest cost for transportation...you'd better get out your pencils, and keep 'em out when figgerin' this one....the rising price of gas is cause for concern...but the biggest cost by far is DEPRECIATION....start by calculating how many miles you will be driving per year...figure the cost of fuel for that year...at different miles per gallon...thinking of trading your 17 mpg in for a new minibox that gets 30? (and thats a maybe)  will you save as much in gas as the new car will depreciate? don't forget the added cost of higher collision and comp insurance...loan interest....and maybe the fact that you can't service the thing yourself....(disregard the possibility of driving a less safe minibox...you aren't going to get in an accident, are you?)  ....

so maybe consider a late model used economy car...do the same figuring, look at overall costs...if it pays, start looking for one you would be the best at servicing yourself...

in our case, we bought our daughter a 97 breeze that was clean as a whistle....26 mpg, and a MoPar.

(I bleed MoPar blue....I will never buy a rice burner. it's the principle of the thing. )

[moparstuart]

the objective is lowest cost for transportation...you'd better get out your pencils, and keep 'em out when figgerin' this one....the rising price of gas is cause for concern...but the biggest cost by far is DEPRECIATION....start by calculating how many miles you will be driving per year...figure the cost of fuel for that year...at different miles per gallon...thinking of trading your 17 mpg in for a new minibox that gets 30? (and thats a maybe)  will you save as much in gas as the new car will depreciate? don't forget the added cost of higher collision and comp insurance...loan interest....and maybe the fact that you can't service the thing yourself....(disregard the possibility of driving a less safe minibox...you aren't going to get in an accident, are you?)  ....

so maybe consider a late model used economy car...do the same figuring, look at overall costs...if it pays, start looking for one you would be the best at servicing yourself...

in our case, we bought our daughter a 97 breeze that was clean as a whistle....26 mpg, and a MoPar.

(I bleed MoPar blue....I will never buy a rice burner. it's the principle of the thing. )

your on a dodge site you better say you bleed dodge red and chysler/plymouth blue      corperate blue that is

[MNMopar]

Here's my  .

I leased an '07 Dodge Caliber SE with the 2.0 and CVT transmission. Supposedly I was going to get 26 city and 32 Highway. Now I don't drive like a mad man or anything, and my max speed is 60mph back and forth to work.

@ 5,000 Miles I averaged 23 mpg 50/50 City Highway.
@ 20,000 Miles I average 26 mpg 50/50 City Highway. 

I bought this thing to get good gas Mileage, I averaged 20mpg with my 95 Dakota with a 318 2 wheel drive. I'm extremely PO'd and will not buy or lease (Thank God I leased!) another new Dodge! Damn Germans messed it all up!

My girlfriends 2001 Dodge Stratus SE 4dr with 2.7 V6 is snappy as hell and avearges 34 on the freeway and 28 city streets.

All I can say is the Caliber must be under powered and results in my terrible mileage. But how can a V6 with 77k more miles still beat my mileage? 

Oh and another thing, that Caliber is made out of Aluminum or atleast is seems like it, the sheet metal is so thin the wind blows and you have a new DENT!

[69_500]

The problem with the newer cars is that they aren't aerodynamic like the cars from the mid 90's to early 2000's. The Caliber isn't that large of a vehicle, but man its a blunt nosed sucker. You would think they would offer more gear ratio choices for the rear end, to help with the mpg's as well on the newer cars.

[bull]

Thanks for all the replies. Two things I want to mention, I'm not hellbent on buying "American" (whatever that means anymore) but I do tend to look at Chrysler products long and hard first before looking elsewhere. I've owned a Honda Accord before and was mostly pleased with it and now I wouldn't mind trying a Camry out. Second, this will definitely be a used sedan purchase in the $4k-$9k range and probably no newer than '05 or so, so that counts out the Caliber and several other possibilities that have been mentioned.

Without having researched it much yet my first off-the-top-of-my-head choices would be the Neon, Stratus, Sebring, Camry, Accord, Kia Optima, Hyundi Elantra and Ford Focus.

[HKCharger]

Dont go Japanese!!

Why not? They build a superior car, that is more reliable. You would be stupid not to consider one as a daily driver.

[69charger2002]

i went through this same debate 3-4 months ago. after looking for a corolla, camry, accord, civic or something, i happened across a 03 neon SXT with 99k for $2500 cash. i am 6'2, and i have to admit it had way more room inside than i ever thought possible. trunk has plenty too. for a commuter car, it is great, and stays brand loyal.. it's definitely not the prettiest car on the road, but it is a dodge, and it gets good mpg(i get 26 or so).. it's an auto, and that's a/c running non stop.
trav

[71ChallengeHer]

Shelby's 2.5 Daytona gets about 27 mpg . It had over 100,000 miles on it. It's very reliable. I really hated to give it up. Because I really liked driving it. Plus it's a 2 door. But Shelby wanted it.

[FLG]

You gave it up and then it tried to kill you jackie 

[71ChallengeHer]

You gave it up and then it tried to kill you jackie 

It must have been mad.    Frank, it's fixed now. 

[69_500]

If you considering older cars, I have a 98 Avenger that I drive daily, and it averages 27.2 mpg over the last 12 months of driving it back and forth to work, and to the occasional trip to Michigan with GENO.

[craigandlynda]

best mpg mopar i ever owned was 86 dodge daytona 2.5, 5 spd stick....36 hwy 26 local...another surprise came in our 94 Chrysler LHS- 30 mpg hiway....

[jaak]

Me and the wife are looking into buying her a new (or low mileage used) car, I have never bought a foreign vehicle, but I am seriously considering it this time. First off the dependability and the long warranties they offer are excellent. I LOVE old mopars, but lets face it, the cars today just suck. Now we have an Intrepid and to put it kindly... Its a piece of crap. I had a 99 neon before that I liked that car ok, for what it was.. but that was a lesson learned about Chryslers extended warrenties,,,,They ain't worth the paper they are written on.

As far as "buy American", the economy and so on....my take is all companies are out to make money off of you, plain and simple. So if i can buy a foriegn car that uses less fuel, has lower repair cost, and will last me 8-10 years and save me money, I'm all for it, Because I just want safe reliable transportation for my wife and kids.

I can care less about what American auto corps profits, or the economy or any of that shit, I just care about the money that goes through this household.


Jason

[HKCharger]

my wife drives an 07 civic, I drive a honda accord as a daily driver. Im a die hard mopar guy, havent seen one as sick as me but ill continue to drive these hondas until the wheels fall off daily. combined we have driven 35,000 miles in 2 years on both and not one issue. We just change the oil every 3k and thats it. she gets 44 mpg and I get in the 30's.

[BigBlackDodge]

The wife has an 05' PT................54,000 miles and zero troubles. Best mileage so far is 30 on the interstate and usually 22-24 around town.

BBD

[71charger_fan]

I've had three 2nd gen Neons and never had a problem with any of them. Our current one, an '04 R/T, just delivered 33mpg on a 400 mile round trip up I-95. A few days before that, it got 32mpg, cruising at 75-80mph, on a trip over the mountains and back to WV. Our '03 SXT once got over 35 on a trip to NC. Those cars suffered from the reputation gained by the early first gen models.

For new Chrysler-built, have you considered a base-model, FWD Jeep Patriot? Even with no options, they're nicely equipped and are rated for 28mpg highway. If you can drive a manual, it could be a good choice if you can find one. We looked at one on the lot of the Jeep dealer in Laurel, MD a few weeks ago. If we were living full time in the U.S., we might have bought it on the spot.

[472 R/T SE]

R/T club prez David Lee's wife's car is for sale.  If you know David, you know how meticulous he is with his rigs.

They just bought a new *cough* Civic.





V6 Auto/ 123,420 miles. One owner- bought new/fully loaded (cruise/tilt/air/leather interior). It's been a well taken care of car. 25-28MPG. New 17" tires purchased on 7/1/08 and new brakes installed on 7/1/08. Last tune-up at 100,000 miles, all new belts. Have access to all paper work done on car since purchased. Factory CD player, spare tire only used once (2 miles on spare), Never been smoked in. Never wrecked. Moon roof plus slider.

$4,000.00 OBO. Leave a message at 360.835.2687
   

[68RT4ME]

I hear that this model gets decent mileage. Something to consider?? 

[69_500]

I'll tell you a car that got great gas mileage in the early 90's was the 1991 Spirit R/T's. I remember getting right at 37-38 mpg in that car, and that was in a 2.2L 4 banger, that was 225 hp. Drove that car all over the place without any hints of problems. Had a total of 3 Spirit R/T's over the years, great cars. A little tough to come across though, as  they didn't make all that many of them.