Give me your tired, your worn out, your depreciated.....

Well, since I dun did borked up my civic. I need to start a "what car" thread.

So First here are the requirements

1. Cost around $10k

2. Be able to transport 1 child in a forward facing seat plus gear, in a pinch. It is not the primary goal of this vehicle but would be nice to have the option. Plus, if the car is around in 2 years, It'll have to fit another one(but you know all about best laid plans)

3. be respectable, I work at Corp HQ so no more beater civics or clapped out F150's. Image counts in my business.

4. I'd prefer a manual trans.

5. I want around 30mpg highway. No tricks no nothing. (I know I'll be stepping down from the civic which just got me 42mpg, last tank before accident.)

6. Not scary fast, this is a daily driver.

7. No P71, miata's, astros, E30's... I'll make it difficult for you.

8. I live in an apartment complex and will be moving in October and then again in June 2011. I am part of a rotational leadership development program. Long story short, I can't wrench on the vehicle. I sold my tools to help finance the moveup here in 2009. I have no room to work on my vehicle, and I have no desire to work on my daily driver. So no vehicles that need, constant tinkerering.

9. I got an abusive commute, it is short, but abusive. The car must be super reliable.

10. AWD or 4x4 not needed, but I don't care really.

11. Fullsize pickups and Suv's don't fit in the parking garage so they are out. I am not afraid of wagons.

12. I don't care about the make as long as it is reliable.

13. Wife is very concerned about safety. I like small cars, I have a rental camry now and it is HUUUUUGE!

Here is my current list. Please add to this list, and provide your comments and thoughts.

• WRX or Saabaru
• Diesel Jeep Liberty (I've owned 3 jeeps, but am concerned about reliablity of this guy, also no manual available)
• Subaru Outback or Legacy wagon.
• v6 6spd honda accord
• Maxima
• Acura TSX?
• 300IS?
• ?????????????

I know I'm missing some stuff... Let me know. I need a vehicle in the next couple weeks.

C4 Vette? You didn't say you have to transport wife and kid at the same time...

10k should buy you a rather nice one.

BoxheadTim wrote: C4 Vette? You didn't say you have to transport wife *and* kid at the same time... 10k should buy you a rather nice one.

Nein.... I will have to transport the wife, kid and future kid all at the same time, but it will be a mostly a commuter for me.

Wife won't even go for a Cooper S. Just to show you what I am working with..........

Plus RWD won't work in Connecticut. I got no place to store snow tires and they are horrid at clearing the roads. I'd actually rather be in Rochester NY with a RWD than here.

'05+ Subaru Legacy Turbo. Get leather and the moon roof. Sedan or wagon, you pick.

Either way it fits with the go fast, have fun and looks good at corporate requirements. Decent resale value doesn't hurt either and if you're transferred somewhere with snow on the ground you'll be even happier with your choice.

They are rare and few and far between but there are only a handful of 4 cyl, manual trans, upscale sedans sold in the US. Two interesting ones that come to mind are...
'02 Infiniti G20
'04 Acura TSX

ignorant wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote: C4 Vette? You didn't say you have to transport wife *and* kid at the same time... 10k should buy you a rather nice one.

Nein.... I will have to transport the wife, kid and future kid all at the same time, but it will be a mostly a commuter for me. Wife won't even go for a Cooper S. Just to show you what I am working with.......... Plus RWD won't work in Connecticut. I got no place to store snow tires and they are horrid at clearing the roads. I'd actually rather be in Rochester NY with a RWD than here.

Roof rack?

Some sort of Legacy Turbo should do the job, though, as fornetti14 suggests.

here ya go, 4k obo. rwd, BUT has the manual too, nice enough to be respectable, but wont make it look like they pay you 'too much' at work ;)

http://nwct.craigslist.org/cto/1640914508.html

My '06 Mazda3 i Touring sedan will be available very shortly.

I will say again a Cobalt SS without the wing makes an awesome driver.

Legacy turbo would be nice, but boy are they expensive. Carmax has a wagon version for $15k. Too much!

A buddy of mine had a TSX when he was doing field sales. It's a great compromise of 'nice' and 'fun.'

924guy wrote: here ya go, 4k obo. rwd, BUT has the manual too, nice enough to be respectable, but wont make it look like they pay you 'too much' at work ;) http://nwct.craigslist.org/cto/1640914508.html

+1

I <3 my 318ti and it does everything you want.

Fusion/Milan or Focus.

Altima SE-R

i think your answer may be a scandinavian turbovagen. respectable for work, safe for the wife and mini igni, boost for you!

Jetta TDi

1998 e36 *** NICE LOOKING

It's a Jaaag

2.5 RS

Screw the car seat, lets go DRIFTING!

2000 328i 5 speeds

Cobalt SS

Let me preface this with: I'm from Northern CT on the Mass border where they 'really' don't clear secondary roads and commuted in and out of Hartford for the better part of 4 years.

That being said I'm confused by your requirements, 30MPG, smaller-ish, manual for a 'short but brutal' drive in the snow. Honesly, if it's a short hop and you have a wife and kid and you have to deal with snow, and the general morons on the highways up there (rain is when all the real accidents happen). I'd get something big with a minimum of traction control and 4wd/AWD at best. Alot of posts on the mid sized sedans that would fit the ticket.

Sometimes in life there are sacrifices to be made...

Audi 1.8 turbo
Lincoln LS
Cadilac CTS Sport

A couple of the cars on your list wont touch 30mpg on the highway. Namely the Subarus and the Lexus.

I would second the Fusion/Milan vote. They are going to be newer so therefore with less miles than the Japanese cars you are looking at. Same 2.3 that came in the Mazda 3 but you can find them cheaper. They came in manual have plenty of room and the 4cyl will get 30+ on the highway if you keep it under 80. Pretty fun to drive as well if you get rid of the stock Continentals for a set of Falken 912's or other decent all season. I have had two as company cars and put a combined 50,000k on them. Neither needed anything more than an oil change. I am about to get an 2010 modeal which was someones car of the year. Same chassis just an updated exterior and the 2.5 liter Ford/Mazda went to.

A lot of it depends on your definition of reliable, and your definition of respectable. Why'd wifey say no to the Cooper? In addition to your list

Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan (this is a great car, I was very surprised by it)
No manual, but Saturn Aura/Chebby Malibu/G6
Volvo whatever, although might not be as reliable as you want. Not bad though.
Nissan Altima
Lincoln LS with a stickshift
Corolla S? Meh.
Lexus IS's are getting pretty affordable
Lotsa Acura's.
That Jeep Diesel... I thought there was a hermaphrodite Unicorn manual available?

A +1 for the Mazda 3. It fits all of your requirements and is still fun to drive. I think the older ones actually look quite sharp and have fantastic interiors to boot. Get the hatch.

/thread

mtn,

The G6 can come with a 6-Speed manual.

Greg Voth wrote: I would second the Fusion/Milan vote... I am about to get an 2010 modeal which was someones car of the year. Same chassis just an updated exterior and the 2.5 liter Ford/Mazda went to.

I very much agree on the Fusion/Milan. I have had many rental car versions and find them enjoyable. After many 2.3L 4 cyl; when I got my first 2010 version as a rental, I actually lifted the hood to see what engine was inside because I was so impressed with the added power. I thought it might be a 6 cyl. It was the new 2.5L 4 cyl. Over the 1,000 miles that I put on the car it returned 29mpg with no effort.
See Mazda 6 for the same basic chassis with a different "image."

Any of the 6 cyl E39's (525, 528, 530) should get 30mpg or better on the highway. All were available with a stick and are plentiful below $10k. Most of them will already have had the cooling system gone through at this point, and it's really the only weak point on 5's. Get one with the sport package.

Plenty big for hauling kids, fun to drive, very safe, easy to work on, good looking but outdated enough as to not look expensive, etc... It's the car you want.

Since image counts, how about an IS300 SportCross?

If you can find one.