$25k & under: What car would you buy?

[spoogenet]

Ok this is a serious question. I'm not asking about project cars or anything of the sort. I'm asking about a practical car that is reasonably economical and hopefully fun to drive. New or used is ok but I need realistic suggestions. Any drivetrain is acceptable.

It needs to:
* Get me anywhere reliably, long distance trips included.
* Be capable of carrying a bike, preferably on the roof so I can salvage my existing bike rack.
* Avoid trees.

So some new cars I've tossed around in my head.

Mazda 3 5-door.
TSX
RSX
GTI
Imprezza
Jetta
Prius
Scion
Mini-S

b

[ebpda9]

what happened to the new accord ? they look pimp

[spoogenet]

I'm not a fan of Saturns. :o

b

[drdingo21]

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
what happened to the new accord ? they look pimp YES! For a couple of grand more you can get the new accord ex v6 with Navi. Go test drive one, they are load of fun to drive and have every option you could think of

[MAXed Out]

I would say GTI or WRX.

[pbateson]

Originally posted by MAXed Out
I would say GTI or WRX.

WRX have more power and 4WD.

What about G35 Sedan?

[black95gs-t]

I would say Dakota R/T. How do you get a bike on the top of a car? Wouldn't that crush the roof?
J

[ShagginJet]

25k??


Your MOM!!

But what would I do with the other 20K?? Not sure... you have a sister?

[black95gs-t]

Or an aunt? A cousin maybe?

[ChrisCantSkate]

i'd say a is300.. used lexus certified preowned. half those cars up there, like the wrx and whatnot are just gonna turn into moneypits. the is is nice, comfortable, reliable, and uhh... its a lexus

[pdiggitydogg]

didnt we have a thread like this already?

[drdingo21]

Originally posted by ChrisCantSkate
i'd say a is300.. used lexus certified preowned. half those cars up there, like the wrx and whatnot are just gonna turn into moneypits. the is is nice, comfortable, reliable, and uhh... its a lexus I was considering this when i picked my accord, it was between the accord the is300 and the G35. THere were no infinity dealers in my area, the is that was equiped as well as my accord was 10k more. Not to mention the is is god aweful underpowered.

[VR4_Craver]

you could get the new neon :rolleyes: dingos accord is no joke fellas. :yes: Get the g35 just cause no one you know has one

[Daviso27]

Mazda 3 5dr

[GT40FIED]

Out of your list I'd pick a GTI or Imprezza. The Acura models are decent too. The Jetta, Prius, and Scion are miserably underpowered and a Mazda 3 might as well be a Focus for as gay as it looks. I also like Chris' idea of an IS300. It doesn't have as much power as some of the listed models, but it's got enough and it's RWD. Plus I've seen dyno figures on turbo'ed models that were damn near 600hp. I'd drive one if I had the money.

[Racing Rice]

A used Nissan Hardbody 4x4 and another bike! ;)

[Whiteclipse99]

I'm partial to the GTI mainly because I was looking at getting one along with the Jetta, but I'm just a girl so what do I know. :pfft: I'm also a fan of the R32.

[Rob]

EVO EVO EVO!!!!!! Rob likey :yes:

[VR4_Craver]

You know that the ion redline that is s/c makes like 198 at the wheels and is steadily climbing all the way up to the 6750 redline. Raise the red line and a little better tuning you could probably get like 210-225 at the wheels on one of them

Bah is300's are underpowered stock. I raced on in my si and he passed me at 110 but after some money like gt said 600hp easy

[Shot 2 Hel]

VR6s are nice too

[spoogenet]

Well as it turns out I'm not in the market for a new car. They're fixing my car rather than totalling it out, but I'll put my comments for future reference.

I found out the R32 is out now. Pretty sweet. But $32k for a pill? I'm not so sure it's worth it.

The STi is around the same price and a lot more car for the money. I took out a WRX and that car is just a blast to drive. I'd rather have an STi though. Since I'm not looking to buy right now, then maybe I can afford one when I do buy.

I didn't put the is300 on namely for cost reasons. I certainly wouldn't say the car is underpowered, it's comparable to the 330 and A4. However I'm not a big fan of the 'i' part of VVT-i, nor was I impressed with their (possibly fixed by now) handbrake design flaw. It's a very nice car, I've spent many hours driving one, and I'd really like one....but it fails the $25k test and I'm not a huge fan of used cars like that.

The Mazda 3 is impressive in the number of features it offers for its class. HID, navigation, TPMS all under $22k is impressive for the class of car. The tranny was smooth as butter but the car is definitely underpowered, just like most 4-bangers. It looked better in pics than it did in person and I must say I'm not too fond of the looks after seeing it in person. Also they mounted the shift lever way too far back, it was more like digging into the console to shift rather than a normal placement, that alone would keep me from buying it.

b

[thermal]

imprezza.............

[pbateson]

Sti = bad gas mileage

WRX = the best

What about the VW Passet?