Looking for ideas on a new car

[nrcooled]

As much as I love my '91 hatch with an SR I just don't really have the time to dedicate to it anymore. After three years of love and affection I just don't have the time to keep it up anymore.

I need a car with a back seat for my daughter and something that will be just as reliable as the 240 but with a warrantee (sucks getting older w/ responsibility)
So here are the options that I have come up with:

1. E36 M3

2. Evolution

3. RX8

4. ?

Any other suggestions that meet the criteria are welcome.

BTW My car is officially for sale $8000 OBO

[240Stilo]

Have you test driven any of those to comment on their strong points? I would say go for RX8. I was watching a car and driver show or something and they were commenting how Mazda designed the RX8 so that it out handles it's prdecessor the RX7.

[nrcooled]

I had the privilage to take a ride in a Evo around VIR for a couple of touring laps and I was damn impressed

I have driven a E36 M3 and loved the balance of power and agility

the RX8 I have never driven but will soon

[OptionZero]

G35 coupe, end of discussion

[hookedup240]

G35 coupe, end of discussion


yes i agree, if you are even going to consider an rx8 you should consider a g35 coupe. So much nicer for the price. RX8 has barely any backseat, and has a really cheap plasticky interior, also the leather is very low quality.

[ONYX S-13]

How much is your price range? Do you mind having a used car?


If money isn't an option I'd go for

Supra
300ZX
Soarer
Older WRX ( love the way those look)
Ummm...
Porsche (Might be out of your range)
Audi S4....I'll try to think of more later.

[OptionZero]

He needs a car with backroom for his daughter, remember? A lil' kid will fit in a g35 coupe's rear seats, but i highly doubt you want a SUPRA for that =P

The 2004 G35 also has an updated interior, because INfiniti realized their current interior couild not compete with Lexus , Audi, and Acura. This from the Fresh Alloy's G35 forum which i lurk in part time

[cali240sxdrifter]

yeah whats your price range? There are lots of good cars in the EVO and Rx8 range, but mine would be the G35 Coupe or 350z. Or hey theres always a R32 u can get my other fav car.

[SilviaDriver]

If money isn't an option I'd go for


Soarer


i dont think so on the Soarer

[ONYX S-13]

I didn't know he had a daughter...S4's are nice, wrx's have back seats but dunno how much room though..You can allways get an sti wagon :p.Acura tsx, and the new TL is also nice....

[DuffMan]

I like the Evo8 a lot. The G35 I drove and it was kind of eh. Feels like a truck motor.

[Ricer240sx]

i would say for a family car try to find a used S4 not a new one cause now they have V8's in them and the older ones have BI-TURBO!! theres jsut something about saying yeah i got Bi-turbo that just sounds cool as hell, plus the A4(my parents car) is really really confy, handles great and is pretty damn quick if i do say so myself!! i cant even imagine how the sports car version (S4 :D ) would be. plus its 4 door so u cant go wrong :D

[cali240sxdrifter]

dang, how much do the S4 goes for?

[ONYX S-13]

New ones are i think 49k around there...S4 (the old ones) are soooo nice...Man I fell in love with it when i was a valet....that will be the best way to go if i were buying a used car.......I can't think of it or i'll get sad cause i'll never be able to get one :(

[AKADriver]

S4s are unreliable as hell. An S4 out of warranty is just asking to get screwed with a huge bill for replacing turbos or the transmission.

The RX-8 rear seat is excellent if you don't ride all leaned back. I was pretty impressed with it.

I'd rather have a G35 sedan than a G35 coupe - just personal preference.

I'd buy a Lancer Evolution, personally.

[Ghettokracker71]

soarer

Soarer


:wtf: is that???

EVO8 kicks major ass:) Do you really want AWD though?

RX8=much more like a 240sx

BMWs aren't really my thing.

[cali240sxdrifter]

wow 49k? I'd get the G35 Coupe or sedan and still have money left over to keep a 240 and mod it nice hehe

[ONYX S-13]

Lexus SC300 and 400...They are spacious and i've seen them go for less the 5 grand.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=159700038&dealer_id=&car_year=1993&make=LEXUS&distance=100&max_price=5000&model=SC300&sort_type=year&advcd_on=n&end_year=2005&min_price=0&address=92673&search_type=used&advanced=n&start_year=1992&=&color=&cardist=24

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=157844420&dealer_id=93740&car_year=1992&make=LEXUS&distance=100&max_price=5000&model=SC400&sort_type=year&advcd_on=n&end_year=2005&min_price=0&address=92673&search_type=used&advanced=n&start_year=1992&=&color=&cardist=29

i love these cars :love:

[AKADriver]

A Soarer is a Lexus SC.

[nrcooled]

I have a couple of offers on my car already so I will see how they go. Once I have cash in hand I will go and test drive to see what I like. After downpayment I don't want to finance anything more then 20k (so nothing over 30k)

Which puts the STI and EVO right in my sweet spot but at the same time the E36 is luxury plus fun

My main goal is to have a car that is a pretty damn comfy daily hauling the daughter with the ability to have tons of fun at the track WITH NO MODS. I am officially resigning from the modding game it was fun but requires too much of my free time and free money!

So the list is as follows right now:

RX8
EVO
STI
M3

[Ghettokracker71]

For no modding balls out performance? M3 would proble win.

IMHO I'd proble buy an EVO or RX8 b/c I don't run on the track.

[ONYX S-13]

EVO ! If not then M3...Have fun testin those nice cars!

[oojpeeoo]

wow u got quite sum skrill u workin with... wut about an sti??? or if u want luxury toyota celcius is badass..basically a 95-99 ls400 with jdm conversion and sum other shit i forget

[nrcooled]

EVO ! If not then M3...Have fun testin those nice cars!

Exactly what I was thinking!

[ONYX S-13]

I guess fromt he editors of SCC they said the only think they could find wrong witht he EVO is that it has a small gas tank...I guess if you're gonna used that as a commuter then you might be fillin up a lot.That wouldn't stop me though..I love that car.

[Bbandit]

E36 M3 definetaly

[S13FREEAAK]

If you aren't modding it, I would definenatly have to say the m3, much more badass than a stock evo, sti or rx8.

[AKADriver]

Not really. A NEW M3 might be, but a used E36 M3 is showing its age compared to newer competition.

The RX-8s are giving the E36 M3s fits in B Stock autocross. The STi and Evo are A Stock cars - a faster class entirely.

[aznpoopy]

i'd definitly consider the wrx or evo. four doors helps alot when you have kids. awd is good for a little peace of mind when you're driving your tykes around in the snow. don't know how reliable the evo will be... big turbo, tiny engine = kboom after 4 years or so?

as a second choice i'd look at the g35. rx8 has yet to prove itself in terms of reliability, and we all know how finicky rx7s were (at least by reputation). perhaps it can be reliable with the right rotary maintenance but you really wanna go through that?

[crioten]

ever look into a bmw 850? i know that they are a little older, but a damn good car, and did i mention that they have a 5.-5.6 L v12?

[OptionZero]

Well the RENESIS is a modern engine, with no turbo to boot, so it should be lightyears ahead in reliability and maintenance hassle.

The EVO's engine has been around for over a decade and has been constantly strengthened and refined...I would have no doubts about reliability, Mitsu knows what its doing with the 4G engine.

[crioten]

just b/c something is new, doesnt make it fool-proof, or more reliable...

[Ghettokracker71]

just b/c something is new, doesnt make it fool-proof, or more reliable...
Look at the design of the renesis vs. the wankel....at least ON PAPER it looks alot more reliable:)

[OptionZero]

very true, but the main criticism of the Wankel WAS reliability (overheating like a mofo), so it would be logical that Ford address these issues before pumpin out approval for the RX8

[Burmonster]

Get a Cosmos...

http://velocity.isfaster.com/kakkoii/1.gif
http://velocity.isfaster.com/kakkoii/9.gif
http://velocity.isfaster.com/kakkoii/8.gif
http://velocity.isfaster.com/kakkoii/3.gif
http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/images/pg09_00b.jpg

[boro240]

its just "Cosmo" not Cosmos. and the one you posted is the 13B version, weaksauce.

[brianglawson]

i say go with the STI, i know the evo is faster and actually turns sharper and such, but the sti has more passenger room, isnt as high strung, more imediate power, and is still an excellent performer, might be more in what your looking for in an everyday car, if not, my uncle has a G35 sedan with a tiptronic auto in it, and damn is it a performer, personally i would get the 6 speed, but wow i do love that car, if those choices you dont like, i say go e36 M3 or hell evenn a used E46 M3

[SimpleS14]

Get the EVO 8...and buy some JDM EVO 7 taillights...I HATE the EVO 8 taillights. If you can't do that...then get the M3...but just know that its German and expensive anyway you look at it. If you skip on those...get a STi...not sure if its as track friendly as the EVO..but definiately has a "badass" appeal. After those...I would get a G35 Sedan or wait for the new Legacy to come out.

[Var]

If it was me i'd definitely get a 4-door. Luckily 3 of the cars are 4-door. The Rx8 has those fake back doors but they help.. and both the G35 and M3 come in 4-door versions. I would definitely suggest a one or 2 year old G-35 sedan. Something with relatively low mileage and an extended warranty. If you want long-term and something you wanna stack miles on, DONT get a bimmer.You say "cant afford" in your original post.. well "cant afford" and "bmw" dont go together. the repair costs are ridiculous, even if you get parts at wholesale and do the labor yourself.

And although the EVO is probably the best car put out this year IMO, i doubt it will be a long -term car. i see it as a toy that you buy, rape and sell before the warranty runs out. And for SUBARU.....:down:
If Subaru built an airplane, i would NOT fly in it.

You didnt mention anything about racing it so i would assume it's not going to the race track. Get a 4-door if you have your daughter in mind. Also i think you should consider from FWD cars like the Maxima. One or 2 year old Maxima with a warranty IMO is the best family car you can buy on a budget

[aznpoopy]

Well the RENESIS is a modern engine, with no turbo to boot, so it should be lightyears ahead in reliability and maintenance hassle.


true, and i know 13B non turbo FC's have proven very reliable granted the owner knows how to maintain the engine. i've seen them hit 180k before a rebuild (which is amazingly easy to DIY on a rotary). iirc the renesis uses ceramic apex seals (taking out the main weak link in the old design).

still, it's a rotary. there are quirks in maintaining it. its bad for a rotary if you don't rev to redline now and then. overheat still means instant death. it still burns oil to lube the apex seals. and i'd be willing to bet mazda still doesn't have qualified technicians who know how to work on the car. if u own a rotary you better know how to fix it yourself.

on that note i foresee alot of a fucked up rx8s in 2 or 3 years with stuck ports and broken seals from carbon build up.

[240KAT]

Well Bakari, there's only one thing to say that hasn't already been said...
2005 Subaru Legacy GT. 2.5L Flat 4 Turbo @ 250hp. 5spd manumatic or 5spd manual. They look nice, Subaru hooked up with BMW to design the aesthedics (sp) of the car and its quite easy to tell..look at the lighting!
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/legacy2005.html <--specs
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=29&article_id=7028 <--car and driver's impression.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0310_frst_legacy/ <--Motor Trend's impression.
My only beef with the car is that it doesn't have a rear spoiler..should atleast have a little something. Just my $0.02...but I still want your Volks bad. :naughtyd:

[Ghettokracker71]

Well Bakari, there's only one thing to say that hasn't already been said...
2005 Subaru Legacy GT. 2.5L Flat 4 Turbo @ 250hp. 5spd manumatic or 5spd manual. They look nice, Subaru hooked up with BMW to design the aesthedics (sp) of the car and its quite easy to tell..look at the lighting!
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/legacy2005.html <--specs
http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=29&article_id=7028 <--car and driver's impression.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0310_frst_legacy/ <--Motor Trend's impression.
My only beef with the car is that it doesn't have a rear spoiler..should atleast have a little something. Just my $0.02...but I still want your Volks bad. :naughtyd:
OH! Nice one ....very nice:)

[Burmonster]

its just "Cosmo" not Cosmos. and the one you posted is the 13B version, weaksauce.

Yeah, I just went to one site to post up pictures and the car happened to have the 13B instead of the 20B. A well, I still want one.

[AKADriver]

ever look into a bmw 850? i know that they are a little older, but a damn good car, and did i mention that they have a 5.-5.6 L v12?

SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP NO!

For one, the backseat isn't much larger than an S13's anyway.

Besides that, they are a total maintenance and electrical nightmare.

Here's a taste: They have two ECUs running in parallel. I'm not joking. The engine is controlled as two 2.5L inline sixes. Frightened yet?

Old V12 BMWs look pretty sitting in the garage, but that's about all they're good for.

[nrcooled]

The car will be going to the track to see duties. The whole purpose is to have a car that is track friendly STOCK. I don't want to modify anymore. I will be going car shopping this weekend and I will see what comes of it. If I can't get hte rate that I want I will be keeping the 240. No sense in getting myself in finacial trouble over a car.

But if I get the rate that I want I will be posting up pics of the new ride.

Thanks all for the suggestions but I have narrowed it down to the
1. M3
2. Evo
(in that order)

If I can't find an M3 w/ the options and miles that I want I will be getting the EVO (and a higher payment :()

[Ghettokracker71]

The car will be going to the track to see duties. The whole purpose is to have a car that is track friendly STOCK. I don't want to modify anymore. I will be going car shopping this weekend and I will see what comes of it. If I can't get hte rate that I want I will be keeping the 240. No sense in getting myself in finacial trouble over a car.

But if I get the rate that I want I will be posting up pics of the new ride.

Thanks all for the suggestions but I have narrowed it down to the
1. M3
2. Evo
(in that order)

If I can't find an M3 w/ the options and miles that I want I will be getting the EVO (and a higher payment :()
EVO=4G63T=:rawk:

[kcolyer27]

wrxss have tiny backseats. get the evo its an incredible car with large backseat and very very very fun to drive. Outhandles basically everything on the road including some ferraris.

[kcolyer27]

i say go with the STI, i know the evo is faster and actually turns sharper and such, but the sti has more passenger room, isnt as high strung, more imediate power, and is still an excellent performer, might be more in what your looking for in an everyday car, if not, my uncle has a G35 sedan with a tiptronic auto in it, and damn is it a performer, personally i would get the 6 speed, but wow i do love that car, if those choices you dont like, i say go e36 M3 or hell evenn a used E46 M3


You have obviously never been in a sti or evo, The sti has the smallest backeat ever. IM 5 9 and i had to turn sideways to get into the back seat. the evo has 10x more room in the backseat. Also how is an evo faster sti has 300hp stock the evo has 271, they both weigh about the same amount. The evo is alot better handling though

[Ghettokracker71]

You have obviously never been in a sti or evo, The sti has the smallest backeat ever. IM 5 9 and i had to turn sideways to get into the back seat. the evo has 10x more room in the backseat. Also how is an evo faster sti has 300hp stock the evo has 271, they both weigh about the same amount. The evo is alot better handling though
Its faster depending on your point of veiw. Car and driver hired a professional rally car driver ( can't remeber his name??) and he got better times on the rally course and regular autox track in the EVO b/c the much better handling.

[240KAT]

Now lets not talk about handling better than everything on the road..you're pitching your ideas to a HICAS driver. :fawk:

[crioten]

SWEET MERCIFUL CRAP NO!

For one, the backseat isn't much larger than an S13's anyway.

Besides that, they are a total maintenance and electrical nightmare.

Here's a taste: They have two ECUs running in parallel. I'm not joking. The engine is controlled as two 2.5L inline sixes. Frightened yet?

Old V12 BMWs look pretty sitting in the garage, but that's about all they're good for.


um, where did you hear that they are a maintenance nightmare? (the only thing that i can think of is that they are cramped on space when working on them) i know that they have some electrical problems, but they really arent that bad...

im really good friends with the head master tech at a BMW dealership and he has TWO 850's...and he says that people bad mouth the cars more than they should...the reason that they have all those problems, is that the people that own them dont know how to properly maintain them...

as for the engine and ECU, im aware of that and if bmw thinks its good enough, it is for me too...and ive never heard of anything going wrong with the ecu's

[brianglawson]

You have obviously never been in a sti or evo, The sti has the smallest backeat ever. IM 5 9 and i had to turn sideways to get into the back seat. the evo has 10x more room in the backseat. Also how is an evo faster sti has 300hp stock the evo has 271, they both weigh about the same amount. The evo is alot better handling though

ive sat in an evo, it was at the NYIAS but i havnt been in a STI, i was going by reviews.... I do know the STI is softer sprung, what about a new R32 VW, the may not be as quick but ive read they are major autoX machines STOCK, plus you would have the torque of that 3.2, my father has a 2.8 and man its a torque monster , i can only imagine the 3.2, plus 6 speed, and im 5'11" 218 pounds and i fit in the back fine with 2 others