Car With The Best Bang For Your Buck

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crispy
  • 109 comments
  • 11,593 views
1971_ford_pinto.jpg

Best literal "bang" for buck, although it's more of a KaBooom!
What's so special about fox body mustangs?
 
The Atom isn't so much a car as it is a four-wheeled Ducati Streetfighter.
 
rocko100
What's so special about fox body mustangs?
Click to expand...
They don't cost anything to buy, they don't cost anything to maintain, and they don't cost anything to make go obscenely fast. The LX Coupe models also only weigh around 3000 pounds, and they are fairly compact cars (roughly the size of an E46 BMW 3-series).
 
If we're talking about used cars then a well maintained W123/124 MB has very nice value for its great design, luxury, and pretty good performance in some cases. If we're considering new cars, though The GT-R would probably be high up on the list
 
Might sound out of place in this thread, but how about a KIA Cee'd 2.0 CRDI. I need a car that I can depend on every day for big mileage.

Sub £10k, 4 years warranty left and very well built, less that 20k miles when bought, 140bhp and near enough 60 UK MPG. Add in some toys and leather and my KIA stacks up very well!

Against the competition, I can't think of anything that would beat it. A Golf, Focus, 1 series, A3, Leon, or Astra would all have to higher mileage, older or more expensive to be compare-able.

Within the limitations I have, this was the most 'bang for my buck' I could find.
 
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)
picture 1

^ Why? Heres why:

- Available Globally.
- 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 chain-drive belt.
- Wife can agree with it.
- More reliable than most equally epic modern wagons from Volvo and VW.
Click to expand...

Chain-drive belt?

anyway.
Oldsmobile aurora:dopey:
picture.php

picture.php
 
My grandma owns an aurora and she thinks 10mph below the limit is too fast...
 
2003-2004 Mustang Cobra (Yes, I'm Mustang biased :lol:)

12-second 1/4 mile, 380-horse dyno box stock, and can be had for $20K +/- a couple $K if you look around.

Thirsty though, average seems to be 16 mpg +/- 2 mpg.
 
As mentioned elsewhere, the Fox-body Mustang... and practically everything that shared the Fox chassis. Those things will forever be the backyard performance stapples, it seems.
 
R34 GT-T Skyline. Though they're kinda hard to find with a manual, 280hp RWD and they can be had for under AU$15k. NEO RB25DET. Pretty good bargain really, plus it's a Skyline, which would certainly please the Fast & Furious crowd even though it's not a GT-R.

In terms of new stuff I'd pick the Polo GTi. Besides the fact that it won both Wheels COTY and MOTOR Bang for Your Buck, it's a pretty quick little thing for the RRP of it. And who can argue with twin-charging?
 
Last edited:
97129191990409-480.jpg


240HP 280TQ, and a awesome HUD in the windshield for under 3k :D Easy and cheap to make much faster too~
 
^ Yup the GP GTP S/C was one of the best looking Pontiacs too! :)

BT -> Another reason why I picked the LGTW:

legacy-wagon.jpg


subaru-legacy-wagon-white-molding-black-bbs-sti.jpg


^ Little mods can DO a lot!!! 👍
 
Last edited:
As far as new cars go, wouldn't the 2012 Mustang GT 5.0 qualify as well? I mean, I'm by no means a muscle car fan, but I guess it's hard to argue with 412HP in a new car at roughly 30 grand, right?
 
^ A Mustang New-Five-Oh is an excellent new car buy once they solve that 6M/T issue...
 
The Vanishing Boy
^ A Mustang New-Five-Oh is an excellent new car buy once they solve that 6M/T issue...
Click to expand...

Ford's resolved that through a TSB - turns out that the oil viscosity originally used in the transmission was too high; it has since been corrected with a lower-viscosity oil.
 
Last edited:
Luminis
As far as new cars go, wouldn't the 2012 Mustang GT 5.0 qualify as well? I mean, I'm by no means a muscle car fan, but I guess it's hard to argue with 412HP in a new car at roughly 30 grand, right?
Click to expand...


It would, considering what's capable of doing. It is indeed a lot of bang for the money.
 
Jim Prower
The Atom isn't so much a car as it is a four-wheeled Ducati Streetfighter.
Click to expand...

And yet to go faster you need to go a lot more expensive. Then you have the expensive Atom, which is still cheaper and faster than anything that can be considered a peer.

It's taxed as a car, insured as a car, has to pass car roadworthiness tests, can be driven on a car licence... it's a car.
 
crispychicken49
...cars that do things as good or better than a lot of other cars around the same performance range, but for a lot cheaper.
Click to expand...

I submit MX-5 Miata.
Seriously, for the price of a new Z06, you can literally get 10 used NA Miatas outfitted with roll bars and start a freaking racing league.
 
Famine
And yet to go faster you need to go a lot more expensive. Then you have the expensive Atom, which is still cheaper and faster than anything that can be considered a peer.

It's taxed as a car, insured as a car, has to pass car roadworthiness tests, can be driven on a car licence... it's a car.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure Jim was joking around.
 
Never did like the Legacy GT as much as I liked the old Forester. Sure, the Boxy Fozzie didn't steer as nicely, didn't go as quickly and, despite the extra height and cargo space, still had the legroom of a coffin. I loved it.

disinfected
30 MPG? Time to sell the Altima!
Click to expand...

That's because it's just ticking over at idle at 60 mph.

Well... that's an exaggeration... but the Vette's intergalactic gearing does wonders for highway mileage.

kiladonut
Locost
Click to expand...

Ladies and Germaniums, we have a winner. And there's enough money left over from that as opposed to anything else to buy R-Comp tires. I know a guy who's building one with a Miata front and rear suspension... can't wait to see it when it's done.
 
2010-MAZDA2-Facelift-001.jpg


This girl. For about $16k here in the US, you get every option available, and none you don't. Yeah, the 100-ish BHP leaves a little to be desired when you're running it hard, but the chassis is fun to play with, and you can fit all of your junk in the back. Yeah, you could get a used GTI or maybe a Mazdaspeed 3. But yeah. They don't come in "Look at this color green, have you seen anything like this since the Muppets were on TV? No, I think not. Wait, what about Slimer from Ghostbusters? Nope. Not quite green enough." green.
 
bang for the buck, dude. bang. not practicality or how good of a car it is. BANG!
 
1971-Ford-Pinto.jpg

Kudos to those who see my logic :D
 
Niky -> I agree on the SG Forester. Although I've never touched the STi, the USDM 2.5XT WITH A M/T (not featured back in PI) is close to epic. I even managed it to drift on a test drive. I love the FXT too, but the LGT has that refinement that most people crave (except me). The new SH Forester is lame except the Forester 2.0D (as in Diesel) with a 6M/T.

112_0809_09z+2010_subaru_forester_2.0D+engine.jpg


:sly:
 
Back