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Need a new car.

T

tranceworld

CEG'er
Joined
Dec 8, 2004
Messages
38
Location
Newaygo, MI
Well I really don't need it yet, but in the process of looking. My contour is going old, and I can feel it in the car (98 2.0 atx) been looking around and really can't make up my mind. I have a good dealer that can get me pretty much what ever I want, at a low cost (near his cost after reconditioning)
I test drove a 2006 hyndaui sonata with 20k miles with the v6, only wanted 13k for it. That car lacked personality on the outside, has some damned good pick up though.
also interested in 2002+ GTI
2003+tiburon
I would like to keep this around 10-12k, and remember I can get cars cheap.
I need decent fuel mileage. reliable. peppy. four or six cylinder. tranny don't matter. Most of my driving is on two lane country roads so I need to be able to pass without waiting for a mile long clearing.
Don't much care for the malibu or impala. tarus no thanks. monte carlo no.
oh yeah, preferably under 70k miles.
 
How about a nice, leather lined Grand Prix GT or GTP from, say, '02 or '03? Those go for pretty short money, comparatively.
 
easy on the hyundai's, ive personally known people who have lots of problems with those. mostly electrical problems eek. i DEFINITELY recommend the gti, thats a high-quality vehicle with some good pick-up ur lookin for ;-). and i also agree with looking at those pontiacs, my buddy at school has a grand prix gtp and he tricked it out nice and it is FAST. a good bargain...
 
Well no worry with the sonata, like I said the ass had no personality. As for the tiburon that would be a little harder to find around here, don't see many. Someone also told me once to watch out the for ford contour, So I bought two and enjoyed both of them.....but yeah electrical is another story...thanks for the advice. I haven't driven one of the GTP yet, nor the GTI, but I have ridden in a GTI. didn't think about the FSVT...maybe a possibility...any other ideas?
 
tranceworld said:
...any other ideas?
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It may sound a little nuts, but how about a Regal GS from about '02 or so? Sleeper. Same 3800 S-charged powerplant found in the GTP, but even more subtle. Run 6.7 seconds to 60 (almost 5-speed SHO territory) and have everyone think you're coming back from church or on your way to grab groceries.
 
eh it lacks in the looks department. That sonata was like that, "don't worry its a hyndaui......what the hell happened, did you miss a shift, it just beat us" not saying that car was fast, but it was nice off of the roll. wish the subie was a little cheaper, maybe I'll just save up a little more for a downpayment......
 
tranceworld said:
...wish the subie was a little cheaper, maybe I'll just save up a little more for a downpayment......
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FWIW, I could never get over the fact that the Subaru boxer sounds like a sewing machine. Being a Ford fanatic, I can't take the cheap interiors, either -- I've been spoiled by quality.

How about this -- 'Twas a couple months ago I found a 1992 T-Bird Super Coupe with a stick on Ebay with maybe 28K on it. It was gorgeous. You could probably snag one of those for $6-8K, depending on the seller, and it would be a perpetual grin machine. Just be prepared to get your supercharger parts from Eaton, as I believe they're all obsolete through Ford.

If that doesn't ring your chimes, how about a well maintained Mustang SVO from the mid Eighties with low mileage -- way cheaper and far more fun than lots of the stuff you can grab in the current market. Further, those turbo fours have main bearings that just don't quit -- they're built like brick sh*thouses. It might seem old, but if it was kept right, it will drive like new with little effort.

Keep it coming -- if these don't do it, I'm sure I could brainstorm up another idea for you.
 
oh yeah, one important thing I forgot to mention. I live in Michigan...snow...lots of it....and I live kinda in the country...more snow. So what I am trying to say is that I would prefer a fwd car, or awd. I can drive a rwd in the snow. Dad had a lighting that I drove around all winter because he didn't want my mother to drive it, that was hell, better leave an hour early to get where you are going.
 
Pen_Two said:
If you get a Tiburon, you'll have to sign away your dignity. How bout this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005...oryZ6204QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Glenn's rather right about Tib. 'Specially in Michigan. You could buy a Taurus SHO, sink a boatload of money into it like I did, and then you'd have the $12,000 car you mentioned :cool:

The current Monte Carlo is a love it / hate it car, admittedly -- but if you dig it, perhaps you've got a contender there.

What about a '99 Aurora with low miles? You'd have thousands left over -- and they're sharp cars with plenty of balls.
 
Well I really like the aurora, nice handling, great performance, but I talked to my service guy, as well as my dealer and they told me even small repairs tend to cost an arm and a leg. Same thing was told to me about the LS. I'm really liking the GTI. The tib is a lead weight weighing in over 3ooolbs and having 170hp. The new gen gtp is in my price range, how is the new style holding up?
 
LauraSVT said:
It may sound a little nuts, but how about a Regal GS from about '02 or so? Sleeper. Same 3800 S-charged powerplant found in the GTP, but even more subtle. Run 6.7 seconds to 60 (almost 5-speed SHO territory) and have everyone think you're coming back from church or on your way to grab groceries.
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omgosh! i totally forgot about the regal! my buddy has one and it is freaking NICE, altho i think he has the 3600 if i recall correctly, but i could be mistaken. and lemme tell u, those cars are pretty sick looking IMHO. my friend is kinda bada$$ and he drives it, so it must be a good looking car haha :cool:
 
If I recall correctly, the Aurora is a little pricier than average to maintain. It was Oldsmobile's flagship back then, so its hardly a turd.

From memory, the the Tib makes 181 horse -- that's channeled through a 6-speed ZF transmission that's supposedly a little numb.

If repair costs are a concern to you, I would stay away from VW -- I've never been impressed with their engineering, even though some of their cars may perform adequately on paper.

The 3800 V-6 found in the Regal, Grand Prix, etc is a solid powerplant. If you're going to go with the Pontiac, go '03 or older. I'm really not fond of the chassis dynamics in the new one -- they make for some skittish handling characteristics under duress. Besides, the interior and dash materials in the older Poncho are far superior to the new one, though both are beneath the standard upheld by Ford.

Zorrex is right about that Regal though -- and having the added bonus of anonymity can be a real advantage.
 
The usual CEG replacement suggestion, Mazda 6s? Looks great with the sport package and hauls decent with the V6...Bonneville SSEi? Doesn't do much for me, but a good car nonetheless with good millage/power..... Altima V6? 2002/3 Maxima's are sweet too! All should be in your price range and meet you needs/wants just personal opinion as to if you like their styling and whatnot.
 
zorrex said:
those nissans are expensive tho. the pontiac's are a bit cheaper...
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They're still certainly in his price range.

I admit, I've had some uncommon and expensive problems with my Maxima, but I am having difficulty finding another car that compares to it in terms of both performance and luxury features for that price range. Oddly enough, I haven't had any of the common problems occur. My only disappointment in the car's design has been the clutch, it is VERY long and catches quickly. Beware of rust too on older ones from the snow belt.

FWIW I test drove an 07 Legacy today and came back rather disappointed. The shifter was notchy and all over the place, and the gas pedal was very light and imprecise. I could push the gas pedal nearly a full centimeter before the engine began to respond. Horrible throttle hang too, worst of any car I've driven. :( Was a great car otherwise though, the clutch was phenominal and the seats much improved over older Subarus. The engine sounded smoother as well.
 
Rouar said:
They're still certainly in his price range.

I admit, I've had some uncommon and expensive problems with my Maxima, but I am having difficulty finding another car that compares to it in terms of both performance and luxury features for that price range. Oddly enough, I haven't had any of the common problems occur. My only disappointment in the car's design has been the clutch, it is VERY long and catches quickly. Beware of rust too on older ones from the snow belt.

FWIW I test drove an 07 Legacy today and came back rather disappointed. The shifter was notchy and all over the place, and the gas pedal was very light and imprecise. I could push the gas pedal nearly a full centimeter before the engine began to respond. Horrible throttle hang too, worst of any car I've driven. :( Was a great car otherwise though, the clutch was phenominal and the seats much improved over older Subarus. The engine sounded smoother as well.
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I agree with the Nissan comment, my uncle had a maxima 3.5 SE-R GORGEOUS car, and my god did it haul ass. He only leased it for 2 years, he is a traveling doctor and his employer pays for his car leases, after that lease was up he picked up a Nissan Murano, loves it just as much.
 
all very good suggestions, I have looked at pretty much all the cars suggested, now just need to find some dealers who have them on the lot so I can test drive em. I have decided that I am going to give the tour another couple of months, learned some new stuff about credit this past weekend, I have a couple of things that need tending to on my report. It doesn't mean that my search is over, I plan on driving all of these cars to find the one that is right for me, and suits my needs.
Altima
GTI
Prix GTP
Still need a V6 mazda6, i drove the four banger.
Any other suggestions still welcome.
thank you for all the ideas.
 
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