MikeyB

OK, I have been tasked with getting my g/f's new car.

Budget ~ 30 k +/- a few thousand, (obviously minus is the better)
- wanted stylish car with good engine and good appearance

I would say a TL -S but it is gay to have the same car, + the body style is changing. Not a good investment for her.

My thoughts:
CL-S ?? No new body style, TL-S has similar part availabilty, can get 2002 for 28 k or so.

ACCORD coupe: don't want right now b/c new body style arrives soon right?... same with Maxima, except there styling is not to my liking.

AUDI.... electrical probs right?

BMW 325 ???

We all have similar taste in cars obviously, so please feel free to comment. I am sure there will be some good comparision + suggestions.

Thank you.

ferizzo

Does she want luxury or can she live without some comforts. My girlfriend bought herself an accord V6 coupe before I got my TLS and she loves it. She has similar tastes in cars but she could do without the leather and moonroof. She also did not want a manual. She does wish she got the EX instead of the LX but at the time she did not care about all those little things. She is still happy with the car (and so am I).

I would say that an A4 1.8t would be nice, whether its a 2002 or leftover 2001 (depending on if you like the new body style or not). You can always chip this car and get good power out of it. All this of course understanding that its her car. Maybe even check out the g35 (although I don't like the styling).

MB-telecom

Buying or leasing? That is something we need to know to help you out. I would go for the Maxima SE. You can get one fully loaded for $27,500 to $28,000 (w/out Navi). This car is very similar to the TL-S in almost every aspect. It also has a heated steering wheel!. They both have nice leather (Maxima leather is better this year than it has even been). I would go Maxima all the way especaillly if you are on a budget.

Now you are proablay wondering why I have the TL-S and not the Maxima SE. First my wife liked the TL-S much better then than Maxima. She 'claimed' that the Maxima was nosier inside and she also thought the interior of the TL-S has a better quaility look to it than the Maxima SE. Secondly I got a much better deal on leasing the TL-S than on the Maxima. If I were buying, then I would have bought the Maxima regardless of what the wife said since I would have saved roughly $3.5L over the TL-S.

Hope that helps you out.

FYI - the Altima's interior is pure and utter garbage. Right now the Altima fully loaded costs the same as the Maxima!!!

TypeSontheProwl

How about the A4's cousin, VW Passsat?

nameeri

I would go with the passat. A very nice and affordable german car. Get the 1.8T with the 5 speed. Cant go wrong. They have a forum too!

MikeyB

Hadn't even considered the PASSAT.... I'll take a look, she didn't like the JEtta at all!!

I am buying, and agree the Altima was a$$.

Anyone on board with the idea of a CL or CLS? My thoughts are that they can be bought for 28k (type S) and will not have a redesigned model EVER. The parts will still be readily available. the only thing is the tranny??? seems pretty hit or miss though?!?! I hate this, to busy at work... thanks so far guys

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

CL-S wouldn't be a bad idea, but it's scheduled to get a redesign the year after the TL (so that would be the '05 model), so if you don't want a TL-S, I'm assuming you wouldn't want a CL-S. Also, from what I've been hearing, if the sales of the CL do not pickup, the 2004 (which is the next model since the '03 just came out) will be the last model and the CL will be dropped from the line. This is just speculation, but something to keep in mind.

TypeSontheProwl

Another suggestion. Not sure of your time frame but Mazda is coming out with a new car called the 6 to replace the 626.
Check out the link:

http://www.mazdausa.com/autoshow/

Don's TL

Infiniti G35, saw one at the dealer for 31K. 260HP, 260TQ and RWD!!!:wow:

hemants

Sell her your TLS and get the G35 for yourself

P.S. If she doesn't need a big back seat, the WRX or RSX-S are both excellent choices. A large sedan will never handle like a smaller one

Monte TLS,MAX

Maxima SE, or used IS300.

tls988

How about a low milage 99-00 GS400?

MikeyB

For aesthetic purposes, I question getting cars that will have a redesign in 1-2 years. Would the GS have that? Also, buying used cars..... does anyone else think that is a bad decision? I seem to equate used with bad.

I like the 325i for her too, but with leather, HID's, seat heaters etc. that ***** is 37 k... WTF?!

I guess what it comes down to is either getting a TL-S (didn't like the Maxima although they gave us a sweet deal) which is kind of gay having the same car that faces a redesign. Or waiting.

The new accord coupe looks sweet, but waiting til august is a ways off.

Passat = no HID....I'd like to have them. Man, she is too picky...

afropuff

Damn, I didn't realize I made a gay decision by buying an '03 TL-S.

I figured I would enjoy the best car $30K could buy for the next couple of years, and trade-in once the redesigned TL has been out for a year or 2. Besides, nobody has any idea how the car will look, it's all speculation at this point.

(I was thinking of the G35 when deciding what car to buy...today I saw one drive by while waiting at a traffic light, and it seemed way to narrow in the front...and the back was ugly as sin. To me, it looks entirely better in pictures than in real life. It'll be interesting to see if it sells as well as Infiniti hopes...)

ferizzo

Afro,

He meant id would be gay if he and his girl both drove TLSs (he already has a TLS).

AC

Get a certified used 330Ci...

afropuff

My bad! Didn't occur to me that he had a TL-S also...DUH!

"Fac-TO-REE" applies to me also, bone-stock.

MikeyB

I Am considering a used bimmer more and more, it should fall right into the price range @ 1-2 yrs old.

A guy at work just p/u a M3, I'll talk to him about the experience..... ANyone else ever buy a used car??? I feel another thread generating...

hemants

If you're buying used, stick with Japanese as they have lower long term ownership costs.

If you must buy a used German, do yourself a favour and buy an extended warranty. You'll soon find, however, that warranty providers know something we don't -> ie. they charge almost double for Germans vs Japanese.

You can probably pick up a used auto IS300 cheap since the sticks are gaining popularity.

CarFreak

BMW 325ci (stick) and audi 1.8T (stick)

DJ Iceman

Of course it's purely psychological and personal, but I don't understand the reluctance to buy a car that's going to be redesigned in a year or two. The only objective argument can be that the "old" style will lose some resale value, but almost every car model goes through a redesign every 3 to 4 years. Personally I wouldn't let that extremely minor factor keep me from getting a car I like in other respects.

I'm getting the impression that you prefer Japanese cars over German and American--I'm the same way. If she'd be happy with an RSX, then that's a great choice that's going to save you some money. The CL Type-S is awesome, or you might still be able to pick up a leftover Prelude someplace. The Honda dealers are practically giving those away right now. I'm not a big fan of Nissan/Infiniti, but the Toyota lineup has some interesting choices--MR2, Solara convertible...

nameeri

I would still say go with the passat. I think that you can get an upgrade to HID as an option on the current model. Not sure tho. A buddy of mine at work has one and its one of the nicest cars i have sat in on the inside. Much better than accord or camry and its very sporty looking to. throw some mods on that shiat and your set. Not as nice as a TL-S but still nice.

MikeyB

I don't want to work on HER car.... I don't need speed, but I would like a NICE ride (leather, HID etc) the main reason I don't want a car that would be redesigned in a year is b/c I like new sh!T and no other reason.

I am really considering the used 330 or 325, if IS auto would be cheap I'd consider that too. THis weekend we will visit many car dealerships, Last weekend we only got to visit one (NISSAN)

I CANT wait.

U2SLOW

1) If you don't want to work on her car, then don'y buy a BMW/Audi
2) Why not get 4 Hyndai Accents? They are great 4-wheeled metal contraptions.
3) Seriusly, you need to go and drive a Mazda Millenia S. That car is comfortable, decent sized and is fast. It has nice features as well. You can get them for arounf $25,000.

SL1200MK4

Passat is a NONO..... to me...

As far as Audi/Bimmer goes...

Bimmer got a better driving dynamic and better engneering...

but the Audi got better Interior...

G35 is not a bad choice...

Closer

A4 1.8T
Perfect chick car.

ferizzo

And with a chip its strong enough for a man!

FTM-1

Go with a CL or CL-S you should be able to get a good deal on them.