In reply to GameboyRMH :
Ok that makes sense. If i'm trying to do track stuff it seems like subies arent ideal without dumping money in.
Modern mazdas seem very reliable.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
Ok that makes sense. If i'm trying to do track stuff it seems like subies arent ideal without dumping money in.
Modern mazdas seem very reliable.
In reply to DannyDattos :
Infiniti g20 is a car I never knew existed - the seem impossible to find but interesting. How was the crx?
In reply to mr2peak :
Got it, I have found a base e36 328i sedan, a 330i sedan, a 96 328is coupe, and a 330ci e46 coupe that was owned by a grandmother. I will be driving the sedan tomorrow to get a sense of it.
So I will be doing many test drives tomorrow. Tomorrow I should be test driving a 330i e46 sedan, along with a mazda2, 8th gen civic si, and maybe a ek civic (if they get back to me) to help me make a decision. I will be driving a fit, and maybe a few other cars this weekend as well. That will help me realize which cars I like more. So things are going well!
In reply to Evanuel9 :
Yeah they're kinda hard to find, let alone a manual one. The crx was the most fun I've had driving a car, even with the vague factory shifter bushings. If I can make my Datsun wagon handle even close to how that crx did, I'll be a very happy camper.
In reply to DannyDattos :
Crxs are awesome - Unfortinately they're out cuz no airbags
So I drove a 1999 e46 323i with blown struts and an auto and a 2006 civic si with E36 M3ty coilovers, a bad tune that made it rev when the clutch was depressed and the gas let off, and general ricerness.
I feel like I couldn't get much of a difference between the two. The suspension felt different and the Honda revved higher but I was driving too much like a grandma and too afraid to mess up that I drove like a grandma. So I couldn't really feel a difference in nimbleness, handling, weight transfer, stiffness, or drivetrain.
It hasn't answered any of my questions, or helped me make a decision. I feel like there wasn't much difference.
The bimmer was much more comfy and stable, but the steering wasn't as tight. It did feel like a tighter radius/quicker steering. Much more low end grunt as well but lower revving. The civic had tighter steering and the high revving was fun but I couldn't feel much handling difference between the two because I was driving carefully. Stalled a few times too since I hagent driven a stick in a while.
Anyway test drives havent helped. I feel at a loss. The civic si and e46 sedan are such different cars you'd think I'd easily decide which I like better but I couldn't. Like I said I even had a hard time discerning differences.
Sounds like you drove two pieces of crap. Stop messing around with cars like that. I sent you an email a few days ago. Go find a good BONE STOCK car such as a Mazda2 or Scion TC or Honda Civic. The BMW is phenomenal, but more than you want to live with from a maintenance perspective. Like you said, you can't feel the difference anyway. Do not start with some clapped out car. Start from stock with a reliable car, get some seat time and learn. You can learn a ton with any car.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Missed your email! My inbox is insanely clogged
They were pretty crappy. I had some free time today and couldn't make it to dealers but saw a few private sales near me.
I thought the civic was stock (from the online description), but when I got there it was clapped out. Same thing with the bimmer.
I drove the bmw, not because I'm seriously considering one, but rather to see if there was anything that I'm missing out on.
I am going to be test driving a mazda2 and Honda fit tomorrow and Saturday along with a mazda3, golf, yaris, and fiesta.
I don't understand why I couldn't really feel a difference. Like I said on paper they're wildly different. A 3200 lbs rwd sedan with a larger, torquier, lower revving inline 6 vs a 2800 fwd coupe with a high revving 2.4 inline four. And yet I couldn't really feel a material difference. Why didn't it feel more nimble?
Again I drove it very slowly and it was clapped out but still, should feel some nimbleness or handling. I should've felt the phenomenalness of the bmw or lightweight of the civic.
I want a reliable car that's stock, I thought the civic was, but it was clearly not when I drove it. It was riced out and awful.
If you drove like a grandma you won't notice much difference. As you drive more spirited the character of the car comes through. A 3500lb car can still be fairly nimble. Weight shouldn't be a concern right now, nor the driven wheels. A well cared for platform is the way to start. My '08 328xi is stock and it's a riot to drive. I love it more than most daily driver cars I've had... and I've had at least 100.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Yeah, I was afraid of driving too hard with the owner sitting right there, and with the civic it was magnified because I just drove in a parking lot and was too afraid of messing up a shift. Still stalled thrice lol.
I definitely get that weight can be irrelevant, I just thought that I would feel a 400 lbs weight difference and driven wheels difference.
I'm going to test drive proper, bone stock cars tomorrow and saturday to get a real feel for them. How hard should i drive them? What is acceptable/polite but enough to feel the differences?
In reply to Evanuel9 :
Just ask if they mind you winding it out a bit. You know, get up there, but not redline. Ask about taking some turns a bit spiritedly. Not breaking traction, but not 10mph either.
In reply to clutchsmoke :
Fair enough, the bimmer guy seemed comfortable with it, but I also generally drive slowly because I'm a bit afraid of crashing. i need to get my confidence up.
SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) said:Sounds like you drove two pieces of crap. Stop messing around with cars like that. I sent you an email a few days ago. Go find a good BONE STOCK car such as a Mazda2 or Scion TC or Honda Civic. The BMW is phenomenal, but more than you want to live with from a maintenance perspective. Like you said, you can't feel the difference anyway. Do not start with some clapped out car. Start from stock with a reliable car, get some seat time and learn. You can learn a ton with any car.
Page after page of discussion, and right here is the best advice in the whole thread. BUY A BONE STOCK, WELL CARED FOR CAR.
You can choose what you want, my experience with living with modified cars led me to pass on buying a civic SI in my price range, because all of the unmodified, clean title cars with reasonable mileage were thousands more.
Instead I bought a much slower 1.8 powered civic, put on some used Koni shocks and rear sway bar, and I love it. Track days, autocross, daily driver that gets 30 mpg on regular gas, it does it all well.
Clutchsmoke, SKJSS and Floating Doc have spoken my mind.
CyberEric said:Clutchsmoke, SKJSS and Floating Doc have spoken my mind.
Agreed!
Here is a specific example that I think you should look at. Precuser...I like the fringe offereings. When you go shopping for the car that everyone wants, its either hard to find a good example (used up) or if you do find a good example, it ain't cheap. So, the fringe offerings.
'10 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V in NW Indiana. Only 111k miles and being a 2010 it has modern safety. Asking $6k. This particular example happens to be at a dealer also which your parents might like given that you previously mentioned they are shy of private party sales.
No, this is not the B13 SE-R that everyone wants (remember used up or crazy expensive.)
It is also not the B15 which had some questionable crash safety ratings.
As the Spec-V version, these B16s got a limited slip 6 speed and big 2.5L engine (stock 2.0L.) Reviews were mixed and most reviews put the Civic Si of the time ahead of it. Again, Si either used up or crazy priced.
A sample written review from when new.
A video review (as a used car) I found:
Further more on this specific one.
Is that a dent on the driver's side rear wheel lip or is it just an odd reflection?
Also notice the green leaves on the trees in the photos and the fact that the dashboard says 71 degree. This dealer has had this car for a while. That might translate into a price reduction.
In summary, it may not be a Civic Si (and never was) though was considered a competitor. However, can you buy a stock condition, 111k Civic Si for less than $6k?
Do not miss this GRM review, when new, including Mini, Mazdaspeed3 and SE-R Spec-V (placing in that order.) ...and Si and GTI.
Summary SE-R quote from article: As far as a daily driver, we’d have to go with the SE-R, as it was the best at alleviating the monotony of a daily commute. We don’t see it running down the MINI or Mazda in sanctioned competition, but the Nissan just fit us well.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
Yep, you guys are right about bone stock. The Facebook ad didn't mention the mods, and not did my texts with the seller. I did not know it was so badly modified. I want a stock car, mostly because I want to do my own (proper) mods.
I'm looking at a base civic, test driving today or tomorrow
In reply to John Welsh :
I'm definitely willing to open my horizons up to other cars, but I can't bring myself to own that generation of sentra. It's just uninspiring and ugly to me. And I figure why buy a 3100 lbs sentra se-r when I could get a 2200 lbs mazda2 that's allegedly a fwd 4 seat Miata, 2400 lbs fit with motorsport pedigree in sundae cup and a very strong aftermarket, 3000 lbs cobalt ss which held the 'ring record for fwd cars, 2500 lbs base model civic 8th gen, 2900 lbs mazda protege, or even a heavier (3200 lbs) but much faster Mazdaspeed 3. I really don't like the sentra, it may be a great car but I figure if I've got other great options, why get something that I really don't like.
Any other fringe suggestions though? I'm very open to other suggestions, but I very specifically don't like the b15 and b16 sentras.
In reply to Evanuel9 :
No problem. Yours is the common sentiment as proven by the fact this car reminds on the market for this long.
In reply to John Welsh :
Lol yeah, they're not very popular. Any other oddball or less popular ideas?
For your purposes, pretend all cars weigh the same. It's not relevant for you. I'm in the middle of driving from Florida to Georgia so I can write more later. As I've said before, you can have a ton of fun in pretty much any car. I had a Sentra SE-R Spec V. I did a couple track days with it, and it was fantastic. I would take it over the Honda Fit any day, or the Mazda2.
In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :
Enjoy the road trip.
Its just so ugly! Lol. I cannot get past the looks. What makes it better than a 2 or fit?
Did I miss the words FRS and BRZ in the above prose? The driving experience is on par with the Miata and you can put the parents in the backseat for family trips.
While I don't fully agree with the NO MIATA parental opinion, I do understand where they are coming from.
In reply to NOHOME :
Yep, frs and brz are number one on my list but there are none nearby that I can afford, even if I stretch my budget by another 1000 or 2000*. I found a couple in the US but they are either salvage title and far away, or just far away. My parents are limiting me to the chicagoland area - even with the suggestion of paying for a PPI or asking a GRM-er to look at it.
If I could find a frs or brz that I can afford I would IMMEDIATELY buy it, but alas.
*Unless anyone here knows of one?
Oh man, I'd be ALL OVER that Sentra. I didn't even know the SE-R V Spec existed in the gen. I bet you could make it look better with the right wheels.
Again, I agree with SJKSS about pretending they all weigh the same.
You'll need to log in to post.
