What car please?

I drive 100 miles each day and have fun doing it. I have three adult sized folk to fit in it besides me. I would love to say I do fun car stuff (AX, HPDE, etc.), but honestly I work most weekends so my ride to/from work is my fun. Must have a clutch, be under $20k, and last 5 hard years.

Honda Accord.

Mazda 6

Civic Si 4 door

Fun other choices

MazdaSpeed 6

Subaru WRX Hatch

Saab 9-2x

I am 6'4" so what is your definition of "adult sized"?

Forgot one

Jetta TDI

In reply to FlightService:

Two boys pre-teen hovering around wife's height of 5'5". I'm a quarter short of 6' .

Would love to get an RX-8, but I think I'd be spending too much in gas and my family might be smushed. On the other end a G8 GXP would work if I could chop about $18k from the price.

In reply to jrg77:

4-door Integra GS-R
BMW 3 series
Acura TL
Pontiac G8
Sub Legacy This with a V-8/6Spd conversion.

Honda Fit?

Fiesta?

Do you want new or used?

Any Honda sedan...Fit, Civic, Accord

Mazda 3

Hyundai Elantra

Maxima SE
3.0L V6 with 5 spd manual in some years.
3.5L V6 with 6 spd manual in other years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Maxima

MazdaSpeed 3

In reply to Klayfish:

I would prefer used, but I get a better interest rate on new.

even shorter than average folks will be a bit cramped behind a 6 foot-ish person in the front seat in a mazdaspeed3/mazda3 hatch. i had to have the seat back almost to the last notch on the slider, and the WRX wagon is nearly identical in interior dimension. actually the mazda3 sedan has a couple more inches of rear legroom over the hatch, not sure about the wrx sedan.

TL or TSX might be a better option, while still available with a 6speed, although it might be hard to find since there were only three or four of each ever made with a manual trans, but that probably goes for all of the suggested models, except maybe the mazdas. legacy GT with a manual will also be a tough find, even more so if you want a wagon (only produced one year in turbo/wagon/5 speed, 2005. LGT sedans with a stick were 05 and 06 i think).

used: Mazda6, Nissan Maxima, Acura TL, 05+ Legacy GT Turbo, Saab 9-3 or 9-5

new (much better financing than used): check out deals on the Mazda3 and Mazda6, Hyundai's line up is pretty impressive, Suzuki Kizashi has been getting great reviews as well.

I'm kinda leaning towards the Nissan Sentra Spec-V as they have 0% financing and I can supposedly get the car $20k for around $18k. According to Edmunds it's about half a second faster to 60 but doesn't handle as well. The Legacy et al are cool, but new are at least $24k. If I'm missing something here please let me know.

jrg77 wrote: I'm kinda leaning towards the Nissan Sentra Spec-V as they have 0% financing and I can supposedly get the car $20k for around $18k. According to Edmunds it's about half a second faster to 60 but doesn't handle as well. The Legacy et al are cool, but new are at least $24k. If I'm missing something here please let me know.

The two dealers in Chicago have tossed me internet prices for the Spec V as $17,200 + $750 shipping. So $18,000 is about right. (+ tax + plates + dealer prep)

Let me know how your right leg fairs on that plastic console as I had a sore leg in my Mazda3 rental car 3 weeks ago.

Audi A8L.

I am tired of small cars ;)

I will + 1 the 9-5, as long as it is an Aero.

In reply to pete240z: Yeah, my Xrs has busted console covers because of miscommunication with my knee. Mazda3 looks nice but cramped in back.

Forte SX Kizashi Elantra 6spd Sonata base 6-spd

Bobzilla wrote: Forte SX Kizashi Elantra 6spd Sonata base 6-spd

Bob,
There is a strange quirk here at GRM boards, you have to hit the space bar two times before hitting the return key if you want your typing to be single spaced. That is how I did it above.

Just drove the Kizashi (sounds like a cereal). The base comes with speakers, but no radio?!

I'd have to spend some money on struts/shocks, springs, wheels, and a radio. That doesn't make it as competitive.

In reply to jrg77:

My mom has an 08 Sentra S and with my driving position, there was plenty of room behind me, and I'm 6 even. But hers has that crappy 2.0 and the blasphemous CVT. I assume it would be okay with cruise, but without it it's entirely too twitchy, and switches revs around way too much.

I actually like the B16 Sentra styling better than the B15. I haven't driven a new SE-R, but I would definatly look at buying one.

Just drove the Forte SX. Roomy and quick. Had a bunch of stuff compared to the Suzuki.

In reply to BowtieBandit:

Had an 04 Spec-V. It was fun. I kept baging off the rev limiter because I kept expecting it to pull to 7 or 8k. Fixed that by getting the Xrs.

In reply to jrg77:

See that's what I like about my 01 Sentra SE with the last of the SR20's. Revs to 6750, which isn't streetbike high, but I think the 2.5 doesn't rev nearly as high as it should, for my tastes atleast.