Daily driver recommendation?

[Takumi Fujiwara]

I'm looking at some possibilities for a new job. If things go well, I'll be able to afford myself a relatively inexpensive daily driver. I'm not talking a beater here, but an affordable new-ish car. I want either something brand new or just off lease. I'll be making a pretty low salary, only about 2-3k a month, but I don't have much in the way of bills or expenses. I'm thinking the ~25k range is about the cap of my range. With that in mind...

I'm looking for something practical. Four doors is a plus, especially if they go with usable back seats, but some kind of coupe/hatch would be good, as well. I would also seriously consider some kind of sportwagon, as I'd really like to be able to cart around big parts for my 240. I want some level of sportiness, and either a manual or a very good semi-auto. The car will rarely, if ever, see snow or ice, but it will see lots of hot summers here in LA. That, coupled with the typical traffic, means interior comfort and amenities are a plus, especially sound and A/C. Good mileage, as always, is also nice to have. Power is less important, but I've had too many underpowered cars and don't want something like that. I probably won't be buying the car for a couple months, so it'll be either an '06 or '03 model, depending on new or pre-owned. I'm only going to be 19 or so at the time I get it, so I want something age-appropriate. On the other hand, the new work may include a suit and tie, and I don't want to look like a fool getting out of a car wearing that. I am, however, more than capable of handling a "real" car.

So, does anyone have a recommendation? I'm also open to any kind of car that'll be a relatively late model, that meaning anything since about the '00-'01 year, and is a really good bargan. Obviously, a sub-10k car would be perfect in that regard. I have a friend who's found a nice '0-something Passat for like 9k, that seems like the kind of thing that would appeal to me.

 

[CyberDragon]

Subaru WRX?
Ford Mustang GT? (though it doesn't meet your four-door desire)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo?

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

I have a heavily modded 240SX. It's all the sporty car I want to deal with.

Believe me, I really considered the Evo, as I'm absolutely in love with the car, but it's just not practical.

Right now, I'm thinking Mazda 3 5-door.

 

[Duke]

I have a heavily modded 240SX. It's all the sporty car I want to deal with.

Believe me, I really considered the Evo, as I'm absolutely in love with the car, but it's just not practical.

Right now, I'm thinking Mazda 3 5-door.

The 3 was fun to drive if not exhilarating, and a little chintzy inside. All the way up with a manual, it's still right around $19,000. Not bad.

What about a 2003-04 ('04s will be coming off lease when you are shopping) G35 sedan? You should easily be able to get one with <40,000 miles on it for your price range. It's comfortable, looks good, and it's fun to drive.

 

[ExigeEvan]

If you were European I'd say Ford Focus, but i don't know how popular it is in USA. Maybe an ST model.

 

[1X83Z]

I wouldn't get a 3s if you're looking for even the slightest bit of performance. Consider an '03 Audi A4 - V6s (225hp 3.0L) are about $24000 now, and fours (170hp 1.8L turbo) are around $21000. Beats a 3s in every respect, too, and if you find one without Quattro AWD (fifteen percent of A4s don't have Quattro) you can probably shave another five percent off those prices.

 

[Duke]

You're looking at the one (1) car made in any color other than silver or the occasional black, however.

I looked at the A4 and found dozens of 1.8Ts but only a single 6-cylinder for sale within 100 miles of Philadelphia. It would be a nice car but on the middle East Coast they are scarce.

 

[1X83Z]

You're looking at the one (1) car made in any color other than silver or the occasional black, however.

Is that bad?

I looked at the A4 and found dozens of 1.8Ts but only a single 6-cylinder for sale within 100 miles of Philadelphia. It would be a nice car but on the middle East Coast they are scarce.

Fortunately he lives in California where everything's available!!

 

[skip0110]

The A4 is a nice car but its reliability is subpar--you should know, M5, seeing that you owned one.

 

[1X83Z]

The A4 is a nice car but its reliability is subpar--you should know, M5, seeing that you owned one.

I've actually owned two, and the one I owned previously - which was a member of the 02-present design, was exemplary. No trouble in around six months. The other one was a 96-01 model (it was a 2000) but I blame the previous owner (my wife) for its mechanical flaws more than the car. I've owned four Audis (including one we got last week) and have had no problems aside those caused by my wife.

Truthfully, it's a great car. Build quality and reliability are much improved over the Audis of yore.

 

[Purple Platypus]

Focus? They're more popular than traffic cones here in the US, they are from here after all. The G35 would be great if you manage a nice one into your budget. Matches a suit and tie perfectly, too. The Jetta or Passat should be good, if you can fit one into your budget. There's always the WRX, wagon, outback, and forester to look at also. Maybe a Chevy Cobalt or Cavalier? Can a Magnum fit the bill?

Then...if you're looking for something to move stuff (240 parts) there's always the pickup truck route. The Tacoma, Tundra, F150, and Ram are all fairly fresh off redesigns. Honda's truck is coming out sometime soon here, also. Or you could get an SUV for that....Forester, Vue, CRV. There's my list.

 

[PS]

Lexus IS300, end of story. And for once, I do actually agree with M5Power.

 

[maki]

If you were European I'd say Ford Focus, but i don't know how popular it is in USA. Maybe an ST model.

Focus=teh fay.

Then...if you're looking for something to move stuff (240 parts) there's always the pickup truck route. The Tacoma, Tundra, F150, and Ram are all fairly fresh off redesigns. Honda's truck is coming out sometime soon here, also. Or you could get an SUV for that....Forester, Vue, CRV. There's my list.

Ok, do NOT get a truck. I drove a '64 chevy nova for 2 years, it was fun to drive, but stalled and broke down too much. So, i've been driving the families F-150 since then. IT SUCKS. I'd guess around 15MPG, so you'll pay you're whole salary for gas out in the west coast. It's slow, most boring thing to drive. The high center of gravity means i have to slow down to about 10 mph for every corner in town. And the cab is cramped. So, if you wanna waste a bunch of money on a vehicle you're gonna wanna replace in a couple of months, buy a truck. I've personally been lookin for a new car too. But I for one am out of luck, living in south dakota, I dont think i'll be able to find anything i want to buy for quite a while. Enjoy the many options available to you
Shouldn't you have an 86 anyways?

 

[1X83Z]

Lexus IS300, end of story. And for once, I do actually agree with M5Power.

Yes! I got PS's approval!

I even second your recommendation, though I caution that Lexus prices tend to be inflated vs. near competitors (except BMW). Blue Book has the '03 IS300 at $25900 with a comparable A4 at $25200 though the A4 listed for more originally and has more power. Lexus holds their value too well to be good deals used. Not that I'm going to say anything bad about the IS300 as a car; they're great. IS300 SportCrosses might be a bit cheaper (Blue Book doesn't agree but I think they're wrong).

 

[Purple Platypus]

Ok, do NOT get a truck. I drove a '64 chevy nova for 2 years, it was fun to drive, but stalled and broke down too much. So, i've been driving the families F-150 since then. IT SUCKS. I'd guess around 15MPG, so you'll pay you're whole salary for gas out in the west coast. It's slow, most boring thing to drive. The high center of gravity means i have to slow down to about 10 mph for every corner in town. And the cab is cramped. So, if you wanna waste a bunch of money on a vehicle you're gonna wanna replace in a couple of months, buy a truck. I've personally been lookin for a new car too. But I for one am out of luck, living in south dakota, I dont think i'll be able to find anything i want to buy for quite a while. Enjoy the many options available to you
Shouldn't you have an 86 anyways?

Personally, I like my truck. 93 Toyota Pickup. Last fillup from empty was under 11 gallons, and I've gone 100 miles on the last quarter tank. Nothing's really broken down, even though I did just replace one of the corner lights tonight. It's light enough that it's not slow, even with a 4-cylinder. Mind you, it's not exactly the safest thing out on the road in an accident...it's probably the least. But...it's also absurdly cheap.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

I think I may end up with the 3s, actually. I'm able to get any Ford Group car at below invoice, both through family connections, and because, hopefully, I'm starting at Galpin Mazda in a few weeks. I did, however, notice a couple G35s as trade-ins across the street.......

But, on the other hand, I want four doors, and I only really like the G35 Coupe.

 

[1X83Z]

I think I may end up with the 3s, actually. I'm able to get any Ford Group car at below invoice, both through family connections,

You realize you could have any number of used cars that have more features, better performance and more power than the 3s, don't you? Even the 3s engine is weak (0-60 in 8.7 and limited passing power). Hell, these days you could get a base-level 6s for $22900 (not that I recommend base-level cars in any respect).

This is just an example of some of the great stuff you could afford:

- 02-03 Acura TL Type-S (260hp, 0-60 in 6.8, standard heated leather, 6-CD, Xenons, 5-speed Tiptronic automatic, automatic climate control, 17" wheels; bulletproof reliability and good performance at $20000-$26000 used)
- 00-04 Audi A6 2.7T (250hp, 0-60 in 7, standard 6-CD, 6-speed manual with 5-speed Tiptronic automatic available, curtain side airbags, dual-zone automatic climate control, and all-wheel drive; $21000-$36000 used)
- 02-_ Audi A4 3.0 (220hp, 0-60 in 6.7, standard 6-CD, CVT automatic with Tiptronic [without AWD] or 6-speed manual with 5-speed Tiptronic automatic available [with AWD], curtain side airbags, dual-zone automatic climate control; $21000-$30000 used)
- 02-04 Chrysler 300M Special (255hp, 0-60 in 7.5, standard automatic climate control, 6-CD, heated leather, driver seat, mirrors, and radio memory, sport suspension, 17" chrome alloys, tire pressure monitor, 4-speed automatic with manumatic; $16000-$24000 used)
- 02-_ Hyundai XG350L (194hp, 0-60 in 8.3, standard 5-speed automatic with manumatic, front side airbags, automatic climate control, heated leather, power sunroof, driver seat and mirror memory, automatic day/night rearview mirror, 16" alloys; $13000-$19000 used)
- 00-_ Jaguar S-Type 4.2 (294hp, 0-60 in 6.9, standard 6-speed J-gate automatic, front and curtain side airbags, driver seat, mirror, steering wheel, and pedal memory, power sunroof, 17" alloys, dual-zone automatic climate control; $21000-$41000 used)
- 01-_ Lexus IS300 (215hp, 0-60 in 7.3, standard curtain side airbags, 6-CD, 17" alloys, automatic climate control, heated mirrors, traction control; $20000-$30000 used)
- 00-_ Lincoln LS V8 (280 horsepower, 0-60 in 6.8, standard 6-CD, 5-speed automatic with manumatic, sport suspension, 17" alloys, driver seat, pedal, mirror, and steering wheel memory, heated and cooled front seats, rain-sensing wipers; $15000-$31000 used)

Point being, you can do a lot better than a 3s. By the way, those are all retail prices; if you buy privately you can knock ten to twenty percent off.

 

[Takumi Fujiwara]

You make good points, but none of those are cars that really appeal to me, with the possible exception of the IS, and maybe the TL. I sorta want a smaller car.

The other thing, is that a new car really appeals to me. I've never owned one, and I'm just so sick of the headaches and hassles that a new car involves. The idea of a brand new car, where I know everything about its history, and a nice factory warranty, sounds really good.

I'd sorta like to stay under 20k, as well. While I might be able to go a bit over, the less the price, the less the payments will be, and the more likely I'll be able to finance it.

Now, if you've got any recommendations in a class a bit down for good used deals, i'd be happy to hear them. I don't need, or want, any fancy stuff like heated seats or leather interior or whatever. I just want an economical, reliable, daily driver, but something recent. And, as I said, being from Ford Group would really help, as well. Getting a price below invoice is really nice.

The other thing about those cars is that none of them will take much in the way of cargo. I really liked how much space the 3s had with the rear seats folded down. Something in the way of a hatch, 5-door, or wagon would be perfect, I think, as long as it was economical.

 

[1X83Z]

Hmm - Ford group wagon with manual or manumatic transmission for $20k kind of paints one into a corner, no?

Two Volvos come to mind (98-00 V70 T5 and 01-04 V40) but neither had manual or manumatic available; the Protege5 is an option but I really didn't like them that much. I'd probably look for a Focus ZX5 SVT before I chose a 3s though - SVT Focuses with five doors are somewhat rare and not that quick but they will outhandle and accelerate the Mazda and they'll be cheaper too (and cargo volume is practically the same - 28 cu. ft. for the Ford vs. 31 for the Mazda). And the ZX5 SVT was only sold in 2003 and 2004, so it won't be too old, either.

 

[Seanman]

What about the new Ford 500? I know it's not exactly fun to drive but it does have a more grown-up look and a black one goes nicely with the suit and tie. Plus there's surprisingly amount of room in the car and the trunk. If you're willing to give up performance for practicality, you should think about this car. Plus, its a Ford so you get a lower price.

 

[KevsfastZ]

'87 Cutlass Supreme

 

[Sniffs]

ah, you new car people. you drive me crazy...I have to look at 10-15 model year old vehicles for sheer cheapness. specially up here in the Rustbelt...I'm only just looking at used models that were new when I graduated from high school...and in the middle of their label's runs. i feel old