Gonna be looking for a new car soon...

[astrosdude91]

Here's yet another thread asking the members of GTP suggestions for a new car. Now this won't be one of those "suggest a super dooper fast car for me to kill myself in when I spin out into a tree" threads. I'll be different with this one. Which leads me to what I'm looking for. I want a car that is different. Right now, I'm driving a Toyota Tundra. I don't mind it, but I'm just not a truck person. I want something with it's own character and personality. But I also want it to be reliable. I'll show you what I'm thinking about:

W124/6 Mercedes Benz SEL Class:

It's got class and character. And from what I've heard, these late 80's Benz's are very reliable.

Preferably I would like the car to be European. And since I'll probably be able to get $5,500-$6k for the Tundra, I want to keep the car round that price. And don't forget about the reliability. And since I'll probably be paying for the insurance, I'll need that to be cheap as well. But of course, suggest anything that you think I might like. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

 

[CMvan46]

I learned recently Hondas can be really expensive in parts of the states, is that true in Texas?

If not anything Honda, lots of manuals available and, up here atleast, they are quite cheap for a decent car.

 

[astrosdude91]

I learned recently Hondas can be really expensive in parts of the states, is that true in Texas?

If not anything Honda, lots of manuals available and, up here atleast, they are quite cheap for a decent car.

Honda's are still pretty cheap. But I don't know. It's just too run of the mill. Honda makes a great car, always have. But it's lacking that uniqueness.

 

[CMvan46]

Honda's are still pretty cheap. But I don't know. It's just too run of the mill. Honda makes a great car, always have. But it's lacking that uniqueness.

That's true. My girlfriend is getting a 2003 Mustang today from the dealership I work at with 89k kms (around 55k miles) for $6400. Something like that might not be bad. This is automatic too so a manual would be slightly cheaper.

Then again that might not be nearly as unique as the Benz you've got up there but the year difference might be enough to sway you.

 

[Doog]

Have you considered this? It's the original Lexus LS400, the car that showed that the Japanese could make a real luxury car. These things are known for having a silky smooth ride, and for being very solid. It's also got the very nice 1UZ-FE 4 liter V8, with plenty of power to have some fun. And being a big old sedan, insurance should be reasonable. Being a 20 year old car, you can find many within your budget, though it may be hard to find one that hasn't been abused or ruined. If you do find one that's good though, jump on it. And, since it's a Toyota underneath, it'll last forever; I hear the Lexus' from the 90's are among the most well built cars ever made. You should check it out. 👍

 

[edawg456]

I have a '86 Volvo 240 dl and I would recommend getting a Volvo because they are extremely reliable especially the older models. Sure the parts may be expensive but older models like mine tend run forever. Mine has over 350,000 miles on it and still running great.

 

[Azuremen]

The LS400 is a good suggestion. The engines are solid. I recall there being some issues with the power steering system, but nothing else comes to mind.

You could also look into a 5 series or E36 M3 for those prices as well. Quite a few decent options in that prices range from several manufactures.

 

[astrosdude91]

The Lexus is a fine choice. I always stand by Toyota's build quality, and I've seen nothing but top notch reliability from mine. I'm a fan of the 1UZ. I have the evolution of it, the 2UZ 4.7 in my Tundra. Definitely something I'll be considering. The Volvo and Azure's Bimmer suggestions also fit the bill. So maybe you can surmise that I'd like an older executive car.

Keep those suggestions coming, guys!

 

[McLaren]

To go with the LS, I'd also recommend the 2nd gen. GS. If you want a little bit of sport, the GS400 & GS430 aren't bad.
I have a couple buddies with them as daily drivers & they've been pretty rock solid. A few have even modified them up to 500whp & past and they've still been good cars. They're not all that common around here compared to the 3rd gen ones that are around.

The only complaints I've been told is mainly around the V8 models being a bit of gas hungry engine. $10-15K can get you in one under 80,000 miles, which is great for these cars as a lot of owners have gotten 150,000-200,000 miles out of them.

 

[the_stig_1]

If you want an early-ish S Class, Definately get a 6.9.

 

[Doog]

To go with the LS, I'd also recommend the 2nd gen. GS. If you want a little bit of sport, the GS400 & GS430 aren't bad.
I have a couple buddies with them as daily drivers & they've been pretty rock solid. A few have even modified them up to 500whp & past and they've still been good cars. They're not all that common around here compared to the 3rd gen ones that are around.

The only complaints I've been told is mainly around the V8 models being a bit of gas hungry engine. $10-15K can get you in one under 80,000 miles, which is great for these cars as a lot of owners have gotten 150,000-200,000 miles out of them.

The second generation GS is a great car. My dad had one several years ago and he loved it; he still misses it today. The only problem is that it'll probably be out of astrodude's price range. A first generation GS will probably be a lot cheaper.