car with the least problems/complaints & best gas mileage

[carlito_chop]

i was wondering what the car with the least problems/complaints and best gas mileage was - i know every car has problems, but i just wanna have something i can just gas-n-go with as little maintenence as possible required...thanks

[del]

i would say a civic hybrid or a toyota prius if you're looking for a reliable car with good gas mileage. just about any honda or toyota will give you little problems throughout the ownership of the car. and they're pretty cheap to maintain. is that all you're particular about, reliablity and gas mileage?

most cars on the road will only treat you as good as you treat it. dont' get the impression that any car that's not a honda or toyota will give you any more problems, the same formula applies with every car. if you follow the maintenance schedule without skippin a beat and drive the car normally and don't beat on it, there's a very good chance that car will run the way it's supposed to day in and day out. but since you mentioned gas mileage, i would say honda and toyota are on top of that game.

[AcesHigh]

An econo-car seems to be what you're looking for. An older Accord or Corolla are very cheap and good daily drivers. There are more, but these come to mind first.

And also, I second what Del said up there. With proper maintenance, even a Ford could be a very reliable car.

[MR2Driver]

A Toyota Hybrid, nuff said...

[klohiq]

My cavalier (base model 2.2L w/ aftermarket A/C) averages 28-30+mpg all around and if you accelerate slowly and don't rev it a lot along with only stopping when you have to you can manage 35+mpg. Though I have had some problems, they were all minor issues: front disk brakes warping once and water pump needed replacement at 258k. The car has lasted to 273,000 for probably less than 2 grand spent on repairs. It goes through it's tires fairly slowly (front at rated at 400 and rears are 550 I think...so they are definitely not sport tires). Keep in mind that my cavalier is only a 98 so age-specific wearing is a lot less prominent then say a 10 year old car with less than 200k. Also my car is pre-ecotec so I can't comment on the new revisions that the cavalier has had recently...though my dad's 2003 cavalier ls with 60k is doing quite well.

If you want even better gas mileage I would suggest a hybrid. My personal pic is the civic hybrid insight, but the prius is also supposed to be a great choice. The echo is also a decent choice, though it doesn't have quite as good gas mileage since it's not a hybrid.

One thing to keep in mind is that imports will cost more to repair and have a higher initial cost so even if the american counterpart requires slightly more maintenance it may very well be worth it to go domestic. I do like imports and they tend to have a higher build quality so it will be a lot more fun to sit in...though you seem to be a minimalist so you probably aren't hugely bothered by meager creature comforts.

The smaller car you get the smaller the tires will be generally and thus much less expensive whenever you need to get new ones. The same is true for brakes and many other parts that need regular/semi-regular replacement. Make sure you get a 4 cylinder (or 3 if you get an older geo metro/ suzuki firefly ) and not a 6 because parts that are cylinder specific (valves, pistons, etc) will cost 50% more to replace since there are 50% more cylinders; not that you would be likely to consider a 6 in the first place since you want good gas mileage.

[Oldengineer]

You might consider a mid-size Chrysler Sebring with the 2.7L V6. My 2001 delivers 30 MPG consistently running 75 on the interstate. Right now, they're being heaviliy discounted and Chrysler has extended the warranty. They considerably cheaper to buy than an import, but, do depreciate much worse. If you buy one, plan on keeping it until its paid for. Using them for my business travel, I've gone through 5 of the Chrysler mid-size cars - 2 Spirits, 2 Cirrus's, and a Sebring - all have delivered good service and fuel economy. I put 100K on each of them in about 3 years. Don't even consider the 4 banger version, its a waste.

Regards:
Oldengineer

[BP2K2Max]

if you're looking for something that isn't an econobox but still fills your requirements look into a nissan, a maxima in particular. my 95 max got an Avg of 25 mpg and i got as high as 40+ mog on road trips. those #'s were based on my math so they could be off, but my new maxima has a digital readout that provides you with your current gas milage and i'm making 24 avg and 45-48 mpg peak. both are manual transmissions. however, you are required to run 91 octane or better.

[jdmcivic04]

Civic.

[Neutrino]

if you want a car with an engine that will last forever with plenty of torque and gas mileage mached only by hybrids get a diesel.