Adam wtf that accent and eye squint is brilliant 
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I take this as an attack to MR. ALLCAPSPANTS 
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Alrighty then now that I’ve narrowed it down, I can go out and look at the cars in question. Let’s see what’s left here…22
cars!? No way I’m spending that much time driving all around the state. Time to cut that number down into something more reasonable.
Let’s go through the sedans first and see what I can let go.
1999 Contra Lancet ES V6
First up, the Contra. Its possibly the most “normal” car here for Ohio. It has a good size V6 and the right amount of power I was expecting to see a lot of. Its not exactly fast, but it happens to be the fastest to 60 mph out of everything that’s left. Looking at the interior, its definitely a grandma’s car with leatherette and fake wood trim everywhere. Looks pretty comfy though the stereo is nothing special. It’s a solid car all around, but the running costs are higher than I would have expected for something like this. That combined with the comparatively poor fuel economy and a price point near my limit, I get the feeling I could get something better (and prettier) with my money.1998 Vector Horizon GX
This one is frustrating, it looks like one of the best cars out there, but it’s a big gamble to go for. If I can’t get that price down enough, I’ll be left with nothing if anything is wrong with the car when I buy it. It is possibly the most comfortable I could get at this price range, though part of the reason is that it has 4 seats unlike most of the sedans I’ve looked at. It does a lot of things right, but underneath the hood is not something I would expect from a car that looks like this. Its an I5 AWD car and it looks like a taxi. They found a way to make it work without burdening the car with too many problems though. At the end of the day, a couple other cars look a little nicer overall and won’t bankrupt me like this one might, so I have to pass.1996 Honghu Beifeng 2.3L
The Biefeng is one of the better looking cars of the bunch and the lack of much rust certainly helps. The looks may not scream premium though. The price is right and the interior this car offers sounds better than I hoped for. While the service costs and reliability aren’t stellar, its still a huge improvement over what I’m dealing with now, and its merits more than make up for it. I’ll need to see if its too good to be true.1996 Znopresk (CM20) Zenit 2.0 Prime
Upon further research, this one might not have been quite the deal I thought it was. The Zenit doesn’t have the best reliability records considering how basic some of its parts are. It doesn’t look to be comfortable for the longer trips. It also doesn’t in the nicest shape. I might be in good hands if I bought it, but something nicer would be more enjoyable in the long run. Its another car where a different trim or one in nicer shape might change my mind.1997 Kimura Auriga LC 2.3 [A] (SD) [FL]
The Kimura is a solid car, but it just doesn’t do anything that would sway me to pick it over most of the other sedans. Others manage to be cheaper, more reliable, and more upscale than the Auriga. Without any glaring flaws, I still have to pass out of process of elimination.2001 Shromet Mystic Sport MK3
The Mystic quickly became the baseline to measure other cars against. It was straight forward in its design and engineering. It gives me what I need and not a single inch more. That’s where it fails for me though, as some of the other cars would be more enjoyable to own and easier to drive at no more cost or risk.1996 Lavish Serenity
I expected to see a lot of cars like the Serenity, but ended up with fewer than I thought. Its just too much of a chonker for me and would be more stubborn to drive than the others. The RWD doesn’t help either.1993 Hokuto Excella 3.0SE
I know its impolite to kiss and tell, but the idea of owning an Excella took a hard left turn when I did more research. Not to be impolite, but for how good it looks, the Excella is not as good when is business time. Its pretty comfortable, and somehow 0-60 mph at 9.2 seconds makes it one of the fastest cars (yikes my Focus can keep up with that, what gives?). Otherwise, the drivability leaves something to be desired, and other premium cars pull off the complete package better.1998 Hanno Basan LX
After getting over how it looks, I realized going after this car is going to be like the Selene all over again. It’ll be all fun and games for a year and then it will just fall apart inside and out. Oh well.1993 HAM HC6 3.0
The HAM is pretty average out of the premium cars I’ve seen. It’s a bit older and cheaper. The safety is one of the best of its class. It really struggles with reliability though. I can’t go for a car that’s nearly in the same condition as the Selene but less luxurious or drivable.2000 Forea Inca LE
The Forea sure looks the part for the kind of car I want (ok maybe musty green isn’t my first choice, but beggars can’t be choosers). This car is very nearly there, but the drivability is well surpassed by the other entries I’m considering. It is also a turbo car which is fine, but its compressor is too big. A little bit more refinement may have won me over.The hatches now:
1995 Kadett Beat GX
The Beat falls in the middle for me. It is cheap, but its not quite as drivable or reliable as the Olsson and the Pemhall Ascot. Its great fuel economy is a redeeming quality, but its not enough for me to overlook its shortcomings. Its also a little curious Kadett went through the trouble of engineering advanced safety features for this little car, but didn’t update them since the 80s. I would be ok with a Beat, only if a few over cars fell through.2001 Pemhall Ascot
The Ascot is one of the newest cars I can afford, but despite that, its also one of the rustiest. I’m not too vain to turn down any car that doesn’t look like it just rolled off the showroom, but at this point I start getting concerned with how the rest of the car has held up the past 19 years of use. Its also one of the slowest and least safe cars out of what’s left. The decent miles and good service costs aren’t enough to sway me.1996 OLSSON 1225
(got it right that time hopefully, just more evidence of my terrible typing skills)This hatch is a little high on the miles, but looks completely spotless judging by the ad. I like the looks. Its clean and not too quirky. The interior is nothing special, it works. Its 128hp I5 is enough power for me and the car isn’t overstuffed with tech it doesn’t need. My only real gripe with the tuning is the springs are a bit too tight for my liking, and that makes the Olsson a little less comfortable to drive than some of the others. It’s the best of the hatches but let’s see if I can be convinced to get one instead of a sedan.
2000 Knightwick Buzz 1.8 DX-Lux
The Buzz is one of the more unique entries posted. It’s not often you see a body style like this in Ohio, but there isn’t really anything wrong with it either. Its just not as cool as the sleeker sedans I’m seeing. It has a good price and seems to be well balanced overall. Unfortunately, its slow and too unreliable for me to consider.Wagons were not something I was searching for, but I got a few interesting ones.
1995 Evgenis Basilisk Wagon
The Basilisk was the first car to grab my attention when I opened up craigslist, but it was also the first car I saw and better posts eventually came along. The AWD and upscale features are jacking up service costs to the point it’s a bit hard to swallow. The fuel eco is a little rough too. I’m not sure if wagons are gonna be the play.1995 RCM Atlantic Borealis LX
Taking a closer look at the Borealis, I’m not sure why I would consider it over the nicer smaller cars. Its too much car than what I need and like the Basilisk, I don't want to get eaten up by service costs and constant refueling.1996 Decarlis D40 Traverse
The Decarlis D40 Traverse fares better with the stats, but it’s reliability from an abundance of tech is just too bad for me to consider no matter how good its interior or safety is.There are 3 very different coupes to look at, I’m not sure if all are worth looking at.
1996 Anhultz Minimas VIII-CX
This is a tough one. Its Minimas is the epitome of a stress-free car, but how much life does this one have left at nearly 250k miles? Doing a bit of research, the interior is some very bare bones stuff. I don’t want to have to invest into a new soundsystem if this one has blown out yet. The fact that it’s a small coupe but doesn’t have much of the “cool” factor to come with it is something to consider too. I think if I could find a higher trim model a few years newer, it might have been an ideal responsible choice for me.1998 Kuma AN GT
This one is right at my budget, but looking past the fact it’s a little sports coupe, it would be a blast to drive compared to some of the soul crushing dry white toast cars. It’s the easiest to drive of the bunch and the only real compromise I would have to make is that I don’t see my family spending an extended time in this car at once. I think I need to see this thing to decide if I want this for myself despite knowing the family car’s days are numbered.1992 Kotashi Exori GE-S
The Exori is a very cheap coupe that has a lot of value for its buck. It is a lot like the Minimas though where I would need to find a newer example of one to really consider it. Nearly 240k miles and its not exactly bulletproof. The car itself is nice overall barring it being a touch too sporty for my needs.Oh hey, there was an SUV that looked interesting too:
1995 DeerAndHunt Hawg Base MKII
I would have expected to see little SUVs like this sell for twice as much in Ohio. They normally hold their value well. Its not exactly easy to drive, but overall its good for what it is. Something like this needs a solid engine though and I don’t think this is it. It is a 4L 90 degree V6 that is very shaky. It can’t be good for the engine and other parts of the car to be exposed to that intense vibration over 215k miles. Even in good shape, that’s gonna really stand out coming off of a smooth luxury V8.
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Going overbudget like the absolute fucking pleb I am, thinking my car is stellar enough. The last minute panic change of the fascia didn’t help either. That’s a lesson learnt for me
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I have spotted an error in your description of the cars still in contention: You seem to have listed the Kimura Auriga twice instead of once. Other than that, those are some nice summaries about the remaining cars - blunt and informative.
I now know that my car is unlikely to make the final cut, but it was worth a try.
Edit: Thank you for removing the duplicate review of the Auriga. Interestingly, although sedans made up exactly half the field of cars that made it to the second round of cuts, only one or two of them seem likely to reach the final round as of now; the other finalists are most likely to be hatchbacks or coupes.
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@Xepy 1998 Kuma AN GT
The first car I tested was the Kuma AN GT thanks to a quick response from the owner. The car did look like i had been through 200k miles, but it drove like it had only seen 120k. Everything felt to be in working order and the steering wasn’t too vague. Its one of the easiest cars to drive I have ever been in let alone what I saw on craigslist! The car is just glued to the road. Giving it some gas, it feels faster than the average sedan, but only because I’m sitting lower in this thing. I’ve accepted nothing I would find will be as fast as the Selene and still have what I need, so this will do. The cost is right at my budget, but no major mechanical issues means it should be no problem in the short term.
I’d love to tell my parents “screw it, this is my car”, but I feel guilty putting pressure on them to buy something now because I want something too sporty for them to be able to use until they can buy a new car. I don’t expect to own this car for a very long time either. Ugh I’m too nice. The fun factor might wear off eventually anyway and something more comfortable might benefit me in the long run. I drove away feeling very conflicted.
@MasterDoggo 1998 Olsson 1225
I was nervous about going to a used car dealership for this one. They will say anything to get you in the door. Last car I looked at from a dealer looked great on the outside, but a grime bomb went off on the inside. It likely never had an oil change either. Thankfully, the Olsson was just as spotless as on the ad. Driving it around the block, it was surprisingly similar to the Kuma AN GT. It handled nearly as well and had a decent road feel without breaking my back. I loved the sound of the engine. I’ve never driven an I5 but I am totally sold on owning one. The brakes squealed on the way back in the lot. Needs pads? No biggie. The dash has a crack in the plastic by one of the vents and I can hear it making vibrating noises when the engine is running. The interior overall was about what I expected so good enough for me.
I thought The Kuma would be the most fun car by a landslide, but the Olsson was a similar experience. Its nearly as nimble, had similar interiors, and both has reasonable fuel economy. Where the Olsson pulls ahead is with its size as well and being cheaper to buy and maintain. It may be in a bit worse shape than the Kuma, but it won’t take much to get it in working order.
@yangx2 1996 Honghu Beifeng 2.3L
The Honghu Beifeng was a surprise as I didn’t know much about this car. Its specs sounded very premium, but I was afraid the dark bumpers were the result of a crash or something. Apparently they came from the factory like that, so that put me at ease…sort of. As I pulled into Dixie Imports, I saw the Beifeng up front and it looked brand new save a few dents and scrapes here and there. The dealer informed me the sway bar links need replacing but the car was fine to drive as he handed me keys for a test drive. I checked the fluids, tires, and condition of the brakes. Everything seemed to be solid enough. As soon as I sat down into the car, I was immediately drawing comparisons to the Selene. This felt leagues above the other 2 cars. As I pulled away, it felt very similar to the Olsson in that it was incredibly drivable for an older car, albeit a bit more sluggish. Despite the creaking sounds from the front, it ran confidently. I returned to the lot and pondered my options. The Honghu is likely to be the most expensive car to own of the 3 in the long run, but not by much. The sportiness of the Kuma is fun but I won’t be enjoying that 24/7 while the comfort of the this car would be appreciated all the time. There isn’t much different in how they drive. The Olsson can hold more stuff but I just like the shape of the Honghu over a hatch. I think I’ve made up my mind.
I met with the dealer again and haggled the price down to $1,700 cash. I hopped my new Honghu and popped in some King Gizz to jam along to as I headed home.
Congratulations @yangx2 for taking home the win with a stellar early entry!
This was a tough one to choose as it wasn’t the best with reliability, but the rest of the car was done so well that I wouldn’t miss the Selene one bit after owning this car. There were a lot of well engineered car this round with more variety in approaches than I expected. Thank you everyone for participating!
(Also sorry for the hiccups here and there, I didn’t quite end the round how I’d like, but those 54 entries caught me a little off guard 
)
Here are the top ten entries:
1st: @yangx2
2nd: @MasterDoggo
3rd: @Xepy
4th: @GetWrekt01
5th: @CorsicaUnknown
6th: @Elizipeazie
7th: @vouge
8th: @NormanVauxhall
9th: @Centurion_23
10th: @mart1n2005
As a little bonus, here are some honorable/dishonorable mentions with some interesting stats:
Summary
Number of cars with 0 sportiness - 8
Number of cars with I4 engines - 21
Number of cars with I5 engines - 8
Number of cars with V8 engines - 1
Number of RWD cars - 16
Best reliability: 64 - Anhultz Minimas VIII-CX
Worst reliability: 52.8 - Aria Suzuka SZ
Best drivability: 71.2 - Mitsushita Jesta Si Automatic
Cheapest car: $900.64 - Quezon Laguna 2.8 B 4AT
Most expensive car: $2,194.90 - Vector Horizon GX
Most comfortable: 50.3 - Vector Horizon GX
Least comfortable: 19.2 - Excel TE 1.8L Auto
Slowest car to 60 mph: 14.1 seconds - PAZ 3606 2400A
Fastest car to 60 mph: 6.5 seconds - Aria Suzuka SZ
Most safe: 57.8 Keystone Optio F32
Least safe: 40.4 - Electi Jaguar LX 3.0 Auto
Most expensive new price, least sporty (tied, but still), worst fuel economy, highest service costs (tied), highest weight, biggest engine, and worst drivability goes to - Silver-York Sovereign Brougham
(funnily enough irl I might’ve checked it out).
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It’s really quite funny how the Beifeng has managed to snatch about 3 wins and 4 ish podiums now. Might as well call it my brands best selling car 
.
Anyways, thank you CB for hosting and I commend you for all the effort you spilled into this round, and you deserve a very nice break. 54 cars is not an easy task at all.
Midterm hell starts this week, and goes on for about forever so hosting is a no for me. I’ll pass it down 
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Well sometimes the best surprise is something you completely weren’t expecting, like I wasn’t expecting to even get a top 10 placement let alone top 5
Thank you so much to CB for hosting this round even after being in a tight schedule. Congrats to everyone who made it to the finals as well 
️
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You deserve to be commended for winning four of the last six rounds (including two in a row) in convincing fashion. All I can say is…
Well Done!
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Which car got BEST fuel economy and what were the cars the silver york barge tied with in some categories
I am curious if there is a spread sheet, or similar break down.
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Yeet! I would not expect that 2nd place, I think it’s my best performance in the CSR since 2 years here! (thx the discord for helping me everytime, you will recognize yourself when I say this haha)
It would be a pleasure to host the next round but since a few months I’m in a very fat depression and I think it’s wiser for me to pass it down to @Xepy , than abandon the round or make it very long!
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