So I have $60,000 - what to buy?

SuperStalin said:
It's very Hondasexual.
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Ooh good phrase, I like that! :thumbup:

I drive a red Honda Civic and love my creaky old Honda motorcycle. So I guess that makes me a Hondasexual. (Or the red-headed stepchild of Liberace Elton Richard John Simmons, according to Mopar Man.)
 
TomCat said:
I'm talking about the cars that I've sat in. There's no doubt in my mind you could find a nice 3-series in new condition to compare to a beat up old Commodore. I just think people hold a higher standard for American cars when it comes to interior quality, then cars from other countries. I nicely equiped 3-series with brushed aluminum or wood inserts would look a hell of lot better then the base model I sat in. But the plastics were absolutely nothing to write home about.

I find the whole argument dumb anyway. It's like saying Coke is better then Pepsi because the bottle is made of better plastic.
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The BMW is an early 2005 build (e90 3 series) and the commodore is a late 2003 build, they're both sitting in the garage downstairs. I don't care either way both cars are good at different things. (I should chuck in a picture of the integra for good measure :p)

It's only a 320i here in aus so no top spec (dad has a 335i in the states though) and the one here in aus hasn't got iDrive either (it has the best audio you can get without iDrive)
 
TomCat said:
Good, should be very durable then.

I sat in a base model 3-series BMW and it had far worse plastics in the interior then any domestic I've ever owned. Even more so then the Solstice I test drove. The BMW wouldn't have been as bad, except the cheap spray paint used on the cheap plastic center console was chipping away. I've never seen anything that bad in a domestic.

Besides, if you're looking for a nice interior, don't look at a $19grand roadster sportscar. It has more important priorities.
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No need to get defensive, I didn't say "all domestics make crappy interiors." It's just stupid using the exact same type/texture of plastic as a garbage can in a car that is trying to make a design statement. And I'm not trying to be sarcastic, you've driven one so you know what I'm talking about. My dad's 300C, on the other hand has an interior built like a tank and doesn't look and feel like it came off of a waste container, it's not that hard to do.

Besides, the OP has $60k to spend, I don't think he wants a compromised car with "more important priorities." Now lets not tun this into a domestic vs. the world war..
 
What about a Monaro? It looks good and it's fast. Anyway, about the cars you have been thinking about, have you test driven any of them? If not do that. If I had $60,000 (which converts to about $85,000 where I live) i'd probably get an E46 M3 CSL because I don't like the new one or a Z4M Coupe. I suppose you've got to choose which one you like the most.
 
Narcolepsy said:
Besides badge and bragging I don't see what a Cayman or Z4 can do that an Rx-8, 350Z, or S2000 can't.
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My $.02 on the cheap alternatives:
RX-8: No balls (at least not enough). There's a reason the RX-7 die hards haven't embraced it and there's a reason we havent' seen an RX-8 turbo. Mazda will be bringing the RX-7 back.
350Z: Too heavy, also not particularly fast and lacking a turbo that its predecessor had. My main complaint is weight and nothing terribly special wrung out of the ubiquitous V6 for the top end Z cars.
S2000: Great car that's thrilling and handles superbly; however, you have to wring its neck to get anything out of it. Completely gutless down low. It's kind of like having a beautiful girlfriend you fight with all the time.
 
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TomCat said:
I find the whole argument dumb anyway. It's like saying Coke is better then Pepsi because the bottle is made of better plastic.
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I used to think that way, but once you've owned a car for a few years, the gaps will bug you; the pieces that break and bend will bug you; the wear marks will bug you. At about 5 years, my TA got a few puncture holes in the center stack, the trim piece holding the electronic controls for the seat started peeling away from the seat, and my fuse box cover started falling off.

It's like ignoring the bottle your cola comes in except it spurts leaks when you're trying to drink it.
 
janstett said:
My $.02 on the cheap alternatives:
RX-8: No balls (at least not enough). There's a reason the RX-7 die hards haven't embraced it and there's a reason we havent' seen an RX-8 turbo. Mazda will be bringing the RX-7 back.
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Are you saying the RX-8 is a faliure? I'm afraid you are wrong. They are hugely popular here, are certainly fast enough and more practial. Although the boot isn't big enough for golf clubs. If you want that, get a Jag. If you want a faster RX or Z, get an old RX-7 or a 300zx.

I highly doubt Mazda will bring the 'RX-7' back, although a faster wankel engine supercar would be awesome.

I still think you can't go far wrong with the NSX.
 
Alex_0700 said:
No need to get defensive, I didn't say "all domestics make crappy interiors." It's just stupid using the exact same type/texture of plastic as a garbage can in a car that is trying to make a design statement. And I'm not trying to be sarcastic, you've driven one so you know what I'm talking about. My dad's 300C, on the other hand has an interior built like a tank and doesn't look and feel like it came off of a waste container, it's not that hard to do.

Besides, the OP has $60k to spend, I don't think he wants a compromised car with "more important priorities." Now lets not tun this into a domestic vs. the world war..
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I don't think Deuses is even vaguely considering a Solstice or Sky. I'm just defending the car, as it's something I'm considering buying. The Solstice isn't trying to make a design statement. The Sky is more along those lines. The Solstice is a roadster sports car. Lutz loved the Concept and wanted the production version to look as close as possible to it. That's why it looks the way it does, has zero trunk space, a manual top that requires a few steps to raise or lower, and inconveniently placed fuel cell. It's not compromised. And the interior is cheap and lightweight, which is the name of the game when it comes that car.

janstett said:
I used to think that way, but once you've owned a car for a few years, the gaps will bug you; the pieces that break and bend will bug you; the wear marks will bug you. At about 5 years, my TA got a few puncture holes in the center stack, the trim piece holding the electronic controls for the seat started peeling away from the seat, and my fuse box cover started falling off.

It's like ignoring the bottle your cola comes in except it spurts leaks when you're trying to drink it.
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I've owned 3 domestics as daily drivers. In fact, all of my daily drivers were domestics. My project cars were the only ones that weren't. It does suck when things break inside the car. My climate control knob broke on my Grand Prix and I needed a pair of pliers to turn my defroster on. But that's when things break, I'm just talking about the interior materials. As long as they work, there's no problem. And stuff breaking isn't limited to domestics.
 
As an everyday car, I'd have to say either a used e46 M3, an IS350, or a G35. Both fantastic cars
 
Gunner said:
Nay, new M3 is going to be much better and cheaper bang for the buck.
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my ass it will, the new RS4 is a really amazing car, i remember distincly accelerating at full throttle in a heavy downpoor and even with 414hp the car didn't so much as wiggle, it really is blunt excellence.


I think your biggest downfall is that you won't buy a old car, you would find much more exciting cars at even say the 5 years used range. If your looking for a car with a warranty then thats one thing, but the 2 years old doesn't sound that way.

anyways i would avoid the New M3, because if its at all like the current 3 serious in any way it will be trash. I have ridden in one numerous times, and i was amazed that people actually payed 30-40k for one, their no good IMO. Ive never been in a upscale car with such terrible ride for its rather crap handling, it was like a upscale Ford Taurus (but RWD)
 
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I still say Chevy Suburban.
 
Forget the BMWs.... wait a lil bit and buy the new Nissan Skyline GTR
 
I love bmw so I would go for a used m5 ;) It also depends on what u want from a car ... I could say porsche but it might be not as practical as impreza wxr and the performance will be similar ;) I would only go for rear wheel drive - its the only way to go with a car, but thats just me ;)
 
Hidden_Hunter said:
how do you tell a cars handling by riding in one?
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You can tell how much body roll the car has and whether or not it feels composed at higher speeds etc. But that's only half the story of course.
 
The RX-8 is not a snail. It's not as fast as an M3, and I think that rules it out for him, but please don't make a fool out of yourself by calling it a snail.

Christ..
 
nomix said:
The RX-8 is not a snail. It's not as fast as an M3, and I think that rules it out for him, but please don't make a fool out of yourself by calling it a snail.

Christ..
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it is when the bloke wants to spend 60 grand on a car...

its bloody slow
 
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