I Need A Fuel Efficent Car To Deliver Packages! What Car Should I Buy?

Darlene lives in Wichita, Kansas, and has a small package delivery business. Her current minivan is approaching 300,000 miles. She wants a compact but spacious ride that won't drain her wallet on fuel costs. With a budget of around $16,000 what car should she buy?

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Here is the scenario.

I have a small package delivery business, Most of the packages I haul would fit in the front seat, but I still do get larger things and would like to have a hatchback and hope that they would fit. I have a minivan now, with 300,000 miles but prices are so extremely high I can't possibly afford another one. This one would get nothing on trade, so I thought I would keep it for those large packages and get something that is fuel efficient , hatchback that is quiet on the highway. I drive a lot. A good stereo would be nice. I love sirius xm radio. I really don't care about back seat room as I don't haul passengers very often. The larger the hatchback area the better.

I have to buy used and $16,000 would be my budget.

Quick Facts:

Budget: up to $16,000

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Daily Driver: Yes

Wants: Quiet, hatchback, good MPG

Doesn't want: Something loud

Darlene, the fact that you have stretched almost 300,000 miles out of your minivan is an impressive feat. That tells me you know how to pick the right car and treat it well. If you are looking to step down to something with more reasonable gas mileage, there are several quality hatchbacks for around $15,000 to $16,000. Depending on your delivery distance you may be a candidate for an EV, but something tells me between the routes you take and the infrastructure that may not be the best play just yet.

Since you are looking for something a little quieter with an upgraded stereo, I would suggest you a look at the Mazda3 hatchback. While my colleagues seem to think the Mazda Miata is the answer to almost all of these WCSYB cases, the reality is, for most folks, the Mazda3 is the way to go. Unlike most cars in this segment with turbo motors and CVT gearboxes that can result in expensive maintenance as the miles climb past six figures, the Mazda3 sticks with an "old-school" naturally aspirated four-cylinder and six-speed automatic transmission. While the gas mileage isn't top of the class you will still get a respectable 36 MPG on the highway.

Mazdas also tend to have a fit and finish that's a bit nicer than other non-luxury compacts so they don't sound and feel like a penalty box on the highway. Here is a fully loaded, 2018 Grand Touring trim equipped with leather seats and a Bose stereo among other upgrades.

My first pick for you would be a used Chevy Bolt as it has cargo room, low running costs, everything you need for your business. But without knowing how many miles you put on your car at a time, I don't want to make an EV my only recommendation. 

Instead, let's look at something a bit more Jalop. This is a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI wagon for just $12,300. If your first reaction to reading that is "Hey, wait, wouldn't 2014 make that a Dieselgate car?" then you'd be right — this is indeed a cheating diesel that slipped past Volkswagen's buyback. You're in luck though, as these cars have been updated to no longer pollute like they did before. Your package delivery business won't be the biggest polluter in the industry, I promise.

This TDI gets you a New York apartment's worth of space behind the seats, all powered by a reliable drivetrain that we've seen get well over 300,000 miles and is still great on fuel. It's even got satellite radio, according to the ad, so you can tune in to Jenny Elescu on channel 35 while you do your delivery runs. The TDI will do what you need, and it'll do it under budget. It's a boring choice, but only because it's so correct.

You said it yourself, you need something that really delivers, and that's exactly what Ford's Transit Connect is for. You can likely fit even your largest packages, especially with the vestigial rear seats removed entirely, and do so in reasonable comfort. The tall-roof van design works great for deliveries all over Europe, and while the TC wasn't as successful here in the U.S. it's based on the venerable Ford Focus, so parts are plentiful and cheap. 

If you have a light foot you should be able to get 30 miles per gallon on the highway. This particular example is well below your budget at just $12,954 and I'm sure you can talk them down if you have decent negotiating skills. I've driven a few of these and while the stereo isn't exactly impressive, it does the job. You have enough left over in your budget to get it tricked out by a local stereo shop anyway. If its something you really care about, and it is something that would improve your driving life, don't be afraid to live a little. There's room under that seat for a subwoofer, go hog wild!

We don't often get people writing in for advice on which hatchback to replace their minivan with, but that just means you clearly have taste. You also don't have a massive budget, and I suspect that means you may be open to a suggestion that may make many of the commenters recoil in horror. You see, after thinking it over, I've settled on a 15-year-old Chevrolet hatchback with styling that can most positively be described as "questionable." 

And yet, I get the feeling one test drive will demonstrate exactly how perfect it is for your unique situation. You see, last time Republicans tanked the economy, Chevrolet was still selling a little hatchback called the HHR. Some consider it an uglier PT Cruiser, while others think it's just as ugly as the PT Cruiser, but either way, it will inevitably draw PT Cruiser comparisons. That may bother lesser people, but you're a minivan owner — you've evolved past such base logic and can appreciate a good deal that others might overlook because due to pride or vanity.

The real reason you should get the HHR, though, is because, in addition to the basic version that competed directly with the PT Cruiser, Chevrolet also offered a panel variant. It was literally designed (with a low price in mind) for small business owners like you to use for exactly what you'd use it for. If you don't want something so business-y and a little more fun, you can also easily find the turbocharged hot hatch version, the HHR SS. Both versions should be fairly easy to find online and also fit your budget.You shouldn't buy just any HHR, though, panel or not. What you absolutely need is this 2009 HHR currently located in Oklahoma that is both an SS and the panel van. And since it's a private seller, they're more likely to be willing to negotiate. These things are incredibly rare, but even if getting it back home means you end up going slightly over budget, trust me. It'll be worth it.