As a few of you know, the time has come to sell my SC. I'm selling it to get rid of my car payment and also get something with better gas mileage. So, I have narrowed it down to three choices.

1) 2002-2003 Toyota Echo coupe. Not much to look at and bare bones car, but 35/40 mpg
2) mid 90's Honda Prelude (preferably a VTEC, but if not an Si) Good styling, decent gas mileage, but front wheel drive
3) 95-98 Nissan 240SX- Decent power, decent gas mileage, and rear wheel drive

I won't be doing any mods at first, so I am looking for something with some decent performance out of the box. Also, mods could be in the future, so if anyone could chime in with possibilities and ease of modding for options 2 and 3, that would help. Also, insurance costs between these three would help.
Basically, I would like the Echo with 40mpg, but don't know if I could stay satisfied with it long term due to the low performance.
Any imput would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tim

 

I'm gonna have to go with the 240 just because:

a. I love RWD
b. Smallish engine, probably pretty good on gas
c. Not an Echo
d. Sporty

James

 

You are limiting yourself too much. There are MUCH better choices for your specific need than just those three. But...if it HAS to be one on that list, the Echo would make the most sense as a daily driver. It has a reliable and economical drivetrain, a proven track record, low insurance rates, excellent mileage, cheap oil changes, plenty of room inside for a small car, a nice tall roof for headroom, well-designed controls, dual glove boxes for storage, good foul-weather traction (depending on the tires) with the front-wheel-drive, and the balance of the 5-year / 60,000 mile Toyota drivetrain warranty...which you probably won't end up using anyway.
On the negative side.....the body style, IMO, is ugly, and that tall roofline that gives you the headroom, combined with the small, skinny low-friction tires that give good gas mileage, also makes for a little of the SUV-type tipsies during hard cornering...it will NOT handle like a sports car.
The gauge package in the center of the dash, IMO, is awkward and does not include a temperature gauge...there is a blue "cold "light and a red "hot" light for the engine. The base versions do not include a tach....I don't remember if the more expensive ones do or not.

So....there you have it......the good and the bad. But I still think that of the three, the Echo would make the most sense as a daily driver. But if you don't limit yourself, you have MANY better choices.

 

So... it seems as if you're for an economical 2 door coupe. That ka24de motor in the 240sx is really a truck motor and the power dies off around 5k rpm, probably something to notice if you're used to the sc's motor. Honda Preludes are nice, considered to be a little heavy and a little slower than an ES300 if it were auto Echo?! No comment. Modding a 240 is more fun. its not just the motor you focus on, it's also the coil over setup, diff, camber, etc. if i wanted an economical sports car, id be inclined to a wrx even though it's a 4 door.

 

What are these other options that you are thinking of. I am picky on the stlying and these are the only ones I can think of offhand. Notice the trend. I currently have an SC, and am looking at a 240 or prelude. They all are long, sleek, and low body types.
Oh, and it has to cost less than $7000

 

Check out some 300zx. Like the non-turbo ones. For lower insurance look for a 2+2 since having a back seat reduces insurance payments. They are also in your price range

 

I would never even consider a Toyota Echo bec of how hideous that car looks, i dont care if it gives 100mpg.

Why not get a used Honda Civic coupe? It looks decent, handles well, is very reiable and there is a strong aftermarket for it.

 

240sx all the way!!! If you plan to mod your car in the future, then there are alot of aftermarket support for the prelude and 240sx. I'd stick with the 240sx because it's a rwd.

 

OK....since you mention sleek and low, reliable, and under 7K, ........( I don't know why you included the Echo with this group to start with ).......... you can consider:

...A 1994-99 Celica GT (or an ST if you are willing to live with less power).

...A Toyota Paseo. That car will give you low, sleek coupe looks along with Tercel / Corolla reliability.

...An early-to-mid 90's Mazda Miata ( IF you can fit into one)

...A 1993 or later Honda Del Sol......but a word of caution: Del Sols tended to have problems with squeaks, rattles, leaks, and body flex. Honda had not really perfected the body rigidity problems on that design.

...An early-to-mid-90's Toyota MR2. The non-turbo versions are likely to be more reliable than the turbos. Keep in mind, though, if you are used to a front-engined car, that MR2's don't track quite as straight...it takes a lot of small steering corrections to keep them in the center of the lane, and hard cornering can lead to classic lift-throttle oversteer from the rear-weight bias.

...A Nissan 200SX or 240 SX like other posters suggested.

...An early-to-mid 90's Mazda MX-6 coupe. This was a low, sleek mid-sized coupe based on the 626 that competed with the Celica. Avoid the automatic tranny...it had problems.

...A 1991 or later Mazda MX-3. It had a unique engine option...the world's smallest V6 (1.8L) that was smooth but low on torque. It should have been designed as a 2-seater, though, and wasn't...the rear "seat " is useless. And the body sheet metal is thin and tinny. Other than that it was a nice little coupe...and reliable, especially with the 5-speed.

...An early 90's Ford Probe. It was a mechanical twin to the Mazda MX-6. The same comments apply, though the Probe's body was somewhat different. Reliability varied from sample to sample but was generally better then average except for the automatic tranny.

...A late 80's-early 1990's Nissan 300ZX. Try to avoid the twin-turbo version...it would likely be more reliable without them.

There are even more options, but first see if any of these interest you.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong mmarshall, but I thought the mx-3 had poor gas mileage esp. for a small v6. An acquaintance had one, and he said it was horrible!

I would agree about the honda civic: cheap, reliable, universally moddable,
good gas mileage
Let us know what you end up with.

And that echo is hideous, but it's a reliable toyota.

 

Why not a Toyota Corolla or Martix?? Those vehicles are bulletproof & are a much better value overall than what your considering IMO.

 

I agree the Civic and Corolla are bulletproof, but I didn't include them because it sounded like he wanted something lower to the ground and sportier. That's why I mentioned the Paseo, MR2, Celica, and Del Sol instead.

The MX-3's V6? I don't remember its EPA mileage ratings, but I would not be surprised at low mileage for its size...the lack of low-end torque (there was very little below about 3500 or so) meant that many people drove with large throttle openings and high RPM, especially with the A/C on. That, of course, eats up fuel. That engine was noted for smoothness and reliability more than anything else. I was driving Mazdas myself at the time and almost bought one...but I was not impressed with the MX-3's body sheet metal. The rival Honda CRX was more solid in that area. I did not mention the CRX as a possibility because they are very hard to find today in good condition...most are either crapped-out or have been completely redone by tuners.

 

well, i don't know much about the echo but i know some of the prelude and the 240sx.

i personally own 2 of the 240sx before, but now they are all gone, but i really did had soo much fun with that car since it is RWD, didn't really have much problem with the car, but now it is pretty hard to find a decent 240sx. if you still want to have the fun of RWD, definitly go with the 240sx. and like you said, gas milage is decent. and for that car to have really good fun, u really have to have some good tires, coz that car is quite light.

the prelude, my friend has that gen of perlude that you are talking about, and he had a vtec version. he had it for about 2.5 yrs, and not he is trying to get it of it and look for soemthing new. according to what i heard from him, he just thinks the car is alright, the car itself stock isn't not fast at all he said, and i think i did take him with my 240sx when i still had the car, hehe. he also said that the vtec engine burn quite a few oil, and he always carry a bottle of oil with him anywhere he goes. gas milage is just about the same as the 240sx, myabe just a little better.

so hopefully this can help you decide what to get in the near future.

 

Why not wait a while till the Honda Fit is introduced in the US? I think it's coming out next year and it's gonna be selling for under $10k i heard. My wife's Fit makes 45 miles/gallon on a 1.3L i-DSi motor!!!!!

 

Merry xmas all. I´m on vacation in Nicaragua right now, Í hope all of you are having as much fun as I´m having!

Anyway, out of the cars listed above, the only ones I have previously considered are the older gen. celica and the mr2. I need more room than an mr2 offers, and the celica doen´t have a much performance as I would like considering it´s mpg.
I´ll have to test drive a 4th gen prelude and 240sx to see if I like them. Also, insurance is going to be a big thing. I want to spend no more than 6.5k I should have mentioned that earlier (school bills are starting to grow and this would allow me to banish the car payment)

My big fear with getting a 240 or prelude is that I will get it planning future mods when the money allows and then I won´t have the money, will get frustrated, and get sick of the car in stock form. This is what has happened with my sc300. I just wish they had some used echo hatchbacks for sale. They were just introduced this year in Canada and I think they´re pretty cool. They give the same mpg, but with much better looks. I would go up and get one, but again, out of my price range since they´re all brand new.

Tim