What new-ish, fun momemtum-ish car?

mad_machine wrote: As an aside, swapping an LSD into a later car with traction control is supposedly a match made in heaven. You get the sure footedness of the LSD, but when things do get bad, the traction control kicks in

In his stated price range there is no reason not to just buy a really mint '99 M3, a spare set of wheels/snows and pocket a sizable savings off his top nut for the best of everything E36.

At $25k... a decent E46 M3 is in play too but an extra 100hp and 300lbs can't really be better in the snow can it?.

no.. but it would be great when the snow melts and the road dries out.

Personally, I think the E36 M car is a better car than the E46.. it may be slower and not as good looking, but it is lighter and more communicative.

I recommend an RX8. Gas millage is bad but the buy in price will cover the added fuel costs more MANY years. If you can check the oil you can keep one running.

It has four usable seats that real people can fit into and every single 2+2 car should have the rear suicide doors like the eight. Makes everything so easy.

The trunk is not the biggest and the opening is quite small but my toolbox and the rest of my stuff fits just fine.

Makes most other cars feel numb especially after i added some progress springs and tokico d specs and whats not to love about 9000 rpm.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

mad_machine wrote: As an aside, swapping an LSD into a later car with traction control is supposedly a match made in heaven. You get the sure footedness of the LSD, but when things do get bad, the traction control kicks in

In his stated price range there is no reason not to just buy a really mint '99 M3, a spare set of wheels/snows and pocket a sizable savings off his top nut for the best of everything E36. At $25k... a decent E46 M3 is in play too but an extra 100hp and 300lbs can't really be better in the snow can it?.

$25k buys a pretty mint E46 M3 these days. One thing to figure in is if there's going to be a loan chances are the car has to be no more than 10 years old, which takes the E36 M3 off the table.

BMW's just feel 'right' to me. E46 of some flavor if it were my main car, for the more modern safety features over the E36. Huge aftermarket, huge online and meatspace communities, acceptable parts costs, reliable if you do the obvious preventative maintenance, timeless styling, modern comforts, low-key enough to avoid attention, etc.

Make it a bit more hairy with some mild suspension mods and some poly bushings here and there, get some snow tires and you'll be good. Saves ya $10K or so to cover repairs for the next 5+ years or a dedicated plaything. My E36 is great now that it's running on upgraded suspension bits, but the Miata is always going to be more fun.

IMHO the E36 is a better car then the E46.

pigeon wrote: $25k buys a pretty mint E46 M3 these days. One thing to figure in is if there's going to be a loan chances are the car has to be no more than 10 years old, which takes the E36 M3 off the table.

Yes, there would have to be a loan but supposedly that's covered - one of the potential finance companies will lend on cars older than ten years at a slightly higher interest rate.

I'm just not sure I want something older than ten years that I'd need to borrow money for unless it's a very nice example of whatever car I'm looking at.

93EXCivic wrote: IMHO the E36 is a better car then the E46.

It depends on what you're measuring, and how you define "better".

The E46 interior wears better, it's significantly quieter inside, and the car on the whole is more refined and makes a slightly better DD.

Others would read that as "heavy, numb etc.".

YMMV. I LOVE my 325iT. I loved my E36 M3 more in some ways, and less in other ways.

I look at it this way.. my Ti was pretty beat when I got it. The suspension bushings were complete toast (and fell apart in my hands when I removed them) the shocks had given up even trying to control the movement of the car, the brakes were a suggestion, and the interior had every stereotypical BMW failure short of bad pixels on the odo.

Since replacing the bushings, struts/shocks, brakes, fixing the interior, and doing the proper preventive maintance.. the only failures I have had are a waterpump and the fuel pump. That is 50,000 miles in the past 6 years.. and the fuel and waterpumps did not strand me. They lived long enough to either get me home or to a place where I could replace them.

in all honesty, my poor little 318ti has been the most reliable car I have ever owned.. this over a brand new hyundai tiburon

How about Audi TT Quattro? Hard or soft top models are available, Quattro should be good in the snow. Seems livable.