Suggestions for cheap, fun city car?
Posted by irregularcontributor@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 45 comments
I'm looking at buying a cheap 3rd car just for fun, and I want some ideas for oddball stuff I maybe haven't considered.
Background: I have a 4runner that I daily right now, and an r32 GTR. I really only use the r32 for fun drives + quick errands, I don't like leaving it street parked in the city for long (it's not particularly valuable, I'm just protective of it and my city is notorious for property damage). I was going to replace the 4runner with a GR86 this year, but came to terms with the fact I need to keep an SUV or truck around for my hobbies. So I'm looking at a 3rd little city car as a bit of a consolation prize, something to rip to work and back, drive to dinner, and not worry about as much as an expensive sportscar.
Criteria:
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Running and driving, not looking for a project.
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Small, or at least small'ish. The car will be used almost exclusively in the city.
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"Fun to drive", but that doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a dedicated sportscar. Just something interesting.
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Manual. My 4runner's my first automatic and I really miss having a manual DD.
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Air conditioning. I could maybe wiggle on this for the perfect car otherwise, but it's hard to give AC up.
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$5000-10,000. I want something cheap enough I'm not worried about it as much as the GTR.
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NO KEI CARS. I live in Oregon where they can't be registered. This is a huge bummer because I would love a Honda Beat.
Right now, my top contender is a JDM k11 Nissan March. I can get a good condition, stock manual pretty easily in my price range. They seem to be relatively solid little cars, but no one is too passionate about them outside of the UK where they're $500, so I'm not sure it's the right answer.
I thought this would just be a fun discussion, let me know what you've got for ideas!
DirectionImmediate88@reddit
Fiat 500 Abarth has an awesome sound, fun around town too. Miata of course is always an option.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
500 Abarth's were a dream car of mine when they came out, but I have no idea what they're like, reliability-wise. Any experience on that front?
konieboy@reddit
Awful reliability. Sensors break all the time. Trunk open mechanism is known to fail. Interior items like the visor and arm rest tend to break.
Fun car to drive though
DirectionImmediate88@reddit
I have one colleague with one they got new as a second/third car, not daily driver. They still have the car. I think they replaced something serious under warranty but haven't heard any horror stories.
No-Variation3350@reddit
Miata or gr86/brz
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
Man, I did not realize how cheap first gen twins are. I know those have some engine issues but that's very temping at this price point.
Interesting_Elk153@reddit
I had a 2017 Toyota 86 and it was the most reliable car I've owned so far in life. I put 120K miles on it with just regular maintenance. Just try to find one that hasn't been modified.
Worth_Writer2668@reddit
Fiat 500
Adventurous-Depth984@reddit
I drove a smart car around Brooklyn and Manhattan. It’s even more thrilling than a Miata.
Far-Telephone-7432@reddit
Get a VW Golf or VW Jetta with a manual.
WizeAdz@reddit
Can you charge at home?
A low-end EV like the Chevy Bolt fits your requirements very well, except that it has no transmission so you don’t have to shift it.
But whether that makes sense really depends on whether you can charge where you sleep.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
I could install a charger at my house, and actually considered a first gen Leaf in the past... they've got a 5x114 bolt pattern which means I could throw some cool spare wheels on it for no cost. Even at current insane prices the gas savings aren't huge for me though (I've got a short commute) so it'd just be a question of, are those cheaper EV's actually fun to drive? I've got no experience in any of them.
WizeAdz@reddit
The Leaf is one of the worst EVs ever made because the battery is air-cooled. But they are a known quantity.
I have way more fun driving EVs than I have any other car. But that’s because I like smooth silent that respond instantly to inputs.
The amount of “soul” and fun an EV has varies dramatically, just like it does with other cars. My Rivian R1S has lots of “soul”, my Tesla Model Y had less. Having a nearly-silent drivetrain is only one dimension of what you feel from a cars
NuclearHateLizard@reddit
They're really not honestly. But also in full honesty, the Chevy bolt is actually really decent for an Ev, it doesn't have jerky controls, reacts nicely to drivers inouts
Great-Internal-380@reddit
In a city, if you can charge where you sleep, this is the answer for the price. Why would you want a stick sitting in traffic?
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
My daily commute is ~15 minutes/5 miles, opposite of usual commuter traffic (no stop n go). I have a nice twisty 35 mph road that I can take both ways. I do hit traffic if I'm trying to meet friends across town for dinner or something, but anytime I'm in traffic, it's by choice. So the focus of this is just a fun little enthusiast car that I'll enjoy driving more than the 4runner.
Chainsawsas70@reddit
Mazda 3 Small and Fun and good used ones can be had for a decent price.
SailingSpark@reddit
Fiat 500 Abarth?
d__max@reddit
Miata is always the answer
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
If I let reason prevail, a cheap NB with a hardtop is probably what I'll end up with. Nothing else is going to drive as well in this price range, they're just so objectively good that it almost feels like a boring answer.
Khayrum117@reddit
Look into the Suzuki Cappuccino. Can get them cheap and they're solidly fun to drive like the Miata and they're smaller.
gnarburgers@reddit
NB ftw
Zestyclose_Panda_886@reddit
Unless you like NCs or NDs. I'm saving for one of each.
gmehodler42069741LFG@reddit
Kei vehicle.
CaptainHubble@reddit
Twongi with foldable sunroof
One of the best cars ever made.
Opossumtimevibes@reddit
Honda Fit
bioton4@reddit
04-06 scion xb
Zestyclose_Panda_886@reddit
M
I
A
T
A
PolybiusChampion@reddit
1972 VW Beetle Convertible, no a/c but lots of fun.
badluser@reddit
Get a bmw e85 z4 with the m54 engine. Have fun. If you want to set money on fire, get the n52.
royal-pleb@reddit
Scion XA would be at the lower end of your price bracket, comes in 5spd, and when you fold the seats down you can actually fit a decent amount of stuff in the back in a pinch (though it sounds like you’re covered there). Mine is 130k and has not needed anything besides routine maintenance so far.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
Ooh, that's an interesting suggestion... I completely forgot about those things but I love the body lines.
otterland@reddit
The Scion XD is a cutie patootie as well. It's in that classic supermini class that I love. My daily is a well maintained Honda Fit Sport in unnerving automatic configuration (I drove stick for years) as it's the most durable transmission ever for a wee car and the thing learns your driving habits after a CPU reset. It feels like a stick shift driven by ghosts.
overindulgent@reddit
Get a K-truck. So long as you don’t need to go faster than 45mph it can do everything your 4-Runner can. Then sell the 4-Runner and buy a used Lexus sedan.
nostalgia_addicts@reddit
Toyota yaris
DriveRightCarBuying@reddit
Fiesta ST. Done. You can get a solid one for $8-10k. $6k if you’re lucky. It’s arguably the most fun runaround city car in existence and they’re bulletproof reliable. The platform has almost zero issues outside of general maintenance and some misc build quality things.
I’d take one over a Miata for a somewhat odd reason — they warm up quick. Something about this motor gets up to temp quickly and the transmission doesn’t complain when cold. Miata’s are the opposite and almost all of them feel a little clunky for the first 5-10 min.
Fiesta is get in and go.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
Wow, that's a good consideration on the warmup time, that's one of the most annoying parts about the GTR (they like heavy oil, but it's probably a solid 10 minutes of driving before it's up to temp and ready to get beat on). FiST is getting bumped up the list. I sure wish they had a better bolt pattern though, not that it's a serious issue but 4x108 is wack.
Outlaw6985@reddit
ford focus ST or RS
Hermannmitu@reddit
Mini Cooper? They tend to be maintenance heavy though. But the cool optic and the go kart feeling might be worth it to you. I love my electric one.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
I love how the early ones drive (+ look) but they're too notoriously unreliable for me to consider. I've heard the later models are a lot better, might be worth looking into them.
NuclearHateLizard@reddit
Miata!
Automatic_Mulberry@reddit
If you can't register a kei car, are you sure you can register a JDM March? I'd be careful before spending money.
irregularcontributor@reddit (OP)
Good concern, but I'm confident the March can be registered. The laws are nonsensical, and the only imports explicitly banned are literal kei cars. For example a Suzuki Jimny is illegal, whereas a Jimny "Wide" is 100% okay despite being the exact same chassis, just with fender flares and a bigger engine.
We do have emissions testing in my city, but on imports it's basically a visual inspection to make sure you've got a cat in place. I was able to register the GTR here without issue so I know what to expect for that process.
Automatic_Mulberry@reddit
Okay, good, I am glad you have done the homework.
809kid@reddit
Let me get that R32 GTR off your hands since it doesn't have a lot of value