I need help making up my mind.

[Dins]

Ok guys and girls, here's another one of those "what should I buy" polls.

I'm moving back to Germany on a permanent basis and am looking to buy a car in '08, once I have a reasonable amount of money to spend.

The choices are given in the poll and include a variety of vehicles in the 17.000euro range. This includes all the mechanical changes that would need to be made, such as for the imported Skyline.

The purpose of the car would somewhat depend on what I buy, some cars are more laid out for day-to-day activities, while others are made for racing. I will be racing the car on the 'Ring and will modify it along the way, so please take the possibilities into consideration.

A couple notes:
The BMW M5 is apparently available for this kind of money with 80.000km and up, I don't know whether those are serious or not.
The Skyline would probably be imported from the UK, if a good deal comes up I'd take Japan into consideration. To upgrade it to German specifications is roughly 5.000euros.

If you feel none of those are good choices, I also considered waiting a little longer to buy a Nissan 350Z for around 23.000euros. I really like the car, but it is quite a bit more expensive than the others, so not the primary focus.

If you must, take running costs, insurance etc. into consideration, but none of the given choices are cheap in those categories.

[Hidden_Hunter]

wouldn't bother with importing a skyline to be honest, the m5 maybe expensive to maintain. The 350z probably will of lost enough value for you to get one in 08 by then .

[Lurch0001]

The WRX has tons of aftermarket mods available for it, so that would be a good option if you're looking for something that's easy to mod. They're also really reliable (as long as you're careful with the mods).

[bobo_1314]

I would go for the S3, because European cars are cheaper to maintain in Europe. The S2000 would be a good choice, but parts are going to be quite expensive since they have to be shipped from Japan (I'm assuming you buy the genuine parts). The M5 probably costs a fortune to maintain, as parts for such high end cars are very expensive. Also, the S3 is more practical than the rest of the choice you listed because it's a hatchback, and the seats can be folded so it can turn into a "mini carrier" in minutes. So I would definitely put the S3 into consideration.

[bartboy9891]

WRX if you want a sedan, the 350Z if you don't. The Z is going to have a lot less mileage on it compared to the S2000 (the S2000's depreciation is very low here in the U.S. and even ones several years old with lower mileage still cost a lot more than you would expect.) The WRX would be the best all-rounder, it's got 4 doors, 5 seats, good amount of power, and they are pretty reliable. Though none of that may help you on the track

[VR6]

M5! Mainly because well its a dream of mine and 4 doors, rear wheel drive great v8 upfront.
If you want the reliablity though, go WRX I'm sure that would be a solid investment.

[SoxXpupPeT]

idk the type of person you are or what your looking for in a car. theres a very wide variety of car that youve listed. as stated earlier by Lurch0001 there are alot of after market parts for the car. there cheap to run and maintain and very very quick when you do them up right. my friend has an 04 WRX 2.5 RS here in the states and that thing is really sweet. very reliable and with the AWD it makes it ideal for any type of weather condition. plus it has 4-5 seats (depending on the size of people) which is more then the S2000 or the 350Z. and because its a 4 door the insurance shouldnt cost you as much as for either of those cars. its the most sensible choice of them all. best of luck with your decision.

[xtasy127]

lol i voted for the Z cause i own one -_-...very unpractical. but!! it makes a really great stock exhaust noise, plenty of power, ahah it just has no back seats -__- if you can get the g35 there go for that

[Capacious Boot]

I have a friend with a WRX STI and he loves it. I think he has an '03 model, and he hasn't had any problems with it. I rode in the back seat of it for almost 2 hours without being uncomfortable, and drove through quite a bit of snow on the way as well with no problems.

If I had the money that's what I would buy.

[anTo]

audi s3, just because its an audi

[SL65]

Go the M5!! But make sure you get them in good-nick...

You shouldn't get a bunch of people on a forum to choose for you btw

[nomix]

M5. Just get one.

[Ford Prefect]

I didn´t vote because somehow I think 17K € is quite optimistic for most of those cars... and if you´re planning to drive a beat up M5 on the ring prepare yourself for a lot of maintenance costs...

if you´re actually planning to drive on the ring a lot, my suggestion would be to get the 330, don´t modify it, and get yourself a cheap ringtool like an E30 318is instead...

[mautzel]

Both the 330Ci and the S3 are reasonable choices imo. And if running costs aren't an issue to you, why don't spend more on the car in the beginning?

DON'T take the Skyline - not only is it the oldest of the bunch but if you're going to take it on the ring you might need spares on a regular basis. Not only are they hard to get but importing them usually takes a lot of time (waiting for something that has to be shipped in from Japan because there's no central European parts distributor) or is hugely expensive. You may consider it if you were thinking of it as an approaching youngtimer, but I don't think that it'd be that much better to justify getting one over the Bimmer.

Also, you'd be able to get two sets of new tires a year from the insurance costs you'd save by buying the 330Ci instead of the Impreza or Nissan.

[Blind_Io]

I picked the WRX. You will be able to get a newer one than an 8 year old BMW, it has an excellent safety rating, and it's fun and powerful. Subaru consistently makes the list of recommended manufacturers and gets high marks for reliability. It's a winner all around - offering sport and fun without sacrificing practicality and safety.

[tigger]

I voted for the Z. Imo they look great, and you can option them pretty nicely from the factory. If you go for a sedan, I'd take the M5. It's probably more expensive over time than the WRX, but I know I'd have more fun in a powerful RWD V8 can than an AWD 4 cylinder one.

[Merlin 91/97]

I voted for the M5.
That said, I think you should go with the Skyline.

IMHO you asked the wrong question for the poll.
You said "Which do you favour?"

I know you, I know your car likes/dislikes. I know your taste in style and the way you like your cars to handle. I know you prefer less weight over more power. I know that you HATE every extra pound that is not needed on an automobile.

That's why I think you should go with the Skyline.
First off, it's kinda rare.
Second, the styling suits you.
Third, yes it weighs a bit more then a few others on the list, but the hp and awd should make up for that.

'99 BMW M5 - too heavy for you, and probably too much money
'02 BMW 330CI - not an M3, you won't be happy with it
'02 Audi S3 - I don't really know much about this car
'00 Honda S2000 - Nice, but it's a 2 seater, so that only means 2 girls + you
'04 Subaru WRX - it's not an STI
'04 Nissan 350Z - not bad, but you said yourself it's a playboys car
'91 Nissan Skyline R32 GTR - old & heavy.... but rare, beautiful, aggressive and powerful.

Originally Posted by SL65

Go the M5!! But make sure you get them in good-nick...

You shouldn't get a bunch of people on a forum to choose for you btw

SL65.... he's not getting the forum to choose for him. If I know Dino he'll outright ignore at least the top 2 choices because he doesn't want a car that everyone else has/wants. He likes to be different, he'll want to stand out.

[epp_b]

I chose the Skyline just because it drips awesomeness

[araracd]

I'd choose the M5. Overall, i think it's just the best car from your list.

[TomCat]

If I walked outside and all those cars were sitting there with keys in the ignition... I'd take the S2000.