Help Mike pick a car!

[Mike]

Don't bother with these cars, these options were made when I was just out of school and didn't have the my head screwed on as well as I do a year later I'm now looking at Acura TSX, Acura TL-S, Lexus IS300, Mazda 6

I've made a list of all the cars I'm considering. Please feel free to leave any questions, comments, or concerns. The top few I've been considering heavily, but I've included everything that has been on my mind just in hopes I'd get some extra feedback. Basically I'm looking for a daily driver that is fast, comfortable, reliable, and can fit a few people/things. This vehicle will get me to and from work every day, take me on trips, and nothing more (no track).

In order of likelihood:

BMW E36 M3

Pros: Can seat four adults, fairly inconspicuous, quick yet refined, very affordable.
Cons: Becoming a very popular car with the modding folk/teenies. I don't want to drive a car that every high schooler has his/her parents buying for them.

Infiniti G35 Coupe

Pros: Can seat four adults, new, so damn sexy looking.
Cons: At 35k new, and 30ish used, it is a bit more than I want to spend.

Mistubishi Evo 8

Pros: 4-doors, new, fast as shit, AWD.
Cons: Altezzas, cheapy interior, don't want to spend 30k on one. Used they go for 25ish, but you know they've been ragged on.

Porsche 993 Carrera

Pros: Pimp, fast, beautiful.
Cons: Costly repairs, costly insurance, little out of my price range.

Audi S4

Pros: AWD, V6, boost, can seat four adults, surprisingly cheap (low 20s)
Cons: Audi build quality? There has to be a reason they have depreciated so quickly. Styling is bland.

Honda S2000

Pros: Bulletproof, convertible (I'd prolly get a hardtop anyway), good gas mileage.
Cons: 2-seater, rather raw for a daily driver, no torque.

Toyota Supra TT

Pros: Fast as shizzle, a look that will never age, bulletproof.
Cons: Has likely been ragged on, and if not it's gonna be pricey. 2 seater.

Subaru 2.5RS

Pros: AWD, cheap, good looking (read: big wing)
Cons: Slow, bland.

Subaru WRX STi

Pros: Read Evo 8.
Cons: Read Evo 8 (minus Altezzas), but Maeng has one.

Nissan 300ZX TT

Pros: Fast, sexy, I used to love them.
Cons: Hard to find one in good shape, getting old.

[Maengelito]

dont get my car, bitch!

i voted on the G35 because its a sexy as hell car, and i was giving serious thought about buying one as opposed to the STi.

[CaptainHenreh]

Z32.

Or M3.

Those are the only two that really get my blood pumping. All the others...meh, can't afford it.

Don't buy the 2.5 RS. My best friend brian has a 2001, he's on his 3rd transmission, and he doesn't drive it *that* hard. Just simple bolt-on mods, even has stock shocks. It handles OK, but it's really nothing to write home about and it sucks for power. I out ran him (from a roll) in the 240. They're pricey and they suck.

Yeah, that's really all I had to say. Buy the Z. Get an N/A, they're pretty reliable and still fun to drive. Plus, hey, a Z. It's got history. (not so say the porsche/M3 doesn't, but c'mon. Can you really afford a carrera? Didn't think so.)

While we're on the Porsche kick, why not one of those crazy F/R porches? What's that V8 one with the crazy headlights? That'd be cool.

[ScottyB]

since i'm an audi fan i'll step in on the S4...i'm not sure why the prices of this car are so low, but there are actually few problems with this model. the B6 chassis cars (the new V8's) have some issues with the tranny, but this version (B5)really doesn't have anything major, if at all. i'm not positive about the coilpack problem, but i think it's most concentrated on model year 2000+ cars, and of those, its the 1.8T's. otherwise you're dealing with a solid engine and tranny, and with a $500 chip you're looking at a totally reliable 300 horses. the suspension design is a really nice multi-link setup at all 4 corners...the only problem with this is that the ball joints will wear out after about 80k miles unless they are kept lubed with higher viscosity than stock lubricant. the steering is sooooo nice, which has alot to do with the suspension design. the car is heavy though, at least 3400 pounds if i remember....hell the stock wheels alone are way over 20 pounds a peice. regardless, it is fast and will handle well with minor mods (if you can control yourself and leave it near stock :twisted: ) check out <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.audiworld.com's">www.audiworld.com's</a><!-- w --> forums, they have ridiculous amounts of info on many audi models, and alot of it is concentrated on the B5 S4.

if it were up to me, id either go with the G or the S4....but i would think you really have to test drive at least some of these somehow to know what you really like.

[Ryan T]

Since I didn't see used C5 vette on you list , I voted for the S2000. I think the styling is awesome. It is a bit rough for a daily driver but I know quite a few people that do drive them daily with no major complaints.

[Kaan]

why not a VW R32? anyway, i vote G35 coupe cause you dont look like the kinda guy that would drive one... and i want to see you do that pose of the engine. actually thats all a joke. M3 is all you mike.... if it never sees the track then you are more yuppie then i thought but... i doubt you'll get tired of driving it.

[Mike]

Can you really afford a carrera?

The car? Yes. Repairs and insurance, dunno.

While we're on the Porsche kick, why not one of those crazy F/R porches? What's that V8 one with the crazy headlights? That'd be cool.

The 928, it's more expensive than a 993 though.

[Mike]

i think you really have to test drive at least some of these somehow to know what you really like.

Oh yeah, I plan on test driving like the top 5.

[Mike]

Since I didn't see used C5 vette on you list

Insurance, and crappy interior keep me away from them.

[Mike]

if it never sees the track then you are more yuppie then i thought but...

rofl, that's why i'm keeping the hatch. cheaper and probably just about as much fun.

[white_2kgt]

if you are not going to track it then why not get a truck? Maybe a lightning, that will satsify your need for speed and even give you a tow vehicle one day. Just seems like a waste to buy an Evo, STi or M3 and NEVER track it.

-c

[Mike]

if you are not going to track it then why not get a truck?

I hate people who drive trucks, gas mileage sucks, they are less refined than cars, I don't plan on having anything to tow in the near future.

Getting a sporty car that won't see the track is kind of like buying a bottle of fine wine. Sure you can get drunk (go to work in a 325) off of boones, but some people like to get drunk in style (go to work in an m3).

[JackoliciousLegs]

BMW E36 M3
Perfect. Who cares who buys cars for who. Beautiful, fast, reliable.

Infiniti G35 Coupe
Too much money.

Mitsubishi Evo 8
Shitty inside but good for track.

Porsche 993 Carrera
Make this your second car

Audi S4
Reliability. Cramped interior (for me at least)

Honda S2000
Not a good DD. Too small

Toyota Supra TT
Too much for a DD

Subaru 2.5RS
:?:

Subaru WRX STi
Nice. Maeaeaeaeng has one. Expensive

Nissan 300ZX TT
WAY too small for a DD

[JackoliciousLegs]

'93 PORSCHE 911 CABRI OLET 52.6K, all books/recs., trpl blk, super nice. $27,500/neg. 410-961-8501

[G.Irish]

The M3 makes the most sense to me from that group if its going to be nothing but a daily driver. It could potentially be the cheapest of the group and only gives up practical interior room to the Evo and STi. I'd still probably pick a 325 or 328 and save the money since it is going to be purely a street car. As for the rest of the cars:

G35
Not a bad choice but I wouldn't choose one over an M3 because the G35 is going to cost more. I'm also not too fond of the G35 transmission and interior.

Evo8
Also not a bad car but I'm a bit wary of Mitsubishi regarding warranty issues.

993 Carrera
More expensive, not very practical, and parts will cost you an arm and a leg. Porsches are reliable in general though so I wouldn't worry much about the mechanicals. Just that when you do have to pony up the cash it is going to expensive.

S4
It has big power potential but its a lot heavier than it needs to be and on the interior they're kinda small. I'd take the M3 over an S4.

S2000
Impractical. Fun car though

Supra TT
That would be a great car, no real big downsides except the small backseat and the risk of contracting boost rot.

Subaru 2.5RS
Fun little car, very inexpensive. I'd choose a WRX over the 2.5 obviously but there's nothing wrong with the 2.5 and you get the AWD. A very practical choice just not very fast.

STi
I'd pick the STi over the Evo8 because Subaru has a much better reputation in customer relations/warranty. Can't go wrong with a used STi. Even though it may have been driven hard if you have good compression and the clutch isn't burnt up its going to be a good car.

300ZX TT
If you find one that has been well maintained it'd be a good car but I'd take the Supra over the ZX.

If money were not an object in this group my choices would be.
1. STi
2. M3
3. Supra
4. G35
5. Evo

If I were trying to get the best balance of cost, practicality, and performance.

1. 325/328
2. M3
3. Prelude
4. 2.5RS

My rationale for the cheaper cars is that it leaves a lot more wiggle room in the budget. Even with that goal the M3 is not a bad choice.

[Maengelito]

STi
I'd pick the STi over the Evo8 because Subaru has a much better reputation in customer relations/warranty. Can't go wrong with a used STi. Even though it may have been driven hard if you have good compression and the clutch isn't burnt up its going to be a good car.

Wear Item Limited Warranty
Wear item coverage for all models is 3 years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first. Items covered include brake pad/shoe linings, clutch disk linings, and wiper blades.
*See your Subaru Dealer for complete details."

[Evan]

If the Porsche is even on your list then I say go for it 100%. I dont think you would regret it for a second. They are every bit as reliable as any of those other cars, and parts arent much worse than an M3.
I think they are more practical than people give them credit for. They do have a back seat!

After the Porsche is the M3 IMO, for reasons discussed in depth on this board

After that would be the STi, then G35c.

a few comments on the others:
300ZTT: Way too overpriced IMO. Heavy, buelevard cruiser. Not my thang. One of my coworkers is into them pretty hard.

S4: After instructing a couple at the track, I honestly dont know why this car has a good reputation. Not impressive in the least. handles like absolute ass, overweight, not very big, and the interior isnt as good as I expected it. I think the TT is a much better car as far as Audis go.


I dont know if you have thought of this, but the type of gas and how much of it the car guzzles makes a big difference. This is why my WRX has been sitting in my driveway for 6 months. Hell my Miata doesnt even have AC or power anything but i still drive it to work every day to keep from getting it up the ass at the gas station.

[Chris]

Mike,

That model Porsche is one of my favorite Porsche models of all time, but like you've said- insurance and possibily reliablity will not be the best. I checked the G35 because for a DD its amazing. It looks great, has a beast of an engine, and has a great interior. I rode in a G35x sedan after test driving bmw's all day, and the interior was much better. The back seats even reclined a bit!

The M3 is probably the most practical car for the money and is what you will prob get. I'd just look around for a slightly used G35 to find a better deal.

[Feersty]

Are you concerned with aftermarket possibilites in the car you choose? I voted for the G35 because with a nice set of Volks and some tint the car is unlike anything else. But the E36 M3 is alot cheaper so I guess it is up to you. When are you looking to make the purchase?

[Chris]

Oh I forgot to ask you about the R32... I know a lot of you think its too heavy, but I've been trying to decide if I like them. The AWD and convenience of a hatch are appealing to me. The seats are also amazing. I read in Car and Driver that its not much faster than a 1.8T but its a perfect autox car. I guess since I'm used to a slow car, 240hp is not going to seem slow.