Best/Coolest car for $6-7k

[Funkmasta]

Ken, a few that come to mind...

J
Infiniti G20t, I30 (I30 may be a little big for where you live)
Acura 2.5TL (might be a little big for where you live)
Maxima - good car, but not really a fan.

G
E36 - craigslist is the ONLY way to go, the good ones dont last more than a matter of hours. If you can find one below bluebook, youre good.
VW MK3 Jetta TDI low miles, MK4 high miles
E34 - Good prices, 535i is basically indestructible, the weak point is the auto trans. I have not seen a 535i fail below 250k (overheating aside). May be too big for where you live as well.

[DEV0 E30]

Mustang II's are forgotten by everyone for a reason, ick.

I'd go for the lowest mileage/newest Honda. They aren't very cool, and I'd get an Accord over a Civic because they feel more like "grown up" sort of car.

So obviously you don't want an E30. I mean if you found the best condition one you could and took care of any problem spots that may develop you would still probably have money left over to put in your bank account. Just don't mod it.

[KenC]

Stay away from the W210 (96+ E class); they were relatively problematic until about '98, which puts it out of your price range.

what sort of problems did they have?

[JasonC]

here is one car you should cross off of your wish-list:

1977 Ford Fucking Mustang

.

me and my dad looked at one of thoses that had 3,700 act.miles. but we could not bring our selfs to buy a mustang II (glorified pinto)

[Simon S]

here is one car you should cross off of your wish-list:

1977 Ford Fucking Mustang

.

[AdironRider]

There's no reason not to do something like this, especially if you are trying to be economical.


and contrary to what some poeple have said, I've heard that subaru's don't hold up awesome in the long run. They aren't horrible, just not exceptionally good. Although I am fond of the outback.

My gf's got a 97 bubaru impreza 2 door and the things is rock solid reliable. The transmission is starting to grind but she has literally used it as a winter beater/ ski hauler for years now and its never let her/me down. Cold starts in sub zero weather all winter long, hard runs through mountain roads, salt, you name it and the car has performed admirably. Fun to drive factor is a little lacking, but for solid daily transportation it cant be beat.

Dont get a miata, I cant get over the chick car aspect.

[dirty30]

Some that I thought of:

-Mazda Protege 5
-318ti
-Miata
-Dodge Neon ACR (you won't be disappointed)
-Older Nissan Maxima V6 spd.
-Subaru SVX (ultimate coolness factor)
-Subara outback sport
-Audi 90 quattro

[2002maniac]

mazda protege5 wagon. Yellow.

[AlpineIS]

As someone who's owned many Nissans, I wouldn't recommend the Maxima because of cost of parts. For a Japanese car, I cannot believe how expensive some of the prices are for these cars. The Maxima SE's are fun and reliable, but again, if something major breaks you're gonna pay for it.

Fred

Fred,

I respect your opinion but I disagree with you on the cost of parts. In the event you had to replace a major part on a Maxima you would pay no more than you would for a comparable BMW part. I realize expense is relative but if you go to a Nissan parts counter you will be charged list price as you would if you went to a BMW parts counter. There are several OE Nissan parts discounters on the web that will do much bettter than list and the same exists for BMW. If you go this route you will find parts at very reasonable prices. I've owned 2 Maximas and I've never had to buy a part I paid through the roof for.

With that in mind, +1 for the Nissan Maxima. It does not have the soul of a BMW but it is extremely reliable. Our E30s are highly engineered cars and for this reason require more maintenance than a Maxima would. You will not be replacing a major component often.

I have a '96 SE. It has 170k miles. It still has many original parts, including the t-stat, water pump and tranny! I swear the engine runs as if it had 20k. No joke. Smooth, quiet and at 190 HP and 205 ft-lbs of torque you have a nice amount of power. Its VQ engine has been praised over and over and has won several accolades including Ward's Auto World "10 best engines" for 11 years in a row.

If you want a car that is dependable that offers "spirited" driving with no hassles, consider the Maxima. I say at least test drive one (preferably a 97-99 + 5 sp) if you like this generation.

[Fred]

I gotta throw in my two cents here.

As someone who's repaired Mercedes-Benzes to pay bills through college, I would highly recommend against them because of parts prices. The 1980's models are being considered "classic" and that's a bad thing for MB parts - the prices double or triple sometimes. If maintained they are reliable but when something goes out (EHA, water pump, fuel pump, fuel distributor, climate control unit, head gasket, etc) you WILL pay for it then. They also aren't the easiest engines to work on.

As someone who's owned many Nissans, I wouldn't recommend the Maxima because of cost of parts. For a Japanese car, I cannot believe how expensive some of the prices are for these cars. The Maxima SE's are fun and reliable, but again, if something major breaks you're gonna pay for it.

As someone who currently works at a VW/Audi parts company, I would never recommend an Audi to anyone. Especially a used Audi.

My B13 Sentra SE-R has been a solid, reliable car that gets 32 mpg, costs pennies to insure, and is fun to drive. Some parts still are very expensive and it's becoming harder to find one in good shape. Beater ones can be found for $1,000 but they need a ton of work.

I'm actually going to sell the SE-R soon for an E36 318ti. I commute 100 miles a day and need something economical, practical, reliable, and fun. The 318ti with sport package seems to fit the bill perfectly; it matches the SE-R in the four factors I just mentioned but it's RWD and a BMW. Can't beat that. :)

Fred

[Axxe]

I just bought a 2001 Civic 2 Dr. for my daughter. 64,000 miles for $7000. Put on a set of tires & wheels, and a new mp3/stereo in it - total investment $8000. 30mpg city - 38 highway. It is 2.75 turns lock to lock steering and a shifter that would turn an E30 owner green.

My buddy has a '01, and the ONE qualm I have about it is the sloppy shifter, even after dropping $200 on shift cosnole bushings, throw reducer and improved box. Cable shift FTL. I doubt it's 2.75 turns lock to lock, but maybe it is, but the turning radius SUCKS on it. Otherwise, it's a good car.

I would stay 2000 and older though, double wishbone suspension front and rear, much better driveline. Some have problems with '01 and newer transmissions.

[uofom3]

240's
740's
940's

anything after the 940's aka 850's etc are all either awd or fwd. :(

it may be FWD.. but it's a DD... and it looks better than the rest ofthem. My dad is looking into getting my mom like an 01 AWD X country... pretty nice cars.

[luvin my 325es]

The Maxima is a solid choice- a lot of my friends have had them(only in auto though) and they were all good cars, as long as you do basic maint it should be fine...they also have pretty nice Bose sound systems. I would imagine a 5spd would be nice- about as fast as an e36, with mods probably about as quick as an e36 m3.

+1. I have had a 88, 93 maximas and now my DD is 97'infin I30T, which is just the cadillac version of the maxima. All are great cars. Very reliable with good performance for a fwd sedan. My 97 I30T currently has over 150k, I have replaced starter and battery. Thats it except for the usual wear items. Didnt change the plugs till 125k and that was only because they were rated for 100k. The tips were worn but not near the improvement I expected from the new ones. The only problems I have had on the three cars was on the 88. Had to replace auto slush box at 195k.
Older maximas will go 300k, not sure about the new ones.

[Mot]

What Volvo's are RWD?

240's
740's
940's

anything after the 940's aka 850's etc are all either awd or fwd. :(

I've always thought that a 318ti would be a fun DD. I'd rather have one over a Miata...

I've heard non turbo Rx7's are dependable. Would be kind of a unique car to own...

Don't know how reliable late 80's Toyota Supra's are, but I think they're cool. Can be had for less than $6000

Volkswagen something VR6

$1000 eta w/ chip, 'i' exhaust, m3 springs, save $4000

What Volvo's are RWD?