Looking for a new car

[turbo2nr]

well as some may know my s14 was totaled. so rather then start again now with another s14 i will take this chance to try another chassis.

budget is <25k. (ill be financing another car)

must be RWD and under 3500lbs, 2 or 4 door is ok, doesn't matter what manufacture from us-german-jap. must be 04 or better.

not looking to build a crazy car ill come back to she s-chassis for that, im looking for a fun reliable car that is low maintenance, car must have character tho.. alot of the newer cars lack character and road presence that what sucks, they just get lost in the crowd.. also i wont have time to be under the car as much as i used to because im starting grad school, so i cant really do a project, just looking for a car to do small mods to get maximum gains.

my two choices are e46 m3 or 04+ 350z.

m3 pros- adult car, well built, very well put together,well balanced, no to common, high resale value
m3 cons- expensive to own/maintain, aftermarket is expensive, minimal gains from n/a mods,

350z-pros- cheap to own, big aftermarket, good platform, good motor, takes well to mods, can hit almost 300whp n/a, and turbo charger can be had for ~5k.
350z-cons- less of a adult car, 2seater, now as well put together, less resale value, more common, less safe.

so thats where i am, give me some insight, i figure id post here to get a less bias answer rather then post on a m3 or 350z forum..

[VROOOM]

03-04 Mustang Cobra

[enkei2k]

2011 mustang...but it's ~3600 lbs...weight reduction? lol

http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2...g_GT_Specs.pdf

[turbo2nr]

has to be less then 25k

i dont fancy the american cars to much, only the new ones but for 25k id only be able to get a ghey 6cyld one..

[VROOOM]

Originally Posted by turbo2nr

has to be less then 25k

i dont fancy the american cars to much, only the new ones but for 25k id only be able to get a ghey 6cyld one..

you can get 03-04 Cobras for under 25k easy. they make power very easily, and they even have IRS.

[driftsilvias13]

Honestly you can have just as much satisfaction from the 350z compared the E46 M3. Ive owned 2 350zs and also had some other close friends own m3s but in the end they all sold theirs because it was just too expensive to maintain once out of warranty.

I think the perfect upgrade from the s14 is the 350z. MOST (not saying you) want the m3 simply because it is a BMW and want that upscale impression. If you are barely scraping by to spend $25k on a car, I wouldnt blow it on an m3.

There are other priorities in life as you said and having sensors go off that cost $1000+ is not one of them or fun. My uncle does well for himself and drives only BMWs but even he admits that once out of warranty he dumps them as fast as he can.

If you want something a little more "luxury", I'd say go for a G35 coupe.

[sw20>>s14]

elise or exige s....done

ive diced it every way i can, and i think the exige is the best bang for the buck...still planning to be in the market early to mid next year...

if you look hard enough, or trust your intuitions with somewhat nearby specimens on ebay, you can get one for 25-33k easily...elises go for about 25 all day...

plus ">25k" in your first post means greater than 25k, just fyi...

[PITCH]

06 GTO.
Mine before it was totaled

[pink godzila]

I would get M3... inline 6 FTW.

[Devius]

25k limit?

Id get one of these

1996 Nissan skyline turbo TRADE $22,000 | Custom JDM Car Classifieds | JDM Car Sales

http://www.mautofied.com/1985-Nissan...ing/100350145/


but out of your choices, id go with the Z

[ILoveMyRHS13]

Get a 2000 E39 M5. My buddy is trying to sell one; 16k.

V8, chipped, etc.

[driftsilvias13]

sw20>>s14, Ive owned both an exige as well as an elise. You are totally correct but it doesnt make a lot of sense for an only car as the OP is looking for.

[Weedm]

E46 M3

Z33 or maybe G35 as it seats 4.

BMW 135i

BMW 335i Coupe

S2000. 2 seats..

hyundai genesis coupe?..

miata? lol. they're fun little cars. agin 2 seater

Overall though, your first choices of an E46 M3 or a Z33 is probably the best options. You will save at least 7 grand buying the z33, but you get more luxury and performance from an E46 M3 assuming they're both stock. Stock E46 M3's are pretty fun. I've driven my cousins a few times and have helped him work on it. I can't think of anything I don't like about them.

As for the 135 and 335 debate. I've driven all of them. The 135 feels quite a bit better in terms of performance as it's a lighter car and has a shorter wheel base. However, I'm not too fond of the look of the car (you may be). 335 isn't far behind in terms of performance and it looks quite a bit better. Has the E92 M3 potential lol. As for pricing, you can definitely find a nice low mileage one for around 25 if you look hard enough. Had a 2008 135 6spd manual with 30k for 24k. Just sold though...

[aziankingz]

genesis coupe 2.0T.. brand new and about 25k..maybe even less..

[dudermagee]

no one said IS300 yet??
buy one for cheap used
swap in 2jz-gte or just rebuild stock motor and boost

[jesse5150]

Have you considered a G35? It'd get rid of a couple of the cons to the 350. Not AS common, more of an adult car, safer but you still have the same engine and theres more aftermarket support than the e46. IMO just thought it may be somthing to consider. Oh and you can get a 2 or 4 door.

[turbo2nr]

thanks for all the input,

i really dont want to start another project right now, i will come back to the s14 for that in a year or two, i just need a nice fun car that i can do minor things too that is reliable and fun to drive. i dont want to build a 500+whp sedan i rather build a 500+whp s14..

im leaning more to the z33 for a couple of things :
1. cost- i can get a 07z33 for around 17k and still have a factory warntee for a little bit.
2. easier to maintain
3. cheaper to mod
4. BIG REASON looks sick slammed with 18x10/11.5 + lip

i still really like the m3 tho, its more of a grown up car, i see my self owning it and enjoying it for what it is and once im ready to start my s14 project again maybe selling in ( it has a way better resale value then a z33) and possibly picking up a 5 series for a daily..

i just cant get over the inital cost of maintenance and cost to do stupid mods ( i.e. intake exhaust suspension chip ect..) and i would gain maybe 10whp and spend close to 10k..

[Flicktitty]

C5 Corvette. great bang for the buck. you could even find a C5 Z06, or maybe eve a C6. there very reliable, get good gas mileage, still VERY fun to drive.

I like the IS300 with a 2JZGTE swap, but thats a pretty solid project.

ever consider the G35? a little more grown up then the 350Z your already wanting?

[94cc0rd]

Hey, I never considered a C5 Corvette as a daily... I guess if you don't need more than 2 seats it wouldn't be too bad. It says the gas mileage is around 19/26 for the manual.

Are the C5's easy to work on? and are they really reliable and/or easy to maintain?

I guess my first thought is unreliable because that's the stereotype that's always been in my head... American cars = unreliable

[driftsilvias13]

You got it wrong.

American Cars = Shitty build quality
German Cars = Unreliable

[Kaizen.]

jesus dan^ your everywhere! lol

z33 or genesis? iono, i would get a four door if i had extra money. like an evo or something

[sleep]

evo is where im at. I have been searching for an un-molested 9 mr for a few months now.

[DALAZ_68]

G37s coupe or sedan...


its wat im getting

[dudermagee]

I would have said Evo, but he said RWD only
IIRC you can put a turbo on a IS300 and put down some solid numbers on the stock motor
but it sounds like you have already made up your mind
GL dude

[Devius]

Originally Posted by 94cc0rd

Hey, I never considered a C5 Corvette as a daily... I guess if you don't need more than 2 seats it wouldn't be too bad. It says the gas mileage is around 19/26 for the manual.

Are the C5's easy to work on? and are they really reliable and/or easy to maintain?

I guess my first thought is unreliable because that's the stereotype that's always been in my head... American cars = unreliable

my father drives a 2004 C5 Z06, loves that thing to death. although it can be hella pricy to fix should something mess up. For example he was driving one night, some hill billy left a lawnmower hanging out in the damn street on a blind curve. My dad clipped it and it took out his right headlight. Cost about 800 for a new one, not counting the motor (lucky for my dad the motor for the headlight wasnt damaged, just the housing) other then that, hes had no problems with it at all and hes had it for going on 5 years, drives it everyday.

But, a Vette is going way out of OP's set price range

[silviaguy240]

huh? you can get a C5 Z06 for under 25k all day.

i know you said under 3500lbs...but e39 M5. although like the m3 pretty expensive if you go to the dealer, but the M/S62 is a pretty reliable engine and if you get a fairly low mileage one you wont have to worry about much, only real issue with them is the cooling system needs to be checked/replaced like every 50-80k miles, but im not too sure with the M5 they may have made it a bit better. I have a 01 740il which has the M62, same setup as the m5 just detuned, with 140k on it and i have no worry's with the engine. Plus its rated at 285 hp and like 325tq and it pulls the 740 around like its nothing. cant imagine another 100hp+/50ft lb and lighter car.

[TougeLove]

why do you want an adult car? you make the car, not the other way around. Or do you want people to see you and think "he's a grown up because he drives a bmw"?

i have colleagues who drive Bentley GT's and old 355's that still make the car look like a teens car.

do you want to impress people with it? do you want to be seen in a bmw? are 350's, g35's considered young adult cars and you dont want to associate yourself with that demographic?

*not hating

[[email protected]]

Look into an s2000, its a smaller car but overall a step above most cars in its price range.

25 mpgs, revving to 9K, awesome interior, go kart driving style plus you can pull pussy with it even if you look like Michael Berryman.

[thenooblet]

I would go for a CTS-V, 04-07 would probably be in you price range. They are adult cars and the LS engines respond well to bolt ons. Downside is that they are heavy.

04-05's are 5.7L LS6 400hp/395tq 15/23mpg

06-07 are 6.0L LS2 400hp/395tq, 15/23mpg

thats my 2 yen

[theronin]

m3. all the way.