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I am looking at the following cars used (My budget is around 16,000 at the moment) to buy within the next few months...
Subaru Impreza WRX (Sedan)
Honda Civic Si (Will Turbo it)
Nissan Sentra SE-R (Will Turbo it)
Mazda RX-8 (I hear it is an amazing handling car... And of course, I will turbo that puny rotary)
Golf GTI I4 Turbo
Jetta GLI I4 Turbo
Dodge SRT-4
Chevy Cobalt SS (Supercharged or Turbocharged)
MazdaSpeed3
I want something that is torque and responsive in acceleration and steering, decently sporty looking with an interior that does not look like it is from the 80's(Very nice looking is preferable). Not particularly worried about what gas mileage I will get in these cars. I don't car how smooth they ride as long as I can hear my own voice on the highway.
I am very interested in hearing any owners opinions on any/all of these vehices.
I would be interested in V8's but gas prices won't allow that to happen, plus I love driving a compact! A V6 might be acceptable...
__________________ My Countermeasures:
Whistler Pro 78
Rev C, POP Off, All Bands On, Tone 1, LED Off
Laser Mask LCM-2 Jammer Custom Kill Switch, 2 In Front Grill, 2 By Front License Plate Uniden Pro 510XL CB & Wilson Little Wil Channel 19, Trunk Mounted Antenna Uniden BC246T Scanner & 18" 25-1200 MHz Magmount Antenna Trunk Mounted Antenna, Scanner Door Mounted
Scanning: HPD Tactical(Organized Speed Traps)
HPD Special Operations(Accidents)
HPD Westside Dispatch(Crime in my Area)
HPD Citywide Dispatch(Large Scale Operations)
^^ That's easy.... VW GTI. All the torque you could want! Plus you don't have to "turbo" it. Look for the Mark 5, first made in 2007. You may be able to find one with higher mileage in that price range.
__________________ '04 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 red hard wired high. '07 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 blue, low windshield mount, wife refuses hardwiring '08 VW GTI, 9500i blue hard wired high >>> switched to the MDX for the winter. Laser Shields on all front plates. '93 Honda Nighthawk 750, no countermeasures except the throttle...
Last edited by upstatedoc; 08-25-2008 at 02:10 PM..
^^ That's easy.... VW GTI. All the torque you could want! Plus you don't have to "turbo" it. Look for the Mark 5, first made in 2007. You may be able to find one with higher mileage in that price range.
What is improved over Mark 4?
__________________ My Countermeasures:
Whistler Pro 78
Rev C, POP Off, All Bands On, Tone 1, LED Off
Laser Mask LCM-2 Jammer Custom Kill Switch, 2 In Front Grill, 2 By Front License Plate Uniden Pro 510XL CB & Wilson Little Wil Channel 19, Trunk Mounted Antenna Uniden BC246T Scanner & 18" 25-1200 MHz Magmount Antenna Trunk Mounted Antenna, Scanner Door Mounted
Scanning: HPD Tactical(Organized Speed Traps)
HPD Special Operations(Accidents)
HPD Westside Dispatch(Crime in my Area)
HPD Citywide Dispatch(Large Scale Operations)
Maybe JDS can chime in here, but the M 5 went from 1.8 to 2.0 L, hp up to 200 from 180, torque at 205 lb/ft. New (IMO) improved body style. They also added DSG which some people love, I got the manual tranny.
__________________ '04 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 red hard wired high. '07 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 blue, low windshield mount, wife refuses hardwiring '08 VW GTI, 9500i blue hard wired high >>> switched to the MDX for the winter. Laser Shields on all front plates. '93 Honda Nighthawk 750, no countermeasures except the throttle...
Maybe JDS can chime in here, but the M 5 went from 1.8 to 2.0 L, hp up to 200 from 180, torque at 205 lb/ft. New (IMO) improved body style. They also added DSG which some people love, I got the manual tranny.
Yeah I refuse to drive automatic, its a waste of power and gas.
I heard if you chip a GTI you can get alot more out of it on stock internals.
__________________ My Countermeasures:
Whistler Pro 78
Rev C, POP Off, All Bands On, Tone 1, LED Off
Laser Mask LCM-2 Jammer Custom Kill Switch, 2 In Front Grill, 2 By Front License Plate Uniden Pro 510XL CB & Wilson Little Wil Channel 19, Trunk Mounted Antenna Uniden BC246T Scanner & 18" 25-1200 MHz Magmount Antenna Trunk Mounted Antenna, Scanner Door Mounted
Scanning: HPD Tactical(Organized Speed Traps)
HPD Special Operations(Accidents)
HPD Westside Dispatch(Crime in my Area)
HPD Citywide Dispatch(Large Scale Operations)
Upgrading?
- WRX
- GTI
- SRT-4
(no particular order of preference)
I'm unfamiliar with the GTI's upgrade path - in terms of cost as well as expected power.
Between the SRT-4 and the WRX, it'll be much cheaper to get the SRT-4 stupidly fast, while the WRX does retain the edge on all-weather driveability as well as overall durability/reliability. An Evo would be a good compromise between the two, but I don't know if it'll be out of your price-range.
__________________ - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges
Upgrading?
- WRX
- GTI
- SRT-4
(no particular order of preference)
I'm unfamiliar with the GTI's upgrade path - in terms of cost as well as expected power.
Between the SRT-4 and the WRX, it'll be much cheaper to get the SRT-4 stupidly fast, while the WRX does retain the edge on all-weather driveability as well as overall durability/reliability. An Evo would be a good compromise between the two, but I don't know if it'll be out of your price-range.
I love the new look of the WRX, but I think it is still out of my pricerange.
I am really looking at the GTI as I have recently aquired a taste for its look...
I don't buy anything made by crapsubishi no matter how good it looks... They build stuff that does not last and overcharge for it!
__________________ My Countermeasures:
Whistler Pro 78
Rev C, POP Off, All Bands On, Tone 1, LED Off
Laser Mask LCM-2 Jammer Custom Kill Switch, 2 In Front Grill, 2 By Front License Plate Uniden Pro 510XL CB & Wilson Little Wil Channel 19, Trunk Mounted Antenna Uniden BC246T Scanner & 18" 25-1200 MHz Magmount Antenna Trunk Mounted Antenna, Scanner Door Mounted
Scanning: HPD Tactical(Organized Speed Traps)
HPD Special Operations(Accidents)
HPD Westside Dispatch(Crime in my Area)
HPD Citywide Dispatch(Large Scale Operations)
Yeah I refuse to drive automatic, its a waste of power and gas.
I heard if you chip a GTI you can get alot more out of it on stock internals.
^^ I've heard this is very easily done in the GTI. Guys over on the GTI forums at edmunds.com have gotten 50 extra ponies out of their GTI's just be installing a chip. Probably voids the warranty though, that's why I chickened out.
__________________ '04 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 red hard wired high. '07 Acura MDX, 8500 x50 blue, low windshield mount, wife refuses hardwiring '08 VW GTI, 9500i blue hard wired high >>> switched to the MDX for the winter. Laser Shields on all front plates. '93 Honda Nighthawk 750, no countermeasures except the throttle...
I love the new look of the WRX, but I think it is still out of my pricerange.
Definitely, I don't think you'll be able to get one of the '08's down to your asking price... But the previous generations should be well-open.
Quote:
I am really looking at the GTI as I have recently aquired a taste for its look...
Cool.
Quote:
I don't buy anything made by crapsubishi no matter how good it looks... They build stuff that does not last and overcharge for it!
^ One thing that's gotta be said for the 4G63T, though - it's cheap to get stupidly fast.
And as many well tell you, at higher power levels, it'll actually last longer - with proper maintenance - than say, a comparable EJ in the Subie.
The problem with the DSMs is not that they're unreliable, per-se - back in the day, they weren't so bad. Rather, we're now looking at those old workhorses some 10, and even nearly 18 years in the future....things break, parts fall apart. The simple ravages of time - and compared to newer products, advances in manufacturing and technology (which itself makes the latter products more durable and reliable) cannot be overlooked.
Add that age to the fact that many such rides are pushing many, many times their initial rated performance, it's no wonder that they're not reliable daily-drivers.
My '95 TSi's been at the 300/300 (at the wheels) level for quite a few years now, and was my daily driver and road-trip companion up until I stepped up to Winky. The transition shocked me, in terms of how much money I needed to put in to the Legacy, in order to get her to what is even now quite a bit less than the Talon. But even though she was dead-reliable, I'd still hesitate to "recommend" a DSM, to anyone looking for a daily-driver type of project car.
If you're upgrading, project your future costs into the equation.
And as you've already expressed a need for durability/reliability, be sure to ask this question of your potential upgrade chassis.
FWIW, a WRX, "Stage II," is a dead-reliable item that's decently fun, and shouldn't kill the pocketbook.
__________________ - Allen / Usual Suspect "DumboRAT" / One of the Three Stooges
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Got a big raise... Looking to get a new car 
But the previous generations should be well-open. 
