Another "What Car?" Thread

Hi everyone, I am about to graduate with my BSEE, and I have a job that I am about to start in a couple weeks. My new job is going to require some travel, daily commute is about 30 city miles total, with occasional trips to a city 5 hrs away for a couple days at a time. My wife and I currently have an 04 Pontiac Vibe that we share, and we are going to need another car. Max budget is $12k. The wife's suggestion was a second Vibe. Umm, no. The car in question will need to get more than 23mpg combined, have rear seats, a 5 speed, be newerish (newer than '95) and some measure of competence at an autocross without major work. My current list of possible cars is as follows: e36 m3, e46, Neon Srt-4, WRX, early Evo, Mazdaspeed3, 07-08 Civic si sedan. Anything LS-powered is too big for my liking (GTO, Camaro, Etc.)

I think the m3, e46, and wrx are most likely to tick all the boxes with money left over after buying a decent one. The Evos in my price range seem to be pretty beat. Any cars that I am missing? How common is the rear subframe issue on the BMWs? I am able to work on my own cars (built a 69 e-type from a pile of parts), but I don't want to spend all my free time chasing major issues.

Need more info. Kids? Dogs? Need to haul stuff? What's your insurance like? Autocross with who and where?

Without said info I'd lean towards the SRT4. The WRX will have a hard time with the MPG, especially with your normal mostly city route, and the BMW's are both expensive to buy and maintain.

Thanks for the input!

No kids yet, but in the not too distant future. No dogs. If I need to haul stuff, the pontiac will get the nod. I'm 28 and have no tickets on my record, so insurance should not be a big issue. The extent of my autocrossing will be with the Milwaukee SCCA a couple times a year on street tires.

Alright, good stuff! Milwaukee sees some snow, yes? Being that kids could be in your future, I'd stick with 4-doors, and being that you are in snow country something that can easily take snow tires/chains is useful as well.

Honestly, the SRT4 will probably struggle on your mileage requirement as well. I think an SVT Focus 5-door would be about the best compromise here. Good handling, good mileage, should do well in the ST-type classes, and room for a growing family.

Evo and Mazdaspeed3 are likely out of your budget, I can't find any out here for less than $16k.

On the flipside, you could look at something new like a Mazda2, Accent, or Fiat 500 and put a very healthy down payment on it, leaving you with a very small, short duration loan.

What's your number one priority? Mileage? Coolness? Price? You listed pretty cool cars that may or may not need upkeep and may or may not meet your mileage goals. That suggests you're more interested in cool and cheap than mileage and never ever getting stranded. Would you drive a Mazda3, or just a mazdaspeed3? How about a Mini? The S version? SVT focus and save a bunch of money?

Javelin: Yes, Milwaukee sees a good bit of snow. Snow tires will be purchased for anything I end up getting. The SVT focus should probably be on the list. Any big items to watch out for on those? I've heard the dual stage intakes like to break, and I haven't looked into them that closely.

Reverend: You are right the evo and speed3 would be pushing the budget. Those are probably out based on that alone. I have been considering a gently used mazda2. I like them, and they are just big enough that they could haul humans in the back. I don't think I would consider an accent or fiat 500.

Mazdeuce: I would say cool and cheap are most important. I really would like a miata, but that isn't going to happen due to the family hauling requirement. I would consider a regular mazda3, and the mini would be a possibility, though they seem to be a bit expensive for what they are. I would probably want the S version if I got one. SVT focus sounds interesting.

The SVT Focus is as close to a Miata as you're going to get in a FWD 5-door hatch form. The regular Mazda3 is a nice car, but you'll constantly pine for the MS3. Some sort of E36 sedan may fit the bill, but I'm just not that up on BMW's to know which ones.

consider an 05-06 corolla xrs. 180 hp engine out of the gts celica with reliability and room for kids to spare. and dont be afraid of one with 100k, they go to 300k without major issues.

Hey, a fellow Milwaukee GRM'er!

There are some Saabs out there that would tick the boxes pretty well. My 9-5 does 34 freeway MPG, I'm sure you could do much better in a 9-3. The aftermarket is surprisingly big. You could put together a KILLER GM900, 9-3 or 9-5 for sub $10k. Viggens/Aeros have a lot of factory goodies but aren't necessarily worth the price premium. They are also super comfy, awesome in Wisconsin winters, and relatively easy to work on (except for when you have to drop the subframe).

You could probably pick up a sub-100k car for $4-5k, which leaves a heck of a lot of room for goodies...Saabs are becoming really worthless because of the company's woes, but they are a sweet bargain in return.

gunner: I have considered the corolla xrs with the 2zz in it. They seem like good cars, but the body kit is among the worst in existence. Not that that would stop me from getting one... body kits can be taken off.

Slick: I must admit I know next to nothing about saabs, aside from the ones on youtube with big holset turbos on otherwise stock motors. They seem kind of cool. Not knowing anything about them, are there any years that are more desirable than others? Also, what operation requires the subframe to be dropped?

The subframe really only needs to come off if you're pulling the trans or something major. Even then, it's not THAT bad, probably an hour job to get it off. From 1994-1998 you had the "NG" 900, which was available with a 2.0 turbo four. In 1999 it became the 9-3 and the 9-5 was introduced, both with a new 2.3 turbo four.They are both great motors with lots of mod potential - the 2.3 is prone to sludge issues if high-quality synthetic hasn't been used and changed frequently. The 2.0 is pretty bulletproof. They each have their advantages and disadvantages, but it really depends on what you want. I'm planning on selling my 9-5 to get into a base NG900 turbo, myself. You can make them QUICK and surprisingly good in the corners with the right aftermarket parts.

Another thing you may want to consider is how well the car you buy will do on the freeway for those 5+ hour trips.

I personally would not want to be stuck in an SRT4, Focus SVT, or any other buzzy small car too frequently with trips that long. The BMWs, Saabs, and maybe also a GTI or Jetta would be much more comfortable on those trips.

Another car that is smack in the center of your budget and really great on the freeway is the Volvo S60 or S80. The S60 was available in the last few years as the S60R with AWD and a 6-speed manual. And it's actually right there at the top of your budget, in good shape.