Please Help Me Choose Next Car

  • Thread starter justinq19
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justinq19

16
United States
WA
Back Story:

I currently own a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT that I bought for my first car back when I was 18. It's been a fun car overall, but it has had a lot of problems. Over the last 2.5 years, I have already spent more money on repairs than I did buying the actual car. It has now reached 145,000 miles and I don't think it will last too much longer.

I am now just a few weeks away from turning 21 and I now have a job that will allow me to get a better car. I would like to get at least one more sporty car before I settle down with the right girl and get married. I've been looking at a few cars that I really like, but if youguys know of another car I may like, please tell me. I need a car that is as problem free as possible and will last me at least 5 years (so it must be able to accommodate any kids that I might have within the next 5 years).

The Choices (so far):

1. Used 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 track (306hp - 260 torque - RWD)

Pros:
- Can run on regular grade fuel (unlike my current car)
- Cheap to buy and maintain
- Nice interior and exterior
- Good performance

Cons:
- First year of the Genesis Coupe, so it may have some kinks that Hyundai didn't get out until the 2011 model
- Does not hold its value very well
- Some cheap plastic parts here and there

Price: $18,000 - $22,000


2. Used 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 turbo (275hp - 273 torque? - RWD)

Pros:
- New front end design
- Lighter than 3.8 Genesis
- Pretty good MPG

Cons:
- Base model, so no GPS, better audio, leather ect.
- I've heard turbo cars cost a lot to maintain

Price: $21,000


3. Used 2004-06 Infiniti G35 Coupe (265hp - 260 torque - RWD)

Pros:
- Very nice inside and outside
- Best sounding stock exaust note
- Good resale value
- The coolness factor of being able to say you own a Nissan Skyline
- Cheapest car to buy out of all the cars I'm looking at

Cons:
- Not very good MPG
- Requires premium fuel
- Will have pretty high mileage (most are 75,000-100+)
- A lot of people own them, so they have kinda lost their uniqueness
- I have heard that they cost quite a bit to maintain

Price: $8000-$15,000


4. Used 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO X MR (290hp - 300 torque - AWD)

Pros:
- 4 doors but still fun to drive
- AWD will be good to have durning rain and snow (I live in WA)
- Great performance

Cons:
- Cost to maintain
- Requires premium gas
- Cost to insure

Price: $21,000

These are all the cars I'm looking at so far. I would like to get the opinions of other auto enthusiast (youguys) about these cars. Also, if any of you own one of these cars, a small review would be great.

Thanks for your help.
 
If you're already thinking of settling down & having kids at your age in the next 5 years and that's your budget, forget thinking about buying a sporty car.
 
An old Volvo. Any before ford took over. I would personally recommend it because I have an 1986 Volvo 240 dl.
 
justinq19
This is why I only chose cars that have back seats.
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You do realize the back seats in a G35 are horrendous, right? My friend's son is close to 3 now, and he's about ready to dump his G35 for either an Evo or Lexus IS for the sole fact his son can no longer comfortably sit in the back & his wife wants him to be safe back there. Those Hyundais & the GTO are going to be similar cases.

But, that's not why you may need to just save your money. You have premium fuel, MPG, & maintenance costs listed as cons, stuff that should be factored immediately into what kind of car you can afford. If those are cons, I don't see how you plan to afford a child & a car that requires a decent amount of cash set aside just for gas and god knows what amount set aside for the maintenance that's going to be needed on a car pushing 70,000+ miles.
 
McLaren
You do realize the back seats in a G35 are horrendous, right? My friend's son is close to 3 now, and he's about ready to dump his G35 for either an Evo or Lexus IS for the sole fact his son can no longer comfortably sit in the back & his wife wants him to be safe back there. Those Hyundais & the GTO are going to be similar cases.
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The rear seats in the GTO give more head and legroom than a new G37 sedan. I don't think it's appropriate for a carseat, just because accessing it is difficult as hell, but once you're back there, it's a cavern. Weird though that adults are comfortable, but it's horrible for young children.
 
Forget the Evo, for what you'll pay for insurance at 21, you could be making payments on a brand new Genesis or something.

How about a Mazdaspeed 3? Totally practical, quite fast, not as bad on insurance, handles well, and is great in terms of build quality and features. If you can get one with the tech package, it's really awesome. I go to Mazda meets quite a bit, and I've never been in a community with people who are as happy with their cars as all the MS3 guys are. Drive one somewhere fun and see how you feel about the FWD. The car community has been obsessed with hating FWD lately, and it's actually a disservice to potential owners, because you can get 95% of the way to the limit without ever knowing a car's FWD these days, and even at the limit you really don't lose much. You can't really drift them, of course, but they're tons of fun on a track, autox course, or canyon road regardless.
 
I wouldn't say an Impreza gets decent mileage either. My '02 WRX was terrible. I'd actually guess that the GTO might get better mileage in many situations than the WRX did.

Plus, any of the AWD turbo rally cars are going to be insane to insure. I spent more insuring my WRX for the five years I daily drove it than I did buying it, and that was with only one minor speeding ticket on my record. Accident rates for WRXs and Evos blow almost anyting else out there away, so they price insurance accordingly.
 
Getting any kind of '13 Genesis used or not for 21,000 out the door? Good luck with that.
 
justinq19
(so it must be able to accommodate any kids that I might have within the next 5 years).
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Then ignore every car that only has two doors.
Takumi Fujiwara
How about a Mazdaspeed 3? Totally practical, quite fast, not as bad on insurance, handles well, and is great in terms of build quality and features.
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I've heard of problems with the turbo afer 4-5 years, even on bone-stock cars...stuff that isn't cheap to fix. I love the MS3, but buying a first-gen at this point would scare me.
 
Seconded on GTO, better if LS2
Also, an E39 M5 can be had for 15k with some cash left over for maintenance that will be a bit more expensive than some of the cars in your list
Another one to consider would be a pre X evo which is pretty much as fast as the X but will cost less and in my opinion look better
watch this
 
Kylehnat
Then ignore every car that only has two doors.

I've heard of problems with the turbo afer 4-5 years, even on bone-stock cars...stuff that isn't cheap to fix. I love the MS3, but buying a first-gen at this point would scare me.
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I was actually thinking of a used second-gen. They're only in the mid-high 20s to begin with, and with a $21k or so budget, I think it shouldn't be too difficult to find a '10 or '11.
 
You got the Liberty 2.5GT Spec.B in America right? Not quite as sporty as some of the cars on your list but more practical, cheaper to insure, and they're still quite brisk.
 
motortrend
Also, an E39 M5 can be had for 15k with some cash left over for maintenance that will be a bit more expensive than some of the cars in your list
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Don't even think about it if you're not willing to spend $2k-$3.5k each year on maintenance. Also, an E39 M5 that is worth having is still easily $18k-$20k minimum just to buy.


Murcie_LP640
You got the Liberty 2.5GT Spec.B in America right? Not quite as sporty as some of the cars on your list but more practical, cheaper to insure, and they're still quite brisk.
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Yes, it's the Legacy in the US. Great car, I know Pako has one and loves it. It's not that easy to find though.
 
My Aunt has a Mazda 3 (First Gen) 2.3. I *Think* it's the trim level below the MS one, and it's still reasonably quick. And I can't imagine them being that expensive, thus you could have more money to spend elsewhere, or on making it faster. Whatever floats your boat.
 
justinq19
Cons:
- Cost to maintain
- Requires premium gas
- Cost to insure
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This would actually probably be the cheapest of all of those you've selected to insure, given the four doors. It's the two door cars that get you.

Also, every car on this list is going to benefit from premium gasoline. An Infiniti doesn't need it any more than a Genesis does.
 
Yeah, but imagine what you could get with all that money leftover...

-New Suit
-Fly Kicks
-Snap-backs
-A watch
-An AWESOME engagement ring
-Spinnaz'
-Signed sports stuff
-A Vacation with yo girl
-A go-kart
-New TV

The possibilities are endless..

But yeah. Having a nicer car would be better I suppose.
 
Just buy a cheap SUV or family hauler and spend the rest on a "fun" car. No need to buy just 1 car for everything. Besides, you're 21; IMO that's just too young to be married. You have the rest of your life to be practical, enjoy this point in time while you can.
 
Dundermuffin666
Just buy a cheap SUV or family hauler and spend the rest on a "fun" car. No need to buy just 1 car for everything. Besides, you're 21; IMO that's just too young to be married. You have the rest of your life to be practical, enjoy this point in time while you can.
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One of these then,

http://www.cars-on-line.com/52337.html

http://www.coyoteclassics.com/classic-cars-for-sale/vehicle-detail.aspx?vehicle=a5f689cd-277e-4370-afde-b2d908ec423c

http://www.cars-on-line.com/61084.html

http://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/chicago/1976/plymouth/volare-S55.html
 

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