Need a daily driver

[DRIVEN]

Seems to be a lot of Camry love in here. Just sayin'.

To the OP's requirements if economy and winter usage, I'd be looking at just about any Toyota or Honda. If MPG wasn't a deal breaker I'd say Subaru. I've worked on a lot in the 200-300K range. They're tough cars that are easy to work on but aren't famous for fuel economy. I'd avoid any of the Euro cars with the possible exception of Volvo (which is now Chinese). Not a fan of Nissans at all either. Hyundai and Kia have improved dramatically over the last 10 years but don't seem to age as well as the Japanese counterparts. I've worked on plenty of domestic stuff over the years and am rarely impressed by any of them. They all have their strong points but seem to come up short as a whole. I will say that one that has impressed me is a coworker's '03ish Malibu. Has right at 200k and gets better than 30mpg with a 3.4 but has the occasional funny shift. Aside from the rattly dash vents it is still pretty tight and quiet too.
My new job is going to require a lot of travel and I just relocated to an area that has an actual winter. I'm strongly considering an AWD Toyota Matrix as my next car.

 

[Clutch]

Buy a Camry and put Chevy Nova on it like GM did in 86

 

[Onehit]

Buy a Camry and put Chevy Nova on it like GM did in 86

that would be the corolla.. I remember back in high school, arguing with my girlfriends father that he bought a toyota, he insisted I was wrong until I showed him the Toyota symbols in the engine bay....funny she wasn't allowed to see me anymore shortly after that....I wonder why?

 

[Clutch]

that would be the corolla.. I remember back in high school, arguing with my girlfriends father that he bought a toyota, he insisted I was wrong until I showed him the Toyota symbols in the engine bay....funny she wasn't allowed to see me anymore shortly after that....I wonder why?

Sorry I fix so many I don't know what I'm working on half the time. I literally know the manufacturer by the hardware the other day I was putting a Porsche together and called it a kia

 

[Jimray23]

I bought my girlfriend a Canadian chevy equinox, well it was assembled in Canada of japenese, chinese and korean parts, i dont know how to really label it. Anyway it gets decent fuel mileage and does pretty good in bad weather as long as you drive it accordingly. By decent fuel mileage i mean 26 to 27 miles per gallon at 70 mph.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk

 

[UNGN]

Whatever car you pick, buy it soon. 500,000 used cars are going to Houston...

I can guarantee you don't want one COMING FROM Houston.

 

[DrFrankenstein]

Get an Audi. (Ducks flying objects) I love my A6 wagon.
AWD, heated leather. Even my steering wheel is heated !
Last year I sold my 1977 Trans Am with a 400/4 speed because it was slower than my 2.8l v6 audi. Yes. Slower. It may be a German car,it may just be my 40's talking, but I don't regret it. The T/A was wayyyyyyy cooler,but didn't handle,stop,accelerate or cruise as good as the Audi. It Drank twice the gas,too.
You could lay rubber all day In the T/A, but it was a squirelly ride comparatively.
For a daily, I say go for comfort. My commute is an hour each way. May as well enjoy it!

 

[lilbowtie]

I lease an AWD Equinox - $170.00/mo over 30 mpg hi way 25mpg for the 7,000 mi's I've driven it.

 

[grandamman]

I'd look at any GM with a 3.8. I recently bought a 2001 Buick Park Ave Ultra with a Supercharged 3.8. Loaded, leather, heads up display etc for $5,000. Close to 30 mpg and doesn't drive like a go cart. They'll go 300,000 miles.......
Ford Focus or Fusions are also very good on gas and extremely reliable.

 

[ssn696]

2005 Scion Xa - the "Roller Skate". Basic transport to/from the paycheck. 40 mpg. $11 rotors. $60 tires. Fold the back seat down, and
I can get a lawnmover in there with the handle folded down (on a tarp, or course.)