opinions pls - CEG Archives

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

Well, I think it's time for a new car. I'm growing tired of the tour, and want something with a lil more class.

I'm budgeting myself up to 20K, and want something with more power than my tour.
I like imports over domestics but wont rule them out either.

Any suggestions?

john.

PS. - what ya think i can get for a 3L tour? lol

I've been looking as well, I've only found that mazda's are interesting me. I think I might wait until the mazdaspeed 3 comes out.

I came close to buying a 2003 mazda protege 3, it was really nice. Haven't looked at much else other than mazda

Under 20K with more power than a 3L Contour and an import to boot. That's a tall task unless your looking and 5 - 10 year old cars. Have you had a look on AutoTrader yet?

it depends on what you really really want.. Iike me I'm tired of going to the gas station and crying, repainting the car after always getting hit, and not having any room to haul stuff..

My next car is definately going to be a Matrix/Vibe..

48mpg on highway and you can fit 3 mountain bikes inside it..
All plastic bumpers so you don't have to repaint every year..

My dad owns a 2004 Gray Pontiac Vibe.. it is by far the best car we've ever owned, great quality Toyota parts and we get close to 36-40mpg on it..

but once again its up to what you really really want.. a great Tour replacement plus great looking car is a TSX... mmm TSX goodness..

cheers
Martin

Lots of 2000-2002 bmws for around $20K. My choice would be a BMW 540i with 6-speed manual and sport package. Very pratical, decent mileage for the size of car, and FAST. I know first hand, I've driven one many times. Love the car.

Maybe an 02 Maxima? Would have more class but would still get smoked by your 3L Contour assuming your car is running properly. You won't be able to get a new car for 20K that would be anywhere close to a 3L Contour in power/weight. Maybe a slightly used SRT-4 but there is no class to be found there. If you are buying new and can increase your budget a little a Altima SE-R would be sweet, but once again will still get smoked by your 3L Contour or a certain 3L Mystique

The Maxima will have a nice pulling feeling and will probably trick your butt dyno anyway heh.

Oh and as for what you can get for your car, you would have to sell it to someone on CEG. I would say 4gs. If you clean it up nice and it has some things going for it maybe 5gs.

You can find some nice BMWs around that price range, If it were me I know I would be looking for one. Although you can't expect it to be a hassle free car. It'll have around 100K on it and will need service.

my feeling with a BMW is... sure its used and cheaper, but the parts are still expensive. if you have to repair it, its going to cost you so much! is that worth the savings on buying an expensive car?

food for thought.

Originally posted by SnafuFlux:
my feeling with a BMW is... sure its used and cheaper, but the parts are still expensive. if you have to repair it, its going to cost you so much! is that worth the savings on buying an expensive car?

I have YET to see that theory proven. A friend of mine just replaced the salve cyclinder on his 95 or so 318, part was about $100 or so, he installed himself in less than an hour. You don't HAVE to buy OEM parts, buy something for the same price that will be better, IE brakes, spark plugs, wires, etc. Sure the labour(if you pay for it at the dealer) will be higher, bmw has a high standard for service and they do great work. I wouldn't think twice about buying a 4-5 year old BMW. I love tham, always have.

Love Beamers too.. until you have to pay for insurance for them.. I've heard from many sources that Beamer insurance is like 3x more than any other car.. but I mostly heard this and don't know any newer Beamer owners

Originally posted by BrianW:

Originally posted by SnafuFlux:
my feeling with a BMW is... sure its used and cheaper, but the parts are still expensive. if you have to repair it, its going to cost you so much! is that worth the savings on buying an expensive car?

I have YET to see that theory proven. A friend of mine just replaced the salve cyclinder on his 95 or so 318, part was about $100 or so, he installed himself in less than an hour. You don't HAVE to buy OEM parts, buy something for the same price that will be better, IE brakes, spark plugs, wires, etc. Sure the labour(if you pay for it at the dealer) will be higher, bmw has a high standard for service and they do great work. I wouldn't think twice about buying a 4-5 year old BMW. I love tham, always have.

Beamers are like Tours not to many parts under $100. Enigine bay is just as tight as the Tour depending on model.
The big BUT is that beamers are very advanced (good thing) which means lots of sensors and wiring that can go bad and cost you if you don't have warranty. This is the area on a used beamer that gets pricey.
It's also a factor on any used car your looking at.

Personally I'm waiting to get a hold of a used G35 coupe, a little longer and they'll get to $20G'S.
By then I may opt for new vs used as warranty may dictate this route.

I like the Acura CL (6 speed) in that price range.

Thanks for all the opinions guys.

I like the idea of a BMW. I'm not afraid of maintenance, as lets face it guys, if your not afraid to read a lil and get your hands dirty, most labour costs are nil. But although I love BMW's for their styling and performance, i wouldn't drive one because, well... it's a bmw. Too much associated baggage.

What i've seen a few of and something I'd really like to look into, is the Audi a6. I've seen a few of the 4.2L V8's (310hp i think) with the factory wide body in that range, (looks like S6) but there are also the 2.7 twin turbo engines. These sound very tempting, but someone told me that they were an interference engine, timed with a belt. Does anyone know anything bout either of these in terms of reliability? My mod plans would be minimal.

Thx again guys!