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- YSSMAN
- YSSMAN
Reventón;3101511
Then the answer is simple; Get a half-assed "sports car" like what you, Phil or I have... Celica, Civic Si, GTI, etc. It'll save money on gas, insurance, and likely be a better way to spend less money not just in the short-term, but in the long term as well.
He says he prefers "European" options, and to be honest, there are a lot of good alternatives out there. The GTI (in my opinion) would be king of that crop, but I'd be more into a Jetta Wagon with the 1.8T and a stick. Give it a suspension kit and a decent set of tires, you'll be just as fast, but "less cool" (and have cheaper insurance rates). Hell, you could probably find a late-model C-class for a decent price these days (I wouldn't want to deal with parts though).
Problem is, the Japanese still have the market cornered on small, fun-to-drive, affordable cars. Its really as simple as that. As much as I HATE Toyota, I love my Celica. Its back when they "gave an 'S'" about cars like that, and given that I've been pulling down 28/29 MPG (average), not to mention insurance rates that are only a hair more than the VW, and "manageable" car payments... I got a pretty good deal.
Personally speaking, I wouldn't be looking to max out the cash, but get a set number in my head to play around with. Considering that you have up to $15K, shoot around at $10-12K and see what that can get you. I know I'd be poking around looking at these:
They're holding their value more than I had expected. Considering that they are in fact mostly trouble-free, fairly "rare," and were purchased mostly by older clientele... Its easy to find them in good shape, and consequently, with good insurance rates.
Azure has given me crap about the car before, but as far as "cheap" and "natural" feeling sports sedans from Japan go, this is about as close to a GTI/GLI you can get. Its a damn-good car for the money.
GTI or GLI, take your pick. Pick up a post-2003 model with the 1.8T and you're golden.
Its still the most under-rated VW of recent vintage with a very healthy set of fans behind it. They're becoming more difficult to find, but there are a few gems out there. Avoid the G60 at all costs, head straight for the SLC.
Older or newer, you're gonna find a pretty good car. The final generation here was small, lightweight, and packed a real punch with the GT-S models. Not sure what insurance rates are on the newer cars, but mine (generation previous) isn't bad. Good on gas too (if you keep your foot out of it).
Like the Lancer, this is the other white meat. Only get this style of SE-R though. The others were just plain hideous.
This ones a sleeper, the true successor to the Honda Prelude. Get one in black with a stick, doesn't matter if its a V6 or an I4, and you're set. It'll be sporty when it needs to be, civilized any time else. Trust me, girls like that.
See the Accord. Just skip the early models, okay? Oh, and the 2.5SE will be just fine.
Wagon or sedan, the Protege is a sweetheart. No, its not the most "comfortable" or "well-equipped" small car out there, but given that its reliable and fun to drive, it covers all of the bases quite well.
See the Accord and Altima. Take the Accord Coupe on style, take the Altima on raw power, and the Mazda6 on the best of both worlds. I've yet to drive a sedan that feels more "right" to what I'd like in a full-size car.
I was born in August of 1990 so thats why it seems confusing. The school I am going to is 45 miles away from my house, so gas concerns are there, but i consider 25mpg is excellent.
