Okay, so you've got 10-15k to spend on a daily driver.


What would you go with?

My top 5 so far (in no order)

2003 Honda S2000
2000 BMW 328Ci
1996 Nissan 300ZX ( )
2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder Convertible
1999 Porsche Boxster (http://tinyurl.com/4javaf)


Other suggestions are welcome, as well as criticisms on my top choices.


It should be known that I'm the type of guy who can change his own oil and disk brakes, but that's about it. As much as I'd like to get some sort of project car, I don't really have the knowledge, or the space to work on it.


So what car would you buy if your budget wasn't to exceed $15k?

I don't want to hear people say "I'd buy a $7k civic and put the rest into a new hottub" either. The budget is $10-$15.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:09 PM. Reason : I'd also like to get something that has decent gas mileage. V8+ Truck is not an option.]

9/30/2008 2:07:03 PM

BRAND

NEW

YARIS




(s2k)

9/30/2008 2:10:28 PM

2004 Honda CR-V is on the list too



to mix it up a little.

9/30/2008 2:15:09 PM

oh god, everyone is going to vote 2003 s2k all the way...

I'm not hatin', especially since I've yet to drive one, just saying...

how about a 350Z or a Miata?

A car that's in the 90's (even late 90's) is pretty old. I'd stay away from them in terms of "reliability" if you are looking for a DD. Especially the Boxster, just because parts are a bit pricey on those particular cars. Just a heads up.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:22 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2008 2:16:04 PM

Can a 350Z be easily found with less than 100k miles for $15k




Convince me to get a miata. I've always thought it was a chick car. Looks cartoony

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:20 PM. Reason : lol]

9/30/2008 2:19:29 PM

^ I hear it handles well, good gas mileage, reliable... Sure it may be "ghey" or look like a chick car, however, I'm sure it's fun as hell to take on the twisties or just cruise around town. I personally like small compact cars, just because they are easier to get around in...

&
350z's
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/848292213.html

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/845162454.html

G35
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/ctd/832277393.html


Might as well include a G35 in the mix... Open to negotiations I'm sure...



[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:27 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:33 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2008 2:24:16 PM

hearing you say the porsche is a bad deal makes me cry inside.



i believe you, i just thought i had found my poor-man's porsche.

9/30/2008 2:31:30 PM

^ aww. I'm sorry If you want a poor man's porsche, get a 924 or a 944

But seriously, the older boxsters haven't been known for their reliability. One tip with any pre-owned Porsche I'd purchase, get a pre-purchase inspection. It'll cost ~$100, but is totally worth it. It could save you thousands in the future. I'm sure most other brands (nissan, honda, etc) also have thorough pre-purchase inspections as well.

Oh, and someone please step in if I've posted anything inaccurate.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:44 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2008 2:40:00 PM

http://www.dragtimes.com/images/6910-2005-Subaru-Legacy.jpg

turbo + awd


(i'm not posting the image cause its huge...)

9/30/2008 2:48:00 PM

I'd like to stay away from anything that's been riced out or heavily modified, too.


for future reference.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 2:49 PM. Reason : station wagon's are a no go. not really my style.]

9/30/2008 2:48:33 PM

Trying to narrow it down to 2/4dr coupe or convertible. maybe a small suv like an escape or cr-v.


I'm not planning on racing it.

9/30/2008 2:50:44 PM

you don't have to rice it... its an effing legacy just the first pic i found...

here


no wagon... stock...

9/30/2008 2:51:47 PM

oh no, not talking about current suggestions



it's why there's a sadface next to the 300z. its damn near impossible to find 300's that haven't been abused.

9/30/2008 2:56:40 PM

There's always the impreza too... Can't believe I forgot that.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/839334486.html

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 3:19 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2008 3:17:12 PM

S2000
or
BMW 328Ci
Based completely on how much practicality you can afford to give up.
And I think you could find a 330Ci or 330i in your price/mileage range if you look hard enough. The E46 328's are pretty hard to find anyway.

The 300ZX is just old and doesn't hold a candle to the other cars. The MR2 Spyder doesn't have enough get up and go plus it's tiny compared to the Boxster and S2000. The Boxster is great fun; the service costs however are not. Call the stealership and ask how much an oil change will run if you need something to make you shy away from it.

9/30/2008 3:51:40 PM

98 honda civic and invest the rest of it in the stock market

now is a great time to buy and you should be looking at long term gains

9/30/2008 3:53:28 PM

Quote :

"I don't want to hear people say "I'd buy a $7k civic and put the rest into a new hottub" either. The budget is $10-$15. "

^lol... gg

9/30/2008 4:20:06 PM

VW GTI 2003+

9/30/2008 4:24:15 PM

^^ yeah, i actually didnt read the whole post

but my advice still stands

9/30/2008 4:27:14 PM

Acura TSX?

9/30/2008 4:50:19 PM

save up a little longer and get a G35.

9/30/2008 4:53:24 PM

2000 BMW 328Ci

9/30/2008 5:23:09 PM

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=515427

9/30/2008 5:41:30 PM

buy my a6

on the cheap.

9/30/2008 5:48:17 PM

daily driver and convertibles dont mix.

you can learn the hard way if you insist.

9/30/2008 6:01:07 PM

Do you really want a 2-seater as your DD? I wouldn't. The S2K is a damn nice car but there isn't anywhere to put anything. Same goes for the Boxster, MR-S, and Miata.

My suggestions would be:
-328/330Ci
-Mercedes CLK430 (Might fail your "decent gas mileage" criteria)
-G35
-Audi S4 (not sure about the mileage, parts would be $$)

Most of the above could probably be found for less than $15K if you're willing to look in the ~2000-2003 model years.

9/30/2008 11:40:37 PM

the cheapest POS that looks good and runs well.

10/1/2008 12:00:37 AM

buy five $3000 cars

10/1/2008 12:31:48 AM

or 7 $2000 cars!

10/1/2008 6:47:58 AM

13 $1000 cars

10/1/2008 8:23:32 AM

Quote :

"The S2K is a damn nice car but there isn't anywhere to put anything. Same goes for the Boxster, MR-S, and Miata."

I agree.

They invented the luxury coupe GT for a reason. Just buy something in that genre if you really want 2 doors. You could buy an older M3. If I got a M3 though I would get the four door.

10/1/2008 8:35:35 AM

S2000 all the way! Fun car to drive, good reliability and gas mileage. And you can fit two sets of golf clubs in the back.

Not sure if you can find a 2003 model for less than $15k with less than 80k miles though, if you're cool with that.

(did the glass rear window come out on the '03 or '04 model?)

10/1/2008 9:19:12 AM

Quote :

"So what car would you buy if your budget wasn't to exceed $15k?"

http://tinyurl.com/4kdht6

good friend of mine.. we've put hundreds of hours into this car...

[Edited on October 1, 2008 at 10:13 AM. Reason : ..]

10/1/2008 10:12:20 AM

^ i want

but have no funds

10/1/2008 10:32:41 AM

Quote :

"daily driver and convertibles dont mix. you can learn the hard way if you insist."

BULLSHIT.



Of the original list, I'd take the S2000 above the others. People who say you can't put "anything" in it are wrong. It just depends on what you want to do with the car. I don't carry tons of shit around and I hate having people pile in my car so a two seater works really well for me. I've never had a problem using the Miata. I can fit well over a hundred dollars worth of groceries in the car, etc. I've yet to encounter a time where I needed something else with more room.

The S2000 is going to be extremely reliable and relatively inexpensive to own compared to the BMW and Porsche due to the cost of parts and, if you use it, service IMO (Tires will be one thing that it will eat though). I'd definitely prefer it to a standard Boxter. The Boxter S may be better, but it will still be worse in maintenance costs IMO. I would not worry too much about plastic vs. glass rear window. Yes, the glass is better but it shouldn't be the deciding factor if you find a good deal on an S2000 with a plastic rear window. My Miata's plastic window has been just fine for me.

The MR2 is nice, but it's very slow compared to the others. Of all of the cars the Boxter and MR2 probably have the least space. Their trunks are in the front. I can imagine the MR2 is the cheapest car to maintain of that list and it will be very reliable. The MR2 can probably use 87 octane too, which the S2000 can't. I'm not sure about the Boxter and BMW.

I wouldn't buy a 300Z over any of those cars, I don't think it even belongs in the comparison really. I'd throw the MR2 and Boxter off the list too due to lack of practicality and the fact that they're slow. I think you're going to have more space with the S2000 and you're definitely going to have the most fun. It's also a great looking, very reliable car. You can throw a single exhaust such as the Spugen, Buddy Club or T1R 70mm on there too.

[Edited on October 1, 2008 at 10:51 AM. Reason : ]

10/1/2008 10:37:05 AM

if a regular miata won't do (too gay or too slow) you can always try the 2004-2005 mazdaspeed. They could be found with reasonable miles (< 50k) in your price range. Most owners keep them in really good shape too.

10/1/2008 11:10:26 AM

^^ Truth

10/1/2008 11:20:00 AM

Quote :

"The MR2 can probably use 87 octane too, which the S2000 can't. I'm not sure about the Boxter and BMW."

There's no doubt that the S2K, Boxster, and BMW specify premium. But they're all modern engines so you CAN run regular in them. But honestly, given the increased price of gas within the last few years the additional cost to run premium fuel has gone down considerably to the point where its not a big deal. And anyone that has a problem running premium fuel in a car should just give up and drive an Accord or Camry.

10/1/2008 1:08:04 PM

^ haha,

Boxster = Boxer (engine) and Roadster put together.. BOX-STER. => Boxster...

10/1/2008 1:15:33 PM

The S2000 engine is pretty high compression. I'm not sure that it could retard the timing enough not to ping at high RPMs and even if it did you'd probably still get better gas mileage on premium.

But, it's like a 10 gallon tank. Even if your MPG remained the same, with a $.20 difference between regular and premium you would save a whopping $2.00 every time you fill it up from nearly empty. That's $2.00 every ~250 miles. $8 every ~1000 miles. If you drive it 10,000 miles per year you're talking about ~$80 per year to run the proper fuel. If you run regular you'd be as retarded as your timing.

[Edited on October 1, 2008 at 1:32 PM. Reason : l]

10/1/2008 1:31:27 PM

all those choices are super poor DD choices, but considering reliability and other factors, I would opt for S2k.

E46 that year will have problems and high miles
ZX is 12 years old
new MR2 is stupid
'99 boxster is maintenance hog and engines were prone to failure on early years

buy a slightly used or new civic. it has timing chain, 40mpg on highway, enough power and enough comfort.

10/1/2008 1:56:18 PM

For a daily driver I'd go for a 330 (stretching it a tad), or an M3. If you can handle the S2k, that's a good choice. I don't like the non S Boxsters, but if the perf. deficit doesn't bother you, you could find a solid one in your price range.

10/1/2008 2:23:24 PM

2009 OEPmobile

10/1/2008 2:29:26 PM

^^^13.2, but who's counting And like I said if which type of gas is of concern to you, you should drive an Accord or Camry.

10/1/2008 3:03:00 PM

are there any s2000 years i should avoid?

10/1/2008 3:51:03 PM

I've been reading up on S2000s for a while, and from what I can tell there are no model years to avoid. Really comes down to preference. Of course, the newer the model year the more difficult it is to modify (given electronic nannies and an electronic throttle body in '06+s)

10/1/2008 4:10:56 PM

Quote :

"BULLSHIT. Of the original list, I'd take the S2000 above the others. People who say you can't put "anything" in it are wrong. It just depends on what you want to do with the car. I don't carry tons of shit around and I hate having people pile in my car so a two seater works really well for me. I've never had a problem using the Miata. I can fit well over a hundred dollars worth of groceries in the car, etc. I've yet to encounter a time where I needed something else with more room. The S2000 is going to be extremely reliable and relatively inexpensive to own compared to the BMW and Porsche due to the cost of parts and, if you use it, service IMO (Tires will be one thing that it will eat though). I'd definitely prefer it to a standard Boxter. The Boxter S may be better, but it will still be worse in maintenance costs IMO. I would not worry too much about plastic vs. glass rear window. Yes, the glass is better but it shouldn't be the deciding factor if you find a good deal on an S2000 with a plastic rear window. My Miata's plastic window has been just fine for me. The MR2 is nice, but it's very slow compared to the others. Of all of the cars the Boxter and MR2 probably have the least space. Their trunks are in the front. I can imagine the MR2 is the cheapest car to maintain of that list and it will be very reliable. The MR2 can probably use 87 octane too, which the S2000 can't. I'm not sure about the Boxter and BMW. I wouldn't buy a 300Z over any of those cars, I don't think it even belongs in the comparison really. I'd throw the MR2 and Boxter off the list too due to lack of practicality and the fact that they're slow. I think you're going to have more space with the S2000 and you're definitely going to have the most fun. It's also a great looking, very reliable car. You can throw a single exhaust such as the Spugen, Buddy Club or T1R 70mm on there too. "

We'll ive owned one for 1.5 years and you couldn't pay me to drive that thing to work every day. Well you could, but you wouldnt.

Hell I'll sell it to you. You sound more enthusiastic about it.

You do realize a mr2 weighs 2090lbs right? ~300-400lbs less then an mx-5. You know that right?

[Edited on October 1, 2008 at 6:35 PM. Reason : .]

10/1/2008 6:33:32 PM

Quote :

"If you run regular you'd be as retarded as your timing."

GG Skack.


The tank in the s2k is 13.2 gallons but the gas gauge hits zero (its digital so when the last LED goes out) at around 11gallons.

If youre going to budget gas here is some numbers from my gas log on an 05

Date Price Miles Gallons MPG
06-14-2008 $4.159 299.20 10.915 27.4118
05-26-2008 $4.079 294.00 10.966 26.8101
05-18-2008 $3.929 254.80 11.025 23.1111
05-06-2008 $3.749 264.50 10.587 24.9835
04-30-2008 $3.749 307.70 10.995 27.9854
04-25-2008 $3.799 296.70 10.011 29.6374
04-20-2008 $3.679 279.70 10.495 26.6508
04-08-2008 $3.499 274.90 10.948 25.1096
03-21-2008 $3.409 253.80 10.186 24.9166
00-00-0000 $0.000 226.90 9.428 24.0666

10/1/2008 6:42:30 PM

^thats pretty much identical to my GS-R, which also requires premium and has a 13.2 gallon tank (though my light doesn't go on till 10 1/2 - 11 1/2). I know people that get 30mpg+ on the highway with their S2000. So from my point of view I don't see this as a bad thing.

My dad's 58 and he DDs his '05 S2000.

My point is that plenty of people DD an S2000.

And I'm confused abaout what the point of the MR2's weight is?

10/1/2008 11:08:38 PM

Quote :

"13 $1000 cars "

Yes sirrrrrrrrr

10/1/2008 11:42:01 PM