Best 'bang for buck' car?

[kurosh]

I want to pay under 20k. It *must* look sexy. I love the way old stingray corvettes look but they are not reliable. It must be reliable. I want it to last for a while or be able to sell it for a decent amount of it's original price. Must be manual. Being extremely fast is a plus.

Any help?

[ceyoung]

2000-2002 honda s2000 should do the trick.

[JMP300z]

[ QUOTE ]
2000-2002 honda s2000 should do the trick.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed...my dad had one when I was in HS and sold it after much begging by me to keep it and let me drive it. Then a month later my dad "Man that was a great car, whyd I sell it...I should have given it to you!"

I was suicidal for weeks.

I mean yah we got a 911 instead of it but I liked the s2k better. Its that great a car. SOooo much fun to drive.

-JP

[ceyoung]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
2000-2002 honda s2000 should do the trick.

[/ QUOTE ]



we got a 911 instead of it but I liked the s2k better.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

you have to be kidding.

[kurosh]

That looks very nice. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.

What about the BMW Z3?

[JMP300z]

Z3 is gross.
M3 now thats a car.
And no im not kidding, i liked the S2k better than our brand new porsche 911 cab, dark silver with grey top and sweet wheels and body kit. The porsche just is fast...the s2k feels fast.

-JP

[Lazymeatball]

I know nothing about cars outside of Gran Turismo 3, but I suggest a used Mitsubishi Eclipse of a year suitable to fit into your <$20k price range. My next car is going to be a circa 2001 Subaru WRX. I also love honda S2000's based upon my GT3 experience.

[JMP300z]

Eclipses are garbage mechanically.

If you can find a used 300zx 92-96 in decent shape with not too many miles on em its a great car. Ive been driving mine for 6 years (50k->100k) and never had a single mechanical problem with it...plus it looks sweet. The TT model is much faster but can have mechanical problems once you get the mileage up there...the N/A will last but looks/feels faster than it actually is. You can pick one up easily for under 20k. Just beware someone selling you a bad car.

-JP

[gorie]

guys who drive dark blue volkswagen jettas are sexy.

[gvibes]

scion tc?

[mmbt0ne]

It's funny how every one of these car questions can be answered correctly with Audi A4.

[JMP300z]

Im thinking about getting a new A4 as soon as finals are over (next friday). soooo yah im excited except i probably wont drive it much until i get back from vegas this summer...
again im excited.

-JP

[mmbt0ne]

New as in brand new? The newest body styles are gorgeous, especially compared to how awful and rounded off the last body style was. I'm still partial to the 96-01 body, preferably with the numbers on the low part of the trunk (which is exactly what mine is).

I wish I was going to Vegas this summer. I hate being 20.

[MelchyBeau]

'05 GT Mustang. I will be buying one in the summer or fall.

Melch

[JMP300z]

I find the new mustangs gross...too wide looking.

Yes the new new A4.

And I love being 21. I only have 5 weeks off this summer, 4 of which will be spent in las vegas...its hailed as the longest break till I retire (Im in dental school which goes year round for the last 3 years after the 1st and then a 2 yr residency).

1 more week of finals (something like 9 in 4 days..im leaving for the library now) and then freedom!

-JP

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
I want to pay under 20k. It *must* look sexy. I love the way old stingray corvettes look but they are not reliable. It must be reliable. I want it to last for a while or be able to sell it for a decent amount of it's original price. Must be manual. Being extremely fast is a plus.

Any help?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you paid $20k for a stingray I believe it would be pretty damn reliable.

It all kinda depends on what you call "bang." Vette's are pretty quick for how cheap they are.

~D

[Ogre]

I want a mazda rx-8

[GuyOnTilt]

[ QUOTE ]
I want a mazda rx-8

[/ QUOTE ]

You should read up on them and drive it a few times before you buy this car. Looks very sexy, but has some problems that I wouldn't want to deal with.

GoT

[Trainwreck]

Mini Cooper...

>TW<

[gvibes]

[ QUOTE ]
(Im in dental school which goes year round for the last 3 years after the 1st and then a 2 yr residency).


[/ QUOTE ]

Your last two years of dental school will basically be a vacation.

What's with the 2 year residency? A few people I know do a one year GPR, but most either go into private practice or go into grad school (roommate = perio student).

[JMP300z]

2 year residency will be in Endodontics...well unless for some reason I dont get in anywhere. I dont forsee it as being a problem though. Its what my dad does.

-JP

[Yobz]

Get a new WRX
end the thread, now.

[JMP300z]

Thats what im debating...i want a sedan, moderately to really quick, 4WD is a plus but not necessary really ( i live in georgia), 35k is probably the most I can spend but I might lease something for a few years. So now im looking at the A4, the WRX/maybe sti, some of the acura models etc. or maybe a used M3.

-JP

[prizminferno]

How about an Evo? Fantastic car.

[Freakin]

Pontiac Aztec. Crap, is that over 20k?

Freakin

[peachy]

97 BMW m3 or around that year... 99 through 97 were all the same body stype...im sure u can find one somewhere within those years for 20k or less

I have a 99 m3 and i absolutely LOVE it

[david050173]

If you are buying a used 35K+ car (like the a4 and bmw) make sure you can afford the maintence and upkeep.The cost of ownership difference between something like and accord and m3 is a lot more than the msrp.

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
I want a mazda rx-8 [ QUOTE ]
You should read up on them and drive it a few times before you buy this car. Looks very sexy, but has some problems that I wouldn't want to deal with.

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh yeah? And what exactly don't you want to deal with?

[BK_]

[ QUOTE ]
Thats what im debating...i want a sedan, moderately to really quick, 4WD is a plus but not necessary really ( i live in georgia), 35k is probably the most I can spend but I might lease something for a few years. So now im looking at the A4, the WRX/maybe sti, some of the acura models etc. or maybe a used M3.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

this is a very very easy question. g35. you wont regret it. i have had the lexus is300, bmw 3 series, and the g35, and the first two dont compare. you can get a new coupe at around 30k

[Ogre]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I want a mazda rx-8 [ QUOTE ]
You should read up on them and drive it a few times before you buy this car. Looks very sexy, but has some problems that I wouldn't want to deal with.

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]
Oh yeah? And what exactly don't you want to deal with?

[/ QUOTE ]

I hear that they go through oil really fast thats about it.

[this guy]

If you like the look of the Lexus IS300, you could definately pick up a 02 with a 5 speed in good condition for around $20k. They're reasonably quick, handle great, and are fun as hell to drive. It's also a Lexus (Toyota) so reliability shouldn't be a big issue. The only problem you might have is that it's pretty expensive to insure, especially if you're young.

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
I hear that they go through oil really fast thats about it.

[/ QUOTE ]
From the tone his comments, that cannot be the only thing he has in mind. If it is, the level of laziness I give him credit for will go up a notch (it's already high).

[gvibes]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I hear that they go through oil really fast thats about it.

[/ QUOTE ]
From the tone his comments, that cannot be the only thing he has in mind. If it is, the level of laziness I give him credit for will go up a notch (it's already high).

[/ QUOTE ]

If there is a problem (we're still talking about the RX-8, right?), there are about 20 good rotary mechanics out there.

Seriously, make sure there is a good rotary mechanic near you before you buy an RX.

[gvibes]

[ QUOTE ]
2 year residency will be in Endodontics...well unless for some reason I dont get in anywhere. I dont forsee it as being a problem though. Its what my dad does.

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

Figured (~50% of dental studends' parents are dentists, I would guess). Most people don't know about specialties that soon. And it's not really a residency. It's just more school.

[BradleyT]

Thread 1 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1799130&&&page=0&view=col lapsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1)
Thread 2 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=1919938&&page=0&view=coll apsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1)

[BusterStacks]

[ QUOTE ]
Get a new WRX
end the thread, now.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Joe826]

I'm really thinking about getting an Audi A4. It looks like I could probably get a good used A4 turbo sedan for 20-25k. Is that a pretty fair estimate for those of you who know about this sort of thing?

What gas mileage would these get? Right now my vehicle gets like 18 miles/gallon and it really sucks. I kind of want a WRX sti but it doesn't get much better. Also, if I did get an A4, is it plenty fast/fun to drive?

Would anyone rather get an S4 that's a year or two older for the same money?

[shadow29]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm really thinking about getting an Audi A4. It looks like I could probably get a good used A4 turbo sedan for 20-25k. Is that a pretty fair estimate for those of you who know about this sort of thing?

What gas mileage would these get? Right now my vehicle gets like 18 miles/gallon and it really sucks. I kind of want a WRX sti but it doesn't get much better. Also, if I did get an A4, is it plenty fast/fun to drive?

Would anyone rather get an S4 that's a year or two older for the same money?

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent choice. I wouldn't go for the turbo though, just the bigger engine.

Gas mileage (for mine) is quite good. I think like 22-25 or so in the city. On the highway it creeps towards 30 (27-29).

Make sure you get a manual transmission.

And oh yes, they are both fun and fast (the two go hand in hand, right?).

[Joe826]

thanks for the response. i'm a total car noob, but you're saying getting something like an A4 with a V6 would be better than a V4 with a turbo, right?

[shadow29]

[ QUOTE ]
thanks for the response. i'm a total car noob, but you're saying getting something like an A4 with a V6 would be better than a V4 with a turbo

[/ QUOTE ]

I am certainly not the most knowledgeable car person here, but I say unreservedly yes. I have an A4 with the 2.8 V6 and it is much better than the 1.8T.

[Joe826]

cool. thanks. can you think of the best way to find what i'm looking for at a reasonable price? as of now all i'm going to do is maybe check out the online listings to see if anyone close to me is selling what I want, and then check out the local dealerships/ads to see if I can find one. is that about all there is to finding a car you want?

btw - what color is yours? i think black looks pretty sweet.

[lucas9000]

[ QUOTE ]
scion tc!

[/ QUOTE ]

fyp. seriously though these are amazing cars for the money. and if you want relibility, realize they're made by toyota.

[shadow29]

[ QUOTE ]
cool. thanks. can you think of the best way to find what i'm looking for at a reasonable price? as of now all i'm going to do is maybe check out the online listings to see if anyone close to me is selling what I want, and then check out the local dealerships/ads to see if I can find one. is that about all there is to finding a car you want?

btw - what color is yours? i think black looks pretty sweet.

[/ QUOTE ]

I checked www.autotrader.com (http://www.autotrader.com) a lot, but then stumbled upon mine when looking at another, lesser car (318ti) at a used card dealership.

Mine's green. Blacks good too. Don't get silver. heh.

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
i think black looks pretty sweet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good man. Black is hella sweet.

To be fair though, if you're in it for speed, buy the S4, and then spend about $600 and chip it. 318hp/382lb-ft on 93 octane.
http://www.goapr.com/Audi/products/ecu_upgrade_s4.html

They make them for the 1.8T too, but that basically gets the hp numbers up to maybe 10hp above 2.8L V6, with a bit more torque.

They don't make any such chips for the 2.8L, at least none that perform as well since it's n/a, but if you have 5 grand, you can be the 50th or so person in the world to put the PES kit on it.
http://www.pes-tuning.com

[astroglide]

problem is the last generation of audis/vws (mk4 platform) was riddled with problems. window regulators, but more importantly engine coils. you've got 4 of them, one would die and they would replace. another would die, and they would replace. any one of them will kill your car and they didn't replace all of them at once. even if you get a full swap on one now, it has driven down the reliability (and thus resale) of that model area.

google on it and you'll find a ton of info including new york times stories on it. anything earlier than a 2003.5 (second-generation of the 2003 model year) and you're gambling, especially with a 4 cylinder. if you buy one from that area talk to the owner/dealer about window regulators and engine coils.

[zephed56]

[ QUOTE ]
I want to pay under 20k. It *must* look sexy. I love the way old stingray corvettes look but they are not reliable. It must be reliable. I want it to last for a while or be able to sell it for a decent amount of it's original price. Must be manual. Being extremely fast is a plus.

Any help?

[/ QUOTE ]
http://thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/204101.jpg

[skipperbob]

An old Vette will break You; trust me