i’m looking to buy a new (to me) vehicle in the near future. give your advice/$.02, but don’t be a retard about it.
Criteria:
-has to be a DD, year round car. i don’t want a truck or SUV. wouldn’t mind a wagon though (WRX? who else makes cool wagons?)
-2004 or newer.
-don’t want it to have more than 45K-50K miles.
-looking to spend from 14K-17K.
-manual gearbox.
-RWD or AWD really preferred, but there are a few FWDs i wouldn’t mind. i learned to drive on a RWD and i’ve driven another one for almost three years, and i love RWD. AWD would be great for the winter, but FWD wouldn’t be bad either. this really depends on the platform.
-reasonably good gas mileage. i definitely don’t want a guzzler but i don’t need a sipper. this really isn’t that big a deal.
-something that will respond well to a few bolt ons. the idea of a factory forced induction car comes to mind her, but it’s not just limited to that. i tried playing the “i’ll pay $80 for an advertised 7whp and barely get a seat of the pants difference” :wstupid: game and it was gay.
that’s about it. i’ve looked at a few things with mild interest, but i wasn’t serious about buying back then so i’m not going to hold a grudge.
i drove an 02-03 RSX Type S from Lia Honda in the fall of last year and i was kinda let down. perhaps it was just that individual car, but the clutch felt so mushy and sloppy and the engagement point was very high up. shifter felt nice and tight, however, and so did the steering and suspension. i’m probably gonna steer away from a honda as i’m not that partial to huge high revs for power. (please don’t take any offense, honda guys.)
it seems like the primary candidate at the moment is an 04-05 WRX. they look good, go quick (and respond well to mods), are turbocharged, and have just the right amount of luxury to be a DD without going nuts. haven’t driven one yet, but i’ve heard good things. the only thing that worries me with this is trying to find one locally. maybe i’m not looking hard enough. if anyone can point me towards one (semi) locally that hasn’t been beaten on i’d appreciate it.
i’ve also been toying with the idea of an 03-04 BMW 3 series. it’s one of the most beautifully designed cars i know of and i still stare everytime i see one. i don’t know that much about options/availability, but i’m almost positive i’d want an I-6 with a 5M/6M. the only problem about that is keeping within the mileage limit and making that work with the price.
i’ve also thought about a newer Mustang GT with a 5M. kinda wary of fuel economy, but it doesn’t worry me too much since it’s used in so many of Ford’s current vehicles. i’d also love the RWD and i’m a sucker for fords (learned to drive on one and i own one), so…
thanks in advance for your thoughts. let 'er rip.
