What affordable, new mainstream cars would you WANT?

What affordable(say<$30K) new (as in, currently in production) mainstream cars (like GM, Toyota etc...Lotus and Caterham etc. don't count) would you actually WANT? If none, what's the most recent car you'd want?

I can't think of any. There are some that I'd settle for but nothing I really WANT. Maybe because I like small lightweight 2dr coupes and they don't make those anymore.

The most recent match for me would be an MR-S or S2000.

none...

Hyundai Genesis 2.0T track edition. If I can't pick a Lotus, that's basically it.

If we're talking a little bit used, I'd agree on the MRS & S2000, and add in the Monaro/GTO.

Before anyone else chimes in, I don't particularly want an MX5.

i always wanted a new Yaris Liftback S, throw some Lotus Exige wheels on it... Thats about it, just for A to B commuting

If I win the lottery, I'd get get a Caddy CTS-V, but I don't think that qualifies as affordable.

Otherwise, it's old cars for me.

I'd like to take a look at a Fiesta, or the new Fiat Abarth.

*EDIT....for a bit used...probably an NSX.

• 370Z (that's borderline, I suppose...)
• Genesis 2.0T (tuner version)
• Subaru WRX
• Mazdaspeed 3
• Miata
• G8 GT (can you still get one?)
• Sky Redline (can you still get one?)
• RX-8 (I think...)

That's off the top of my head...

Jay wrote: Hyundai Genesis 2.0T track edition. If I can't pick a Lotus, that's basically it.

This, in black, with license plate that reads "SEGA", or better yet, "SEEEGAAA"

RX-8, GTI, MINI, Volvo C30 and Mazdaspeed 3 would start my shopping list, but $30k will get you a CPO BMW, which is where I'd probably spend my money.

I can't say I'd "WANT" any of them without driving them, but these have piqued my interest in a "damn, if I could justify taking on a car payment, I'd seriously consider getting one" kind of way:

Abarth (of course, with a home-made sticker, like so:)

Civic Si

Leftover 2008 Mustang GT

Might sound retarded, but I really want an Element, especially since they've been restyled.

Another RX-8 or a MINI is about it.

Hmm... depends... if my current DD were to get totalled, I'd probably end up in a MINI dealer ordering an R56 JustACooper... Although I'd owe it to myself to at least shop around a little... and the local Lotus dealer occasionally gets a used Elise for well under $30K... although I'm not sure how much I'd want to be DD'ing one of those for my 100+ mile/day commute...

current (in the last 4 years?)

BMW Z4 coupe'

Mini Cooper

Hyundai Genesis Coupe'

Saturn Sky Redline (did that come as a coupe' at all)

Saabaru (with STI underpinnings)

No Sky coupes, but until recently they made a Solstice Coupe. A Solstice GXP Coupe would be high on my list, but I guess it doesn't count since they stopped making them.

Um... mainstream.... The G8, Camaro SS, Mustang GT, WRX, Z4 Coupe. An S2000 would probably top my list though. There are plenty of newish (as in 1990+) cars that I really love, yet a lot of them aren't mainstream or aren't made any longer.

We just bought a Solstice GXP coupe, so that is obviously on my list

370z

Mazdaspeed 3

Mustang GT

G8 GXP

Camaro and Challenger, but the high performance versions would be well over 30k

I want to like the Genesis, but I'm not a fan of the styling.

I'm sure there are others I'm missing.

captainzib wrote:

Jay wrote: Hyundai Genesis 2.0T track edition. If I can't pick a Lotus, that's basically it.

This, in black, with license plate that reads "SEGA", or better yet, "SEEEGAAA"

lol

My Lotto List includes:

1: Base V8 Mustang, manual, with a splitter and a modest wing, 18" R compounds on light alloys, race prepped suspension dressed like the Parnelli Jones car.

2: Base V8 Camaro, manual, with a splitter and a modest wing, 18" R compounds on light alloys, race prepped suspension dressed like the Penske Camaro.

3: Base V8 Challenger, manual, with a splitter and a modest wing, 18" R compounds on light alloys, race prepped suspension dressed like the Gurney Cuda

4: LS6 six speed swapped 2006 Mazda MX5 on 17x9.5" summer high performance tires, make it dark red.

5: Hyundai Genesis V6 Track Coupe with LS6 six speed looking stock. It will be black.

6: Stock BMW 135i

7: 5.3L AWD Astro

Cotton wrote: We just bought a Solstice GXP coupe, so that is obviously on my list

I'm here to state the incredibly obvious

Hang onto that. Not only are they awesome cars, but that's a future classic.

Now don't quote me on this, but I'm going to need to stand up out of my chair to pull these figures out of my ass... something like only 200-odd of the Solstice Coupes were GXPs. Or so I heard. If anyone has actual existent numbers, by all means feel free to correct me

JeepinMatt wrote:

Cotton wrote: We just bought a Solstice GXP coupe, so that is obviously on my list

I'm here to state the incredibly obvious Hang onto that. Not only are they awesome cars, but that's a future classic. Now don't quote me on this, but I'm going to need to stand up out of my chair to pull these figures out of my ass... something like only 200-odd of the Solstice Coupes were GXPs. Or so I heard. If anyone has actual existent numbers, by all means feel free to correct me

They made 1152 total and I think the number of GXPs is closer to 500, but you're right...they didn't make many. We definitly plan on hanging onto it and not running it into the groud. We really liked our 07 GXP convertible and like the coupe even more. Now we just need some decent weather, so we can take the top off....we're looking and rain here for most of the next week.

Mustang GT for me, probably, but not over here on this island.

Otherwise, silly used stuff does it for me.

BoxheadTim: Dont they sell 'stangs on your side of the pond?

They do. But they're really expensive over here - in they US they're an affordable sportscar (I priced one up a year ago and it came out at around $30k) whereas here they are more or less Boxster money or more.

IIRC they're not officially imported and to get them road legal does take a little doing, so by the time you added shipping from the US, the work required and the importer's profit, it's turned into an expensive car.

I loves me the current generations of most cars out there, actually. I think I like pretty much every Ford vehicle currently in production. I'd take one over any Toyota or Honda for each given genre. Ford Taurus SHO would be my choice for a sedan for ~$30,000. Or a BMW 135 or 335 (again, a tad over $30,000, but close enough). Ford's Mustang GT, to me, is still king of the ponies. But I love the bigger, musclier cousins of GM and Chrysler too.

Miata

S2000

Genesis (I love it! Blue, please)

370Z

2011 Volt (it'll probably be a bit cheaper in 2011 than 2010--I bet that it's near $30,000)

G8 GXP is my 1st choice but at $41K is not in this category

Maybe the Genesis coupe, I haven't driven one yet. Mustang GT manual.

The rest under $30k ....bleah

'08 MS3 '04 WRX '05 Evo VIII

And an S2000 if I didn't have to daily-drive it.