The order of the sections is mostly in the order of discovery while I researched
Save to buy a crossover, hatchback or van. A van would be vehicle of choice if I'm going to build a house, good for car camping, etc. Or sports car and cargo trailer.
Porsche cayenne with manual transmission 4900 lb. bmw i3.
https://www.auto-tests.com/en/lightest-weight/Crossover/all/
https://insideevs.com/news/527966/electric-cars-from-heaviest-lightest/
Any car, any car whatsoever, as I can add ground clearance and tires with soft sidewall. Independent suspension doesn't matter. FWD, RWD, AWD doesn't matter. Actually, suspension and transmission do matter to me, but money is more important?
Related sites:
Foreigners guide to buying a car in Peru, czickontheroad.com 2020
Buying a Vehicle in Peru, tripadvisor.com 2014
Improving Automobile Fuel Economy: New Standards, New Approaches, 1991 (PDF)
Aerodynamics, weight, and engine efficiency are elements of gas mileage. The McLaren F1 with a 6 liter V12 engine, painstakingly made to be as light as possible, weighs 2500lbs. Aptera weighs 1800lbs. Lotus Elise weighs 1600lbs.
160 miles, at 20mpg is $50 worst case scenario. I don't live in Venezuela with 6 cents a gallon. For the same reason I should upgrade the solar water heater, to spend $50 less per month on electricity.
Smaller vehicles have better gas mileage, but I don't want something super tiny, because:
i want a cool looking vehicle
harsher suspension
no tow capacity
I'd prefer to have an electric vehicle, and set up a solar array to charge the car.
While keeping aerodynamics for fuel efficiency. Perhaps a cargo trailer is key here, as I don't always need huge extra space. I don't necessarily want to get in the business of transporting all the locals. Very few people if at all.
Aside from a lot of vehicle body overhang in front or behind the tires, I don't need much ground clearance. I can add a little ground clearance with larger tires or a small lift kit. I won't be going off-road. The need for clearance on even poor gravel roads isn't that much.
“Most sedan vehicles generally have an average ground clearance between 4-6 inches whereas SUVs average between 6-8 inches.” 4wheeldriveguide.com Off-road for sport vehicles need 8-10 inches.
Mandatory:
Good Qualities:
I think a sideways rear seat or middle seat can be fashioned for the Aptera. With the solar panels, the fuel efficiency would be the best. I would likely never have to charge it, as even on long trips I prefer to stay a while at every stop. There will be tow capacity. International delivery in 2023/2024.
For shopping travel to nearby cities, I can use a trailer for large items. Aptera FAQ says: “We hope to make a tow package available at some point in the future. We envision Aptera could tow a small lightweight trailer for camping, maybe even adding some extra solar capability.”
A trailer and cargo should not weigh more than the Aptera: “The tow vehicle should weigh close to as much as the trailer and horses combined.” doubletrailers.com
The Aptera weighs 1800 lbs. A flatbed utility trailer weighs 700 lbs, and a small enclosed trailer weighs 1000 lbs. They can carry 1000 lbs. The following video goes on and on to come to the same towing capacity conclusion of about 2000 lb:
Weight in front of the trailer axle adds to traction on the rear wheel of the Aptera.
A flatbed trailer offers less security than an enclosed trailer but is less prone to sidewinds and more versatile and cheaper. Cargo nets and tarps for rain.
Even if an enclosed trailer would weigh more and be less efficient, my application may be to leave contents in the trailer at a cochera while I stay in the hotel. Alternatively, with a flatbed trailer I can save big item purchases for the last day, and drive directly from the store to my house like a normal person.
The downside to the Aptera is that they made a hump along the floorboard dividing the seats. Supposedly for structural reasons, but I suspect they could have worked around that, and the real reason is to keep the Aptera from having 3 comfortable seats in the front.
They could have made the steering wheel be in the middle, which would have also simplified manufacturing left and right hand drive cars (like for England). The McLaren F1 has this. Alternatively, they could have done as with the Matra Murena and added a middle seat that can fold down to be an armrest:
Looking at the following video, the seats aren't that wide and the space between the seats isn't either. Removing the center console and adding a cushion seat and a pillow backrest would allow three non-fat adults to sit, but in a cramped manner like the back seat of a compact car. Doable but not for more than an hour without a break.
Video: Aptera seat movement, cargo space, airbags
I think it wouldn't be impossible for someone to fit in the middle:
There really is no space behind the seat unless you slide the seat forward:
Instead of having a perfectly flat cargo floor, could they have a ridge along the center for the wheel/suspension. Too much wasted space?
I think they would capture more buyers if they made the aptera body a little wider and longer, without increasing the width between the front wheels.
Although that may affect the turning radius, unless they decrease the length of the front wheel airfoils.
Instead of external wheels, they could design integral wheel wells with flexible outer body panels for turning. The front wheels are internal, but with a continuous aerodynamic shell for the body. Like this but not so dull looking:
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayenne
Curb weight be damned, a 2006 Porsche Cayenne V6 may be the best deal. Only the rich in Peru can afford them and their bad gas mileage, and the rich want to sell an older car and get a new one.
carfax.com (link requires USA VPN) has ads starting at 7K, but with 200K km odometer readings. I think I may able to get the same prices in Peru?
It's not like I would drive it daily, so I could afford to pay more for gasoline on occasion? I can also modify the engine to run on compressed natural gas to reduce fuel cost. See section below on CNG.
Porsche has parts available in Lima:
https://www.porsche.com/latin-america-en/_peru_/aboutporsche/importers/
https://dealer.porsche.com/pe/lima
I have this idea that Porsche would make its cars from superior materials. For example, the suspension would have less inertial mass to provide superior ground traction. Better performance engineering. Toyota, by contrast, may be more focused on longevity. However, this idea is not a solid conclusion. Would I be getting aluminum or titanium suspension arms instead of heavier cast iron?
The articles are not really conclusive, so I ask this question on Quora: Are Porsche suspensions made from lighter materials like titanium, carbon fiber, magnesium, etc., than other less expensive cars?
fcpeuro and edmunds.com have images of Porsche Cayenne suspensions, but don't mention materials. fcpeuro.com does say the body and suspension are overbuilt.
“On the rear axle of the Cayenne and Cayenne S, Porsche is continuing to fit a multi-link suspension with lightweight steel links and steel springs as standard.” porsche.de
Whatever Car For Around 5K USD
Whatever Car For Around 5K USD
So I doubt I'll get the Aptera. I'll shop around for whatever is used. Eventually I will want an electric vehicle, but there isn't anything used in Peru. There's like 3000 electric vehicles in all of Peru. There are absolutely no charging stations. I'll get an old gasoline car and save on depreciation, even though used cars are much more expensive here than in USA.
I'm no longer sure if ability to tow is a requirement for me. I reorganized the specifications to reflect this. I can appropriate what I need for house building when the time comes. Though I really dislike FWD, so I think I will veer away from it regardless.
My ideal seems to be RWD, as it is less complex than AWD. Though I wouldn't be disappointed with AWD because of the coolness factor and the added grip on gravel roads.
The ideal car seems to be like the Hyundai Veloster:
What's lacking with the Veloster is RWD/AWD. The Veloster is FWD.
The Veloster is like an extended version of the 1988-1991 Honda CRX, which is also FWD.
Also, the Veloster doesn't have suicide doors
“Unlike its front-wheel-drive forebears, the Veloster N ETCR is rear-wheel-drive, with its electric motor mounted ahead of the rear axle to technically make it mid-engined.” thedrive.com. The Veloster N ETCR is unfortunately not a production car.
“The Hyundai Veloster N will not return for the 2023 model year, the company announced today. Hyundai said the decision is due to the introduction of the Elantra N and Kona N.” caranddriver.com. More on wikipedia
The Toyota Yaris has an AWD option, but it's too small.
Dimensional comparison between Veloster and Yaris
Yaris wheelbase is 2550 mm, and height is 1470mm with ground clearance of 145mm. Overall length is 3940mm.
Veloster wheelbase is 2650mm, and height is 1400mm with ground clearance of 140mm. Overall length is 4220mm.
Porsche Cayenne height 1700mm, width 1928mm. Overall length is 4782mm.
The Nissan Juke is excellent:
Only the concept car that led to the Juke had suicide doors:
The Juke got bigger with newer model years. I think there's a 2011-2014, a 2015-2018, and a 2019 (see carbuyer.co.uk review). The 2019 was significantly bigger though 50 lbs lighter (see Wikipedia).
Unfortunately, the Juke with AWD is only available with a CVT automatic transmission. See also. I think this is also true for the Fiat 500x.
The Mazda MX-30 has suicide doors, but it's an electric vehicle with poor range, and started selling in 2020.
The Mazda 3 with a 2.0 liter engine gets 30/40 mpg. 40mpg highway is among the best according to caranddriver.com.
For a reciprocating internal combustion engine, my ideal would have:
There are overhead cam OHC and overhead valve OHV engines. Each has pros and cons. See article by axleaddict.com.
I like a 6 cylinder because it runs more smoothly than a 4 banger. I'd rather have low and mid range torque of SOHC (see video). Which engine provides the greatest area under the curve for torque vs rpm?
Maybe adding VTECH would allow VVT and variable valve lift on the 2 valve per cylinder SOHC engine?
It's too bad the Wankel rotary engine didn't further develop and go mainstream, as I think it would be superior to any reciprocating engine. As a bonus, Wankels run great on hydrogen, which works well for going off-grid. However, the future now lays in electric vehicles.
An independent suspension has the benefit of not having a beam across the bottom of the car at the height of the center of the wheels. Case in point, solid rear axles, but can also be the case with torsion beam suspensions.
The lowly torsion beam suspension can be a simple and effective option for application in sports cars or passenger cars where there isn't a lot of wheel travel. Sports cars have strong roll bars which produces the same effect that a simpler torsion beam does, although with less ability to fine tune how the wheels move.
How to Improve Ride Quality In Your Car, Joe Tralongo 2020
For a smoother ride over rough terrain, tire pressure can be reduced:
A portable air pump can inflate tires when transitioning from rough terrain to highway.
+ CNG Compressed Natural Gas |
In Peru you can get liquified gas at gas stations. The cost per mile for liquified gas is less. You can convert the engine to run on either gas or gasoline with the flip of a switch while driving.
“A diferencia de la gasolina, hay un ahorro significativo. Por ejemplo, por cada 100 kilómetros que se recorre con un auto que emplea gasohol de 95, un ciudadano debe gastar un aproximado de S/ 64; mientras que con gasohol de 90, S/ 57,08 y con diésel, S/ 44,90. En el caso de GLP, le demanda al usuario desembolsar S/ 33,26.” larepublica.pe
So it's about half the cost per mile to use natural gas instead of gasoline.
Gasoline engines modified to use CNG are not ideal CNG engines. CNG is not injected into the cylinders. On carbureted engines and engines modified to run on CNG, the natural gas will use up more volume than a liquid like gasoline, and the amount of oxygen reaching the cylinder is less.
Because better mixing takes place between air and natural gas, there is a more complete combustion. This is one reason a CNG engine runs hotter. Also, the evaporation of gasoline has a cooling effect. There are other factors for hotter temperatures using CNG:
Due to the higher heating value and higher density, combustion of CNG produces a comparatively large amount of heat than the gasoline combustion. Thus, operating CNG as an alternative fuel for gasoline engines causes engine overheating problems. This could affect the engine components, shortens the lifespan of the engine components and also cause pre-ignition in the combustion chamber. Engine cooling system is most essential for both industrial and automotive engines to reduce fuel consumption, minimizing exhaust and fuel emission, to reduce the thermal load on the engine to protect the engine components. Thus, synthetic coolants were used in the present work to study their influence on controlling the temperature. From the results and discussion, it is obvious that synthetic coolants help to bring down the temperature compare to pure water cooling. However, the 20% blend of ethylene glycol with water has slightly better and smoother temperature curves when the engine is operated at higher RPMs for longer durations. Thereby, it is suggested to use synthetic coolants for dual-fuel engines as it can help to control the temperature and can prevent the engine overheating. Thermal analysis of natural gas as an alternative fuel for gasoline engine, Ravichandra et al 2020
So the engine will run hot unless using a synthetic coolant. But no one uses water! Cars always have synthetic coolant! I guess that study is valuable because some synthetic coolants are better than others. +
carfolio.com
Wow, this site rocks.
Related sites:
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/spt_rwd_manual_cars
The only vehicle I can have with the following mra6 specifications is a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Station Wagon (flat 6 OHV).
There are plenty of vehicles without the 6 cylinder criteria: mra specifications. Upon applying the filters “SUV, minivan, or hatchback” to the mra specifications, the remaining vehicles are 4 cylinders. Although this likely has more to do with the incomplete nature of the carfolio database.
SUV (the only one): 1979 Gurgel X-12 (flat 4 OHV)
Minivan (the only one): 1960 Volkswagen Microbus de Luxe (flat 4 OHV)
Hatchback (the only one): 1981 Volkswagen Igala/Brasilia (flat 4 OHV). The other car on that page, the Daihatsu Fellow, was water cooled according to other sources.
Let's add to the mra specifications: mra2no specifications:
4-Door Sedan (the most modern one): 1996 Tatra 613/700 (V8 DOHC)
Coupe (the most modern one): 1998 Porsche 911 (flat 6 DOHC), 1995 Porsche 911 (flat 6 SOHC)
1972 Volkswagen SP2 (flat 4 OHV)
1970 Puma GTE (flat 4 OHV)
1966 Fitch Phoenix (flat 6 OHV)
1959 Enzmann 506 (flat 4 OHV)
Switching to AWD maa2n specifications, and not including the Porsche 911:
1969 Steyr-Puch Haflinger 700 AP (flat 2 OHV)
1986 Volkswagen Caravelle/Microbus syncro (flat 4 OHV)
Removing the air cooling requirement yields hundreds of results, listed below as either:
year make model (engine configuration)
years-of-vehicles make (most recent engine configuration)
1977 Datsun 280Z (L6 SOHC)
1984 Toyota Celica GTS (L4 SOHC)
1985 Toyota MR2 (L4 SOHC)
2011 Vauxhall VXR8 GTS (V8 OHV)
2010 Hindustan Ambassador 1800 (L4 SOHC)
2009 Ford Mustang V6 (SOHC)
2000 TVR Cerbera (V8 SOHC)
2002 Toyota Condor (L4 SOHC)
1993 Volvo 240 Wagon (L4 SOHC)
2002 Daihatsu Midget (L3 SOHC)
2012 Tata Nano (L2 SOHC)
Hatchbacks:
1976 Alpine A310 (V6 SOHC)
1982 AMC Spirit (L6 OHV undersquare 0.96)
1984 Alfa Romeo GTV6 (V6 SOHC)
1977 AMC Pacer (L6 OHV)
1977 AMC Gremlin (L6 OHV)
1977 AMC Hornet (V8 OHV)
Mid Engine:
1969 AMC AMX/3 (V8 OHV)
1969 Ford GT40 (V8 OHV))
1990 De Tomaso Pantera (V8 OHV, later models DOHC)
Coupe:
1974 AMC Javelin (V8 OHV)
The rest of 2010-2020 models are supercars:
2016 VLF Force 1 (V10 OHV)
2013 Vencer Sarthe (V8 OHV)
2011-1974 Vaz (L4 SOHC undersquare 0.99)
2012 SRT Viper (V10 OHV)
2017 Sin R1 (V8 OHV)
2017 Panoz Avezzano (V8 OHV)
2015-1930 Morgan (V2 OHV square 1.00)
2011-1988 HSV (V8 OHV)
2016-1948 Holden (V8 OHV)
2019-1960 Ginetta (V6,V8 OHV or straight 4 OHC)
2013-2011 Fahlke (V8 OHV)
The rest of 2000-2009:
2000 Ultima GTR (V8 OHV)
Spadaconcept (V8 OHV)
Smart (L3 SOHC undersquare 0.88)
2000 Saleen S7 (V8 OHV)
2009 Rapier SL-C Superlite Coupé (V8 OHV)
Pontiac (V8 OHV)
2009 Perana Z-One (V8 OHV)
Mosler (V8 OHV)
MG (2003 V8 SOHC square 1.0, 1993 V8 OHV, 1977 L4 OHV undersquare 0.9)
Marcos (V8 OHV, V6 OHV, L6 OHV, V4 OHV, L4 OHV)
2003 Mahindra Bolero (L4 OHV)
2006 Jeep Liberty (V6 SOHC)
2007 Holland Car (L4 SOHC)
Ford Mustang (2008 V6 SOHC, 2004 V8 SOHC square 1.00, 2004 V6 OHV, 1995 V8 OHV, 1993 L4 SOHC)
Ford (2001 V8 OHV, 1999 L6 OHV undersquare 0.93)
2005 Faralli & Mazzanti Antas V8 GT (V8 DOHC)
2004 Elfin MS8 Streamliner (V8 OHV)
2009 Devon GTX (V10 OHV)
Caterham (L4 SOHC)
Cadillac (V8 OHV, V6 OHV)
Bristol (V10 OHV)
The rest of 1990-1999:
Tofas
Premier
Peugeot
Paykan
Opel Opel
Oda undersquare 0.99
Nissan
Mercedes-Benz
Jaguar
Gurgel
FSO undersquare 0.94
Ford
De Tomaso
Daewoo square 1.00
Chevrolet
BMW
Bitter
Aymesa
Aston Martin
Alfa Romeo undersquare (only sedans)
AC
Complicating this list is that different model years and different countries have different options, with newer models less frequently having manual transmissions. For USA models there is carmax.com used car search. I can also check vehicle specs at https://autoevolution.com.
Hatchbacks with at least RWD (or AWD), manual transmission:
SUVs with AWD, manual transmission:
Minivans with RWD, manual transmission:
SUVs with AWD, but only with automatic transmission:
Specifications V2
Specifications V2
Specifications V1 still apply, but I'll try a different angle, that's easier to remember.
A Datsun 280Z or Nissan 350Z would be perfect except I need more seats and cargo.
I guess what I really want is a sports car with small rear seats and some cargo space. The 350Z and MR2 don't have rear seats and have tiny cargo space.
Instead of money being first priority, let me choose my favorites, with high aerodynamics, low weight, cramped rear seats, and 2 suitcases of cargo space.
The goal is 3 passengers, 2 large suitcases, 2 small suitcases. I measured a large suitcase, and it's 4.7 cubic feet. Having a free rear seat would allow 2 large suitcases standing behind the passenger seat if it is slid forward. That leaves the hatch/trunk/frunk for the smaller suitcases.
1990s:
2000s hotcars:
2010-2022 quora:
Hatchbacks:
List of countries by vehicles per capita, wikipedia
Leading light-duty vehicle brands in Peru in 2021, by market share, statista.com
It's kinda funny that my choices are so limited. Searching for something around 5K USD is near impossible. Yes, used car prices are inflated here, but it's not only that.
Does no one sell their old cars??? People keep their cars rather than sell them and get something new? Have I not found a good venue for used car sales on the net? Walking around Chiclayo, I don't see much of older cars. Maybe I need to walk in different boroughs? Maybe all the used cars are in Lima?
Maybe most car sales happened in the last 15 years:
Source is carsalesbase.com. Also see theglobaleconomy.com. The only data I find starts at 2005, and my guess is that previous years had even lesser sales especially since the GDP per Capita by year mirrors the sales:
I saw the following interesting vehicles on the streets (click to expand)
Hyundai Tucson
Hyundai santa fe
hyundai accent
hyundai i20
Chevy Captiva
chevy n300 move, n400 move
hgatour v53 foton
baic x35
Renault duster
Toyota rav4
ssangyong rodius, others
haval h2
kia sonet
jeep grand Cherokee
cherry tiggo2 (aka tiggo3) tiggo8 tiggo5
chevy groove
sportage
joycar sx6
Mitsubishi Montero sport
nissan cashqai/rogue
nissan kicks
seat leon
toyota rush
renault kwid
ford territory titanium
daewoo van
changan cs15
suzuki grand nomade
glory 560
glory 580
Mitsubishi asx
suzuki apv
chevy groove
nissan x-trail
jettour x70
vw t-cross
chevy tracker (aka chevy trax) independent rear suspension
Jac S2
Jac JS3 (S3)
Soueast dx3
Geely gx3
MG 20ST
Great Wall M4
Baic X35 Beijing
Brilliance V3
Regarding the following lists:
All brick7 site ads are archived with no contact information. Sites cari.pe, trovit.com.pe, roodos.pe, and mitula.pe point to ads on other sites. I don't know if some of the lower prices are real. Many of the “available” are really old ads.
1983 alfa romeo gtv clasf.pe
1981 toyota celica 5K soles mercadolibre 2022-03
1980 ford mustang 2K USD evisos 2022-05
2006 toyota rav4 2.5K USD tixuz 2022-10
1996 subaru impreza 2.5K USD doplim 2022-08
1998 mitsubishi asx 2.8K USD autopia 2022-04
1998 ford fiesta 13K soles mercadolibre 2022-04
2004 porsche cayenne (automatic) 3.5K USD evisos 2022-11
2004 audi tt 4K USD evisos 2022-05
2001 nissan x-trail 4K USD autopia 2022-06
2001 subaru impreza ej20 17K soles facebook
1995 subaru impreza 4.8K USD evisos 2022-07
2014 subaru impreza 5.4K USD cuidad anuncios 2022-01
2008 nissan tiida fwd? awd? 5.5K USD autopia 2022-09
2006 daihatsu terios 6K USD autopia 2021-11
1997 kia sportage 6.5K USD mercadolibre 2022-10
2009 suzuki swift 6.5K USD carros
2002 nissan x-trail 25.5K soles facebook
2001 audi a3 7.2K autopia 2021-10
2010 ssangyong actyon 7.8K USD neoauto
2013 suzuki swift 7.8K USD carros
201?? subaru impreza 36K soles facebook
2020 renault kwid 9.2K USD wikipedia tixuz
2011 subaru xv 46K soles facebook
2015 chevy tracker 12.8K USD facebook
2016 mazda zx5 awd 19.5K soles facebook
2012 bmw 130i 15K USD facebook
1986 ford mustang 3.1K soles brick7
2005 porsche cayenne 12K soles brick7
2005 alfa romeo gtv 12K soles brick7
2002 subaru impreza 15.7K soles evisos
1982 alfa romeo gtv 4.3K USD brick7
2008 porsche cayenne 23.5K soles brick7
2006 porsche cayenne 25K soles brick7
2013 porsche cayman 26.1K soles brick7
1982 alfa romeo gtv 7.8K USD brick7
1987 volkswagon minivan 4.5K USD roodos
2011 hafei minyi minivan 18.5K soles mercadolibre
2012 suzuki apv 25.5K soles facebook tel:918706918
2015 lifan foison minivan 6.3K USD neoauto
2017 chevy n200 minivan 6.2K USD neoauto
2010 toyota rav4 13.9K soles mercadolibre
2017 hyundai creta 56.9K soles facebook
1998 toyota celica st202 8K USD evisos
2019 renault kwid 8K USD pe.tixuz.com
2013 seat ibiza 7.5K USD neoauto
2010 suzuki sx4 32K soles facebook
2014 mazda 3 10.5K USD neoauto
2017 mazda cx3 65K soles facebook
2016 mini countryman 16.9K USD facebook
2015 mazda cx5 facebook
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