Another Danoff Car Purchase Thread - FX35 Purchased

[Danoff]

Eeewwww, automatic? Make her learn to drive stick

Yea, she knows how to drive stick. She just doesn't like it. I made her learn when I got one because I wanted her to be able to do it in an emergency.

 

[Famine]

FK: Kinda. The Mk3 is a softer, comfier MX-5 - which, of course, the MX-5 never was. It was a light, buzzy-engined, RWD bag of simple.

But a softer MX-5 is a better drive than a hardcore version of most other cars...

I know someone personally who sustained severe permanent brain damage in a miata accident and have had something of a (probably unreasonable) safety stigma against them ever since. Any thoughts?

Rollovers aren't particularly likely in MX-5s anyway (unless you have a non-Eibached Mk3 on 18s, which has the same ride height as a Ford Excursion), but, generally, the A-pillar can more than withstand the entire weight of the car. Unless it's impacted with pretty serious force, it's not likely to crumple and even if it did you'd be no better off in a tin top - which would collapse sooner and bring the roof into contact with your head.

 

[Prosthetic]

Guys... the Micra isn't even sold in the US.

 

[YSSMAN]

...But they [will] sell its cousin here:

Which actually might not be a bad idea. Safe, reliable, lots of space to carry stuff (and the kids!)... But, if that stuff isn't important... Well, poo on it.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

EDIT:

I have no idea what the used car market is like in California, especially with cars being repossessed and such, but I am curious what some of these would go for...

2008 Cadillac CTS

Some dealers may still have '08 models on the lot, and you could probably pick a stripper up for pretty cheap. Mid-level models, used, can go into the mid/high $20K range around here, and I'm sure the prices are extremely negotiable.

Which leads me to my other thought:

2007 Saab 9-3

All of them can be had for less than $20K, turbocharged I4 or turbocharged V6, automatic included. Again, solid cars, ladies love them, plenty good-looking, and surely are fun to drive as well. Go for it!

 

[Slicks]

I've spent a couple weeks with a G35 Coupe. It rides well, it's got tight (if not slightly light) steering, and it sounds great.

I've only got two gripes:
-The steering wheel mounted controls (radio and cruise) have toggle switches that I always hit when I was palming the wheel in parking lots.
-Ground clearance! My driveway slants down from the road, and because the car is so long and low, it's very easy to bottom out on things. I've parked it in the driveway twice in the past two weeks, and ended up scraping the bottom of the car once to get it out.

 

[homeforsummer]

I know someone personally who sustained severe permanent brain damage in a miata accident and have had something of a (probably unreasonable) safety stigma against them ever since. Any thoughts?

As Famine mentioned, the car should be physically pretty safe, but this seems like a good time to mention that some magazines that I quite respect in the UK (Evo, Autocar) had a few reservations about the handling when they first tested it. And I don't mean they thought it was too slow, or not good enough on a track - more that they found it unusually nervous and a little unstable, even compared to it's tail-happy predecessors.

I'm not sure how relevant this will be in that your wife probably won't be driving on the car's limits all the time, but it might be more relevant in say, an emergency manoeuver, or on a particularly wet day. The magazines put this down to badly tuned dampers, vague steering, a stiff ride, the high ride height that Famine mentioned, as well as extra torque from the 2.0 engine over previous MX-5s.

I'm not sure if you get the 1.8 version over there but that was supposed to be the sweeter handler, on smaller wheels and with less power to overcome the rear tyres.

Unfortunately, on the websites of the magazines I mentioned I can't find much in the way of articles you can read, but recently I found a "Best Motoring" video on youtube (thankfully with commentary in English) and the guy driving the new MX-5 found it a real handful, even in comparison to the previous model. Obviously BM videos are a bit OTT but it's still worth considering.

 

[///M-Spec]

BMW E46 M3s are now in the mid-20s range. You'll be looking at a low miles 2001-2004 to hit your price point. SMG is rare in the coupes but they do come up from time to time.

If you look at any S54B32 car, you should know that the valves do need periodic inspection and adjustment. This is not something you should do in your garage but leave for the pros. It's a four figure job, but few things on this earth are as mechanically rewarding as a well working S54 closing in on 8000 RPM.

It may be a little more hard core than you wife is prepared for, though. The ride, in particular, can be brutal to someone who is used to cruising around in a snoozemobile.

Audi B6 S4. You can buy B6s (pre-Trout Pout '03-06) all day long for about 20k now and it's a screaming deal. The B7s seem to be hanging onto their value a bit better than the B6s, but you might be able to talk a private seller down into your price range. Now that the B8 is out, look for B7 values to tank in the next 12-18 months.

There's lots of these in my area, many with very low miles on 'em. Based on my casual observation, I think it's about a 60-40 split between manuals and autos. Your wife will probably find the overall tone of the car more agreeable than the M3 as the ride is softer and it's available with a true slushbox.

As for the Z4 Coupe, they are going to be hard to find with the autobox --it pretty much catered to enthusiasts and is one of the very few BMWs where the stick probably outsold the Steptronic. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding one in your price range, it just may be a manual.

And don't discount a non-ZHP 330i. The ZSP cars aren't bad either. Ask Duke, he's got one.

You've got a pretty good list there. Let me throw out the Mercedes CLK350--W209. You'd be looking at an '06-07 to hit your price point and there are tons of them out there.

It's not really my cup of tea, but when I was helping my mother pick out a new car a few years ago, we went to drive one. I was pleasantly surprised at how it drove --it didn't disintegrate into a mess when pushed like her W201, but was reasonably competent and entertaining. I figured the CLK550 would be a hoot, but didn't drive one. She decided she liked the Lexus SC430 better.

Given that your wife is about 30 years short of qualifying for AARP membership, I'd avoid the SC.


M

 

[Prosthetic]

...But they [will] sell its cousin here:

REALLY?! Yay! I have a strange love for the Cube, it's just awesome in that weird awesome kind of way.

And I agree, I don't see very many CTS's maybe 3-4 a week. So I'm sure local GM dealers would love to talk about selling you one for cheap.

EDIT: Actually, I think a G35 or MKZ is the coolest car in this segment. Maybe a 08' Mustang?

Or!!! You can be super awesome and buy a 08' Accord Coupe! You could probably find a second hand EX in that price range.

Resale: Check
Quick: Reasonably... Check
Looks: Check
Auto: Check
Reliable: Check
MPG: Its a HonDUH! Check
Small enough to not have troubles with parking but a big enough interior to not feel cramped. They are mighty comfy too.

 

[MinoltaMan89]

It's a retractable hardtop:

Z4 coupe? I'm not sure how much they are over there.

Are soft-top convertibles but with a hard roof in place allowed? Because then you could look at the likes of the Porsche Boxster and the aforementioned S2000.

I still reckon MX5 CC is the way to go though.

The S2K only comes as a stick.

 

[Azuremen]

The S2K only comes as a stick.

Again, reason for Danoff's wife just deal with a stick

 

[KSaiyu]

This car is for the wife - so it has to be an auto, and I have to have a reasonable amount of assurance that she's not going to die in it.

Volvo C30? Seems to be a bit of a marmite car looks wise and supposedly isn't terribly electrifying to drive but it does stand out....to me at least.

Or maybe a 2006 spec Merc CLK? Ubiquitous over here, but even the 500 could be in the price range.

 

[Famine]

As Famine mentioned, the car should be physically pretty safe, but this seems like a good time to mention that some magazines that I quite respect in the UK (Evo, Autocar) had a few reservations about the handling when they first tested it. And I don't mean they thought it was too slow, or not good enough on a track - more that they found it unusually nervous and a little unstable, even compared to it's tail-happy predecessors.

I'm not sure how relevant this will be in that your wife probably won't be driving on the car's limits all the time, but it might be more relevant in say, an emergency manoeuver, or on a particularly wet day. The magazines put this down to badly tuned dampers, vague steering, a stiff ride, the high ride height that Famine mentioned, as well as extra torque from the 2.0 engine over previous MX-5s.

I'm not sure if you get the 1.8 version over there but that was supposed to be the sweeter handler, on smaller wheels and with less power to overcome the rear tyres.

Unfortunately, on the websites of the magazines I mentioned I can't find much in the way of articles you can read, but recently I found a "Best Motoring" video on youtube (thankfully with commentary in English) and the guy driving the new MX-5 found it a real handful, even in comparison to the previous model. Obviously BM videos are a bit OTT but it's still worth considering.

The issue is the Eibach kit...

The concept car and the ones which did the motor show tours all wore the Eibach suspension kit. The production version didn't and can handle, accordingly, like a greased weasel in a trampoline factory. No-one has any reasonable clue why Mazda removed it from the specification.

Splash out the £300 for the Eibach kit and you get a more MX-5y MX-5.

 

[Keef]

I'm voting tires, and the fact that Tsuchiya can be a pretty crazy driver. If anything, having a lower, harder suspension would make the car lose grip at the limit even more unpredictably because of it's quicker weight transfer. I've never driven the car, but I've never read anything glaring about its stability before.

 

[Gil]

Well, even though I'm not the first, I'm gonna say what I always say. At the risk of being redundant.
Infiniti G35
You can get a low mileage example for well under $25 grand if you shop around.
Stay away from the early models ('03-'04) as they are prone to extreme front tire wear, and seem to require frequent brake pad replacement also.

The Coupe would be my first choice in the looks department, though the sedan is actually lighter.
Another car that will require more shopping to get in the price range is the M35.
It has even more creature comforts (including navigation and reclining REAR seats), is nearly as pretty as the G, and though larger, has similar performance.
And in the proper color can be had with the GORGEOUS Bourbon colored leather.
I hit Auto Trader dot com and found 51 M's and G's under $26,000 Within 50 miles of Marina, CA (where I used to live).

Another car to consider, is the new Jetta. Judiciously optioned it can be driven off the lot for under $25K.

 

[YSSMAN]

Another car that will require more shopping to get in the price range is the M35.
It has even more creature comforts (including navigation and reclining REAR seats), is nearly as pretty as the G, and though larger, has similar performance.
And in the proper color can be had with the GORGEOUS Bourbon colored leather.

Holy cow! Talk about a car I completely forgot about! I see them so rarely these days, really, ever... Its kinda sad. I understand the M35 is absolutely brilliant with the sport package, but I haven't seen anything written about them in years. Too bad, really.

How much are older GS models going for?

 

[Danoff]

Well, I'm gonna say what I always say. At the risk of being redundant.
Infiniti G35
You can get a low mileage example for well under $25 grand if you shop around.
Stay away from the early models ('03-'04) as they are prone to extreme front tire wear, and seem to require frequent brake pad replacement also.

The Coupe would be my first choice in the looks department, though the sedan is actually lighter.
Another car that will require more shopping to get in the price range is the M35.
It has even more creature comforts (including navigation and reclining REAR seats), is nearly as pretty as the G, and though larger, has similar performance.
And in the proper color can be had with the GORGEOUS Bourbon colored leather.
I hit Auto Trader dot com and found 51 M's and G's under $26,000 Within 50 miles of Marina, CA (where I used to live).

Another car to consider, is the new Jetta. Judiciously optioned it can be driven off the lot for under $25K.

Interesting point on the M35. It looks like it might just barely be in range.

The Jetta is probably going to be too underpowered. 8+ sec to 60mph is probably not going to do it for her - which is why I think the civic will fail the test drive as well.... in fact, I'm not even sure we'll test drive the civic.

 

[Gil]

If you are willing to look and maybe drive to outlying areas, you can find a 2005 for well under $20,000. Some may be a little over the 40,000 mile limit. And I didn't bother with cars older than '05.
There's a '05 coupe at Anderson Honda (in Palo Alto) with 56,000 miles on it for $17,951.
A '05 sedan at Beshoff Infiniti(San Jose) with a tick over 37,000 miles for $17,995. They also have an '08 for $24,788.
Beshoff actually has a number of G's that are within the price and mileage range. (There also seems to be and Audi A4 and an Acura TSX on the lot, both well under 25g's but well over 40K miles.)
On the whole, There are actually a few cars under $16,000. But they have over 40K miles on them.

Hit www.autotrader.com and customize your search for make, model, price. Add your zip code and you'll find SOME of the cars available in your area that meet the criteria.
Marina, CA (right outside of what used to be Fort Ord) is 93933. I found 51 cars. Though I went as high as $26,000.
Dropping the price to $25,000 dropped a whole 4 cars off the grid. And I didn't look, but I bet they were the M's...

I don't know how you feel about "Crossovers" but there are a number of FX35's in RWD and AWD, that meet your price point and mileage restriction...

AS for the Civic: It's a great little car for what it is. But if your wife is looking for a semi-powerful car, the Civic ain't it. Unless you buy the Si and learn the girl how to properly drive a manual.
I've spent a small amount of time behind the wheel of a G35 Coupe, with an auto trans. I was not disappointed that it wasn't a manual.
If I could convince my wife it was "practical" for my needs, it would be sitting in the garage waiting for me to find some excuse to go for a drive...

 

[YSSMAN]

The Jetta is probably going to be too underpowered. 8+ sec to 60mph is probably not going to do it for her - which is why I think the civic will fail the test drive as well.... in fact, I'm not even sure we'll test drive the civic.

????

 

[Danoff]

Ah, THAT Jetta. Yea that's worth a test drive.

 

[Keef]

Make it a year used. Save a little money. Still have a warranty. It's a Volkswagen--you're gonna need it.

 

[FoolKiller]

Make it a year used. Save a little money. Still have a warranty. It's a Volkswagen--you're gonna need it.

Need what? Money or warranty? Why am I the only VW owner that doesn't seem to have any major issues. 53,000 miles and still going strong.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

How about an Eclipse. It probably doesn't handle that great, but that's all I could think of.

 

[Tornado]

Am I missing something here? Did they start selling the Micra in America or something?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Am I missing something here? Did they start selling the Micra in America or something?

Nope, but it was figured out by post 33.

 

[Gil]

Just checked zip code 90303 (Inglewood, CA--lived there for a while too)
found 181 G35's from '05 up for under $25,000.
This may be a car to check out.

Found 30 M35's though a lot of them are over your mileage limit.

 

[Azuremen]

Need what? Money or warranty? Why am I the only VW owner that doesn't seem to have any major issues. 53,000 miles and still going strong.

Because 53,000 miles is nothing. Nothing should have gone wrong, but ask Philly about that with his 60k or so.

Every VW owner I've known has had to get switches, random electrical, odd engine problems, and so on fixed. Well before 100,000 miles. And at a generally higher than average cost to get the parts and work done. I could go dig up a Consumer Reports and most VW are in the "Avoid" category with bad marks across the board.

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm voting tires, and the fact that Tsuchiya can be a pretty crazy driver. If anything, having a lower, harder suspension would make the car lose grip at the limit even more unpredictably because of it's quicker weight transfer. I've never driven the car, but I've never read anything glaring about its stability before.

Unfortunately, in a very forza2.0-style, I'm unable to back up the articles I mentioned with links, but hopefully it sounds a little less like I'm just making it up than that...

If you watch that video though it's clear that the NC is much more twitchy than the NB. They criticise the car's handling in some of the related videos to that one too, not just in racing conditions.

The Eibach suspension is supposed to help because the centre of gravity is lowered and the car doesn't roll/pitch as much (the dampers are also uprated so the weight transfer isn't necessarily any quicker, but it's certainly less pronounced), and I also expect the suspension gives greater feel so you're given more chance to react to the body moving.

 

[Philly]

Make it a year used. Save a little money. Still have a warranty. It's a Volkswagen--you're gonna need it.

+1. We saved probably $5000 to $7000 on ours by going a year used.

Need what? Money or warranty? Why am I the only VW owner that doesn't seem to have any major issues. 53,000 miles and still going strong.

Because 53,000 miles is nothing. Nothing should have gone wrong, but ask Philly about that with his 60k or so.

Every VW owner I've known has had to get switches, random electrical, odd engine problems, and so on fixed. Well before 100,000 miles. And at a generally higher than average cost to get the parts and work done. I could go dig up a Consumer Reports and most VW are in the "Avoid" category with bad marks across the board.

So I lied a little about the mileage. It's about what FK's is at. But even still, looking back on it, it hasn't been that bad. Most of the trips to the dealer have been for the oil issues, and the only other problem the car has developed on it's own was a vacuum thing. And VW supposedly fixed the oil burning issue for MY 2008 or so, so that combined with a lighter foot (I'm guessing the turbo is one of my problems) will lead to fewer issues on that front.

And the funny thing is, the GTI was rated 4.6/5.0 on the reliability scale somewhere, although I think it still should be rated a little lower.

My thoughts on the 2.0T? You will have issues with it. It probably won't cost you too terribly much, but do expect to have to pay people to fix it every now and then. I think it's a brilliant car, and some people will be willing to put up with the little extra cost of ownership, and others won't. That's really up to the buyer as to where they draw the line on that.

 

[niky]

That's weird. Admittedly, I haven't driven the MX-5 more than half-an-hour at full blat, but rear-end breakaway on the PRHT we tested seemed very benign and gradual, pretty easy to catch. The only complaint was that the electric steering made you feel very clumsy after you caught it, just not enough feedback... but we didn't get uncomfortable fishtailing. It was on Pilot Precedas, I believe... which aren't the stickiest tires... I don't know what everyone else gets. Still, no breakaway, or even tire-squeal, in the dry, except at over 120 km/h in the corners. If your wife is that hardcore, I'd buy her a Super Seven kit-car.

As I don't think Danoff's wife will be doing over 2gs in the corners, and probably just wants something convertible and quickish, it'll do. The new chassis is very stiff, and safety ratings are about equal with the competition (Z4) and probably ten times better than an old one. This car suffers no noticeable cowl shake over rough roads, and I personally thought the ride was quite comfortable. (Yeah, the wheels are too stupid big, but what'll you do? That's what the market wants...)

I'm not sure if ours is the Japanese suspension tuning or the American one. I believe your market may get a different tuning from other markets, so the handling issues may or may not be present.

MX-5 versus Z4... they're both pretty plasticky inside, and I hate the stupid steering wheel on the Z4... it looks dramatic, but I don't know if it'll give her that feeling of class you'd expect from getting a more expensive car. And they're both tight as hell (the old Miata actually feels more comfortable). The TT (eek) might feel classier... or better yet, a 3-series convertible (though I don't know if they're in your price range, yet).

Random thought: Mazdaspeed Miata? Don't know if you can find one (rare) in your mileage range, but they're quicker than the new one. If soft-top is a problem, buy one with the hardtop and leave it on. Of course, it's a parts-bin special, like most Mazdaspeeds, but unlike other Mazdaspeeds, there aren't any horror stories about reliability. No blown transmissions, sheared engine mounts, nuthin. The 1.8 they used as a base is much more reliable than the 2.0 they used in the contemporary Mazdaspeed sedans sold at the same time.

 

[Perfect Balance]

If anything, having a lower, harder suspension would make the car lose grip at the limit even more unpredictably because of it's quicker weight transfer.

No.

Your Del Sol really was a POS if that's the conclusion you came to. 👎