My next car???

[blackhawkimpact]

Cheapest I found a speed6 was $22k. My friend has one. Pretty sweet car

[James]

e39 M5

[KEVORM]

I would look at MKV GTI's. Nicest interior for the price range I have ever seen, and quick/comfy/classy

^This. I have a MkV GTI that i have owned since it was new (2007) and it has been nothing but wonderful. Yes maintenance might be slightly more than a mazda but it'll probably be less than a mini. It is also arguably one of the best out of the box tuning platforms available, TONS of aftermarket support. I chipped mine at 25k miles (250ish hp crank) and then proceeded to do a turbo back, HPFP, and a few other things. Now pushing 259whp. Super fun and still get low to mid 30's on the highway. If you go the GTI route i would try to find a well kept cloth interior as VW leather does not age well. 16k should get you a decent example.

EDIT: This is mine

[z31maniac]

I'm not getting another car to save gas on the e30if that's what you're asking. I'm still gonna use the e30 as my daily. This is for the weekends/vacation/trips.

Why not drive the E30 on the weekends?

Spend the bucks to get it nice.

For trips/vacations, rent a car. Much cheaper long term.

[hfabricius]

My sister has that Mazda 3 but the sedan style. Im not to fond of it, doesn't have a whole lot of room and the visibility is pretty shitty. On the plus side, its pretty quick.

[alB5]

Mk4 R32....fuck gas mileage

I'm deeply regretting my decision every time at the pump...but WOT is so worth it lol

http://flic.kr/p/csmYD5

[herbivor]

Why not drive the E30 on the weekends?

Spend the bucks to get it nice.

For trips/vacations, rent a car. Much cheaper long term.

This. My wife wanted a minivan so vacations would be more comfy. I said F minivans. Unless its a tricked out Westfalia we'll just rent a car.

[blackhawkimpact]

Why not drive the E30 on the weekends?

Spend the bucks to get it nice.

For trips/vacations, rent a car. Much cheaper long term.

This. My wife wanted a minivan so vacations would be more comfy. I said F minivans. Unless its a tricked out Westfalia we'll just rent a car.

I'm trading in one of my cars for one one this. That is also the reason why I need to get a second car. Current car's pretty beat.

I'm now down between two car I really like:

2007 Mini Cooper S (black/6-speed)
2008 Audi A3 (black/auto)

Gonna go look at the Audi first.

EDIT: Just checked the vin on the Audi and it has Frame/unibody damage. Guess is up to the Mini

[QUKBMER]

Buy the mazda or toyota for reliablity low maintance costs. Mini is going to be more money to maintain. Shits more expensive to fix too.

[MattAvino]

e39 M5

[VANOS714]

Cooper!!!

[DaveNorCal]

Not an AUDI!

[doucy2]

Mini is a nice ride and good on gas, the mazda 3's aren't bad wither. My vote goes to a diesel jetta, you can pick up an 06-08 pretty reasonably and you will easily average 40-50mpg. GL with your search.

[CrusherCurtis]

Terribly, Terribly gay.

Add up the price of the car vs the fuel savings. Even if you're driving 40k miles a year, $15k will buy a lot of fucking gas, plus insurance, maintenance, tires, etc.

^This

My friend bought a 96 Saturn Sl2 that gets about 33 mpg for $1500. They're very reliable and maintenance is almost free. Motor or trans can be had for $350. If I ever care about gas mileage I"ll buy an motorcycle. If I had choose a car it'd be a beater that would loose very little in the long run. Friends SL2 is still worth $1500 2 years later. Having said that I would go mini for because of the 3 it will have the best handling, build quality and prestige/heritage.

One a side note wtf is classy about a gti?

[eskimo810]

Suprisingly, I've driven all 3 of these cars, even if the yaris was the previous generation.

Listen, if you care about driving, do not get the Yaris. You have three good choices, and the other two both drive awesome and are still efficient. I drove a mini once. I did a couple hours of highway driving in it when my friend was pciking up a car out of state, so I didn't exactly get to throw it around corners or anything, but it does feel awesome. It's just so incredibly nimble and precise.

Another friend has a MS3. So I can't attest to a non-turbocharged variant too much. The car handles well. It's nothing awe-inspiring like I was expecting from a mazda after owning a miata, but it does drive well and is still worlds above your average focus/civiv/whatever eco-box. The main draw for that car was the engine and the looks. Lower it, and you've got a nice looking ride. That, and it's a car you can live with. It's a "hatchback" by definition, but it feels like a smallish wagon. So if that is at all important or appealing, keep that in mind.

If driving feel and fuel economy are your criteria, Mini. At least in my mind and with the limited experience I've had with it, you will not be disappointed.