Greetings- Stook n00b here.

I'm starting to consider what my next daily-driver car will be. Currently I drive a 2004 Pontiac GTO; though I prefer to refer to it by its proper manufacturer-- Holden-- to avoid misunderstandings and any thought that I sport a mullet. The GTO replaced a beloved E46 BMW 323i that had gotten a bit too long in the tooth- prior to that I has a very nice E30 325es. The GTO is a great fun car to drive as it's comfortable and very, very fast indeed. I really miss the razor-sharp handling of my Bimmers, but the available grunt of that 5.7 liter mill is addictive.

Like all addictions, however, it's created a bit of a problem. Six months ago I took a job in the Los Angeles area, 115 miles away from my home in Bakersfield. I drive this 230 mile round trip commute every day. The majority of the drive is over the "Grapevine" section of the I-5, a fairly wide open stretch of freeway that encompasses a 4100' climb and descent each way. The 20 mile or so radius around work is where I hit the legendary L.A. traffic. Needless to say, that 350 hp V8 in the GTO is proving quite thirsty even with the relatively non-gluttonous ~19 mpg average. I'm burning 11-12 gallons of fuel per day- over US$40 in fuel daily!

So- I scan the near horizon for the Goat's eventual replacement. I want a car that fits the following parameters, in no particular order:

1) Comfortable enough for four hours daily in the saddle. "Comfort" includes decent seats, effective a/c, and a good stereo.

2) Fun to drive. I enjoy driving fast and hard for reasons of keeping my sanity. Manual transmission is a must for these reasons.

3)Reliable. This car has to run, and run, and run. I maintain my cars well, but I ask almost 50k miles/year without stranding me in return.

4) Fun to drive. Oh yeah...I said that, but it's really important.

5) Frugal. I want at least an average of 27 mpg. According to my calculations, that would save me ~$3200/year in fuel costs alone!

I'm also considering a Miata.

I like cars with enough power to get out of their own way while climbing the foothills
OK, with all that out of the way, my questions:

What kind of mileage should I expect given my daily drive profile? Does anyone feel that the firm suspension will be too rough for a long 80 mph cruise on a freeway? Are there any long-term reliability issues I should be aware of?

Thanks!

 

Ain't gonna happen.

 

Eek.

What's more realistic?

 

He's right, The only time I ever saw 27 mpg is when I babied the hell out of the car as a mileage experiment. Down here in the FL heat, I see 24-25 on a 70 mile mostly highway commute. The stock stereo sucks, and this is a very noisy car to spend all day in. All that said, I'm on my second one, that would be due to the 'Fun to drive' factor.

 

I say just get a dedicated commuter car like a civic or corolla, used ones can be had cheap and get 35+mpg on regulard unleaded easy. For that long of a drive I say keep a sporty car for weekends and occasional use. I don't think you'll like a miata for that long of a drive on the freeway, they can be a bit buzzy and high strung. You could get a 91-95 MR2 nonturbo...has a 2.2 liter camry engine, fun to drive and OK on gas on the highway. Or a 1st gen MR2 would get about 35 on the highway as well. Keeps the rwd fun sporty thing for cheap.

 

I get 27-28 MPH on my commute. It's about 60%/40% Hwy/City. I drive 70ish mph on the hwy. The City portion is your typical stoplight, bumper to bumper dance at 0-40mph.

It requires a large degree of self control to get 28 MPG (shifting 3-4K). Although I can easily get 26. I substitue the thrill high engine rev acceleration by the agility of darting between lanes. Even with the above shift points, I can accelerate faster than most drivers (assuming I am in the front of the line).

Mileage is noticeably better on long duration trips versus running around town with several start/stops. So I think this is achievable for you but do not know how much mileage will be diminished at 80 MPG. There are several gas mileage threads in the archives, several with high speed road trips.

Suspension has never bothered me on my long commmute, but evaluate the engine noise at 80 MPH during your test drive.

BTW I have the 04 model which had different engine and gearing than <03.

 

Great input all, thanks.

I assume that your mileage at higher (freeway) speeds improves at least slightly with the addition of a hard top? Is this so? How about noise levels?

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm willing to sacrifice some comfort if it translates directly into fun...it's my thought that at least having the hardtop option would be a nice compromise for daily driving...of course, when the weather is nice, open=-top roadstering would be the way to go...

Oh, and yes- I know intellectually that the smart way to go would be to bite the bullet and buy a sensible car like a Corolla or Civic. However, I am at heart an enthusiast and driving that commute every day in a "sensible" car would drive me insane.

 

...get a Miata u can't go wrong , the new ones look and from what i hear are "great cars"

 

Nope. Wrong car unfortunately. Maybe the new Civic SI of Acura RSX Type S.

 

but no convert ....no way
Miatas are so much more fun than those cars.... give me the Miata any day off the week over those civic based cars