What beater cars should I consider getting for college?

Question

I know that compromises will have to be made, but here are the requirements, in no particular order.

Over 20 MPG in town.

Not something likely to be stolen or attract much attention

Manual Transmission

Reliable/low maintenance cost (I don't want to be nickel'd and dimed)

Safe?

BTW, I live in America, so no Peugeot or Holden are available.

Answer 1

i'd stay away from any luxury-type (acura, bmw, lexus, etc.) those cost more to maintain and they require PREMIUM GAS. i'd recommend getting like a vw golf or jetta, honda s2000, even a mini cooper. they're all fuel efficient, fairly reliable (although if reliability is a main concern, toyota and honda are the obvious choices) and come in stickshift

Answer 2

You have to understand that most 90's Hondas don't even get over 20 intown. That's really good gas mileage. You might want to adjust your requirements on that part.

That not withstanding? In my experience these will give you most bang for the buck:

A. Volvo (late 80's through mid 90's models are very cheap and very reliable. just stay away from the turbo if possible)

B. Acura (mid to late 80's and 1990 models are very cheap to buy and very reliable)

end of list.

everything else holds too much value versus reward.

Answer 3

Mid 90's (1993-1995) Dodge Shadow/ Plymouth Sundance 2.2L/2.5L 4cyl. good fuel mileage, 2-4dr  hatch models, auto or manual avail. cheap to repair and insure,defiantly will not attract much attention, and best of all, when you are done with it you can get it's value back at the crusher!!

Volvo's are expensive to repair, and Acuras are prime theft targets

Answer 4

A 15 year old toyota. Cheap to buy, drive, insure- not so cheap to repair, but they're quite reliable. Hondas are usually more expensive since they're more popular, but they're usually dependable.