Best car for under 5,500?

I thought I would have 7000 for a car and was lookin forward to an eclipse GSX but no.. Not exactly in the budget right now I need something for under 5,500 and I want all the speed I can get. I was also hoping to fit 4 people in the car though. SO far I have been looking at the nissan 240 SX and the Toyota Celica GT. Both of these cars seem reliable and good but I wanted to hear your opinions.. or if u have another car to suggest that is great 2. thanx in advance.

Between those two cars I would go for the 240sx because later on when you do get money, there is ALOT of aftermarket support for that car and it's rwd, whereas the celica is fwd. So for speed, I personally think rwd is slightly better. So go 240 bro

[ebpda9]

i'd get a bike: cick magnet, lots of speed, chick magnet, doesn't burn that much gas,chick magnet, RWD , did i say chick magnet ?

[Duckydos]

For $5500, balls-ass fast, go with an FC RX-7 or a 1g GSX (if you want to keep with the imports. you could pick up a nice 5.0 Mustang or something like that). Those are mostly older cars though.

If you're looking for something newer in that range... hrmm, I would look into a Integra LS or Civic EX with plans on turbocharging down the road. You might be able to find a s14 (body style) 240SX for that price range as well as an older 2g Eclipse GS-T.

-Ducky

[TeriyakiBroccoli]

get a bike.

stop with the 240's damnit.

All the speed you can get for 5500? Look used and look domestic - they lose value faster and can be had for cheaper.

Other suggestions:
- '98 Impreza RS. Nice drive, good reviews when they came out, but might be tough to find one for 5500 in Cali.
- '96 GTI. Drove a vr6 recently (maybe it was a '95). Nice and torquey, and the body style should be more practical than the celica or 240 for a daily driver.

[Racing Rice]

Id have to say a first gen eclipse\talon\laser would be what your looking for. Look for an AWD Turbo, it will be right in your price range.

A stock 240 and the celica GT dont impress me all that much. The 240 is nice with a swap, but swaps can get a little pricey sometimes. It may put you over your limit.

Or like what was mentioned earlier, get a bike.. Or maybe a older 5.0.

Fast + cheap = 5.0 stang.

If you don't want a domestic, go with the 1G eclipse/talon/laser. AWD, of course. A stock turbo block is nice to work with and everyone loves awd.

celica...

Originally posted by tegsRus
I thought I would have 7000 for a car and was lookin forward to an eclipse GSX but no.. Not exactly in the budget right now I need something for under 5,500 and I want all the speed I can get. I was also hoping to fit 4 people in the car though. SO far I have been looking at the nissan 240 SX and the Toyota Celica GT. Both of these cars seem reliable and good but I wanted to hear your opinions.. or if u have another car to suggest that is great 2. thanx in advance.

Here is what my buddy did.

92' Civic hatch (blown motor) - 300$

overpriced B16A2 (del sol) - 3200$ installed
+
--------------------------------------------------------
= 3500$ car (w/1500$ to invest in mods!)

celicas are crap, 240s are decent.
look at a vr6 or if you want a cheap fast car a mazda mx6

is the mazda mx6 very fast??? I heard that RX7's are wankle and I will be getting a car with a lot of miles if a wankle engine breaks they are expensive to fix. ya, a civic hatch with a swap would be cool but I dont think that is for me. is a 1st gen eclipse much slower than the 2nd gen? I dont remember the differences besides the body style. I dont want a mustang 5.0 I need something that can take turns. A GTI VR6 would be good but I think they are way over 5,500, and the normal gti aint so hot.
I dont know much about the suburu 2.5 RS thats the downgrade of the WRX right. No turbo? how do they do on the road?

[Racing Rice]

The first gen is 195hp and the Second gen is like 210. They are close in power and both can be easily modded and made much faster.

Originally posted by tegsRus
I heard that RX7's are wankle and I will be getting a car with a lot of miles if a wankle engine breaks they are expensive to fix.
[...]
A GTI VR6 would be good but I think they are way over 5,500, and the normal gti aint so hot.
[...]
I dont know much about the suburu 2.5 RS thats the downgrade of the WRX right.

You're right - a $5500 RX-7 wouldn't be a good daily driver.
I think a '95 or '96 GTI could be had for around 5500 if you're willing to keep an eye out.
The 2.5 RS came out before the WRX (in the US at least). The impreza was a 2.2 130-ish hp, then in 98 the RS bumped up to a 2.5 165-ish hp. Both NA. I really like the way those cars handle; I think the RS has a tighter suspension that the basic impreza/wagon, and AWD at that price is a nice bonus. Reasonable torque makes it fun to drive.
Even with the WRX available, lots of people opt for the RS for cheaper insurance, and the 2.5 is easily turbo'able.

get a 1st gen talon my friend Talon TSI AWD like mine you WILL NOT be dissapointed. check ebay also.

[nonovurbizniz]

as for 1st gen talon/eclipse/lasers... they should be priced more like 1-3k... if you spend 5.5k on a 1st gen it better be gold plated.

[Racing Rice]

How so? This is NADA value:

1994 Eagle TALON
Liftback 2 Door TSi Turbo AWD
120,000 miles


Low Retail
- $3,750

Average Retail
- $4,850

High Retail
- $5,750

[Addict]

Originally posted by Racing Rice
Id have to say a first gen eclipse\talon\laser would be what your looking for. Look for an AWD Turbo, it will be right in your price range.

A stock 240 and the celica GT dont impress me all that much. The 240 is nice with a swap, but swaps can get a little pricey sometimes. It may put you over your limit.

Or like what was mentioned earlier, get a bike.. Or maybe a older 5.0.

Exactly. Unless that Celica is an ST4 (good luck finding one), then its slow. Same with the 240sx's. You need swaps to make them fast.
1st gen turbo DSM's are the way to go. You may be able to pick up a 95-96 turbo DSM(not a GSX or TSi AWD though) for that much.
5.0's are a good bang for the buck too.

Originally posted by nonovurbizniz
as for 1st gen talon/eclipse/lasers... they should be priced more like 1-3k... if you spend 5.5k on a 1st gen it better be gold plated.

The 1st & 2nd gens hold resale fairly well. Not to mention they have great potential.

[ShagginJet]

4th Gen Civic w/ B16 w/ LSD tranny, turbo, and N2O...

[nonovurbizniz]

I've been obsessed with 1st gen talons since they came out...

I look ALL the time for them... if you can't find one for WAY WAY under bb then you're not looking...


1993 JEEP EAGLE VISION TSI
loaded, new tires, well maintained, $2200. (860) 355-8504. New Milford

1993 JEEP/EAGLE TALON TSI
AWD, turbo, 130K mi on body, 1100 mi on brand new motor, manual trans w/brand new clutch, perfect cond, body & mechanically, no problems, $4000 OBO. (203) 268-1029 (4X) . Trumbull

1993 JEEP/EAGLE TALON TSI
all wheel drive, needs motor work, new rear end & transfer cas, $3000 in dealer receipts, great parts car or buildout car, needs paint, first $500. (203) 915-6228 . New Haven


that's 3 that I could get for under 4... and that's just the bargain news...

I would vote for a 2g Mazda MX6/Ford Probe GT (though I might be a little biased)......but they are great-handling, fun to drive, mid 15-sec. cars that will fit your budget nicely, loaded and with good miles.

the mx6 v6 moves man. my friends has it and smokes a lot of people. i recomended it, but i will warn you parts are hard to come by

[Racing Rice]

Originally posted by nonovurbizniz
1993 JEEP EAGLE VISION TSI
loaded, new tires, well maintained, $2200. (860) 355-8504. New Milford

1993 JEEP/EAGLE TALON TSI
AWD, turbo, 130K mi on body, 1100 mi on brand new motor, manual trans w/brand new clutch, perfect cond, body & mechanically, no problems, $4000 OBO. (203) 268-1029 (4X) . Trumbull

1993 JEEP/EAGLE TALON TSI
all wheel drive, needs motor work, new rear end & transfer cas, $3000 in dealer receipts, great parts car or buildout car, needs paint, first $500. (203) 915-6228 . New Haven


that's 3 that I could get for under 4... and that's just the bargain news...

Okay, first off.. You wouldnt want a Vision TSI thats something completely different! (See Chrysler Intrepid)

The second one doesnt sound bad, but it doesnt fit in the $1K-$3K price range you stated earlier. $4000 is what a 93 Talon TSI books for.

The last one may or may not be a good deal depending on what needs done to it. If your a mechanic, that one maybe your cup of tea.

[nonovurbizniz]

A. I didn't read them before I posted it... I just typed tsi and searched in bargain news...

B. The second one says 4k OBO... you could walk away with that thing for 3-3.5k cash.

C. This was just a QUICK example... it took all of 3 seconds to find at least 1 that IS under 3k...

the third one is a DREAM for someone who wants a "project car"...

I don't understand all these dudes being like I want a project car... then they go and buy the BEST possible car of that model...

If you're planning on working on the car then one that is 500 bucks and need motor work is the best you could hope for...

You buy it... order a bushchur short block and head... YOUR DONE... and you have TONS and TONS of potential right off the bat. and you're probobly STILL under 5.5k.

If you buy a talon/eclipse in GOOD shape... it's only a matter of time before the hidden problems start popping up... and you have NO money left because you paid a premium for a car that "runs good"... which in the long run probobly doesn't run that good.

I wasn't trying to start a fight or nuthin but... a talon/eclipse 1st gen can be EASILY had for WAY under 5k.

And in my opinion if you pay over 3.5k for one you got RIPPED OFF.

[Racing Rice]

And you sir, are completely entitled to your opinion.

Not everyone wants a complete project car. Especially when its a daily driver.

[nonovurbizniz]

my point is that if you buy a talon for a daily driver you are BEGGING for problems...

If it runs solid now it's only a matter of time before it's in DESPERATE need of a COMPLETE rebuilding..

I've NEVER seen a talon with over 100k w/o at the VERY LEAST a new head... usually drivetrain components turbo parts engines etc... they are problem RIDDLED cars... if you buy one that runs good and has no problems chances are all the problems either just got fixed (and will be back soon) or haven't occured YET (and soon will).

I love those cars and all but they're about as good a choice for a daily driver as a .... hell I can't even think of ANY car more unreliable... oh wait... as a rx-7 turbo II.

[Racing Rice]

Ive seen several with over 100K mile with minor things replaced like clutches.. I have a friend that has one with almost 150K and replaced only a clutch, in a TSI. Its all in how the car had been taken car of. Its the same with all cars, turbo cars are usually just driven harder. As is a mustang or anything similar. Thats what happens when you buy a "sports car".

[nonovurbizniz]

true enough... but with the turbo and NO stock turbo timer you get WAY WAY too many of those that get put away REALLY hot... that leads to NOTHING but problems...

also if you get a mustang or anyother non-turbo sports car... the oil changes can go a little longer... sure it's not ideal but most people wait too long to change their oil... that's sort-of ok on a na but on a turbo it's just abusing the crap out of it...

I should say I did know of 1 talon tsi that lasted a LONG time with no major problems... and was BEATEN on bad... but it still lasted for a long time because the dude who owned it knew how to properly maintain a turbo car from the begining.

i just bought a 95 Probe GT v6 24v......it can scoot dude.

[VR4_Craver]

You dont want an older an old school talkon that is awd drive...my opinion they suck. I raced one from a rollling start and had him by the top of second....but i missed 3rd...so he ran away from me. Do what i should have done when i was loking for a car. Find an 240sx decent condition and good miles for like what 4k? either turbo or swap the sr20dett (i think thats what it is) for like 2.5K and you have an easy 220+ hp rwd monster. Thats what i thought of after i made like 4 payments oon my car. Damn hondas.....

[pimpinprelude]

"i'd get a bike: cick magnet, lots of speed, chick magnet, doesn't burn that much gas,chick magnet, RWD , did i say chick magnet ?" dude that is sooo tru!! jeez unreal.. but yea, i realllllllly want a bike...

Ya I could get a 240 and swap but that would be like 6 grand totaly 4000 - for the 240 at a min if I want to get a good one 2-3k for a turbo so 6-7g. or I can buy a talon which has 195 horsepower for 4 k... with exhaust, turbo manifold, a turbo timer, and some other mods like boosting the turbo I could have 225 and AWD with great handling.. that would be like 5000-5500$ I am guessing. SO relaly the talon is better choice in my opinion. I dont know much about the MX6 what would be better an MX6 or an eagle talon?

[Racing Rice]

IMO, the talon. Anything with a stock turbo will give you more bang for the buck as far us upgrades are concerned especially minor boltons.

[nonovurbizniz]

yeah word...

and vr4craver...

how do you NOT like talon tsi (vr4 on a different chassis) but like vr4's?

it's essentially the SAME car... the talons just got a bad rep because WAY more people bought them... so some got BEATEN and poorly maintained...

I have to say if those things are properly maintained they are SICK cars... it's just that most people don't know how to maintain a turbo awd car... you have to change ALL the oils pretty regularly... leave it running if you've been driving hard (or get a turbo timer) they take a LOT of abuse if they're maintained well.

My buddy used to do some REALLY bad things to that car and it ran like a top till he sold it. and I believe the second owner got a lot out of it as well.

Ya I did hear that the talon got the crap beat out of it and finding a good one is gonna be slightly chalenging. But I think I can handle it> so MX6 or talon?

im tellin you get the mx6. talons are crap

talons are crap because? I dont see the talon as that bad of car really. They are just 8 -12 years old. Assume I could find one in decent condition. I would be willing to pay 5,000 even though the blubook is 4,000 that way I would have a very nice one. An mx6 would also be around 5,000 I think.