Car With The Best Bang For Your Buck

[Crispy]

Well, we have a ridiculously overpriced car thread, so why not add a best bang for your buck thread.

This is aimed for cars that do things as good or better than a lot of other cars around the same performance range, but for a lot cheaper.

2012 Nissan GTR

It's a five figure car that can leave behind many other 6 figure cars. Another advantage is that it has four seats, and a reletivly good sized boot. And 19 MPG isn't too bad for a supercar. Granted it's not incredibly cheap, but would you rather have the $90,000 GTR over the $300,000 LFA, in which the GTR has four seats, and better performance.

 

[Jim Prower]

That, for several years now, has been the DEFINITION of bang for the buck, the Corvette Z06. Like the R, It offers six-figure performance at a 5-figure starting point...but that's a $70,000 starting point. Granted, you can kick the option list past the 6-figures, but when you get all the good stuff below that price point, why should you? If you can get past pushrods, (be a big man, now,) and the fact that it's made by GM (which may actually be more difficult,) you can learn to love this car.

I mean, it'll hold it's own with a GT-R, for less than even that car. Truth be told, I love both of them. It's like asking me to choose between my children, if you ask me which is better.

 

[disinfected]

Now if only the average "buck" could afford those two cars.

 

[Jim Prower]

Well, they're a bit more common, the Vette especially, than most cars of their performance level.

I mean, what do you want, Fox-Body Mustangs and 4th-gen F-bodies?

 

[disinfected]

I mean, what do you want, Fox-Body Mustangs and 4th-gen F-bodies?

I would call that more "bang for your buck" because you're still pretty well off and most likely don't have money issues if you can afford a new GT-R or Z06. Get one of those and you are still spending a pretty penny. Maybe I'm crazy.

 

[McLaren]

The thing about "Best bang for the buck" is that it generally refers to performance & so far, the 2 best cars have been listed.

As far as older cars go, back when it came out, the NSX was quite a good car for the money against the Italians.

 

[Shant J.]

Are you counting only new cars?

 

[Crispy]

The thing about "Best bang for the buck" is that it generally refers to performance & so far, the 2 best cars have been listed.

As far as older cars go, back when it came out, the NSX was quite a good car for the money against the Italians.

Someone owns an NSX down by Love Field. I've seen it a couple of times before, always parked in the driveway when I see it. I forget the road but I'll edit my post when I remember it.

Are you counting only new cars?

Nope, any cars are welcome.

 

[disinfected]

The thing about "Best bang for the buck" is that it generally refers to performance & so far, the 2 best cars have been listed.

As far as older cars go, back when it came out, the NSX was quite a good car for the money against the Italians.

I'd think out of the box 'bang for your buck' would usually apply to something like the Mazdaspeed 3. People aren't buying GT-R's because they are settling on a cheaper car with comparable performance to more expensive ones.

 

[Shant J.]

Assuming you can keep it in good order, the Maserati Biturbo can't be beat.

I'm serious: 0-60 in about 6 seconds, and a top speed north of 140 MPH. A nice one can be had for under $5,000.

 

[Famine]

Atom. Done.

 

[Cale]

This. You can pick one up for under $20K (If you look hard enough), 385 or 405hp, will run at the strip, track, or autocross all day long, and get 30mpg on your way there and back.

 

[homeforsummer]

Given that in the UK you can pick up a decent E36 M3 for about £3k, I'm going to say one of those.

 

[disinfected]

This. You can pick one up for under $20K (If you look hard enough), 385 or 405hp, will run at the strip, track, or autocross all day long, and get 30mpg on your way there and back.

30 MPG? Time to sell the Altima!

 

[McLaren]

Assuming you can keep it in good order, the Maserati Biturbo can't be beat.

I'm serious: 0-60 in about 6 seconds, and a top speed north of 140 MPH. A nice one can be had for under $5,000.

No, not even close mate. It may be easy to buy one, but they have horrendous maintenance costs & more than likely, very poor on a circuit.

This. You can pick one up for under $20K (If you look hard enough), 385 or 405hp, will run at the strip, track, or autocross all day long, and get 30mpg on your way there and back.

Yes. 👍👍

I'd think out of the box 'bang for your buck' would usually apply to something like the Mazdaspeed 3. People aren't buying GT-R's because they are settling on a cheaper car with comparable performance to more expensive ones.

I didn't say they where. But as far as performance tests go, the Z06 & GT-R have constantly been referred to as the most popular "Bang for the Buck" cars.

 

[SVX]

The 1M, IMO, is one of the best 'bang-for-buck' cars. Just faster than a M3 for half the price!

These are one of my dream cars. High performance in a wagon, an I'd say it'll be fun. Very fun.

 

[ChaosStar79]

On a realistic budget, You can get a mid nineties TT Supra for about 25k. They are lots of fun stock or you can invest 5 or 10k in it and have a machine that will laugh at most everything it will come across. There are even a few free ponies to be had on the 2jzgte by pulling a fuse and switching a few vacuum lines.

Or the fox body mustang and f body as mentioned before. The WS6 comes to mind, it is a great looking beast and has a very nice feel straight out of the box, but has plenty of untapped potential.

Personally I want a 300zx tt. I just love them and they are relatively affordable and lots of fun.

 

[xNEVER-ONEx]

Just about any Mustang. You can get the Shelby for 60k easy. The CTS-V is also a good deal compared to the German cars.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

30 MPG? Time to sell the Altima!

It'll do 30 on the highway, yes. City will be high teens at best but hey... Should still average low to mid 20s if you're nice to it.

 

[Thatman]

It'll do 30 on the highway, yes. City will be high teens at best but hey... Should still average low to mid 20s if you're nice to it.

I'll second that, Flamve usually gets 15.5, I think his highest was like 17(city). All city though.

 

[Danoff]

Oh it's gotta be a used MX-5.

 

[boomee]

The 1M, IMO, is one of the best 'bang-for-buck' cars. Just faster than a M3 for half the price!

These are one of my dream cars. High performance in a wagon, an I'd say it'll be fun. Very fun.

SX has the right IDEA FORESTER FTW

 

[TVC]

It depends on what you are looking for but if you want the best performance for the price you can't really beat the C5 Z06. It has enough power to be fun on a drag strip, the handling is good enough to be fun on a road course, and there is enough room in the car to fit anything you would want to bring to those two places. Maintenance is easy and should not cost very much and parts are not hard to find. If you decide to mod the car there are a lot of choices and power is very easy to make.

Of course if you are talking about high end sports cars then it is different. There is the GT-R, ZR-1, etc.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> Have to say, the best bang for the buck IMHO...

-Previous-Gen Subaru Legacy/Liberty 2.5GT Sports Wagon- (particularly w/ 5MT)

^ Why? Heres why:

- Available Globally.
- Available to most mere mortals.
- More spacious than the more epic Forester STi.
- Very Stealthy, doesn't have to shout too much (WRX).
- The last good looking Subaru.
- Practical in almost every way.
- AWD.
- Particularly a more refined version of the WRX with a timing chain.
- Wife can agree with it.
- More reliable than most equally epic modern wagons from Volvo and VW.

^ Need a little more off-roadish? Look no further:

-Previous-Gen Subaru (Legacy/Liberty) Outback 2.5XT- (same trans as above)

^ Pretty much the same as the LGT above, but with more crossover-rish styling and increased ground clearance. Wife will agree too.

 

[Turbo Lag]

Can't agree more with what's above.

 

[Cale]

Legacy GT had a 5spd manual. STi had a 6spd.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

^ Oh, I was implying on the Spec.B sedan!!!

^ Already edited it.

 

[Cale]

A couple days ago I was walking to my car from a local pizza place and a MILF was stopped at a light in a LGT Wagon 5spd, with OZ rims. And she had AC/DC blasting. I was nursing a semi.

 

[LP670-4 SV]

Yeah this thread are probably going to be dominated by the Vette and GTR.....they can perform on par and in some cases out perform cars that a 3 even 4 times there price

if your not looking to spend 80k + on a car......you can always take it a notch down, the next bangs for bucks would probably have to be the STi, Evo or 1M. They all hover around the 40-50k mark and can rape 95% of anything on the road

 

[Crispy]

I have another addition. THe Mazda Miata NA 1.8.

It's bang isn't really in the power, but more the handling. This car takes on many cars with two or even three times the power. And when you take it to an Autocross, it's hard not to find it at the top.