by "Rosco458" (Rosco458)
Published 04/12/2017 at 02:21
by "Rosco458" (Rosco458)
Published 04/12/2017 at 02:21
No Tags
STARS: 2
The budget is $10k-ish. The deal is that my parents will buy me a car in May for me to use for the summer, in which they/I sell it at the end of August. I’m going to pay the difference in buy/sell price.
Looking for something very reliable, will depreciate very little, and preferably good on gas and fun. Doesn’t really need to be practical because I’ll be the only one using it and won’t have stuff to carry.
Give me your thoughts Oppo!
"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
04/12/2017 at 02:24, STARS: 1
NB MIATA!
"RyanFrew" (ryanfrew)
04/12/2017 at 02:32, STARS: 2
Seems like a good opportunity to hunt something down that needs some elbow grease, learn a few things over the summer, and make a little profit! Miata might be a decent option, but I would imagine they fetch higher prices before the summer begins. WRX, maybe?
Edit: The more I think about it, the more strongly I feel about the WRX. They hold their value well, and you can find one that’s been bastardized a bit and clean it up. Plus, they’ll continue to fetch good value, regardless of the time of year, and they’re fun! Look into Jeeps, too - same concept.
"CRider" (crider)
04/12/2017 at 02:34, STARS: 1
"TheD0k_2many toys 2little time" (thed0ck)
04/12/2017 at 02:36, STARS: 0
Miata.
"The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi)" (theae86)
04/12/2017 at 02:41, STARS: 1
Buy a Karmann Ghia. These things aren’t very reliable, but if something’s going wrong, you’ll know before you get stranded.
Also, they’re going up in value. There was a time where it was no issue to find one for ~$3500. Parts are abundant as hell too, I recommend JBugs.com
"The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi)" (theae86)
04/12/2017 at 02:42, STARS: 0
This is $10,000. I think he can buy an FZ-07 or an 865cc Scrambler.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
04/12/2017 at 02:51, STARS: 4
...Miata really is the answer for you.
Also MR2 Spyder.
"CRider" (crider)
04/12/2017 at 03:18, STARS: 2
Sure, after he spends a summer on the 300.
"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg)
04/12/2017 at 03:18, STARS: 1
This.
"Audistein" (Audistein)
04/12/2017 at 03:30, STARS: 0
This is off the top of my head. Not sure if they can all be found in good shape for under $10k, but worth finding out. Obviously look for cars with as little modification from stock as possible and never get a salvage title.
Safest choices:
Mazda Miata
Honda Prelude
Acura Integra
Acura RSX
MR2
Toyota Matrix XRS (has to be XRS, not XR)
Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
Mazda 3
Ford Fiesta
Toyota Celica
Less safe:
Ford Mustang (Anything with a bodykit or stickers is probably garbage)
Chevy Camaro (You may get murded while trying to buy a cheap one)
Civic Si (Most of these for sale are probably modded and beat up)
Subaru WRX
Infinity G35
Nissan 350Z
Lexus IS300
Very brave:
BMW 3 Series (E30, E36, or E46)
BMW Z3
VW GTI
Mini Cooper S
Fiat 500 Abarth
Corvette
Totally Insane what is wrong with you:
Porsche Boxter
E36 M3
BMW 5 Series (E39 or E60)
Mercedes E-Class
Mercedes S-Class
Mazda RX8
Volvo V70R
Any Audi
Most Awesome:
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/6077682498.html
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
04/12/2017 at 04:29, STARS: 1
Get something with some cosmetic issues, fix it, and sell it at a profit.
"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction)
04/12/2017 at 05:41, STARS: 4
Totally Insane what is wrong with you:
...
Mazda RX8
...
Owned RX-8, can confirm, would do again
"kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
04/12/2017 at 06:30, STARS: 0
If you are 100% sure that you are not going to get to keep it, don’t anything too fun.
"LongbowMkII" (longbowmkii)
04/12/2017 at 06:47, STARS: 2
NB Miata, Mazdaspeed if you can find it.
"nerd_racing" (nerd189)
04/12/2017 at 07:16, STARS: 1
Buy my 2011 BMW 128i. 6MT Silver.
"A pogo-stick, obviously." (grrck)
04/12/2017 at 07:21, STARS: 1
C4 Vette, just get it our of your system now so you won’t be tempted when you are 50.
Serious though, would be a fun summer car, they can be found in decent shape under $10k these days, and when else are you going to buy a real V8 powered sportscar?
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
04/12/2017 at 07:29, STARS: 0
Do you have another car already? Or are you a uni student home for the summer (guessing)?
Just seems an odd arrangement to buy a car for the summer and sell it again!
An older MR2 perhaps? Toyota reliability + mid-engined + fun?
"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
04/12/2017 at 07:31, STARS: 0
I’m going to sway away from those suggesting you get a sporty car.
I know it totally misses one of your criteria, but a Jeep Wrangler is the answer. You can have summer fun with the top off and still sell it at the end of the season for most likely what you bought it for. Jeep values, particularly the Wrangler, just don’t go down.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
04/12/2017 at 07:36, STARS: 1
You can get a Pontiac Solstice GXP with 65-85,000 miles for around $10k now. Do this so I can live vicariously through you.
You may be asking, “Why this over a Miata?”
1. Much better looking than an NA or MB Miata
2. Much more power
3. The hood hinges toward the front
4. Just as cheap if anything breaks
5. You might fall in love and do an LS swap instead of sell it
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
04/12/2017 at 07:40, STARS: 1
Except he won’t want to give it up at the end of the summer haha
"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
04/12/2017 at 08:17, STARS: 0
NB/NC miata? 10k can get you a pretty nice, low mileage example.
"random001" (random001)
04/12/2017 at 08:37, STARS: 0
Abarth.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
04/12/2017 at 10:01, STARS: 1
Better never to have loved at all, than to have loved & lost?
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
04/12/2017 at 12:06, STARS: 1
Only need 1 reason to not buy over a Miata.
1. It’s fat
This is supposed to be a fun car with good gas mileage. There is no need for a car that big. A beltline up to your neck and donk wheels does not a good sports car make.
"Die-Trying" (die-trying)
04/12/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 0
get an old convertible...... 1968 Buick skylark convertible - $9000
Tube Frame SandRail, 1789cc street legal w/Title - $7500 (Texas City)
VW dune buggy - $6300 (college station)
1972 Chevrolet Pickup - $9500 (SW Austin)
old trucks are fun too. and plentiful, especially if you are not too worried about condition, you can find decent runners, that are fun in the $5k range......
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
04/12/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 1
You wut m8?
The Solstice weighs in at 2,900lbs (objectively, pretty light). For comparison’s sake, the NB Miata is 2,200lbs. Yes, it’s a 700lb. difference, but there’s also a 100hp difference that we can’t forget about. Comparing the Solstice/Sky to the Miata is comparing two very different automobiles. The Miata has always been a light and nimble roadster. The Solstice was meant to be more of a GT convertible. It’s quick in the straights and does decently in the corners. Since they’re both RWD two-seat convertibles, I think that both sit firmly within the category of “fun summer car.”
The Miata is lighter than most cars. But you can’t choose a Miata over the next car just because it’s lighter. At least I wouldn’t (says the owner of a 3,600lb. coupe lol).
"Rosco458" (Rosco458)
04/12/2017 at 13:08, STARS: 1
HAHAHA number three is very convincing
"Rosco458" (Rosco458)
04/12/2017 at 13:09, STARS: 0
I appreciate the “Totally Insane what is wrong with you:” lol.
Do you have any idea which of these will depreciate the least?
"Rosco458" (Rosco458)
04/12/2017 at 13:10, STARS: 1
It’s ironic because up until about a year ago my dad had an MR2!
"Rosco458" (Rosco458)
04/12/2017 at 13:12, STARS: 0
I don’t have a car. I go to college in CA but live in MA. And I’m not interested with having to deal with parking here at school.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
04/12/2017 at 13:14, STARS: 1
This is good oppo :) no hostility, just friendly discussion.
I’m just not seeing why they needed to add the weight of 3 linebackers over the Miata. I mean, the car is designed to hold 2 people, what is all this extra sheet metal there for?
And I think for the OP’s purposes, having a light, and nimble runabout is going to be much more fun than a grand tourer. I can imagine the uses for the car being late night burger runs, driving across town to friend’s houses, and some drives up to the hilltop for a view. For all those purposes, a Miata is the better car.
"Bytemite" (bytemite)
04/12/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 0
O_O then you already had your perfect summer car but just wrong timing.
"Rosco458" (Rosco458)
04/12/2017 at 13:16, STARS: 0
Also are Solstices very reliable?
"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
04/12/2017 at 13:46, STARS: 0
Ah, understood. Could always get a cheap scooter in CA? I’d imagine parking for a small bike would be a lot easier to find....insurance would be cheap, purchase cost would be cheap. Wouldn’t be great for rainy days, but it would give you some reliable basic transport! An old Yamaha or Honda scooter would last for ages. I’ve toiled with the idea of getting a scooter myself to save a little money on gas (and for the fun factor as well :P).
A 50cc may be a bit too slow IMO, but if you live in a city, an 80-150cc would be perfectly fine for stop and go traffic, and a 150cc would even be able to do 90kph on the freeway for short jaunts if necessary? :)
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
04/12/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 0
The powerplant is GM’s Ecotec 2.0T. It was produced for 10 years. It’s always best to shoot for the later model years of any car, so I’d suggest 2008 and up if you can find one. I haven’t heard bad things about them but I’ve never owned one or known anyone who has. Best idea would to check out owners’ forums and see if there are any major issues trending there. Sounds like you will only have the car for 3 or 4 months, so long-term reliability and wear shouldn’t be concerns (ie. don’t worry about what might fail on the car at 150,000 miles).
"RyanFrew" (ryanfrew)
04/12/2017 at 14:29, STARS: 0
You must drive a WRX
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
04/12/2017 at 14:31, STARS: 0
Woah, how’d you guess??
"kanadanmajava1" (kanadanmajava1)
04/12/2017 at 15:38, STARS: 0
I don’t see things in a very positive way...
Could a compromise exist? Could you use only half the price, but get to keep it?
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
04/12/2017 at 18:09, STARS: 0
I have no idea the reason why he needs to be rid of it at the end of the summer. I’m positive by nature - if he really loves it, maybe he can work a deal with a friend to buy it from him with the agreement that he’ll buy it back at some point.
"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
04/13/2017 at 07:15, STARS: 1
To be sure, the Miata would be a good choice! Just trying to give our young Rosco another option. The Solstice was fast, a 5.1 second 0-60 time, a limited slip diff, 260hp and 260 torque. That’s cool in my book! The Miata would be good too, probably. My daily has 300hp, so anything slower wouldn’t work for me personally. It could really come down to where OP lives. Does he live in a flat town with mostly straight and open highway? In that case, I’d take the Solstice any day of the week. Or does he live in a more crowded or mountainous area with windy switchbacks? In that case, I’d take the Miata.
"Audistein" (Audistein)
04/13/2017 at 14:04, STARS: 0
Honestly since most of the cars you’ll be looking at are 10+ years old and considering the short term of your ownership, I would say that your skill in buying a car for a low price and selling it for a high price matter more than any actual depreciation.
If you can bargain down to a fair price when you buy, then selling it while not taking too much of a loss will be easy. Also if you buy a car that’s a bit dirty and just give it a good clean before selling, stuff like that can help. Don’t go looking for dirty cars just to do this, unless you really know what you’re looking at mechanically. Additionally, if you’re planning on buying a convertible it might be wise to buy before spring rain ends/summer really starts and then sell before it starts getting cold in the fall.
Unless your drive an absolute ton of miles on a low mileage car, depreciation is really going to be minimal. I would say worry about getting a fair purchase price more than depreciation.
Also remember that you’re going to have to pay sales tax on the car when you register it so remember to factor than in when you budget.
"Audistein" (Audistein)
04/13/2017 at 14:05, STARS: 0
Hahaha. I was talking more in terms of buying a sub-$10k RX8 off Craigslist rather than owning one in general, but I see your point.