I'm looking for a car, but am not sure what kind...

Here is what I need:

1. Manual trans. (cheaper to buy, cheaper to fix)
2. rear-window wiper blade. Been driving an Escort wagon and don't know how I could live without this!
3. I probably want either a wagon or coupe.
4. Has to be small-ish. No Taurus or old Chevy Caprices!
5. Must be cheap and have good gas mileage!

So I've been looking around and like the Kia Rio Cinco and Kia Spectre... Anyone have any opinions or other ideas?

Kia??

get a Hyundai Elantra.
great reviews...great warranty.

where do you live?
climate has a big effect on cars...

Might want to check out the Chevy Prizm also, it's a solid little car. Drove one for three years and loved it, trouble free.

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[ 03-06-2002: Message edited by: gillyharold ]

Beth, I wouldn't touch any more Fords myself, I grew up in a Ford family, but this last one the Ka (too bad you didn't see it when you were here, it's cute) has got so many electronic bugs that I'm kind of soured on them.
Every day there's a new one. I just heard the latest. A co worker had bought one that was used like me. And she had her radio button stolen! Mine fell off all the time. Well it turns out that the button is worth 100 bucks!
It can actually short circuit the car. So this mickey mouse arrangement is directly linked to the whole system!
Plus the only way to make the volume go up is with a match stick!
We've also got an Escort that my in laws gave us after our Dodge was stolen and burnt in a Viking's funeral on a hill.
It's solid but so boring! The steering takes all the pleasure out of driving.
And parking here is a feat in itself. You have to be able to do a 10 point parking job uphill backwards. With people honking at you!
By the way, in your climate, I'd definitely be careful that the options do include defrosters, I actually bought a car that didn't have them, the Geo!
When we lived in cold climates with that thing, it was hell on Earth to get it cleared up.
I mean a rear window defroster!

Are the Nissans still doing well in the States? They are such good cars here.

Honda CRV.

Ok, so it may be a bit larger than what you're thinking of, but it's actually not as big as you might think. I'm able to get into spaces that I was _never_ able to in my Ford Thunderbird. And, I love everything about my CRV - the gas mileage is great, the center seats fold down and give more room, there's a rear wiper, there's tons of little places to put things,....

I have some friends that got one just because I was so fond of mine. Got it last year, and I'm having a blast with it!

I'd back up the CRV, great SUV...it's a small SUV, but great mileage and it drives like a car rather than a boat.

I have just asked my fiance Terry and he suggests a Toyota,a late corolla,if you want something slightly bigger you could try a careina-E or really any of the Japenese models but not the Corean ones as they still have a problem with the cost of spares.He spent 10years being a mechanic so he knows his stuff.We hope this helps.GOODLUCK.

Bruyere: quote, "I just heard the latest. A co-worker had bought one that was used like me." Surely, you mean that the car was a used one, just like the one you had.

Consumer Reports produces a very good used car guide. I received my annual issue last week, so it is hot off the press.

Thanks for the suggestions... However, let me emphasize the word cheap. (Cheap as in under $15,000.)

I looked at a Corolla, took expensive.. However, the Echo looks pretty cheap (just missing a rear wiper).

you gotta be kidding me...
the base Corolla is $12,000
even with financing...(read interest)
it can't be much more than that

Argh... By the time I got to the site, Corolla switched to Camry in my head.. Looking at Corolla now.

Checked: Base Corolla is $14,000

Also, I forget who said it but: Why not the Korean cars? (BTW, just looking at Daewoo... some possibility.)

[ 03-08-2002: Message edited by: Lady Macbeth ]

I'm looking too, and a good bet would be the Hyundai Elantra GT. I believe it has a rear wiper blade - or the Hyundai Accent GT. They are small and cheap on gas. Besides Kia, I haven't seen anything cheaper. Buy new if you can. It'll save you money in the long run. Bye!

P.S. I wouldn't touch Daewoo! Maybe Suzuki, but not Daewoo! THEY ARE TOOOOOOOOO CHEAP!

[ 03-10-2002: Message edited by: jubjub ]