An Acura / Honda Integra would be fun
Totally agree. There’s a reason why all the cab companies in Atlanta (and many other cities) use them. Those old police cars are absolutely indestructible mechanically (as long as you do routine maintenance). They do also get really poor mileage, but if this isn’t a concern (I literally lol’d when I saw you say 12mpg or 30mpg is the same) then no harm, no foul. They are also very cheap to buy (less than $5000 with under 100k miles), and survive quite well if/when in an accident. They are a perfect “first car” so long as mileage isn’t an issue. Expect between 12 and 20 mpg with one. If you take time to “spruce it up”, they can actually be a cool car too!
Fun fact, my 1997 returns a religious 24mpg average. 28-33 on long haul. 18-20 in city. (But I am not ever in a hurry, and run 55psi in the tires.
I am sure had I a modern eco box, I would do fantastic, but a modern eco box cannot tow a 7000lb trailer.
Have you considered an Infiniti G-something? Should be a decent compromise between a boring commuter car and something sporty. Plus it’s RWD, and can be had in manual and coupe.
Fun fact, my 1997 returns a religious 24mpg average. 28-33 on long haul. 18-20 in city. (But I am not ever in a hurry, and run 55psi in the tires.
I am sure had I a modern eco box, I would do fantastic, but a modern eco box cannot tow a 7000lb trailer.[/quote]
That is pretty good! But…55psi??? WTF??? I don’t even run that high on my sport compact with low profile tires. (I get 36-40 highway mpg using 45psi) lol Oh, and my car is inexpensive, economical, and pretty cool. It should totally be on the short list for this thread, but people are really scared of Cobalts since the recall frenzy last year. FYI, no issues with mine but all recalls completed anyway.
My roommate (a taxi driver) doesn’t get that from his (usually mid to high teens), but he’s constantly waiting on customers and 99% city driving.
Looks like we’re in sort of the same boat, except you have more money to spend. If you want something sporty, why not a newer Mitsubishi Eclipse?
I would just like to add that if you still want to be friends with said back passengers, there are a few coupes that I would personally ignore.
The two I can think of right now would be the FR-S and the RSX.
FR-S only has space for legless children in the back.
RSX I remember my head hitting the ceilling very badly, and I am very average height for North America.
I would recommend sitting in the back to see if you would sit there for 30 minutes. Mainly verifying if your legs fit and if your head hits the ceiling.
General rule of thumb for 2+2 coupes: is there also a sedan model?
If the answer is no, the rear seats are quite likely to be useless for seating adults.
But thier gas mileage is terrible, there rather big and are damn slow, that 4.6 is one gutless turd in the vics.
I would go with the following.
For enjoyment:
MX5
For practicality and cheap running cost:
Accord
Another option could be a mazda 3, ive heard good things about them by a wide range of people
Like already stated, anything german is out of the question.
[color=#FF0000]Ford Focus[/color]
I’d get a Focus, even though I say mine is a POS (I hate mine not Focuses), the engines last FOREVER. I have a 2000 Ford Focus ZX3 gets about 24MPG, I don’t know how much I fill it up. It’s been in my garage for 2 weeks because an auto part store sent a broken headlight and wrong cabin air filter, then it was in the shop for 2 days to fix the air conditioning, I think my dad filled up once after I filled it up in early March. It makes about 150HP it’s not the most funnest car you will drive but it will get you places. Never had any engine problems. And the engine hasn’t used a drop of oil. My dad changes it every 15,000 miles and it has the same amount of oil that I put in it. We use high quality oil. My parents bough it for 1,000USD, the previous people never vacuumed the car and the paint and wheel paint is trashed, And one reverse light doesn’t work. Other than cosmetics the car is perfect. The car almost perfect would be about $3,000. Also a 2003 Honda Accord even the 4cyl motor is an invincible car.
[color=#FF0000]Honda Accord[/color]
Some guy near me is selling a 2003 Honda Accord with 320,000 miles on it and he said hes had no big issues with it for $3,000.
[color=#FF0000]Bugeye Subaru WRX[/color]
My dad said the Subaru WRXs are very reliable cars. The bugeyes are the cheapest. AWD would be a good choice if it snows it the winter. I’m not sure how maintenance is. I researched AWD systems a while ago and Subaru makes some of the best AWD systems out there. If you buy a Subaru WRX be careful, people like to beat the hell out of them. Especially the ones with the big wings on the back. I would go for a wagon if you going to sell it in a couple years.
Now, I grew up rather poor, so a $10,000 car for me, is a nice car. I started out driving a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix with a v6 engine in it that was bought for less than $2000. My next car I bought for $8500 was a 2004 Dodge Neon. Great car, great engine, great gas mileage, but crappy everything else. I later traded that thing away for a 2005 Toyota Tundra, which I bought for $10,500 and have been driving ever since. The Dodge Neon was what got me through college.
Quite frankly, you want something that’s cheap to maintain, cheap on gas, and cheap on insurance. The insurance is the kicker. For being under the age of 25, your insurance is going to be high. And most lenders are going to require that you have full comprehensive with what’s called GAP insurance. The sportier the car, the more expensive the insurance. I remember my insurance went from $135 a month for my Neon down to $85 a month when I bought my truck.
Of the cars you listed, I would much more be inclined to go with a Honda. They are cheap, fast, and reliable, and easy on maintenance and fuel costs. Of course that Mazda 6 is decent as well.
Personally my college car was a 1992 toyota corolla I bought in I think 2003, $2500 with about 109k miles. I drove it for 9 years and another 170k miles with very little in terms of repairs. I know you don’t want to be like everyone else, which was why I suggested a focus, but aside from 99-02 corollas (avoid like the plague, came with bad rings that burnt oil and would eventually kill the motor unless you poured in about a liter per 1000 miles) there is a reason everyone buys them, and why so many of them are still around.
Edit, I’m a idiot, if you want everything that makes the corolla great, but you don’t want a corolla look for a scion XD. They are awesome little things, pretty much identical to a corolla mechanically but are geared for a bit more fun.
The Miata is a great car. If you’re worried about the stigmas attached to that, the BMW E30 3-series are all fantastic. I’ve been daily driving them for about 9 years now, never been stranded, never had a crippling expensive repair, and I can do most of my own work.
The biggest recommendation with an E30 though is don’t buy them based on KBB. Expect to pay at least twice as much for a good one, and if you don’t know anyone who can help you find one, definitely demand maintenance records. A $4500-$6000 E30 should easily last you through college if you change the oil like you should and don’t abuse it. It’ll actually probably be worth more by the time you’re done with college too,l they are appreciating in value.
But please don’t wreck one, they’re getting harder and harder to find, lol.
On the subject of NC MX-5s:
- The 6MT is a close-ratio gearbox. 6th is not an overdrive gear and is actually slightly shorter than 5th on the 5MT.
- Depending on who you ask, the factory suspension is poor (esp. 06-08). Not uncommon to see NCs with aftermarket suspension upgrades and not a cent put into the engine.
- Aftermarket everything upgrades are very readily available. Very competitive market ensures low prices.
- Unlike many other convertibles the top does not fold into the trunk, even with the power retractable hardtop.
- If concerned about it being called a “hairdresser’s car”, see below quote:
[size=85]
[quote]This should be calculated scientifically. Type name of car and the word hairdresser in to google, and count hits:
S2000 4640
Boxster 12,800
Z3 13,700
mx5 23,100
Corvette 40,600
MGF 45,200
z4 47,900
SLK 49,200
Ferrari 67,200
Hummer 67,800
Beetle 88,400
MG 118,000
TT 124,000
Mini 843,000
So if 750,000 Mx5 were made so far, then only 2.9% are hairdresser’s cars. How many Hummers were made?[/quote]
[/size]
[quote=“Sayonara”]On the subject of NC MX-5s:
- The 6MT is a close-ratio gearbox. 6th is not an overdrive gear and is actually slightly shorter than 5th on the 5MT.
- Depending on who you ask, the factory suspension is poor (esp. 06-08). Not uncommon to see NCs with aftermarket suspension upgrades and not a cent put into the engine.
- Aftermarket everything upgrades are very readily available. Very competitive market ensures low prices.
- Unlike many other convertibles the top does not fold into the trunk, even with the power retractable hardtop.
- If concerned about it being called a “hairdresser’s car”, see below quote:[/quote]
I can confirm the 6-speed in the NC, IMHO it was worthless. They really should have made 6th an overdrive. The only reason I got the 6-speed was because I wanted factory LSD, but regretted it. I found the 5-speed in my NA much more enjoyable.
The suspension in very soft for a sports vehicle. It still handeles pretty good, but acts weird at the limit. One time I was going quite fast around a sweeping right hand corner, and the car was swaying quite drastically to the outside, until the suspension suddenly “popped up” and the car unsettled pretty badly. Granted, I was pushing it hard, but such things shouldn’t happen in a sports car being driven in anger.
On the top comment, I don’t think people who haven’t owned a convertible will fully realize how significant this small point is. With the top up, you can use it as extra storage (while it is not recommended by the manufacturer). I once used it to transport clothes during a move. When the top is down, you still have a pretty decently sized trunk that will fit almost everything the bachelor lifestyle would require. In many typical convertibles that fold into the trunk, you can choose to either have the top down, or have stuff in the trunk.