Good morning! Today we’re looking at two examples of a category of car that used to be everywhere, but is all but extinct from the market: basic, fun-to-drive manual economy cars —not necessarily sporty, but good-handling, practical, fun, and most of all, cheap. But first, let’s finish up with yesterday’s bargain-basement longroofs:
Indeed. Not that there is anything wrong with the Camry; it’s a good car, and I’m sure it will serve someone well for some time to come. But compared to that Datsun, it’s like going to Taco Bell rather than the family-run burrito food cart across the street. One is nourishment; the other is an experience.
Now, as I’m sure you all read the other day, Mitsubishi has lost its damn mind and will no longer offer its Mirage subcompact in America after next year, thereby driving yet another nail into the coffin for cheap and cheerful cars on our shores. What happened? Everyone used to offer a basic, no-nonsense economy car, and by default they all came with a clutch pedal unless you specified an automatic. (Editor’s Note: Greed. The answer is greed. —PG)
Of course, even 20 years ago when I was shopping for such a car, manuals weren’t the default on dealer lots by any means; you had to seek them out, and usually it meant some other compromise. When I bought my 2002 Mazda Protegé, there were exactly two manuals on the lot: white, and white. I chose white.
But even if the manufacturers insist on dropping the manual option and only offer automatics – or worse, CVTs – there is something honest and noble about a good entry-level car. Thriftiness is still a virtue, or at least it ought to be. The good news is that honest-but-enjoyable cars lasted long enough to reach the modern era of engine management systems and corrosion resistance, so if you can find one without too many miles on it, you can still get some life out of it. They’re not completely used up at 100,000 miles like they used to be. I’ve found two good options in the Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs; let’s see which one you prefer.
2002 Dodge Neon SXT – $2,995
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Cambridge, MN
Odometer reading: 139,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
Not since New Coke has a product replacement been so ill-advised and disappointing as Dodge replacing the Neon with the Caliber. To know the Neon is to love it and to know the Caliber is to remember being happy to leave the keys on the dash at the Enterprise drop-off point. The Neon deserved a better successor. This zippy, rough-around-the-edges little sedan was a hoot to drive, proved doggedly reliable in that inexpensive Mopar sort of way, and looked cheerful and inviting. Unfortunately, most Neons got loved to death, especially the manuals, and finding a good one is getting tougher all the time.
It’s hard to tell from a few crummy dealer photos, but this appears to be a good one. It’s an SXT model, a package that combined sporty stuff like alloy wheels and a rear spoiler with convenience stuff like power windows (only in the front; Neons weirdly all had manual rear windows) and locks. The second-generation Neon isn’t quite as beloved as the first; it lost both the two-door and twin-cam options, but it gained a whole lot of refinement. Kind of like that college friend you had who used to be wild and crazy, but grew up over the course of a summer and doesn’t party as much, but is a lot easier to live with.
Because it is for sale at a dealer, there’s more text in the ad about the deals they’re willing to offer than about the car itself. They don’t even include any underhood photos. A test drive and a careful once-over should tell you what you need to know. It does look nice and clean for being a Minnesota car old enough to drink, and it doesn’t have many miles on it at all, so it’s definitely worth a look.
Personally, I could do without the big basket-handle spoiler on the back, but it’s probably better than removing it and having screw holes in the trunk lid.
2007 Ford Focus SES- $2,100
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Vadnais Heights, MN
Odometer reading: 173,000 miles
Runs/drives? Indeed it does
Ford’s Focus replaced the Escort as the small car in America in 2000, and for once, the “world car” thing wasn’t just talk; we got almost the same car as Europe did. European Focuses got a range of engines from 1.4 to 2.0 liters in both gasoline and diesel flavors. We only got the “big” two-liter Zetec engine, or the old Escort CVH four, until 2005, when Europe got a new Focus, and we got a facelift and a new Duratec/Mazda MZR engine. The facelift toned down the weirdness of the styling, especially inside, and the Duratec engine gained a little bit of power and a lot of refinement.
I owned a Duratec-powered Focus for a couple of years, and I really liked it. Mine was an automatic, which was okay, but I’ve driven a Focus with a manual, and it’s a whole different animal. Forget the fact that it’s a beige four-door sedan – this should be a fun car to drive. Economical, too; I regularly topped 30 mpg in LA traffic in mine, and a manual should be able to do even better, if you take it easy.
This is the SES model, complete with power goodies, cruise control, alloy wheels, and more. It has more miles on it than the Neon—173,000—but it seems to be holding up well. There is a tiny bit of rust creeping in around the edges, and a few dings and scrapes, but it’s clean inside, and the seller says it runs and drives well. They also have a whole stack of maintenance records for you to peruse.
I always thought, when I had my Focus, that it wasn’t a great deal for what I paid for it, but it was going to make a great inexpensive beater someday. And 17 years later, here we are. Some cars come into their own with age, and the Focus seems to be one of them.
Cheap and cheerful cars in the US are on the way out, unless some new player like China steps up and starts selling them here. The supply of used ones is going to dry up eventually, but for now, we’re spoiled for choice, and if you are willing and able to drive a manual, you have even more options, and often cheaper, too. As a bonus, some of them are legitimately fun to drive, like these two. Which is more your speed?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
My first car out of college was a 2004 Focus stick shift. I put a lot of highly-efficient miles on that little thing over the next 5 years before trading it in for a retired police Crown Vic. It was a super-fun driving experience, very comfortable and, while mine still had the weird pre-facelift styling, I thought it looked pretty good.
Focus all the way.
When they hotted up the Neon for the SRT4, they kept the interior “appointments” in many cases.
When I drove an SRT4, i sat in it, and pushed up gently on the roof liner to see how it felt. It folded, leaving a crinkle on the liner. My kids draw on thicker paper than that liner was made of. That SRT4 may have had it where it counts, but this Neon does not.
Focus. Because there was at least a nod in the direction of quality.
Can’t not go with the Neon. Maybe it’s just unfair prejudice on my part, but I never thought much of the Focus. I had a friend with a Neon and that car came across as being a fair amount of fun for the money.
$2995 for a 21 year old Neon or $2100 for a 16 year old Focus. My head hurts. Really, really hurts…
Even though it’s gen 2, the neon still has personality and it was fun to drive, even in automatic form. The Focus sedan, even with a 5-speed, is still an appliance.
I trust the Focus more, even though the Neon is in somewhat better shape.
Fun memory, in the mid 2000’s when the WRX was getting pretty hot and the SRT Neon was right on it’s heels, it was a strange flex for a WRX driver stopped at a redlight to roll their rear windows down while sitting next to an SRT (they were always trying to race you).
Hi!
Before the details and pictures I was fairly certain I’d go for the Neon. After seeing that they are in Minnesota and that the Neon is lower mileage and in better condition, there’s no contest.
I always see loads of rust on that generation of Focus regardless of how well it was cared for. For the Neon to be rusty from that generation, they really needed to be abused/not washed.
I’ve wanted to own a Focus, but it seems every time I go to test drive one it’s been ridden hard and put away wet. There’s a reason why I’ve never owned a Ford, and while my father’s hate may be involved in this, it’s more like there’s never been a Ford I could love. I did come very close to pulling the trigger on a Fiesta 4 door sedan with 1l 3 cylinder and manual, but they wanted too much and it was going to need bearings fixed at least. Saw it’s price lowered to $5000 from their lofty 6500 and I would have bought it then, but it had already sold.
Focus for the engine alone
Voted the Neon since it seems cleaner and there wasn’t a “porque no los dos?” option. Realistically, I think both are reasonable deals in today’s market although a few years ago these would have been $1500 cars. Both have the right transmission and both should provide decent transportation if maintained correctly.
“What happened? Everyone used to offer a basic, no-nonsense economy car, and by default they all came with a clutch pedal unless you specified an automatic. (Editor’s Note: Greed. The answer is greed. —PG)”
I usually enjoy shitbox showdown, but I lost interest in this post after reading the editor’s note. I don’t mind lamenting the loss of cheap cars, but I get tired of reading how cheap cars went away due to greedy corporations conspiring against helpless consumers. If buyers really wanted bare-bones transportation, they would have been willing to pay enough to justify manufacturers building these vehicles to meet consumer expectations and 2023 safety standards. Clearly buyers aren’t that interested in basic vehicles.
Again, I don’t mind reading about the demise of basic cars (I also have an appreciation for basic vehicles), but I hear enough conspiracy theories in other venues that I don’t need to read additional ones on this website.
Glad I’m not the only one who was rubbed the wrong way by that. These comments are incredibly lazy when they come from randos on Reddit. It’s even worse when they come from auto journalists who know better. Save the warmed-over collegiate Marxism for the old site – it’s one of the reasons I stopped reading it before the Autopian came along.
“Collegiate Marxism” is the perfect description. These comments read like they were written by someone who’s perspective was radically transformed by a pamphlet handed to them at community college.
I don’t mind if others have different perspectives and opinions than I have, as long as they are well considered. The references to corporate greed seem more of a mantra than of a well-reasoned opinion. These comments lower my opinion of this website.
The problem with “corporate greed” is that it’s a charged phrase. Substitute “maximizing shareholder value” and it’s not so bad. (Either way, though, as mentioned below, it’s a lot more complicated than that.)
I do agree that it’s market demand driving the death of cheap new cars, although the car makers do share some blame.
But really, cars are built so well now that for the price of a cheap new car, you could find a nicer used car that will still last a long time. I’d rather have the nicer used car.
I agree with everything you said. Car manufacturers, consumer demand, and desirable used cars have all contributed to the death of cheap cars (in addition to other factors). That is why I get so annoyed with the comments that greed is solely responsible for the death of cheap new cars. It is a complex issue.
I blame the big banks. Always blame the banks. And the Rothschilds.
And Colonel Sanders before he went tits up.
Market demand doesn’t happen in a vacuum, you know. Crossovers didn’t just spontaneously become popular, manufacturers realized that they could pull greater margins from them than sedans so they flooded the market. Same with dealers and options – keep the highly optioned vehicles on the lot and have easy and cheap financing, and those are what will sell and thus become what people are used to.
Capitalism, at it’s core, is solely about making the most money off the least effort. A word for this is greed. Yes, I’m a democratic socialist, but this isn’t conspiracy – it’s simply the fact of the matter.
The market for such cars diminished but did not disappear. They became less profitable, not unprofitable. The automakers abandoned entire segments to concentrate only on the most supremely profitable lines; is it any wonder that those are what people are now buying?
Anyway, I think trying to differentiate between “corporate greed” and “it’s just business” is merely splitting hairs at this point.
I have two 2007 Focuses right now, but I’m voting Neon. First, it’s less common these days. Second, the underside of that particular Focus is toast! Those rockers will disintegrate any day now. Mine are currently sitting at 250,000 and 275,000 miles. Nothing major done to them. Just solid, basic transportation.
For me, the Focus. And not that I want it, just that it’s up against an old Neon.
The Neon, is probably more fun to drive. But at 139k, is likely due for a head gasket any time now (or already needs one). A 20 year old Neon driven in MN sounds like a heap of corroded electrical trouble I don’t need.
The Neon got my vote. The Focus seems to be the “newer” car, 2007 looks much more modern than the 2002 Dodge, but I don’t think it’s anyone’s keeper. The Neon could be fun in a cheap tuner way, just knock a little of that price.
I preferred the “weird” styling of the first-gen Focus but the refresh’s engine is undeniably better.
Neon. It looks like it has intact rocker panels. That paint bubbling on the Focus is a sign the rockers are about to burst open in a spray of rust flakes. At this age it’s about condition. The Focus is in worse condition based on what is pictured.
I voted Neon, as the rust on that Ford worries me and the Neon has fewer miles. They both look a little grungy. Interestingly, I still see Focuses of that generation almost every time I’m out and about. I hardly ever see Neons.
My sister had a Focus ZX5 hatch of this vintage, and it was a hoot to drive with the manual. Dead reliable too. This one being a beige sedan is a downer, but still the better car than the Neon.
The dealer selling that Neon emptied an entire can of Armor All on those tires. No judgement; I like shiny tires.
Looking at the exterior and the interior on the Focus, I think zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Oops. Fell asleep just perusing the pictures.
The beige. Inside and out. My god, it’s boring and sad.
It’s not even that I dislike beige. I am a dorky man, and I wear beige in some form most days. The upholstery in my car is beige (though the color was called “cream” on the order form to make it sound less boring and the dashboard is a contrasting dark color).
There’s just too much beige in that Focuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I had an ’06 Fusion with the Duratec 2.3L and a five speed. Great car, great feel in the driver’s seat, and was fine in both stop and go and highway cruising. I’ll take the little brother Focus, thanks.
The Focus is an invisibility cloak, or at least a rolling SEP Field. Don’t bother plating it, drive it like you stole it, never pay the parking meters and rest easy in the knowledge that anyone who’d care is already dozing off before they realize what you’re perpetrating.
Plus 42 for the reference to the SEP Field.
I can’t let the Neon win, never liked them. The Focus is better choice in my opinion..
That landlord beige Focus is making me yawn.
I’ll take the Neon.
Spent a lot of time growing up in (and a decent amount of time driving) my family’s 2005 Focus ZXW (station wagon configuration) with the automatic transmission. Same color, too. Kinda miss that car sometimes. Want to stick with the Focus just because of that connection, but the visible rust is somewhat concerning. (On the other hand, I don’t drive stick, but that’s beside the point.)
The Focus was peppy, sipped fuel, and was surprisingly roomy. Dunno if anything (aside from the space) would feel different in the sedan version.
Maybe this is just me, but the Focus’s dash seems to hit a wonderful balance of utilitarian, functional, cheap, and yet still somewhat aesthetic.
By the way, do these polls themselves just…not show up for any of you? Doesn’t show up for me, in every combination of Firefox/Edge; logged in/not logged in; extensions enabled/disabled.
Once a month, maybe, I can see the poll. Otherwise I must live in the realm of conjecture.
It’s not just you. I thought the same thing. I could actually concentrate on driving the car with a dashboard like that. No moving graphics, no wondering where the temperature reading went, and no distraction from the rear-view camera for 5 seconds after I shifted into drive and am heading up the street.
“I got a five-speed Ford and a two-dollar bill / And I know a place right over the hill”
I test drove one of these Fords as a first car for my daughter, and came close to buying it. What a fun little scoot! After evaluating car/driver matchup though, I went with an ’03 Mercury Grand Marquis Ultimate in mint condition.
Body on frame, almost-snappy V-8, it was the right move.
Did she get pregnant before the end of High School?
Just kidding, just had to say it since there’s a lot of room in that back seat!
(my cousin did get pregnant before the end of HS, she had a big truck)