I totaled my '97 'Tour Sport last year and was rushed to buy a cheap car real quick for transportation (work, etc). That car happens to be a '90 Honda Accord, about as dependable as you can get. So, since I bought that, I've been saving for a car, and I figure I'll be ready to buy in around 8-10 months. I'm lookin' for cars in the $22,000-$27,000 range, give or take. Here's some cars I'm interested in, in and around that price range.
-2002 Honda S2000
-2002 Nissan 350Z
-2003 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO VIII
-1997 (at least '97) BMW M3 coupe
-2000-2001 Audi S4
-2001-2002 Ford Lightning
-2002 Acura 3.2CL Type S
-2001 Mercedes SLK230
-2002 Volkswagen GTI 337 1.8T Turbo hatch
-2003 Mazda Mazdaspeed Protege
-2003 Mazda 6 S
-2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4
And of course, with that kind of range, I could very easily buy a mid-90's super car, i.e. RX-7, 300ZX, Supra, 3000GT VR-4, but I honestly think I'd probably be spending more money on upkeep in the first 2 months of owning it, than I spent on the thing in the first place. Although it would be sweet, it's just not feasible for the position I'm in.
Keep in mind, this list is a very rough draft, I'm just throwing ideas out there. Even though I got a ways to go, it seems you can never research a car enough when planning to buy.
Also, it's obvious I'm going for a sporty car, as shown above. Some of those are a bit more, or quite a bit more sportier than others. I put a nice range up there, because I'm going to have to take insurance in as a factor, of course, and anything else you can think of. Of the selections above, I can tell you that I'm most interested in the S2000, the Audi S4, 2002 3.2 CL-Type S, 2002 Ford Lightning, 2003 Mazda 6 S, '97ish BMW M3. I know that doesn't leave a lot left on there, but I like those the most. I would have added the EVO to the list, but I've heard that Mitsubishi is having some major money issues, and just recalled a ton of parts/cars, so that's not a smart or safe move. And yes, the thought of buying a SVT Contour and modifying it all to hell did cross my mind, since I only owned the V6 Sport before. It would be pretty fun, but I just think I want something different.
Ok, I'm done, I'd appreciate any feedback, concerns, suggestions. TIA.
Last edited by 97CS; 06/08/04 07:47 AM.
