In reply to barefootskater (Shaun) :
Its a personal stigma for her. She grew out of being from the wrong side of the gator-hole, but still watched enough people she knows get shoved into the back of a CV that she doesn't want to be near one.
In reply to barefootskater (Shaun) :
Its a personal stigma for her. She grew out of being from the wrong side of the gator-hole, but still watched enough people she knows get shoved into the back of a CV that she doesn't want to be near one.
Can you get a 2011+ S197 Mustang V6? I know you said you aren't a big fan, but I've been seriously impressed with ours (even on the stock suspension). I'm a BMW guy (e36 M3, E46 M3, F87 M2, and a plane-jane E46), just so you have a sense of what I am used to in the "coupe" and "sporty sedan" market.
Everything is cheap. Everything is accessible. Easy car to work on . . . and 300 hp and almost the same amount of torque make it deceptively quick. I'm confident that there won't be many stock V8s that will keep up on track . . .
Shameless plug for our build thread:
You Should Buy a 2011+ V6 Mustang Six Speed
6 cylinder E39 5 series should hit the price target and is a pretty capable chassis on top of being big enough to be comfy. Autos will definitely hit the price range, manuals likely will too. If you want a V8 one, you're looking at autos or maybe a non-sport E38 7 series (auto only) to hit the price target.
I have found that Porsches seem to be good for tall people. The problem is your budget. You will need at least two and maybe three times your budget in today's market to get in to something that does not need immediate attention.
Mr_Asa said:In reply to barefootskater (Shaun) :
Its a personal stigma for her. She grew out of being from the wrong side of the gator-hole, but still watched enough people she knows get shoved into the back of a CV that she doesn't want to be near one.
Would a Lincoln Town Car have the same problem?
In reply to MadScientistMatt :
I'm thinking I need to lean towards getting her to accept the crown vic. If something else comes along that's a good deal, great, but the crown vic will solve multiple problems at once.
In reply to Mr_Asa :
This will shock you but Jaguar's after Ford bought them became extreme reliable ( Ford spent many millions ensuring their reliability)
XK8's are what you are looking for. Yeh the sedan is even cheaper but not as sporty. The XKR8's are already starting their climb back up. But convertible or hardtop are still modestly priced.
Mini Clubman S! It'll make you forget why you were biased against FWD
What are the thoughts on this? The mod list isn't really optimal, but nothing really is in buying right now.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/969625720433380/
In reply to Mr_Asa :
Unless they've replaced all the suspension arm bushings within the past 30,000 miles, it will be far from sporty. Also the aluminum arms don't take well to having replacement bushings pressed in, so most often entire arms are replaced
frenchyd said:In reply to Mr_Asa :
This will shock you but Jaguar's after Ford bought them became extreme reliable ( Ford spent many millions ensuring their reliability)
XK8's are what you are looking for. Yeh the sedan is even cheaper but not as sporty. The XKR8's are already starting their climb back up. But convertible or hardtop are still modestly priced.
I would normally say xjr so fast.
But the 98-03 xj is impressively small inside for how big the car is. Maybe they got better after 04ish? The xk8 might be better too.
EX35 for the sleeper wagon. Besides drinking gas mine has been fun.
captdownshift (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to Mr_Asa :
Unless they've replaced all the suspension arm bushings within the past 30,000 miles, it will be far from sporty. Also the aluminum arms don't take well to having replacement bushings pressed in, so most often entire arms are replaced
And all control arms would probably add another $500-1000?
There are kits out there for under $400.
I'd consider reaching out to someone on Turo about autocrossing an A4 prior to purchasing one though if it's something that you'd consider doing after purchasing, as they're not the most engaging fun in that scenario. Can they do it? Yes, of course. Do they scream a good bit about being asked to and feel less than eager to do so? Yes, they do so fairly begrudgingly.
This post is self serving so ignore if need be.
But this checks many of your boxes. I am 6'5 so you will probably fit at 6'1". It is also cheaper than your price range
Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:maybe this?
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/mmta-2003-5-spd-jaaag-x-type/187952/page1/
I cut my teeth on Jags, albeit the ones that gets frenchy's knickers tight, so I'm kinda anti-Jag based on previous trauma. I thought the AWD versions of them were not highly regarded though? Or am I think of BMWs? Or both?
Somebeach (Forum Supporter) said:This post is self serving so ignore if need be.
But this checks many of your boxes. I am 6'5 so you will probably fit at 6'1". It is also cheaper than your price range
I was looking hard at that earlier, and I may return to looking at it, but I'm just not feeling it for some reason. Probably biased against it because of how many blue hairs I see down here driving them.
The wife just said to me "You should get a Miata, that way I could borrow it whenever I want to."
00-03 x308s and 04-up x350s do tick some nice boxes.
x308 you should really get the supercharged because it ejects the ZF slushbox in favor of a Mercedes slushbox. Still expensive to fix, but far less likely to need it. x350 they all get the ZF unit which is a bummer, but supposedly some upgrades that make it less sucky.
And yes, x350 does have much more interior room, but don't assume that an x308 is "small" inside. Plenty of room, just not as much as you would expect for a car that size.
And don't discount the Miata. I'm 6'1" and 230 and I fit. There isn't much room to stretch out and be comfy, but I physically fit in them.
Nicest E46 you can find? Maybe a Z3?
370Z? Everyone seems to love how the VQ35 sounds 
IS300 is my recommendation. Manuals are rare, but out there. On marketplace in FL there's currently a manual setup for swapping for sale (and another separate listing for a manual ECU)
S197 4.6 3v. Get a Manual and have a great time.
These never seem to get love around here, why?
https://lakeland.craigslist.org/cto/d/lakeland-2003-cadillac-cts-speed-manual/7400621965.html
I know you said you didn't like Nissan/Infinity. If you get a chance, take a G35/350Z for a test drive.
I've hated Nissan since I owned a Stanza in the early 90s but when I asked the same question 3 years ago, I still bought an Infinity. For dollars spent, they are hard to beat.
Edit to say, I'm 6'2 and over 300 pounds. The seats are a little narrow for me, but I can still drive it for several hours in reasonable comfort.
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