The Bentley appeals the most simply because we seem to thrive in the ridiculous here.
The Bentley appeals the most simply because we seem to thrive in the ridiculous here.
How about for a beater the '10-11 Saab Aero AWD with the big wheels? The 2.5t V6 is pretty sorted and they are relatively cheap, plus different.
Hmm. <Wanders off to craig's list>
How about a Bentley Continental? It's turbo and AWD for the passes, it stupid enough because it is a Bentley.
I like Saabs, but for some reason the very late AWD ones are actually still pretty expensive out here. Not quite sure why.
I'd really like a late 16V C900 turbo three door, slightly lowered and tweaked. Something like this. But that's a little too close to my usual insanity.
Sonic wrote: How about a Bentley Continental? It's turbo and AWD for the passes, it stupid enough because it is a Bentley. Bentley
It's unfortunately also about $15k over my budget.
Plus I think the clients would be a little concerned about how much they're paying my employer for my services if you get my drift...
Postmodern beater Bentley might work, but something nice and relatively new most likely won't.
BoxheadTim wrote:Sonic wrote: How about a Bentley Continental? It's turbo and AWD for the passes, it stupid enough because it is a Bentley. BentleyIt's unfortunately also about $15k over my budget. Plus I think the clients would be a little concerned about how much they're paying my employer for my services if you get my drift... Postmodern beater Bentley might work, but something nice and relatively new most likely won't.
35k? So....brand new camry, or a Bentley!
In reply to mndsm:
Tough choice, isn't it?
What about a Trailblazer SS. Plenty in your price range. Cheap and plentiful parts to give your bank account a break or spend it somewhere else. Decent towing capacity. 0-60 in 5.4 seconds. Reasonably comfortable. Presentable for clients - isn't there a saab version too? Jeep SRT8 in the same category.
Looks like there is a one year only Saab 9-7x Aero that came with an LS2. That would be gloriously silly I guess, plus they look like they'd be the kind of size my wife would drive, too.
Unfortunately they look a bit unicorn-y. Quick search on most of the big West Coast CLs showed zero 2008 9-7x Aeros.
Volvo S40 T5 AWD? Acura AWD TL? I think they both came with 6speeds.
BoxheadTim wrote: Hmm. Not a turbo, but a very nice clean one There is apparently such a thing as a beater Bentley
Damn, for 5k you almost have to try it just because. If it were close to me I wouldn't be able to resist.
6.0 GTO?
If mpg does not matter than an Infiniti M56 awd (epa 16/18/23 on Premium) or the lesser M37 awd (epa 18/20/24).
Pretty much the entire Infiniti brand can be had with a letter X in the name for awd (though always with an automatic transmission)
Added bonus: big depreciation if shopping for a 5+ year old model but still less than 100k.
Mileage kinda matters because I tend to drive 500-600 miles/week when I take the car for work instead of flying. The 996 usually got around 22mpg so something in that ballpark or better would be good.
I did briefly consider GTOs but they're obviously not AWD and don't leave enough room in the budget for an AWD beater.
Newest lowest millage jaguar x type you can find. You will have plenty of scratch left over for preventive Maintence. At a 15 k budjet you should have 4-5k left over.
Timmy is the 500sl a 129 or 107?
In reply to benzbaronDaryn:
It's a very early R129. Has some mechanical issues from standing around for a long time, so it needs some recommissioning.
In reply to dean1484:
That's an interesting idea. Looks like it's almost impossible to spend more that 7k on one.
Mind you, the majority seems to be for sale at BH/PH dealers and that's usually not a good sign.
Patience is needed with these. They made a,fair number of then so there is alot of neglected ones out there.
Wondering if there was anything overlooked, I went to fueleconomy.gov and did a power search.
I specifically looked from 2014-2004 for non-trucks/suv and looked for manual trans and awd. I also left off Subaru, BMW, and Porsche choices (which there are many.)
A few surprises:
2011+ Mini Cooper S Paceman or Countryman All4 including JCW versions. 25/27/30 rating, Premium.
Audi A4 and A5 with 2.0L
Passat 4motion w/1.8L
Golf R w/ 2.0L
Audi TT
Saab 9-3x
Volvo S40 and V50
Volvo S60r and V70r
Here's a gem:
2014-2010 Acura TL with 3.7L and 6 speed manual. rated 18/20/24 on Premium.
Wow, these are within budget.
'10 Acura TL SH-awd 6 speed manual in Sacramento asking $15k. 
Here is also one of the few other SH-awd manuals in a western state. Ontario, Ca
Jag X-type
Mitsu Evo
What about the awd infinity sedan with the big motor. I can not think of the name at the moment. They seem like nice cars.
One option that I haven't seen mentioned yet is Cadillac CTS. 2nd gen cars had AWD in coupe, sedan and wagon forms.
Current gen are falling into your price range too. No wagon or coupe bodystyles though...
Or a Lexus GS? This one was the lowest mileage that I found with a quick search. Models with more miles are more budget friendly, and easier to track down.
I never knew the TL came in AWD. And a manual? Paint the center of the "beak" body color, and I'd call it good. Because that beak grille is absolutely hideous.
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