Help me waste money on a car (1 Viewer)

[Brandon_T]

as apposed to the rear-wheel versions which aren't known for being great in snow).

My 5 speed 325is handled like a dream in the winters here in Michigan. Damn I miss that car. I had to sell it for financial reasons, but now am in a position to buy another.

I can't afford a new one, but a 3-4 year old one is in my future. A friend of mine has a M3 Good luck, my vote is to try and get a 330. Damn fine car there. So much fun to drive.

Brandon

 

[Ryan Spaight]

Jon,

If you want that Acura, move fast. The CL has been discontinued. (There will be a redesigned TL in the fall, but no new CL.) There's probably still some in the pipeline, but they're not making any more as of a month or two ago.

Mark,

That's kind of what I was thinking when I said I wasn't sure if a was a "BMW guy." I know they're great cars, but I don't have that burning desire to own one.

All,

Thanks for the fantastic input. If I do this, it'll be in a couple of months (long story) and I'll post here what I did.

Ryan

 

[Jon_Welker]

Damn, Ryan, you just gave that feeling that I need to be buying something before it's gone. Kinda like one of those Panasonic DVD players (rp-82, xp-30, etc.). I might have to take a trip down to the Acura dealer to drive one before they are all gone. Best of luck to you, and thanks for the info.

 

[Andrej Dolenc]

Don't be afraid of RWD just because of snow. My M3 (older style, '97 vintage) did fine this winter here in DC. We had an unusually snowy winter, but with snow tires I was always able to get around.

I'll also second what Mark said. With BMW, the test drive sells the car. It certainly did in my case.

Andrej

 

[Mike Lenthol]

I'll give the a A4 a

It's slow in any trim, Quattro has too much drag, the car is WAY too low to maneuver any major metropolitan area with road work going on. It does not feel refined, engine bay is cluttered and poorly designed and lastly owning one without the *full* manuf warranty is financial suicide. I did not trust that car at all.

 

[Tim Markley]

I'll also second what Mark said. With BMW, the test drive sells the car. It certainly did in my case.

This is very true. You MUST test drive the BMW. Make sure to drive one with the Sport package. Back in 2000 my wife started talking about buying a BMW. I had never been that interested in them (thought they were yuppie cars). It was going to be her car so we started checking them out even though I wasn't enthused about it. The first time I test drove one, I was sold! Man, that was a fun car to drive. Even though it only had 170HP (323ci) it had decent pickup and handled beautifully. We ended up buying a 2000 323ci, black on black with Sport and Premium packages and it's been a great car. The only thing the car needs is more HP but then again I drive a Corvette daily with 350+HP.

 

[MarkHastings]

My 5 speed 325is handled like a dream in the winters here in Michigan

I'm only going by what I've heard from others. I work in a wealthy section of the state and 40% of the cars on the road are BMW's. Since I've gotten mine, everybody has a story to tell me about theirs. The only real complaint I hear is they didn't do well in the snow.

So (Brandon_T), Maybe you're just a really good driver

 

[Lance Nichols]

I was going to recommend either the SRT-4, or the GT Cruiser. I have been having an absolute BLAST running around in my Cruiser (the GT Cruiser is the Turbo charged 2.4l In-line 4 PT Cruiser) Sticker says 215HP, but it is closer to 220 at the wheels. Comes with either Chrysler's Autostick, or a 5 speed Getrag.

Both the SRT-4 and the GT now have a Stage 1 upgrade for the engines, which puts about 20HP extra on the road. Not to mention the Cruiser has a pretty good following, and AWESOME meets, like Cruise the Falls. The GT has about 500LBS on the SRT-4, but considering the higher center of gravity, sticks pretty damn good in the corners.

 

[Jon_Welker]

Mark,

To each their own.

 

[Jon_Welker]

Ryan,

I just wanted to thank you again for the heads up on the CL. I have an overnight loaner sitting in my garage right now from the dealer. Gonna see what the wife thinks. If she gives me the green light, then I think it's on like Donkey Kong. I test drove the Infiniti G30 coupe yesterday, and it is one sweet ride. The exhaust note is outstanding. However, dealers aren't moving on them at all, whereas I can get a CL a few grand off list with a little negotiating. Thanks again for that update.

 

[David Susilo]

If you want to talk about a great following, there are other brands too. For example: Saturn, Volkswagen, and the list goes on.

I drive a 2003 Jetta 1.8T. With 180 hp (unchipped, 225 chipped with no other modification), 174 lb/ft of torque at only 1900 rpm, it's a really fast car.

The other day two of my buddies went to a track and raced our car. Just regular straight line. One is Acura RSX with upgraded CAI and muffler, manual tranny; the other is 2001 Jetta 1.8T with 150 hp, stock, manual tranny, and mine is the 180 hp, stock, Tippy. Funny thing is, from 0-120 km/h, The RSX and my car is head-to-head with the other Jetta only a tiny bit behind. I can only imagine if I have a manual tranny 180HP.

Oh yeah, I've bought the Accord V6 and sold it back within a week and keeping the Jetta instead.

 

[Trevor H]

I was going to start a thread like this but since this one is going I'll post here.
I am also looking to get a new car right away, I have my choices narrowed down to two cars: the Mustang GT and the Acura RSX Type-S. I am having a hard time deciding between them, any opinions?

 

[Bry_DD]

Trevor, I'll pick the Acura over the Mustang for reliability.

 

[Marque D]

I like Tim's recommendation for the Saab 9-3

 

[Trevor H]

Trevor, I'll pick the Acura over the Mustang for reliability.

Yeah, I thought about that but I will only keep the car for about 4 years anyways (I'm working my way up to a BMW)
These are two very hard cars to compare:


Mustang GT - V8, 260hp @ 5,250RPM, 302ft.lbs. @ 4,000RPM, 5 speed mt, only has Front wheel independent suspension


Acura RSX Type S - Straight 4, 200hp @ 7,400RPM, 142ft.lbs. @ 6,000RPM, 6 speed mt, Four wheel independent suspension

The Mustang wins in the power dept. and the outside looks, but the RSX has a nicer interior, transmission, and suspension.

Decisions decisions

 

[Scott L]

According to car-stats.com the RSX gets 14.8 in the quarter while the Stang GT gests 15.1?? RSX also beats the GT in 0-60 by 2ms (both tested by C&D). I guess the weight kills the GT, so they'll perform similarly accelerating from a roll.

Just take a test drive and see for yourself which you prefer.

 

[Mike__D]

It's slow in any trim, Quattro has too much drag, the car is WAY too low to maneuver any major metropolitan area with road work going on. It does not feel refined, engine bay is cluttered and poorly designed and lastly owning one without the *full* manuf warranty is financial suicide. I did not trust that car at all.

Wow, I could not disagree with you more. What year and model did you own?

While I agree the 1.8T is not fast, saying the car is too low, cluttered and unrefined couldn't be further from the truth. The A4 is one of THE most refined, smooth handling vehicles on the market. While there may not be much space in the engine bay, it is well laid out. Also, Audi designs and builds the best interiors in the business.

Mike D.

 

[Ryan Spaight]

I just wanted to thank you again for the heads up on the CL.

No problem, Jon. Hope it works out for you.

Trevor, as far as RSX vs. Mustang, I loved my RSX. (I'm sorta thinking about getting another one, but I guess that would be boring.)

One thing to think about is that the Stang makes tons of torque down low, so it will feel stronger in everyday schlepping around. The Acura is all high-RPM HP and not much torque, so you've gotta rev the heck out of it before it comes alive. (The engine is really sweet, though, so it's not unpleasant to rev it.) When the VTEC intakes kick in around 6000, whee!

Also, the resale on the Acura will be *way* better than the Mustang. That'll make it easier to get that Bimmer in four years.

Ryan

PS - After running the numbers a few more times and getting over the initial "new car buzz," I've come to the conclusion that I really ought to stay under 30K. I *could* afford more, but it's too big a bite out of the budget for comfort. (I've gotta get out of the habit of spending money just because I have it. ) So I'm sadly giving up the notion of the G35 and BMW, leaving the Accord on the list, and looking at VW (probably Passat) for the German entrant and the Mazda 6s (maybe also the Altima and the Acura TSX, but they're second tier at the moment).

I'm pretty sure I don't want to get into the whole Eclipse/GTI/WRX/Celica/RSX thing, though. I'm looking for something a bit more substantial.

 

[Mike__D]

I'm pretty sure I don't want to get into the whole Eclipse/GTI/WRX/Celica/RSX thing, though. I'm looking for something a bit more substantial.

While the WRX usually get mixed in the Compact Sport scene, I could tell you it's plenty substantial, depending of course on which definition you use. It's a solid, dependable car that's more practical then a hatchback. It has ample power that can be used year round. It's has a compliant ride, yet has a German solidness to it.

If your definition of substantial includes the image of wealth and luxury, then the WRX is not your cup 'o tea. Of the vehicles you listed, the bang for the buck is clearly the Mazda 6 and the TSX. From the reviews I've read, both of these vehicles offer a lot for little, and cater more to the "driver". In other words, while the Passat and Accord are fine vehicles, it seems they lack that "spirit of driving" that's present in the 6 and TSX (and of course the WRX )

I'd definitely move the TSX out of the second tier if I were you.

Mike D.

 

[Shane Martin]

Trevor,
I'd strongly consider the WRX over the Acura and Ford due to AWD in the winter + more power than the Acura. It might not be as nice as the Acura interior wise but I think its a better car. The Mazda 6 isn't a bad choice either.