Replace Dodge Omni with...?

[rschng]

Could you knowledgable folk suggest a replacement for my '89 Dodge Omni America (aka Plymouth Horizon)? It's an automatic, 4 door hatchback. I want a similar, or slightly larger, 3 to 4 year old used car with good cargo space, to drive 5,000 miles/yr. without too much aggravation, despite my NYC metro location.

I like my Omni and want similar features:
1- Good mpg - 24/28 (better is better);
2- Small outside, roomy inside
(15.6 cu.ft. "trunk" - more is more);
3- Hatchback & folding seat let me lug bulky or long stuff; hard hatch cover keeps stuff out of sight; 4- Peppy driving - always first away from red light w/o trying; 5- Inexpensive - to buy, operate & insure (relatively speaking); 6- Convenient - good visibility, easy to park, rear washer/wiper; 7- Simple & Sturdy - real bumpers, manual windows, locks, mirrors, etc. (only power steering), fuel injection, stainless steel exhaust (still OEM.)

Thanks for your input. Google hasn't helped much. - RDG

 

[norelpref]

A Geo Metro or Ford Aspire? Both are very cheap and somewhat dependable. I do not know much about the Accents so i can not comment on them. I bought a 95 Aspire in 98 with 42k miles very cheap. I now have almost 100k and have done nothing but a wheel bearing and replaced a leaking exhaust pipe (SS but the weld broke). They sale now for $400-1000. The Geo Metro is in the same price range. Both are hatchbacks and both have decent room inside (the 2 door Aspire has 17cuft). Both of these cars are smaller and slower then anything else on the road and no power steering but still great city commuters at 35-45mpg, (Aspire is 2200lbs and 65HP). Both of these are worth a look. The Geo is more popular and easier and cheaper to find replacement parts if you're into doing minor repairs yourself. YMMV.

You'll have a hard time finding anything other then a pickup truck or a huge Buick with a "real" bumper anymore.

 

[rschng]

Thanks for your very helpful information. The Aspire & Metro may be a little too small for me, (and manual?) The cars that have been suggested most often are the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Ford Escort, Honda Civic, Dodge Neon, Toyota Echo, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Subaru Outback and Mazda Protege 5, including wagons. So I'll start looking harder at these and move on to other models until have a short list of vehicles that would be good for my needs. But thanks again. I appreciate it.

 

[Neil (3)]

wrote:

Thanks for your very helpful information.

If you posted previously, I missed it, but will comment here anyway.

The Aspire & Metro may be a
little too small for me, (and manual?) The cars that have been suggested most often are the VW Golf, Ford Focus,

Reliability problems with both of the above. Escort is out of production. Except for the reliability/quality issues, the Focus is a great car, much better than the Escort to drive.

Ford Escort,

See above.

Honda Civic,

Hard to go wrong with a Civic. Plus, they're lots of fun to drive.

Dodge
Neon,

Looks nice, but overall it's mediocre. But the price might be pretty low.

Toyota Echo,

Can't go wrong with a Toyota. But assuming you're talking about new cars, it looks like you're talking about a budget of up to about $25,000 or more, so you have a lot more choices, including Camry, Corolla, and Matrix. All those cost more, but offer more than the Echo.

You could also consider the next-generation, bigger and better Toyota Prius, which will be available in a few months. Starts at about $20k and qualifies for a $2k US tax deduction, due to the hybrid powertrain.

Chrysler PT Cruiser, Subaru Outback and Mazda Protege
5, including wagons. So I'll start looking harder at these and move on to other models until have a short list of vehicles that would be good for my needs. But thanks again. I appreciate it.

I suggest you call your public library and ask if they have back issues of Consumer Reports you can look at. Start by looking at the latest issue and the index in the back of it, but especially look at the April auto issue. You can find the same info online at:

www.consumerreports.org

I think you'll find that the highest-quality, most reliable cars are the Japanese models. I think for a sedan, you'd be very happy with the Honda Civic.

If you need more room, the Mazda Protege5 is more of a hatchback than a wagon, as CR points out. The hatchback style is useful, but it doesn't give you a lot more space. Other than that, the Mazda's very competitive. But the Civic gets better mileage.

I had the PT Cruiser for about a week as a rental and liked it a lot. For a US car, the quality and reliability are pretty good, and the interior is quite versatile. Also, because the car's tall, you can really sit upright in it (some cars make me recline a just a little).

I don't think you could go wrong with the Subaru, although because it's bigger and has AWD, it's the priciest of your choices.

Within what I assume to be your budget of $26k, you could also consider two of the most popular cars in the US, the Camry and Accord.

What would I do if I were you? I might start by looking at the Echo, then maybe work upwards, if needed. If the Echo does what you need, then that's all you need. It's cheap and has Toyota reliability.

I haven't driven the Echo or all of the cars you mention. I have driven the latest Civic sedan a lot and really like it. Very sporty. If I needed more room, I might look at the PT Cruiser, because I liked driving it and my family enjoyed it also. But the Japanese makes offer the best reliability and quality.