Hi, I may be in the situation where Im going to have to start commuting a long distance to work everyday and have been thinking about getting a second vehicle just for these requirements. I was thinking about some kind of honda in the 1990+ range. My ideal situation would be buy something as cheap as possible and maybe put a couple grand into it to get it running as smoothly as possible.

I was wondering what the best combination of chassis and engine would be for that and any other ideas would be welcome too.

Cheers.

 

Honda Civic VX 1992-1995 Federal version.

43+ MPG city and 50+ MPG Hwy. At least that what i get in my California version.

 

I have a 94 civic EX 4dr, I drive 100 miles a day to and from work and i get 36mpg highway.. If you dont car pool, I'd recomend a hatchback, but any of the 92-00 civics will be good.

 

I suppose the lightest thing possible would be best. What would that be? A CRX perhaps?

 

...look up curb weights.

 

The 88-91 CRX HF made about as much HP as it got MPG. It was like 65hp and like 54mpg or something. IIRC, they also weighed in somewhere around 1800lbs.

Honestly, I'd want a car with AC at the very least...and with PS if possible. The 96-00 Civic HX got like 40something MPG? It still retained AC and PS.

I have a 94 GSR for sale for $2750. It gets around 30mpg. Not trying to sell stuff on here really..but it's worth mentioning.

 

hey some hf's came with air conditioning... lol

 

CRX HF convert to VX.
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=6875

 

so a hatch or crx with a vx engine? any indeas on how much a vx engine goes for? how much to rebuild and install?

 

Dirt cheap. You can find it complete as low as $100 on craigslist.

 

Btw, CX and VX have the same transmission.

 

WINRAR.

Yes, a 92-95 VX or CX will be your best bet. Both are capable of over 40mpg with the stock engine, and dead reliable. With good shocks, they're fairly comfortable... obviously not a luxury car, but comfy enough to live with. Not sure about the VX, but you can get air conditioning in the CX.

Price range.... my brother in law picked up a 94 CX for $750 with a blown head gasket and a few minor annoyance type things wrong with it. $50 later and it runs like a champ. He's still fixing some of the silly issues... blown speakers, worn out wiper linkage, dents, little rust, etc, but he still got a reliable daily driver for $800 all said and done.

Trust me... I daily drive a 96-00 (a 2000 actually), and I still think the 92-95 are the best balance of weight and comfort. The later models get nicer, but also get heavier, with bigger engines, and thus worse mileage.

 

I had a 94 lx civic 4dr. Which has everything but sunroof and I got 40mpg ! I drive 130 miles a day. That's my suggestion. Civic luxury with great mpg.
Good luck!

 

I wish I had 2750..

My 97 Civic DX gets 40+ MPG's highway, with ac

 

i would highly recommend you getting a car that is not stolen every 5 minutes.

civics 92-95 get stolen constantly and having said that, i'd assume you would want to find you car where you parked it last if you're going to be using it for work, etc...

 

I doubt anyone's going to want to steal a stock CX or VX dude.

 

I used to get 40 occasionally with my stock 2000 EX, so it's very possible on just about any single cam, considering that's just about the heaviest pig they ever made.

Doesn't happen anymore with my swap unfortunately.

 

I have a 97 hx and get 40+ mpg, they are rated for 37/43. The most I've gotten out of a tank is 435 miles. I have no complaints and couldn't be any happier. I like the hx it's a 2 door coupe and comes with power windows, power locks, power steering, and a/c standard, although I did wish they added cruise at least as an option if nothing else. I like the coupe it has the looks and more room than a hatch, 4 doors are nice too especially if you have more than one passenger but imo they don't look near as good as a coupe and if I was to get a 4dr it would prob. be an accord. But for commuting I'd look for dx/hx/ex coupes.

if you want a hatch I like the 92-95 better because of the tailgate that folds down which makes loading easier whereas 96-00 they raise up like a normal hatch and if you're tall like I am the hatch tends to be in the way.