Considering a DD fuel sipper car

drkelly

drkelly

Dipstick who put two vehicles on jack stands
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Oak Ridge/Stokesdale, NC
With diesel prices at $4.00/gal, I'm considering buying a DD fuel sipper car. My problem is that I am 6'2" which isn't that tall, but I have a longer torso than normal for someone my height. For instance, my head touches the roof in my wife's Hyundai Santa Fe. It also touches the roof in Tony's XJ. The car needs to have a back seat for transporting my boy to day care. I'm not looking to buy a new car. I am thinking along the lines of a $3,000-$6,000 used vehicle. So my question is if anyone can recommend a fuel efficient car with lots of head room and a decent size back seat?

Thanks,
Danny
 
Would an alternative route be a car with a really low-slung seat, like many 2-doors coupes have?
Or would a 2-door be a nightmare w/ the backseat acess? Are we talking about a detachable carrier (infant) or just regular car seat? Some coupes aren't so bad, others terrible for this.

See if you can find a 90s Escort/Merc. Tracer to sit in, IIRC they had good headroom and very efficient.
 
mid 80's dodge k car..... Cheap and killer milage. And alot of head room, but wait before anyone says it, I know all cars have alot of head room to me!!!
 
A few months back I got a mercedes 300D I rebuilt the lift pump, adj. the valves & put glow plugs in it. I'm 6' 4" & fit in it fairly well. 25 MPG diesel, 22 MPG 50/50 blend of veggie/diesel.
 
I'm 6'5" 340lbs and I drove a 97 Honda civic for a while, it wasn't the most comfortable ride, but I physically fit...and I don't think a child that is still day care age would have much issue fitting in the rear seat. The 4 banger 5spd would get me 36mpg's mixed all day long. Just sold that car to a member here a few months back with 180k on the odo for $1000.


If that's really not your style, I'd seriously look in the mid to full size sedan market. Caddy's (Sedan Devilles) and Lincoln's (TC's) and now Buick (LeSaber) have been what my folks like using for dd cars, and typically get mid 20's for highway driving. Good thing about those are they give you some body around you, and they're 'old people cars' so can be had with lowish miles and relatively cheap.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Would an alternative route be a car with a really low-slung seat, like many 2-doors coupes have?
Or would a 2-door be a nightmare w/ the backseat acess? Are we talking about a detachable carrier (infant) or just regular car seat? Some coupes aren't so bad, others terrible for this.
See if you can find a 90s Escort/Merc. Tracer to sit in, IIRC they had good headroom and very efficient.
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I want a four door for the back seat access. Got the car carrier thing going on right now, and would suck/be imposible with a 2-door.
 
UTfball68 said:
I'm 6'5" 340lbs and I drove a 97 Honda civic for a while, it wasn't the most comfortable ride, but I physically fit...and I don't think a child that is still day care age would have much issue fitting in the rear seat. The 4 banger 5spd would get me 36mpg's mixed all day long. Just sold that car to a member here a few months back with 180k on the odo for $1000.
If that's really not your style, I'd seriously look in the mid to full size sedan market. Caddy's (Sedan Devilles) and Lincoln's (TC's) and now Buick (LeSaber) have been what my folks like using for dd cars, and typically get mid 20's for highway driving. Good thing about those are they give you some body around you, and they're 'old people cars' so can be had with lowish miles and relatively cheap.
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I like big full size cars exactly like some of those you mentioned for pure comfort. I can sit up pefectly straight and not slouch down. I might say screw it and go that route if I don't like the way some smaller cars feel because some of those you mentioned get ok mileage in my mind.
 
I' m 6'2(and a half) and like you most of my height is upper body.(Only a 32" inseam)
I drive a 95 Cutlas Ceira with a 3.1 V-6, and it gets me 30 mpg's or more.
 
My dad just bought a '99 Honda Civic 4-Door. I've driven it a couple a times when I'm around and he said it got almost 40 mpg on the highway and mid 30's in the city. I mean i'm a skinny 6'2" and its not to bad driving.
 
VW Bug. Yes I know 2 doors but the seats flip up making the back very easy to get into. My dad is 6'2" and weighs 350 lbs (BIG BOY) and has driven his for 200,000 with no problems. They have a ton of headroom.
 
Im 6'4 300 lbs I picked up a 2001 Toyota Camary 4cly tons of room takes no effort to drive it gets great gas mileage.
i have had it for a year now and i beat on it every day never had any trouble out of it. Found it on cc had a broken timing belt got it for 1000 bucks and it took a hour to put the belt on
 
amajeepman said:
93-97 VW jetta. Tons of head room. 30mpg, and can be bought for cheap. Easy to work on also.
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Why those specific years? I'm thinking I want something a little newer than that. Was aiming for no more than 10 yrs old and less than 100,000 miles since I'll probably drive it for 5-8 yrs. I might have to raise my price point a couple thousand.
 
rockmafia said:
You just had a kid, not grandkid:flipoff2:
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What can I say, I've always liked big full size comfortable Detroit cars.

Now I am getting off track. I discovered that the 94-96 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham came with the LT1/4L60E combo. That big ass mofo ought to have a ton of head room, lol. Says it pulls down 17 city/25 highway. Not great, but not bad. Certainly better than my Ram and uses cheaper fuel. My wife says it is FUGLY and looks like an old mans car. Guess that means I've got to buy it now, lol!

19794934653.296202409.IM1.02.565x421_A.562x421.jpg
 
bonecrusher said:
1980 VW rabbit TDI
50 mpg
if you find one let me know cause ive been looking for 3 years now.
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Nah, don't want anything that old. The newer Jetta's with the TDI or whatever seem appealing though. Might have to try and sit in one.
 
bonecrusher said:
1980 VW rabbit TDI
50 mpg
if you find one let me know cause ive been looking for 3 years now.
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Keep looking. Ain't gonna happen, unless somebody built one. In 80 and prior, it was the 1.5l diesel. No turbo. Questionable design and suffered from head and block cracking. 81 went to the 1.6 non-turbo. Fixed most of the cracking issues. The turbo wasn't introduced until 85 or so, on the 1.6. The TDi didn't come out until it was available on the 1.9 in the Passat. The electronic controls make it a difficult, but not impossible swap. In 2000 or so, they introduced the PD, or Pumpe duse system. But no, VW never made a Rabbit TDI.
 
b-body gm cars 93-96 caprice, roadmaster, the caddy have the lt1 and auto tranny and mid 20 mpg's hwy
i would also look at the grand prix and bonneville with the 3.8L engine.
 
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