Help me waste money on a car (1 Viewer)

[Paul_Fisher]

The WRX will be my next car, whenever my Accord stops running (which doesn't seem to be anytime soon).

 

[Jon_Welker]

Speaking of the Mazda 6s, I just test drove one (twice) today. It was a very eye opening experience for me. I stopped into the Mazda dealer looking for an RX-8, and they didnt' have any yet, should be in next week. So, said, "Could I take a 6 out for a spin?" I was really surprised by this car on a couple of fronts. The performance/handling/drivability really took me. Also, the car just felt like it was built solidly. No tin can sound when you close the doors.

Ryan - I think I'm having second guesses on the CL again. My short list just grew by another car. Maybe for grins, I'll test drive a WRX just to see. Have to prove to my wife that it would serve some sort of functional purpose besides me playing Mario Andretti.

 

[Scott L]

I've come to the conclusion that I really ought to stay under 30K

A base model 350Z starts out at $26k and the performance model sits right at $30k. Not luxurious enough?

 

[Cary_H]

I hope to remain carless 'til the end, but if I were to entertain the idea of car ownership I'd search high and low for a cherry Porsche 928 from the last model year or so prior to them being discontinued.
I have any number of friends who have owned more than one. More than a few of these 928s met their demise at the hands of their owners, spousal units, or morons who chose to occupy the same piece of road at the exact point in time, often at speed. All of these folks keep replacing them with another one of the same.
I once asked one of these guys who had deep enough pockets to buy any car he desired, why he opted for a 928 over, say, the Turbo. His reply was simply, "I drove both of 'em. The 928 is in another league altogether". He added, "if the 911 series makes your heart go pitter-patter, get one. Just don't make the mistake of getting behind the wheel of a 928."
On the other hand, my own situation doesn't demand that I own a car and we don't get much of a winter where I live. That said, any vehicle purchase of mine now would be of the "classic, driven only on the most perfect a day, hope to see it appreciate in value" variety.

 

[David Preston]

Didn't read every post so has anyone suggested a used C5 Corvette. Maybe you can find one that a old man drove and didn't abuse too much. I would consider them very fun to drive and reliable. I love the C5 Vettes but kinda waiting on the C6 when it comes out.

 

[JamesHl]

If you get a new 3 series, you'll have the distinction of owning one of the last good looking cars BMW will make, because this new 5 series is going to either kill them, of if it does well they will continue with the style.

Frankly, I'm not sure which is worse.

I'm happy to have my E46 M3. The sexiest car BMW will ever make, possibly behind the 850ci.

 

[Ryan Spaight]

If you get a new 3 series, you'll have the distinction of owning one of the last good looking cars BMW will make

Yeah, no kidding. I'm not at all sure about this new design direction. The new 6-series doesn't look bad to me, though.



Ryan

 

[Ryan Spaight]

Well, Infiniti offered me a heckuva lease on a "demo" G35C 6MT (only 300 miles), so I bit. What a car! It's black (I've started calling it the Batmobile, with the pointy headlights and all).

Supremely impractical, of course -- the 18" Pilot Sports will be useless in snow (which we don't get a whole lot of here anyway) and it has a tiny trunk (there's a little sign on the inside trunk lid to show you the trick to fitting two golf bags), but that's why the other half of the garage is home to a '93 Toyota pickup.

Thanks for all the help! I drove a lot of cars, but the look and feel of the G coupe won me over.

Ryan

 

[Howie D]

Congrats Ryan, enjoy, I've had mine for almost 5 months now and still love going for rides here and there. There's a few forums out there for the G35C look them over if you're interested.

Link Removed
G35 Driver
6MT Net

 

[Scott L]

Hah nice! Can you post some pics? Stillen has recently made a supercharer kit for the 350Z/G35 if you ever want to smoke some porcshes.

www.stillen.com

 

[Ryan Spaight]

My digital camera is AWOL at the moment, but I'll see what I can do.

I can scarcely imagine what this beast would be like with a supercharger. I'm still in break-in mode so I'm not going above 4000 (well, maybe once...), but I still have gobs and gobs of torque.

Ryan

 

[Aurel Savin]

Great car Ryan ... Congrats!!!

 

[Howie D]

ATI is also making a supercharger for the G35.

ATI Pro Charger

I believe they've completed one for the 350Z and are finishing up the one for the G35C. Supposedly it's supposed to take it to over 400HP. That's a bit much for my taste as I'm more into just obtaining a little bit of HP here and there. I still have yet to do any mods to mine but am looking into the Borla True Dual Exhaust and Cold Air Intake.

 

[Trevor H]

Well I went to test drive a RSX Type-S, and I don't fit too well in it (i'm 6'3"). Then I went to the Mercedes dealer to look at the C230 Kompressor which fits me like a glove, I love this car but I have a couple problems with it.
1) it's a little more money than I wanted to spend (with leather and the Evolution Package) &
2) the stereo is so-so unless you "upgrade" to the Bose stereo (the dealer told me that you can't upgrade the stereo with aftermaket products because of the cars fiber-optic system) and I'm not paying a grand for a Bose stereo.

 

[David Susilo]

Bose head-units, up until 2 years ago (don't know about now), were internally Clarion ProAudio, and they don't sound bad at all.

 

[Trevor H]

It's not the head-unit I'm worried about it's the speakers (they didn't have one in with the Bose upgrade so I didn't get a chance to hear it)

 

[Ryan Spaight]

The G35 has a Bose system in it, and it sounds about like you'd expect a Bose system to. Not terrible (like, say, Bose cube speakers), but not "premium" either. It's OK. The exhaust note sounds much better.

Ryan

 

[brentl]

"Well I went to test drive a RSX Type-S, and I don't fit too well in it (i'm 6'3")"

Yep, my thoughts on that car!!

Mostly the sunroof I think!!

 

[Aurel Savin]

Trevor ... as an alternative:

Cooper

 

[Trevor H]

Trevor ... as an alternative: Cooper

I saw them at the BMW dealer, they are a very cool car and they have lots of room, they just aren't "me"