a new car for seanz0rz

[Seanz0rz]

so i posted something similar to this a while ago, not here.

my accord's days are numbered. while i love to drive it, i also hate it. i fear that its going to leave me very stranded somewhere.

thus the quest for a new car. i want something fun, sporty, not a race car. something that is going to be good on gas while being fun to drive. friends have suggested cars with turbos and such, i dont care. i want a fun car, reliable, thats great on gas.

so heres a very short list of things i have come up with:

Toyota MR2 (late 80's)
Ford Mustang (99, v6, maybe ragtop)
Miata

Things im looking for:
either rear or all wheel drive
fuel economy
under $5000
reliable
common on the street (rare parts are a pain!)

any other suggestions? please give reasons why i should buy it. and also, why shouldnt i buy the cars mentioned above? everyone is telling me not to buy the mustang, except for my one friend who owns a 98 v6.

so please, talk me into/out of these cars!!!

[96 Runner]

Things im looking for:
either rear or all wheel drive
fuel economy
under $5000
reliable
common on the street (rare parts are a pain!)

any other suggestions?

Avoid the Rustang (just pick up a Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide if you want to know why.

Given that criteria, I personally would be looking at the following vehicles:

Mazda Miata (not my top choice by any means, but an option)
Nissan 240SX (questionable reliability)
Lexus SC (I6 or V8, premium fuel)
Lexus LS (V8, premium fuel)
Infinity Q45 (V8, premium fuel)
Toyota Supra
Nissan 300ZX

The Supra or Lexus' would be my top choices in this crowd. Get that CR Used Car Buying Guide or just take a look at Barnes and Noble before you move forward. Good luck!

[Seanz0rz]

the miata is high on my list, and the reason i dont want one is because its a miata.

i dont like nissan, lexus is just simply not an option, same with the supra. nothing that takes premium.

really if i could get that miata under a different shell, it would be perfect.

[96 Runner]

Don't let premium scare you too much. I did some quick math on a 20-something mpg vehicle driving around 12K miles per year and came up with a figure of about $100 over the cost of regular per year. That really isn't a huge deal.

I hear ya on the Miata stereotype (assuming that's what you meant). I think you can make them look more manly by adding some headrest roll protector bars and wheels and tires that fill the wheel well nicely.

How come a N/A Supra is not an option?

[habanero]

Miata. Cheapish. Decent old car reliability. Comes in brown.

The bad part is the soft top is easy to get into...*slice*

[Seanz0rz]

well a really good friend of mine is selling his miata this summer.

its a 92, 82k miles, full service history. his mom was the original owner. its red, and hes done some performance upgrades like coil overs, catalytic converter, intake, etc. etc. wants 2500 for it most likely.

the supras here have all been messed with, you cannot find a clean one anymore. and the price on them is outrageous.

if i decide to buy the miata, id have it painted british racing green, put lots of chrome parts on it, etc. make it into a little 60's british roadster

[d0ubledown]

miata's are nice...if youre a girl

go for a mid/late 90's mr2. can be had with or without a turbo. mid engine, fun lil car to drive. nicer than a miata IMO, and of course...its a toyoter.

[Seanz0rz]

so i looked at some sc400's tonight on autotrader. i like them but im worried about two things, gas and the amount of tickets im going to get driving it.

any other suggestions? trying to look at the Subarus but autotrader isnt working for me right now

[marko3xl3]

How about an older BMW 3-series that's been taken care of?

[96 Runner]

I like the MR2 idea. Good call.

Consumer Reports' Used Car Buying Guide lists 3-series Bimmers as having a pretty poor service history. They are also a pain to work on. But shoot they are fun to drive and I can't think of anything that sounds quite like a BMW straight six opened up.

Have you tried Cars.com? I like that site way better than AutoFader.