Jeryn wrote:
I was seriously going to post just to plug the Toyota Matrix before I even got to your post. I've been driving one for five years; it has around 100k miles on it, gets about 30mpg overall (more like 25 city/33 highway - I drove from Oxford to Knoxville, 400ish miles, on a tank of gas not long ago and I've never put more than like 11 gallons in it filling up, pretty sure it's a 12 gallon tank). Anyway I haven't had a single problem out of it. Okay, one problem. The wheel covers are sort of craptacular and I've lost a couple of them. Toyota wants like $80 a pop to replace a wheel cover, and I can get a whole wheel for that. Currently debating whether to just spring $300-$400 on a set of wheels so I can forget about wheel covers, because the car itself shows no signs of being anything other than ol' dependable. It's that kind of car - deciding whether to put money into aesthetics because functionally it's going to just live forever.
I didn't prefer driving my sister's Matrix (borrowed it when my CR-V's transmission was being rebuilt). I felt cramped, even when driving it. The Honda Fit is in the same class, but has more space. Both my ex-husband and my current bf have the sport model, just different years. They seem to be the SCA member car of choice lately. The bf gets highway mileage of about 36 mpg, and it's comfy to drive and ride in. (When my commute went to two hours, I didn't get a Fit, however. I got a used Honda Insight hybrid.)
But for the kids, spouse, dog, plus gear, a Fit probably won't cut it. Although I know people that have gotten a 18'-diameter pavilion + gear + 3 people in theirs. I didn't know how they did it.