Is the GT-R the best car in the world right now for the money?

[homeforsummer]

I suppose given how cheap those M5s are second hand they are a very good car for the money. I read an article in a BMW magazine that they're cheaper to insure than M3s for younger drivers too because a younger driver generally isn't expected to have a 4-door "family" car. So I guess that's another loophole.

The GTI is good too but it doesn't have the right image for me so I can't consider it the best for the money.

Though at US prices it probably is...

 

[Tornado]

20k out the door!

 

[YSSMAN]

Hey its still my all-time favorite BMW. Considering its age and what has both come before and after it, that's an impressive feat.

Good call!

 

[mustangGT90210]

A little GT-R humor from Edmunds.

 

[///M-Spec]

A friend of mine just bought an E39 M5. It's almost criminal what they go for these days. He got the gears in my head turning for sure.

The E39 isn't perfect though. Parts are still expensive. The recirculating ball steering in the V8 cars still isn't as precise as traditional rack and pinion. The interior is hopelessly dated by today's standards...

..but that would be nitpicking against the greater goodness of the car.


M

 

[Tornado]

The E39 isn't perfect though.

Lies!


Further deviating from the actual topic, what about E34s?

 

[neanderthal]

E34s, while worthwhile in their own right, are dated by the modern performance cars available. Technology and progress are cruel masters.

 

[homeforsummer]

20k out the door!

Yikes. They're 20 grand in the UK too, which is really $40k.

 

[Joey D]

I see no reason why a used car can't be thrown into the mix as well since the original question never said anything about "new".

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, then the answer is easy:

Less than $5000, lasts just about forever, easy to do a bit of hoonage now and then...

 

[Tornado]

Rather compromised, though. Comparatively speaking.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I vote Honda Fit.

 

[YSSMAN]

Rather compromised, though. Comparatively speaking.

Very true, it always depends on what you're looking for. I mean, you're not going to want to have the kids in there I suppose. Not that I'd want my kids in the M5 anyway...

 

[Tornado]

I was referring more to cars in general rather than anything specific.

 

[niky]

Just an unanswered question from a while back:

What are the non-subjective problems with the GT-R? I've heard stiff ride and such, but its kinda supposed to be like that...

Problems include the stiff ride (which is a problem, because the big Nissan is supposed to be a GT first, and an R second... as a GT, or gran turismo (grand tourer), you should be able to do cross country travel without any danger to your kidneys... but this is a criticism that can be leveled at other modern GTs as well... like certain BMWs.

Others would possibly be the weight, which causes brake fade after repeated laps... the difficulty of modification (fixed... tuners have now cracked the code) and the perceived lack of interior quality... although this last part is highly subjective and depends on whether you're used to driving Accords or Bentleys.

----

Sorry for any contribution to possible flame-i-ness in the previous pages... but I hate to see misinformation regarding this car in any argument... it''s the same as any argument involving the Vette or the Veyron... whether you like the car or hate it is up to you... no need to present evidence... but if you present evidence, it's got to be of the factual kind.

I mean, I still don't like the Veyron. At all. But I'm not going to claim it isn't shtonkingly fast, whether in a straight line or on a race track.

-----

RE: straight lap times between decades: Renault R26 or Cobalt compared to 1997 sports cars? Doesn't compute. The state of the art in tires moves so fast that times that are even just two years apart now are suspect. This question was covered in Autocar, I think, when someone asked how come the R34 could come so close to the XJ220 on the Nurb... ... one being a sportscar and the other being a supercar. The correct answer was nearly ten years of tire development.

Supercars, we can define as having "super" performance during their time... whether or not such performance is eclipsed after the fact. Thus, a Lamborghini Miura still qualifies, despite being comprehensively slower than a Lancer Evolution... whose merits as a "sportscar" or "supercar" are worth a debate in itself... and let's not get started on the "exotic" debate... which is probably where we all get our hang-ups about what defines a "supercar"... because last I looked, being one doesn't necessarily mean being the other... and vice versa. (RE: Weissman = exotic but NOT super)

Well, then the answer is easy:

Less than $5000, lasts just about forever, easy to do a bit of hoonage now and then...

Unfortunately... if you include secondhand cars, there's no lower limit to how low you can go... so the best car for the money will always be secondhand.

And I have the same answer. Infinite hoonage. Sure, it's sucky slow as stock... but plump a turbo and a rollcage on that thing and it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on... next to a motorbike. But you won't get road rash if you spin one, either.

----

As brand new... the best car for the money is highly dependent on how much money you have... personally, for the sense of occassion, if I had enough money, I'd buy a Pagani Zonda. Outrageous looks, great performance, amazing sense of occassion.

At GT-R level prices... well... it's tough... I'd go for the M3, on a personal level... just for the sound of it... but it just doesn't have the performance of the GT-R... which appeals to the techie in me... is there a lack in the "sense of occassion" when driving a GT-R? I don't know... but anything that allows you to hold a gonzo slide is fine by me... I don't think I'll feel shortchanged by one.

But either car pales in comparison to the absolute bargain in terms of performance that cars like the Lancer Evolution or the BMW 135i are (though both are also ungodly heavy for their size).

As a realistic "best for the money"... hmmm... Honda Fit? Has the same "corners on rails" attitude as the Miata... is very fuel efficient... and is extremely useful. It's like they took the best bits of the original VW Beetle and Mini and stuffed them into a shrunken minivan.

Yes, I still want one.

 

[Leonidae]

if I would need to go for ultimate bang for buck, if slight mods are counted.. E36 Compact and either the 3l or 4l V8 from 5/7-series, preferably the 3l one without coating issues..

 

[Jim Prower]

Now we know why you're one of the "Mad Finn Tuners."

A couple perrennial favorites in the "Bang for Buck" debates have always been...

and

Both cars aren't a bad way to get into the 300HP bracket, and have a large aftermarked following. The Z, in the U.S., will cost a little more than the Mustang, which is simpler and doesn't handle quite as well straight out of the box. Thank you live axle.

However, I easily consider this version one of the best deals, especially used, that one can find, if you can find one. Nearly 400HP for the same price as a loaded 2008 GT, and that's the most expensive examples.

and no live axle. Of course, the chassis still isn't perfect, so it's probably not the ultimate, but it isn't a bad choice, either.

 

[Joey D]

This isn't a "what is the best performance car in the world for the money" thread but rather the best overall car. With a Miata you can't really drive it in the winter all that well and if you have more then one friend you can't drive it. Not to mention you can't really fir all that much in the back.

As one of the best performance cars, sure the Miata fits the bill.

 

[Jim Prower]

I think that depends on what you need in a car. As a single guy with a wish to go fast and no real need to carry anything, the Miata would be perfect. However, if I had friends or cargo to lug around, something like the Fit or Mazda 3 would be better. Family? Uh...some. sport. sedan. Saab, maybe? Big, dirty stuff? A W/T Silverado.

 

[Joey D]

It doesn't matter what you personally need the vehicle for but rather can it be used all the time in just about any normal scenarios. I mean obviously you aren't going to take your normal car on a hardcore endurance race or rock crawl with it.

Things I think we need to look at:
Cargo room
Seat capacity
All-weather use
Parking ability
Style
Performance
Price
X-factor
Reliability

Really we are looking for the best packaged vehicle that does just about everything.

 

[Leonidae]

^which is why I brought out E36. it's available as sedan, coupe, hatchback, wagon, has power between 130-300bhp+, light, known for handling etc etc..

Cargo room (available with multiple body styles) Check
Seat capacity (seats 5 comfotably, assuming they're not part of basketball team) Check
All-weather use (as long as you drive reasonably) Check
Parking ability ( it's not an SUV) Check
Style (coupe, liftback compact ) Check
Performance ( M3 )Check
Price ( they start around 3-4k) Check
X-factor ( M-Sport built E36 compact with M3 performance) Check
Reliability ( It's german, and since it once was one of the top notch premium cars, it's fairly reliable and easy to do maintenance on) Check.

 

[Tornado]

Really we are looking for the best packaged vehicle that does just about everything.

Which, once again, means different things for different people.

 

[Joey D]

Which, once again, means different things for different people.

How do you figure? Doing everything should mean the same because it covers everything. This is not "what is the best vehicle for you and in the price range you want to pay" thread.

The original question was "What is the best car in the world for the money", meaning what is the best car anyone can buy at a price that isn't absurd.

 

[Tornado]

Because that will essentially get you something absurd like a diesel Dodge Sprinter with an off-road package and a slushbox and the discussion will stop there. I think it is somewhat unreasonable to expect people to factor in occurrences in "what is the best car for the money" that are completely disconnected with what they face. Personal needs are very important when someone is expressing what they think the best car is for two reasons:

1. Few face the same needs and circumstances in their day to day life so they lack the proper ability to comment on them they don't possess.
2. Needs can vary quite wildly. I know people who wouldn't be able to get out of their driveway without the big monster pickup truck, and I know others who wouldn't physically be able to own such a vehicle.
   

Asking people to completely shed any personal perspective from coloring their ideals is a bit like asking a robot an opinion.

Then only reason I even brought up that the Miata wasn't particularly practical was that it has a nasty habit of being horrible to anyone over 6 feet.

 

[///M-Spec]

Asking people to completely shed any personal perspective from coloring their ideals is a bit like asking a robot an opinion.

+1 QFT


Joey, let me put it this way. We'll take the first criteria from your list: cargo space.

Let's say I'm looking at two cars. Car Alpha has X cubic feet of cargo space, Y horsepower and Z luxury features.

Car Bravo has X+5 cargo space, but Y-1 horsepower and Z-1 luxury features.

Which car is better overall? It might be tempting to say Car Bravo is, because you are getting much more cargo space (5 more than Alpha) at the only apparent expense of 1 horsepower and luxury. (let's assume all else is equal here)

But the crucial thing is not everyone will value cargo space. More importantly, added value in particular category is not in a linear scale. It could be that cargo space, while an important consideration for Buyer Charlie, is satisfied already by X Furthermore, he is not willing to give up horsepower in order to get more of it.

However, maybe Buyer Delta doesn't care about power or luxury, so the trade off to get X+5 cargo is a no-brainer to him.

Now, imagine that quandry and add 20+ different additional criteria, many of which like "styling" and "fun to drive" are highly subjective and you can see why it is pretty much impossible to say "best car for everyone".


M

 

[Joey D]

I agree with that to an extent but there is a balance between them all and as far as the thread goes that is what is in question. People can claim they can live with X everyday but until one actually does I think it's all a bunch of dreaming. You could buy a Corvette and it would be a fun car but try to drive it in the winter and it won't work (yes people drive them in Michigan) or try to go grocery shopping with it. There has to be a few cars out there that offer resonable comfort, performance, reliably, space and all at a reasonable price.

I like my car but the more I live with it the less I'm finding it's practical in an everyday setting. 90% of the time it's great but there are times I either need more cargo room or payload capacity (you try driving home a bunch of water softener salt).

====

Oh and I thought this thread was sort of a redo but I couldn't see to remember why and then it dawned on me we sort of did this 8 months earlier.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/show...light=live+with+one+car+the+rest+of+your+life

 

[Tornado]

Oh and I thought this thread was sort of a redo but I couldn't see to remember why and then it dawned on me we sort of did this 8 months earlier.
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/show...light=live+with+one+car+the+rest+of+your+life

I thought this seemed familiar. Similar, but I'd say different enough to warrant the discussion.


8 Months later and I would still buy a Testarossa.