Looking for a sporty, used car for under 16k, but preferably between 13 and 14 thousand.

Cars considered so far:

Audi A4 2.8, 1999-2001


Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, 2002-2005


Subaru Impreza WRX, 2002-2004


Mazda 3 S, 2004-2005


Honda Prelude, 1999-2001


Dodge Neon SRT-4, 2003-2004


Mazda MAZDASPEED Protege, 2003



So, any recommendations?

I'm leaning towards the WRX. I really love the A4, but it is on the expensive side, I would have to get one with more milage, and I think reliability may be a concern. I think the nearest place that can repair one is 40 min away from me in Mt Airy. The Neon SRT-4 is supposedly a beast, but its a Dodge Neon...

[Edited on August 18, 2006 at 12:58 AM. Reason : pic]

8/18/2006 12:57:21 AM

srt-4

8/18/2006 1:12:20 AM

SRT$ will be fastest by far, but I'd go with A4 for a daily driver.
http://tinyurl.com/k8vox

[Edited on August 18, 2006 at 8:03 AM. Reason : -]

8/18/2006 6:49:33 AM

98-01 LS1 Camaro Z-28.

Shit if you hunt good you can probably find a droptop one at that price. I know I only dropped 9k on my 97 Z-28 Convertible. It might not be an e30, and I know a lot of folks around here just think its a mullet mobile, but for the price you can't beat the speed and the 'verts seem a lot nicer than the mulletized T-Tops.

8/18/2006 7:08:30 AM

The A4, especially with the 2.8, is a luxury car - granted due to the quattro it can be thrown around a bit, but the 1.8t-quattro would probably be a better choice.

I haven't driven any of the others - though I'd definitely try out a WRX.

8/18/2006 7:23:11 AM

what sort of world do we live in where you can say you want something sporty and paste 3 pages of 4-door sedans and be received with straight faces?

8/18/2006 7:39:44 AM

Yea, for the A4, I would really look at the turbo 4's.

Pretty fast stock with the quattro, and you can get up to 215/250 with a little ECU upgrade.

Turbo's are fun.

8/18/2006 9:06:03 AM

ive got a '01 a4, i can't wait to get rid of it

8/18/2006 9:26:13 AM

the wrx, while you can make a decent amount of power with a few mods feels numb and slow out of the box. if you're going to have someone do maintainance for you, I'd have to assume you weren't planning on modifying it. the mazdaspeed protege feels the fastest 2nd to the srt4 but has way more creature comforts and is definitely a more of a driver's car than a sports car. I thoroughly enjoyed mine.

8/18/2006 9:32:21 AM

A4s arent sporty, sorry.

8/18/2006 9:39:11 AM

not to blend in with the bmw clan but i think an E36 M3 would fit the bill nicely.
nice & luxurious but fun to toss around.

The new mazdaspeed 3 will be sick i be you.
the mazda speed protege' wasn't very fast though.

a vw gti would be fun w/ the 1.8t

you can get a 4door g35 for about 18k if you look around...
you might wanna check into those and the is300s too.

the thing is... all of us define "sporty" different it really depends on what you've been driving

8/18/2006 9:57:20 AM

buy my '03 Saab 9-3 SS...2.0L Turbo 5-speed... if you're considering the Audi mine is probably a better deal

8/18/2006 10:12:13 AM

A4 is slow and cramped in the back for a 4 door, but it's the most luxurious. You might as well get a 1.8T and chip it anyway.

Srt-4 has the most power potential. Are you looking to mod a car? SE-R is a good balance of practicality and decent power all things considered. I wouldn't get the Mazdaspeed Protege, might as well get the AWD WRX if you want the 4 door (or SRT-4 b/c of power potential).

8/18/2006 10:14:11 AM

Quote :

"a vw gti would be fun w/ the 1.8t"

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/car/191584376.html



[Edited on August 18, 2006 at 10:17 AM. Reason : ...]

8/18/2006 10:15:31 AM

earlier s2000

8/18/2006 10:15:53 AM

Quote :

"the thing is... all of us define "sporty" different it really depends on what you've been driving"

haha, I have been driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee, so most any car I would probably consider sporty.

Quote :

"98-01 LS1 Camaro Z-28"

Well, for one thing I'm not a big fan of the Camaro's looks, and another thing is that I live in the mountains, and I want something that will corner well just as much as something that will drive fast.

Quote :

"what sort of world do we live in where you can say you want something sporty and paste 3 pages of 4-door sedans and be received with straight faces?"

I love 4-door cars, they are so much more useful. I can't stand hatchbacks though.

[Edited on August 18, 2006 at 10:28 AM. Reason : wtf is wan't? ]

8/18/2006 10:19:59 AM

4 door cars can be sporty

8/18/2006 10:22:29 AM

Yeah hell if he's not gonna touch it the VR has more hp anyway and sounds NAASSSTY!

8/18/2006 10:57:26 AM

mandatory e30 post. strangely enough i went from jeep grand cherokee to e30, so you can follow in my footsteps

8/18/2006 10:58:43 AM

No way

8/18/2006 11:04:51 AM

Not liking the looks of the old F-Bods I can totally understand.

But the handling aspect is usually really overblown. They aren't as nimble as smaller cars, your exactly fucking right, but they often will still outdo other small cars in a slalom overall, because they are just so much faster when it comes to accelerating. Here is one 600' slalom test done by Edmunds and the result just so you can see I'm not blowing smoke up your ass.

Vehicle 600-ft slalom, mph Fastest Lap Average Lap
Acura RSX Type-S 64.9 01:26.2 01:26.8
Honda Prelude SH 64.9 01:26.0 01:26.9
Mercury Cougar Zn 64.9 01:29.0 01:30.0
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT 66.0 01:27.2 01:28.5
Toyota Celica GT-S 67.1 01:25.2 01:26.5
VW GTI GLS 1.8T 66.0 01:26.9 01:27.5
Chevrolet Camaro Z28 62.9 01:23.9 01:24.9
Ford Mustang Bullitt 66.0 01:24.2 01:25.3

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/vdp/articleId=47901/pageNumber=21

8/18/2006 11:21:09 AM

?

The stat you just posted has the Camaro significantly slower than the other cars in the slalom

8/18/2006 11:23:20 AM

The prelude is a fun car and could probably be found for less than the other vehicles you've listed. If you want to go a more economical route I'd suggest this.

The SRT-4 will definitely be the quickest overall of the cars you've listed (At least in stock form). You can also gain quite a bit of power without investing much. Also thought I'd mention the picture you posted is a regular neon, not an SRT-4.

The wrx isn't particularly great in stock form, and I've never driven the mazdaspeed. You should probably drive all of them so you can get an idea of the differences.

Oh, and I'd also suggest adding an RSX-S to your list. It responds very well to bolt-ons, has a 6-speed and a pretty nice interior.

8/18/2006 12:04:32 PM

yes RSX-S seems like a good call.

8/18/2006 12:08:41 PM

E36 M3

8/18/2006 12:23:20 PM

Quote :

"I'd mention the picture you posted is a regular neon, not an SRT-4."

was gonna say the same thing.


for the SRT-4, a set of springs and sway bars (under $400) will make it handle a lot better than stock, and look better. I have the mopar coilovers, Falken Azenis RT-615s, and parts bin special sway bars and the difference in handling is amazing. Much more controlled easy to drive at the limit. I have no complaints with the ride on the highway, even for day-long drives across crappy interstates. Very nice interior space and so far (35k miles) I don't have any sqeeks or rattles. It may not be as plush as the A4 or some of the others, but the ergonomics are nice and I have no complaints.

8/18/2006 12:37:06 PM

Yea sorry wasn't trying to point to the speed, but the average and fastest time.

8/18/2006 1:59:28 PM

yeah but at the end of the day - you are driving a neon

8/18/2006 2:07:31 PM

Quote :

"Yea sorry wasn't trying to point to the speed, but the average and fastest time."

But you said it out did smaller cars in the slalom overall when in fact it does not. But you did show that it has a faster lap time than some 4 cylinder cars.

8/18/2006 2:23:35 PM

Well sorry I was trying to point out the fallacy that some people think any little shitbox 4-cylinder can outrun a muscle car in a slalom because "they can't handle". Thats it. I ain't trying to say its some fucking handling machine or roll with an e30, but it'd hang with many of the cars that have been mentioned in this thread. Thats all.

8/18/2006 3:10:26 PM

Well they can outrun them in the slalom, as evidence by what you posted
thats what i was pointing out


i think you are confusing slalom with lap times

8/18/2006 3:17:09 PM

I had a LS1 f-body.

I autocrossed it. While it was fun, you really did need some strait bits to make up some time. They are reasonably nimble, but nothing compared to the AWD stuff listed here. And he needs mountainablity, so I would say awd is pretty important.

8/18/2006 3:19:36 PM

wrx ftw

8/18/2006 5:50:56 PM

so... buying a car on Ebay, good idea or dumb idea?...

Autotrader doesn't have many SRT-4s, plus their "powersearch" sucks since you can't put in any terms, so when you are looking for a neon SRT-4 or MAZDASPEED Protege, you get 100000 results you have to sort through, 95% being standard versions.

What makes the 1.8 audi better than the 2.8?

8/18/2006 10:54:23 PM

1.8 is turbo

cars that come with turbos are way easier to add hp too

just tune it w/ more boost.
then bigger turbo
then more boost
all the while reducing exhaust pressure and intake pressure

8/18/2006 11:51:35 PM

good idea if you know what you are doing. i have bought 2 bikes and a car off of ebay and gotten great deals I could definately never have gotten anywhere else. the key is just to be in good contact with the seller before you actually bid on the item, and by all means check out the vehicle in person before you pay for it. NEVER WIRE ANY MONEY no matter what the seller says... I just had a buddy get screwed outta $1300 for a bike by wiring the money on a promise it would be shipped to him. If you play your cards right you can get a great deal, you just gotta be careful.

8/19/2006 12:14:34 AM

Quote :

"wrx ftw"

if you want a car that you're going to keep stock & won't mind sitting in every day. don't buy a wrx.

8/19/2006 1:19:01 AM

wtf are u ppl talking about. WRX IS 0-60 IN under 6 seconds........srt-4 is under 5 too, but comon,its a fucken NEON. you really wanna spend 15k on a neon? a scooby although turbo, will have btter reliablility.

but honeslty, i think you need to fuck those cars and look for a used rx-7. no doubt

8/19/2006 3:21:56 AM

did you just mention fuck those 2 brand new cars and say he should get a used rotary?

you have got to be fucking kidding me

8/19/2006 4:10:11 AM

an SM LS1 Camaro is slated to win the state autox championships this weekend. whodathunkit?

Of course the driver is unhuman. He borrowed the car at the last event and knocked out FTD on his second run ever in it.

8/19/2006 5:52:16 AM

Quote :

"WRX IS 0-60 IN under 6 seconds"

right... but thats with what? a 5000 rpm awd launch. by all means if you like the car go buy it. i hated it. every time i drove it i thought to myself, isn't this car supposed to be fast?

8/19/2006 7:46:50 AM

Quote :

"a scooby although turbo, will have btter reliablility"

bullshit

first gen neon's have their problems, 2nd gen (including the srt) don't have any problems unless you are a complete dumbass and beat the shit out of it every day.

8/19/2006 8:40:35 AM

The WRX is plenty fast for your needs in stock form. Some people are just spoiled with their POS-4 and SC's Turbo'd NOS Civics.

So, let's focus on creature comforts and other things. Here is a list of thing you should consider:

-AWD will prove useful in nasty weather. But, it does produce the typical understeer. Lots of drivetrain loss as well.

-The 2002-2003 interiors are kind of bland. 2004 interiors aren't much different from 02-03 except for new gauges and seats. 05 and 06 interiors have been upgraded and are much better.

-2002-2005 all have the same exact 2.0L H4 engine. 2006 is the new 2.5L H4 engine.

-Paint is cheap. I used a high pressure washer on my hood scoop and the paint started to chip off. Could just be my bad luck.

-I've had my 2004 for over 2 years now, 32K miles, and no major problems, AND not to mention the fact that it's modded up to Stage II. (Problems: Paint chipping and a dead battery)

8/19/2006 9:13:10 AM

stage 2?

I agree the wrx sucks! Dont bother unless you get the STI. even modded the std wrx will never be fast.

8/19/2006 9:40:04 AM

i don't know if i'd quite go that far. depends on your definition of fast.

8/19/2006 9:48:45 AM

^^ i'd put a stock turbo clause on that.



[Edited on August 19, 2006 at 9:58 AM. Reason : .]

8/19/2006 9:57:48 AM

Quote :

"Dodge's own Mopar Performance has been offering several "stages" of performance upgrades for those who want to push their cars to the brink. The $399 Stage 1 turbo upgrade kit pushes the SRT-4's 2.4-liter turbocharged engine to an underrated 240 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque. Next in the catalog is the Mopar Performance turbo blow-off valve, designed to prevent both premature boost leakage and compressor surge. The $1500 Stage 2 turbo kit boosts the engine up to 280 hp and 300 lb-ft in "high-octane" mode, while the Stage 3 raises the bar up to 355 hp and 365 lb-ft, costing you between $2700 to $3700 depending on what upgrades you've already installed."

- ModernRacer.com

That makes me lean a little more toward the neon, for under $20000 total I could get a 355 hp car with Dodge's own parts.

8/19/2006 11:16:52 AM

you don't need Dodge's own parts.

you can easily do the same thing to almost any turbocharged car.

and Neons are FWD, which is totally gay.

8/19/2006 11:27:48 AM

Quote :

"you don't need Dodge's own parts."

It's always nice to keep your warranty though.

[Edited on August 19, 2006 at 11:38 AM. Reason : ]

8/19/2006 11:35:09 AM

'74 Dodge Dart

8/19/2006 11:59:30 AM