Whats a good family car that still has some pep? Must be something reliable (no dead tranny) and roomy. I dont really want to be paying more than 300 a month. It can be a slightly used car too.

 

I was thinking a WRX?

 

$300 month, youre looking at like 16-18k

 

Hmm, you could try a used Maxima, circa 2001 with the 6MT transmission.

 

if you find a pampered 93 Infiniti Q45 with low miles that is the car to have. They are beasts. Fast, roomy, decent hwy mpg, and look good. Sort of high cost to keep running but depends on the car.

 

Depending on what you plan to trade/put down it may be over the budget but the new V6 Camry looks like a real winner.

 

^ i was thinking the same thing! So what are some good cars between 16-18k?

 

Family car, Reliable, Roomy, peppy:

New Mazda 6?

 

_____ hatch.

Id say a PT Cruiser but you said no broken trannies

Seriously, you could pick up a PT Turbo loaded for less than 15k. Sucks for me, good for everyone else.

 

You can get a new Sonata V6 for around $18K, and they're pretty quick.

 

I second the Mazda6 4 cyl. In particualar, the Sport gives you a cavernous amount of storage space beneath the hatch, it handles well (I got the salesman to stop talking during a test drive when I shifted into 4th, after redlining in 3rd, and nailed the gas instead of the brake, going upto about 160 kph on an off ramp) , brakes are great, it moves well with the MT, and it's pretty reasonably priced. The 06 has a better interior than previous years.

 

You said roomy.

 

Infiniti I35

 

Exactly what YoungTL said an 2001 Maxima will run you around 15-17 AT/6spd...I found a 6spd with Navi when I was searching for cars, just dont like the tailights on the Max.

www.carvision.com

 

If you go one year higher, you can get HID's are standard, as well as 255 HP instead of 222

 

Not sure of the price, but...
https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/holy-jeebus-332256/

 

The Mazda 3 hatchback is not as small as it looks and a decent car...?

 

Are they decent? I was thinking about the 3s and 6s when I was looking for a car and thought they were cool looking cars for very reasonable $, but never really did any research.

 

I consider a family car, a midsize car, so I would suggest looking into a used Nissan Maxima. Those are very reliable and one of the best V6s out there.

 

I like them. My GF has owned one since the summer and it's an absolute joy to drive in the city. It's got good room, decent interior, and good pep even for the freeways...

For comparison, she also considered and tried out the Acura EL, Honda Civic sedan, and Nissan Sentra SE-R...The 3 was heads above the competition in her mind.

 

you get a lot for the money with the 3 and the 6. For 20k, you can get leather, nav, moonroof, heated seats, satelite radio. Plus the 3 is a very good handling car.

 

Although I like the M6 it seems to have some reliability issues compared to the M3 which is by all accounts very solid.

Downunder hit it on the head, the Sonata. The new one is excellent, great warranty and is pretty zippy. Hyundai is on the cusp of becoming a well respected car maker and we are getting close to the end of DEEP discounts, I would take advantage of the bargaining power and jump on one now. I think you would be happy in the end. Personally, I hate buying used because I like having the mechanicals from the start so I can take car of them so they last a LONG time.

 

how about (i know i'm gonna get flamed for this) a slightly used
Impala.

 

 

when did u get back??? and are you nuts?

 

Actually, I don't think it is flame worthy at all. It has a MUCH better realiability record, 03-04 particularly, than most would expect. It can be had for a song with very little milage, has a lot of room and a HUGE trunk, though its isn't exactly a style queen. My next door neighbor is in outside sales and has one for travel. It has 250k on it, doesn't burn any oil, had the original tranny fluid in until 200k when I changed it for him and has had a radiator, water pump and radiator changed and thats it (all after 150K), still has the original spark plugs and gets 30mph on the highway, it has been aligned ONCE and his last set of 55K rated Michelins have been on the car 98K. I have kept up with it because he uses my lift for oil changes and it continues to amaze me with its longevity. Again, I am not a big fan of used cars but it is maybe the best value for a larger family car. Its biggest cost of ownership is depreciation, but if someone else takes the early big hit and you plan to keep it for a while, it is a good bet ownership cost wise.

 

A used Buick would probably be just as reliable as an Impala & slightly more comfortable.

 

But a buick is so BORING.
you get a SS Impala at least it's a little exciting. I'll admit it's not a Maxima or TL caliber.

 

What poor side of the tracks do you come from?!

Buick Regal all the way man!

<= dad says to lease a Pontiac, or start a family and get an Impala


luda needs to drive on over to my old apartment in Stow and say "what up" to my old neighbors, young families with Impalas. He'll get inspired(big time)"way cool man." And they'll help him find a church to go to(wake up on Sundays)"get Jesus man" !!!

 

2002-2003 Maxima SE 6 Speed. Damn nice car 255 hp HID's etc. Easy to get for uder 20K also.

 

Only problem with the earlier Impalas is that many of them were equipped with the 3.4L V-6, which was notorious for leaking from the intake manifold gasket.

The new ones are much better, and I just saw a new 06 Impala with the redesigned 3.5L for $19K at the local Chevy dealer. I know for sure that the GM transmissions have a better track record than the newer Honda transmissions.

If you really want something "durable," the 4-cyl 06 Camrys are about $17K plus tax in most places, but the Sonata V6 is hard to beat.

 

i like the 6mt maxima idea ... decisions decisions ...

 

I didnt like the manual tranny in the 02 maxima I drove last year. Maybe others like it, but I thought it had a rubbery shifter and I didnt like the clutch. Interestingly, I thought the Sentra SE-R felt much better (was an 04). Both pale in comparison to my TSX of course.

Family car,........I second the Sonata w V6.