Oppo: Opine on some boring, sad cars for me.

"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley) 04/26/2018 at 20:23 • Filed to: None

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A long story behind this, but there is a slight chance we may need another car. This would technically be my wife and I’s 4th... but I don’t count the truck and the ST is only for fun. Basically, I need a cheap, small POS that is slightly new and less than $10K Canadian. This car will have an unhappy life. Less mileage is better, less gas is better.

What can Oppo tell me about Smart fortwos, Mirages, Micras and Sparks?

SO BLAND, LORD HAVE MERCY

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:37

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May I suggest an Accent like mine! The 2006-2010 MC Accents were when Hyundai really started to up their game in the quality department - cheap plastics and whatnot they may have, yes, but they are reliable, pretty well rust-protected (at least mine is so far, though I undercoat it every year) and quite inexpensive if you get a base model like mine with no features (no power anything, no Cruise, no A/C, manual trans, no ABS). Cars that actually did have features like power options, cruise and A/C are still pretty damn cheap though.

Base model hatchbacks and sedans can be had for very cheap - I got mine for $6900 all-in back in 2013 with only 54,000kms on it and it’s barely skipped a beat from then until now at ~140,000kms other than the usual maintenance stuff. The hatchback can carry a decent amount too if need to by folding the rear seats down. I usually get around 6L - 6.5L per 100km in the summer and around 7L/100km in the winter with mostly highway and rural road driving, so not too bad....about 600-620km a tank from full to fuel-light-coming-on in the summer and more like 550-580km a tank for the same in the winter when temps are colder, etc. I should mention, those fuel mileage figures are with a manual trans....my mom and bro both have MC Accents of the same generation as mine, but in sedan form with auto transmissions and they usually get less mileage than I do for reference, so if you want mileage, go for a stick if you don’t mind them! I’ll also mention from experience driving their cars and mine back to back that despite the same 110hp 1.6L engine, the manual transmission makes the car feel FAR more peppy!

If you do consider them, feel free to ask anything else you would want to know - I’ve owned mine for 4 years now and am very happy with it. What will be so hard about it’s life?

I imagine Miss Mercedes and Powershiftautomotive can tell you about Smarts and Mirages, respectively!

Milky > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:38

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http://www.autotrader.ca/a/mazda/miata%20mx-5/victoria/british%20columbia/19_10604960_/?showcpo=ShowCpo&orup=11_12_12&pc=V5K%201H2&sprx=-2

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/26/2018 at 20:39

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Thats a good idea. My wife will be driving homeless people, street parking it downtown and in bad areas. It’s gonna get shit kicked.

interstate366, now In The Industry > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:42

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Cavalier

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Milky 04/26/2018 at 20:43

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I love it. It would be a waste of a pretty Miata though.

fhrblig > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:45

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I really like the current Spark. I think it’ll be better than the Mirage or the Micra.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:46

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Ah, makes sense (I added one or two more things to my above comment since you replied btw).

I would recommend a sedan model then - easier for more than one person to get in and out of the back if she’ll be driving folks around. If she’s OK with a stick, I would still recommend one of those though for mileage and peppiness. The plastics seem pretty hard wearing, as do the fabrics...basic, yes, but comfortable enough and mine haven’t ripped or stained yet.

I THINK (not 100% sure) all the sedans came with lighter-gray colored interiors by default, so if she’s driving homeless around and is worried about the interior looking like a pigsty from stains, etc, try and see if you can find a sedan with the darker black/gray interior if they exist....I think (again, not 100% sure) that all the hatchbacks came with the darker interior by default mostly, so if she is worried about stuff like the above, then maybe the darker interior of the hatches would be better.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > interstate366, now In The Industry 04/26/2018 at 20:48

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Lol, maybe. I’ll have to look into it

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:50

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Kia C’eed, or Hyundai excel.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:51

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I don’t think we have C’eeds. I’ll look into the excel

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:51

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Should also mention, you could also look at Kia Rios from the same 2006-2010 period. The Accent and Rios are almost the same car other than panels and fascia (many of the same interior pieces, same engine, same transmissions), so they are equally as reliable and fuel efficient...plus the Rios came in 5-door hatch form, which the Accent didn’t.

Parts are also dirt cheap for them when need be, and there is no shortage of them at places like salvage yards and pick and pull yards if you ever need to find replacement parts that way as well!

The 3-door Accent hatches look nicer though. :P

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:54

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The Kia Forte is the same car as the C’eed I didn’t know what they call it Canada.

I looked it up the Hyundai would be an Accent or Elantr.

I like these cars because they are very reliable while having very little redeeming qualities that would make you actually like them and care too much.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:56

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Forte.

Milky > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 20:58

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Welp, read your other comment. Miata is not the answer.

My girlfriend (and I) had friends move to Vancouver to be good people. One is a lawyer at a civil liberties association and the other is a nurse with the homeless in some way. Hope your wife is happy being a good person but doing hard work.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > interstate366, now In The Industry 04/26/2018 at 20:59

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We don’t want her to get stranded in a bad part of town.

For Sweden > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:00

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It’s elemental

http://wwwb.autotrader.ca/a/honda/element/mississauga/ontario/5_37761307_20120229171541891/

404 - User No Longer Available > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:01

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For more of my thoughts on the Micra, click the link below.

autotrader.com/oversteer

Nibbles > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:13

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I’m gonna agree with Accent/Elantra. I’ve recommended them to a good number of folks looking for what you are, and they have been pleased. One in particular lives a life as a field research car in Missouri.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:26

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Toyota Cavalier then.

interstate366, now In The Industry > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:27

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I’m sure someone, somewhere, for some reason, has one with low mileage. Or there’s always a Toyota Cavalier, which almost definitely would have low mileage and be cheap.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Milky 04/26/2018 at 21:33

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She is! I’m a bad person (insurance claims) so she balances us out

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > interstate366, now In The Industry 04/26/2018 at 21:34

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Still stranded.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:36

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At least we know all about driving pleasure.

boxrocket > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:40

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Of those 4, I’d get the Mirage. It’s honest, has a long warranty, and isn’t all that bad for the money.

The smart is a depressing small box of anxiety and loneliness.

The sonic is just... Ugh. No.

Is the Micra yoir version of our Versa? If so, enjoy the soul-sucking misery of the Nissan CVT.

Ford Fiesta? Mazda2? Kia Rio/Hyundai Accent, Toyota Yaris... Much preferable in about every way I can think of. Especially the 2, woowoo.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 21:45

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I owned an off-lease Smart Fortwo for ten months, but I spent $1500 on maintenance and repairs in that time period, so I traded it for an even older Honda Fit that required, oh, about one-tenth the maintenance costs of the Smart in the same time interval.

I always liked the looks of the Micra and felt slightly sad we didn’t get them south of the border here.

gmctavish needs more space > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 22:04

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Those Accents can indeed take a beating, but if you can get a Yaris of the same vintage for similar money, the Yarii in our auto parts fleet were indestructible. The last two that hadn’t been crashed had 400k kms and climbing when I left, and they were beat on and under maintained for every one of those kms. If you can get an Accent a lot cheaper than a Yaris, they’re an excellent beater, but if a Yaris is almost the same, that’s likely the one I’d go with, despite my hatred for the newer ones.

Spasoje > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 23:11

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If you’re talking about that exact gen of smart car that’s in your pic (i.e. the gen car2go started with), don’t do it. Their transmissions are objectively terrible.

I wouldn’t go w/ the Mitsu only b/c it seems like it’ll be harder to sell later on (i.e. less desirable). So b/w the Spark and the Micra, I’d go w/ the Micra, b/c (a) you won’t have to deal w/ GM, and (b) it’ll likely only need oil changes for the duration of its torture.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 04/26/2018 at 23:31

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I like these cars because they are very reliable while having very little redeeming qualities that would make you actually like them and care too much.

Perfect!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Milky 04/26/2018 at 23:32

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Where do you live?

Milky > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/26/2018 at 23:47

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Detroit, but GF went to school in Windsor and is from Toronto.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Milky 04/27/2018 at 00:20

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Right! I remember, you posted a pretty photo of Detroit. I still want to go there some day

pip bip - choose Corrour > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 04/27/2018 at 08:32

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Mirage!

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > boxrocket 04/27/2018 at 10:05

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The Micra is the smallest car Nissan builds, we get it, you guys don’t. The versa is bigger. 5 speed manual is the base transmission

Wacko > boxrocket 05/01/2018 at 11:25

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honest question, when was the last time you drove a Nissan CVT ?

boxrocket > Wacko 05/03/2018 at 06:45

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I drove a 2018MY Maxima yesterday (May 2nd), a 2015 Pathfinder and 2016 Versa Note on Monday, a 2017 Leaf on Thursday (I kind of like the old one more but I appreciate the upgrades and updates) preceded by a 2013 JX35 and two 2014 Altimas and a 2015 Altima back-to-back-to-back (to show the customer that their concern wasn’t isolated to their particular car). Before that I’d have to look at my records. I work as a service advisor at a large used car dealership, and our proximity to a Nissan dealership means we sell a lot of Nissans, which also means going on lots of test drives with customers in their cars.

There’s more than one reason we have their service department on speed dial (though admittedly we use the GM dealership’s service department a LOT more, which is why it’s first on our speed dials).

Mercedes Streeter > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 05/23/2018 at 14:23

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Don’t get a smart. It’s not as terrible as people in the States love to whine about, but rather those other cars will probably be more useful for the purpose and not get vandalized by idiots that can’t keep their hands to themselves.