sport sedan or wagon for less than 20k

ok so i just found out my fiancee is pregnant, i'm really excited and happy...but all my cars(our) are kinda old beaters and she and i are looking for sedans/wagons . she wants just a regular sedan like a camry or civic or accord , she would even go for an is300. but i'm more picky and i want a sport sedan or wagon for less than 20k , my choices are

02-03 wrx, my most realistic choice . 03 evo, dreaming but may be a possibility e36 m3 sedan is 300

i'm having to sell my e30, my 280z , and my truck to get like 8k at least either to buy a car outright (wrx) or a down payment on something else. she's going to have to sell her e30 and with selling the spare motorset/wheels/turbo stuff i could maybe get a downpayment for a car for her, maybe even one outright , something at the most 10 yrs old.

i'm just venting cusother people's ideas input really makes more sense than one's worried ,excited perspective.

Congrats on the future kids.

I'd look into a Mazda 3 if you are looking at new or close to new. Some of the more recent Hyuandai, Suzukis are also pretty attractive and the 10 year 100k mile warranty of the Hyundais are nice to have on a family car that you need to depend upon.

The Elantra wagon is a nice looking car: http://www.hyundaiusa.com/elantra-touring/

The current Subie Impreza hatch is nice too. AWD, very spacious inside, well priced.

Mark my vote WRX wagon. My 02 has been more than excellent. Without hesitation the best car I've owned. I'd look at turbo foresters in that price range too.

I would like to know more about the potential sale of E30 parts. I just bought an '87 BMW 325is which is completely stock.
Maybe we should talk. I bought the BMW because the opportunity popped up. Now I have this BMW and my faithful '95 Volvo 850 wagon, non-turbo with manual trans. I love the wagon but suspect that I will put it up for sale soon. Are you interested in a flawlessly running Volvo in exchange for E30 parts. The wagon has 150k miles.

amg_rx7 wrote: I'd look into a Mazda 3 if you are looking at new or close to new. Some of the more recent Hyuandai, Suzukis are also pretty attractive and the 10 year 100k mile warranty of the Hyundais are nice to have on a family car that you need to depend upon. The Elantra wagon is a nice looking car:

The Elantra wagon just shouts "CHEAP" from every conceivable angle, I'd pay the premium for a Mazda3.

For sedans, can't go wrong with the Sonata. Our 06 has been trouble-free. Don't expect any soul-stirring excitement behind the wheel, though.

When my wife got PG, she sold her Eclipse and we bought an Audi A4. It was bigger then a Eclipse, but it is not really that big of a car. With the rear facing child seat in the center (safest place) it was hard to get the kid in and it limited the amount that the front seats could be slid back. If we were to put the seat behind the pass or driver seat, I would not be able to fit in it. I just mention this because the rear seats looked so big before we had a car seat in there. Also, the trunk on the A4 is nice and big, but it still was a chore to get the stroller that my wife picked out in there. we wound up buying another one once she got out of the carrier. Now that kid #2 is on the way, we are looking at a big 3 row SUV.

The best four door e30 in the world would cost a lot less than 20k, and it would last you forever..just a thought. If you really want a wagon, e39 5 series tourings are fairly plentiful unless you have to have a manual transmission - you can find them with sticks, but they aren't very common.

well, we think that she might get an suv, a 2000-ish yukon/tahoe is in the 6.5k range now... and we both think it would be an ok choice , only downside would be mpg.

I want a sport sedan/ wagon for when i'm taking care of the baby or w/e . the wrx wagons are really high in the buy list , however 05 sti's are in the teens now and the package would be awesome ... i would'nt really need to upgrade much since everything on the car is already very sport minded.Also 03 evos are sooooo very awesome.

jrw1621 , the bmw stuff is a running 2.7L and getrag trans motorset , not much else , however she has an 89 325i and i have a 90 325is... i'd love the wagon but honestly something newer and sportier is really what i'm looking for.

I got the mrs a 2005 BMW 325XiT wagon w/ 43k on it for $15k in January of '09. It had 7k left on the factory bumper-to-bumper. It has been fantastic and... well its been a whole year so you will be able to find them cheaper now.

I love my 2002 BMW 325iT wagon. I have 90k miles on it now, it's a manual and has both the sport package and premium package. They are popping up for under $10k now, at least for my era.

How are the bmw wagons on maintainance and reliability... and mpg?

How about tow ratings... ?

splitime wrote: How are the bmw wagons on maintainance and reliability... and mpg? How about tow ratings... ?

All BMW offerings, are more expensive to maintain/service and less reliable then your average japanese cars. Having said that purchasing one off warranty, can be a costly mistake. Always have some $$$ on the side for the unexpected as they do have more of those instances.

Mine has been dead nuts reliable. I bought it with 50k miles and just turned 90k miles. I spent a fair bit on it here recently, as I did the cooling system refresh that is highly recommended. While doing that, I decided to also replace the pulleys and tensioners, just as a precaution. Throw in new spark plugs, oil change, cabin microfilter and the parts bill was pretty hefty. But that's pretty much all I've done to date. Oh, I did add the RTAB shim kit that Turner sells...again, just as a precaution.

I can average 20-22 around town, driving sedately, but the short rear end in the manual transmission car keeps highway mileage to around 26 or 27 for me, depending on speed and the fact that i have 18" rims on the car and wider than stock tires.

Tow rating? I have no idea, but I know guys on the forums tow light trailers (e.g. tire trailers) with them.

subaru legacy gt or Forester xt.

Have kids in back.. Dust people.

I do love Dyintorace's BMW wagon...

While it's off. The second we're talking moving, however, my WRX wagon's extra power makes driving much more fun. MPG is a little worse, though, but "Stage 2" I'm making a good 50 more hp, at least.

Unless your absolutely certain the previous owner hasn't abused/launched the car, I'd stay away from used manual 5-spd subarus...

Chances are the transmissions won't grenade, or need frequent rebuilds, but I've known quite a few cases (including my own) to the contrary.

CTS-V. (yes that is a period)

Congratulations on the baby!

I think if you shop smart, you could solve both of your car needs for well under 20k.

For you- 02-03 WRX, sedan or wagon. Finding a good one under 10k won't be too hard. For her-02 or newer Forester or Impreza wagon. You can find a really nice one well under 10k. You can share parts, and Subarus aren't bad to maintain as long as you have some mechanical empathy. If you shop right, you could probably even put a couple grand in an account for emergency expenses.

With a baby on the way, I would suggest doing whatever you can to avoid financing ANYTHING. Kids are more expensive than they look, ask me how I know...

haha, yeah i wish the cts-v was in my range.... and i have been thinking of buying something outright instead of financing....but sti's and evos are so tempting even though what i really want is a wrx wagon...

stealthfighter1 wrote: ....even though what i really want is a wrx wagon...

You should talk this guy into selling his. I've seen it and it's in fantastic condition! Super low miles and rumor has it he is thinking about selling it...Osterkraut's 2002 WRX wagon

Impala SS.

eg6ajk wrote:

splitime wrote: How are the bmw wagons on maintainance and reliability... and mpg? How about tow ratings... ?

All BMW offerings, are more expensive to maintain/service and less reliable then your average japanese cars. Having said that purchasing one off warranty, can be a costly mistake. Always have some $$$ on the side for the unexpected as they do have more of those instances.

I'm not so sure about this one... I've owned a fleet of BMWs and a few japanese cars. In general the jap parts are more expensive - especially Toyota. The BMW needs more frequent maintenance but its super easy to work on and the parts are reasonable. If you are the sort of person who does his own work I really think it comes out pretty even. If you are the the guy who pays labor I still think its pretty close (assuming an inde shop)... you will never spend $1000 to have timing belt replaced on a BMW.

IS300
WRX
legacy/forester (sti if possible ...not sure if $20k is reasonable though)
Cobalt SS Sedan
G8
TSX

in that order

E39 M5.. <- that's two periods, which means really end of thread.

I know this thread is supposed to end but I also have a friend that's selling an 02 WRX Wagon w/about 62,000 on it. Tien suspension and aftermarket wheels with original included. Never autocrossed or driven in anger - he's more of a show guy with a collection of other cars (like E-type Jag, Grand National, Bandit-clone TA and an older Jag sedan). He wants 9k for it. Save me from buying it and selling my Miata to have it.