Trojanman750

heres the deal

i have around 10k and im looking for a new car. my previous was a 2000 TLP....im kinda struggling with what to get next.

1. it MUST be manual 5 speed
2. somewhat luxurious
3. i commute so no gas guzzling v8s


my two main choices as of now are either a 98+ integra coupe with leather interior, or a e36 BMW.

im toying with the thought of putting the 10k down and financing another 5 or 6 grand, so maybe bump that budget up to 16k. in that case i lust after a e36 M3. do you guys recommend financing another 5k? this would be the first time i do payments on something because ive always just paid all cash....im also playing with the thought of just going all out and maybe financing a 20k car and get a used 325ci coupe.

what other cars are out there?? i dont want 240sx or eclipse, or anything american really. i need some ideas...im a college student with a part time job i probably pull in around 1200 a month for spending, so i think i could comfortably pay 250-300 a month

Trojanman750

damn

ryebreadisme

iTrader: (1)

What year cars are you looking through. You could look into some older Lexus like the SC series or maybe an Infiniti? I don't know anything about financing, so I can't help you there. I'm in the same situation you are. College student+part time job=Not much money, period. Maybe a Mitsubishi 3000gt? My friend drives one. He likes it a lot. Don't really know what you're going for. I probably missed that Luxury mark a little sorry. Good luck.

sbuswell

what about a cl-s 6spd, you can find a decent one for around 15-16k easy. that is a better car for what you mentioned than an integra or M3.

ryebreadisme

iTrader: (1)

He's definitely right, if you shop around you should be able to find one for that window of price. That way you can definitely stay in the family and get the best of both worlds. Sports car plus luxury.

Trojanman750

yea i was considering that too....however i drive a TL and the gas mileage is alittle steep...91 octance and an average of 20 mpg for me is hurting....CLs are definately getting cheaper though

im also considering preludes now, a nice 98+ with a lip kit is the sex

i geuss its a hard thing to ask, but sport luxury and gas economy and some decent torque is what im looking for

1. integra gsr
2. e36
3. prelude

victorvu

iTrader: (1)

a M3 drinks a lot of gas too. it doesnt save that much gas you would be getting as much as your tl.

Trojanman750

yea the m3 is a long shot...my new job isnt paying me as much as i hoped so i think id rather get a reliable but sporty car, so integras and preludes fit the bill


plus my roomates already got a 325is, i dont wanna be a oneupper and make his car feel puny compared to my m3 powaaahhh

rayman1031

my 5th gen prelude is pretty bad on gas. driving at 80mph kills the mpg. i get maybe 27mpg MAX and it's a 4 banger

danny25

is it all city driving? I drive mostly highway and used to get 28-30 mpg in my CLS. It's got about 57k miles on it now so the mileage has gone down a bit but it's still 26-27.

bl^5

The biggest question is this:

WHO IS PAYING FOR YOUR INSURANCE?

afici0nad0

2001 prelude would be a nice choice too

GreenMonster

Yep, I really underapreciated the prelude till I bought my first h/a product and joined the "import scene"...

Prelude SH would definitely fit the category of a sport/lux/econo car... you'll just have to find one with factory leather seats...

And, the preludes would be in your price range...

Trojanman750

i go halfs with my dad on insurance


damn a prelude only gets 27mpg on the freeway?? haha thats worse than my TL...what kinda numbers does a prelude have? hp/tq? when going 80 on the freeway what RPM does it hold at?

im planning on doing a few road trips this year too, bay area to seattle and bay area to LA....so yea gas mileage kinda matters

F900

prelude

rayman1031

auto @ 80mph is 3600rpm
195/160

manual @ 80mph is 4000rpm
200/160

the manual ludes are 15 second cars, if that matters.

check out bayareaprelude.com they might have some for sale

pebe

You didn't say it had to be a Honda/Acura, so here are my suggestions :flamesuiton:

MKIV (99-2005) Jetta/GTI VR6 or 1.8t, a blast to drive when modded. 10k can get you a low mileage example plus extra for mods

A4 1.8t (sedan or wagon)

Honda Accord V6 coupe, might be hard to find for 10k though.

Trojanman750

hmm the jetta sounds interesting, but definately no on the audi and accord



im really leaning towards the lude now, but damn why is the revs so high at 80mph?? with 200hp id kinda expect to be around 3000

but damn, a lude with lip kit, lowered, plus nice wheels is fucking hot

pimpravi

b5 audi a4

rayman1031

yes ludes are sweet.
the h22 is somewhat of a high revving motor. redline is 7400rpm. vtec doesn't kick in till 5000!

gocubsgo55

Lexus SC300, but good luck finding a 5MT. Even cooler would be an Acura Legend 6MT!

Trojanman750

yea i also thought about the sc300-400 , but a friend of mine had a sc400 and i wasnt too impressed with it, kind of bland...plus every wannabe gangster around here has one on 20 inch rims so they seem kind played out to me

rayman is your a SH or base model. researching tells me that the ATTS system is kind of bad if you intend on adding horsepower. the handlings better but the ATTS system makes it hard to swap parts and shit? what do you think?

rayman1031

i have a base model but i'm all show no go
based on what i've been reading, the ATTS unit can handle up to only about 200whp which is pretty much the most you'd get out of it short of going FI. as for aftermarket support, parts for the SH are harder to find but there isn't much difference in what's offered and price. i'm not sure of the specifics but the exhaust system is different, i think, along with some other things. also, the SH is a bit heavier than a base. if you want straightline speed, and decent handling (the lude chassis is pretty solid) go for the non-SH. if you like tracking the car, go for the SH. another thing to heed: i hear that the ATTS isn't exactly troublefree (stock) as some people have had it go out and it costs a pretty penny to fix.

Trojanman750

yea i think i have my sites fixed on a base model prelude

im looking at a 98 black on black with a handful of mods and 85k....

how much did you pay and what year, miles was it?

rayman1031

mine's a 97 base and i payed 6k for it. it had 99k on it.
that 98 you're looking at, i'd say it's worth about 7k depending on the mods. i wanted a black one =(

bl^5

I asked that, because being under 25 your insurance can easily be as much as your car payment depending on the car your choose. I would always ask my insurance agent what car to buy and go from there. If you pops is paying half, you should be good to go regardless.

Good luck with you decision, and any 4 banger Honda/Acura should be reliable and a good choice.

Trojanman750

damn thats a good price

unforunately after a few weeks of searching i couldnt find any decent preludes.....my desire sort of shifted a black on black integra GSR and i picked one up the other day..i was also looking at some cheap m3s but i decided with the maintenance and stuff to go against it

yunginTL

5 speed jetta TDI, fuckin 50 miles a gallon

oonowindoo

seriously.. get a new car... save your self alot of headaches down the road.

Just buy/lease a new civic or something in that price range. Drive it for a few years until you can afford to buy something that you really want. (you can save alot of $$ too, no down pay requried and payment should be around $300 finance, $200 lease)

Last thing i want is to have to deal with car problems when i am in college.
Imagine you are on your way to school for your final exam and your car breaks down. Sucks!

DoWnAqT

F*CK new cars. they lose so much value......if i were you id be hunting for a steal. id go with find an is300 turbo'd. i had one and it was amazing but mine was a n/a but it still was an amazing car. 01-02 is300 are going for a reasonable amount....my friend just sold his for 15k with 19's slammed with tons of nice stuff...imo it was a steal. so if your interseted in an is300 watch is300.net in the classifieds for a good price. an IS is sporty, luxury and are available with 5 speeds. and a 6 speed is very doable seeing its has basicly the same engine as the supra. theres my 2 cents

yunginTL

buyin a new car is stupid...its just a ripoff, u can easily find a 1-4 yr old car in mint condition that will last you, and that it is reliable as well as cheaper on insurance

Trojanman750

exactly..im a student who doesnt have enough cash to be paying payments on cars losing value

i managed to go below my budget and get a 99 GSR black/black leather for 9 grand. its in flawless condition its so clean...i finally have my manual transmission and my black leather interior.

yunginTL

good job man, hows teh insurance like wit a gsr?

FiftyFive

Every car you buy is going to lose value, and payments on a newer car are probably a better idea than fixing something every month on an older car with alot of miles.

bonknhead

How's about a '02+ Lexus IS300? They came w/ a manual tranny from that year on. RWD, great reliability, and you can find some in $15k-$16k range. Not very quick stock, but add an SC or turbo with the remaining $4k-$5k, and you'll have a reliable, great-handling, semi-luxurious car with brand recognition too.

Trojanman750

yea i was interested in is300s but they are too expensive....if i had 15 grand i would be all over a e36 m3


im lovin the integra for now...the insurance isnt that bad, i think it a little less than my TL...it has a good alarm so that lowers the rate significantly

Trojanman750

yea the maintenance on this integra is going to be nothing though....oil changes and fluid changes and thats aboutit..the previous owner just had timing belt done and a few other things