Alternatives to a 330i ZHP?

SWMBO and I have agreed on me consolidating my current mazda 6 appliance car and the mustang I never drive down to one fun-ish car that is a DD.

I've pretty much convinced myself it's a ZHP, however they are not easy to find.

Is there anything comprable to a ZHP (fun, decently reliable, manual trans, fair mpg, sub $12k) out there that I may have over looked?

What's "fair mpg?" I <3 mah V, though sub $12k might be a stretch, and best I've seen on the hwy is 22mpg, averaging 17-18.

Ooooor E46 M3? M5?

Fair being 25+ highway. I'd love an E46 M3, but I'm looking at spending at most, $12k. And even high mileage ones are more than that. Besides I'd like to keep the miles near the 100k mark

G35 sedan 6-speed could be an option.

how much space to you do? would a boxster fit the bill? It's too bad S52/54 M coupes haven't come down to that range yet.

Need to have a back seat. I'll look into the G35s.

Frisbee?

You could probably get an RX-8 for $5k-$7k and have a lot of money left over for gas.

R53/R56 JCW? I can't be the only one.

Are Charger R/Ts down to that price range yet?

A regular 330i?

I'll show myself out

Mazdaspeed6? You could get a nice RX8 for under $12k. I like the G35 idea, but those are pretty hard to find in a manual as well. If fwd isn't an issue you could look Civic Si or it's more mature brother, the TSX.

captdownshift wrote: Frisbee?

What is a frisbee?

GCooper wrote:

captdownshift wrote: Frisbee?

What is a frisbee?

FR-S/BRZ

I would definitely not put a Charger R/T in the same category as a 330 zhp...

What year is the Mustang? Could an S197 do the trick as all around DD?

LSx goodness in a GTO?

E39 M5

09/12 Ford Fusion Sport. Auto, but 263hp 3.5L V6 and AWD

What do Pontiac G8's go for?

I'll second the Mazdaspeed 6 nomination.

forget the Rx8, if you forget to stop the engine at the gas station they empty the tank faster than you can pump it in.

Volvo S80 V8

Jaag XJR for the brave

E36 M3? It might but just as hard to find with those requirements as the ZHP but between the two you can probably find one...

Vigo wrote: I would definitely not put a Charger R/T in the same category as a 330 zhp...

No, but both are sedans with sporting intent. Practical and fun.

Vigo wrote: I would definitely not put a Charger R/T in the same category as a 330 zhp...

Based on what? Snobbery, perceived quality, actual quality, NVH, running cost or fun to drive factor? OP gave a pretty vague description of his needs.

EDIT, Tom kinda beat me to it.

Uncoiled wrote: E36 M3? It might but just as hard to find with those requirements as the ZHP but between the two you can probably find one...

$12k will buy a really nice E36 M3. The ZHP is nice but I never understood the premium it demanded for basically a trim/tuning package with a 6 speed. The car didn't need a 6 speed. If anything it needed shorter gearing.

I'd buy the E36 M3 or... a regular E46 330 coupe, ground control suspension kit, a muffler you can hear the engine thru, a 3.64LSD to give some grunt and a set of 8.5" wide/sexy wheels.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Uncoiled wrote: E36 M3? It might but just as hard to find with those requirements as the ZHP but between the two you can probably find one...

$12k will buy a really nice E36 M3. The ZHP is nice but I never understood the premium it demanded for basically a trim/tuning package with a 6 speed. The car didn't need a 6 speed. If anything it needed shorter gearing. I'd buy the E36 M3 or... a regular 330 coupe, ground control suspension kit, a muffler you can hear the engine thru, a 3.64LSD to give some grunt and a set of 8.5" wide/sexy wheels.

I dunno. I drove a regular E46 and a ZHP back-to-back before I bought mine, and those small changes added up to a lot. The E46 was a nice, moderately sporty car. The ZHP was a scalpel with the best steering feel of anything I've driven (except maybe a Boxster), a fantastic engine with torque everywhere and nice noises, while still delivering 25mpg on the freeway. I loved that car.

Edit: However, if you plan on modifying it as GPS says, then definitely skip the ZHP and get a regular 330i. No point in paying extra for a bunch of stuff you're going to remove anyhow.

E36 M3 is not a bad suggestion. On paper, it and the ZHP are very similar. But to me, the E46 is a much nicer car than the E36. Better refinement, better suspension, better interior. I've owned both, and I'd pick the ZHP if money is the same. It's a similar-performing car, but much nicer to live with as a DD.

Having sold my Abarth, I'm thinking about going back to a ZHP (sedan for me). I'm cross-shopping e36 M3 sedans (with manual). For all intents and purposes, they're the same price. Both are now somewhat hard to find when looking for lower mileage (under 100k), manual and good condition.

I also think about an e46 M3, wondering if I could live with a coupe.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: What year is the Mustang? Could an S197 do the trick as all around DD? LSx goodness in a GTO? E39 M5 09/12 Ford Fusion Sport. Auto, but 263hp 3.5L V6 and AWD What do Pontiac G8's go for? I'll second the Mazdaspeed 6 nomination. forget the Rx8, if you forget to stop the engine at the gas station they empty the tank faster than you can pump it in. Volvo S80 V8 Jaag XJR for the brave

Great suggestions!

The mustang is a 91 GT. A S197 is something I hadn't thought about, but would fit the needs decently.

I'll check on the mazdaspeed6 as well. Had a friend with one that was very nice. Do they hold up well?

dyintorace wrote: Having sold my Abarth, I'm thinking about going back to a ZHP (sedan for me). I'm cross-shopping e36 M3 sedans (with manual). For all intents and purposes, they're the same price. Both are now somewhat hard to find when looking for lower mileage (under 100k), manual and good condition. I also think about an e46 M3, wondering if I could live with a coupe.

Same issues I'm running into on the mileage. I really like the E36 M3, but not sure how practical they end up being as an only car (snow driving, reliabilty)

E36 non M3 with a LS swap