legacycentral bbs

Ok so heres the deal. I need a car I dont need to fix every 1000miles. Something that gets decent mileage.

I dont want anything older than an 04.
I dont want something thats too much fun, because I want to be yearning for my Legacy to be back on the road at all times.
I dont want a Honda.
Id like a 2-door, something relatively sporty looking.
FWD is a no-no. Either RWD or AWD.
No miatas or precidias.
No Korean cars. (Kia, Hyundai)
I am NOT going to be modding it, the only money Im going to spend is on maintenance and a small stereo.

Thoughts?

Honda Fit
Toyota Yaris

Take your pic, but the Fit is supposed to be faster and more sporty. Both get 38+ MPG (not enough, IMO, for a compact car, but it's better than a Subaru).

Mazda 3. It's fwd, but outhandles my old Datsun Zs like they're conversion vans, is more fun than most cars out there, but not quite as stimulating to drive in terms of road feel. I get 27 mpg @ 100+/traffic, 30 doing between 80-90. If this car was rwd it would be the greatest performance bargain of the last 25 years. I have no idea what you'd get that's rwd and gets good gas mileage for under 20k. Maybe a 2.5 Impreza, but the Mazda handles better (though not off road) and gets better mileage.

The only new car 2-door, rwd, under 20k wouid be a V6 Mustang and the Miata, but neither get anything better than ok mileage.

I'm with you, though - where are all the new BMW 2002s, Alfa Giulias, and Datsun 510s?

Well, you certainly added a few things to the list since I posted.

"I don't want a Honda"

Why not? Because of the ricer image? Nobody said you have to comply. when you posted, you asked for sporty, reliable, under 20k, good mileage, and new.

Not FWD?

You're asking a really hard question. A V6 mustang isn't going to be sporty. No miata? Forget it.

-wait I take that back. An impreza 2.5RS would be the only thing I can think of in your price range.

Yea, I think an 04 RS would be a good option...

Oh, and the only things I added to the list were the no Korean cars.

The rest was already there.

I must be completely blind then, because I only saw your first two lines...

Browser error? I dunno...

umm, used soltice. realtively fun, rwd, 2.4 gets decent mileage, can be found under 20k, rare but seen, european design, and it fits 325's in the back with stock fenders.

I second the '04 2.5rs idea.

third

azn2nr wrote:umm, used soltice. realtively fun, rwd, 2.4 gets decent mileage, can be found under 20k, rare but seen, european design, and it fits 325's in the back with stock fenders.

YES!!!


I FULLY support this idea


Sean...you start bugging him about it at home, I'll bug him about it everywhere else.

Don't buy a Solstace. That Eco-tech engine is the worst sounding engine I've heard that isn't used for gardening. Maybe it sounds different in the Pontiac than that Cobalt, but doubtful from the reviews I've read. Unless you don't care how the engine sounds, but then you have typical GM interior to deal with. Plus, I've not even seen one for sticker.

I've heard an N/A Ecotech with Borla exhaust and it's alright. Not a subie, but not a buzzcan Honda sound either.

i wouldnt bash the V6 so much, its right at 20k though so its probably out of your range, 210hp and 240ftlbs, the motors have been proven to also produce a bit more power than Ford states, it will throw you back from a launch

That would be the newer V6 in the '05+ models though. The previous V6s were much weaker.

They're both Fords.

evolutionmovement wrote:Don't buy a Solstace. That Eco-tech engine is the worst sounding engine I've heard that isn't used for gardening. Maybe it sounds different in the Pontiac than that Cobalt, but doubtful from the reviews I've read. Unless you don't care how the engine sounds, but then you have typical GM interior to deal with. Plus, I've not even seen one for sticker.

im the biggest hater on gm interiors and i loved the soltice interior when i saw it at sema last year. very european, . the only issue i had was the steering wheel adn thats fixable

Yeah, I liked the interior of the Solstice as well.

Id be willing to go as high as 25K on the right car... but that isnt a V6 mustang

350Z starts at $27k
Mustang GT is $26k
MX-5 Miata is $25k for the Grand Sport model (starts at $21k)
Mustang V6 is $19k

i thought a S2000 would be cheap, but its feakin $34k!!! for a tourqueless V-TEC 2.2L

theres other i want to list but ive got to get off of here...

My parents have a 350Z, so thats not happening

Cobalt SS (1SS- 175hp, N/A) is $18k
(2SS- 205hp, S/C) is $21k

Caliber R/T (2.4L 172hp and AWD) is $21k

Toyota Matrix (1.8L 122hp) is $15k

He doesn't want FWD, so the cobalt is out.

Murphy wrote:Caliber R/T (2.4L 172hp and AWD) is $21k

Daimler Chrysler - end of discussion.

03-04 Legacy GT anyone? MPG ain't so great...but sporty as all hell.

MPG are fine if you drive it reasonably. I would disagree that they're sporty-they're heavy as crap. Although Multilink helps a lot.

Murphy wrote:350Z starts at $27k
Mustang GT is $26k
MX-5 Miata is $25k for the Grand Sport model (starts at $21k)
Mustang V6 is $19k

i thought a S2000 would be cheap, but its feakin $34k!!! for a tourqueless V-TEC 2.2L

theres other i want to list but ive got to get off of here...

Yeah, but the S2000 revs to the moon and I think is faster than any of those cars around a track.

Does it have to be so new? You could get an older M3. And for that price you could get a used WRX.