Help Me Choose a "New" Car

"Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again." (sir-stig)
05/08/2014 at 07:46 • Filed to: None

The car I really want is a manual FD3S. In montego blue.

Unfortunately it only ticks a few boxes on my list for a new car. That list is as follows:

Manual

Reliable (would DD)

Easy to work on would be nice

Practical (rear seats, good trunk room)

Under $10,000 (if it is really amazing I could maybe go up to $15,000)

Good handling (AWD would be nice, I live in Alberta)

Pretty (see: RX7 FD)

Keep in mind I'm in canada so I can import stuff over 15 years.

So oppo, what cars do you recommend?

DISCUSSION (40)

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 07:52

Toyobaru twins.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Vince-The Roadside Mechanic
05/08/2014 at 08:03

We've test driven one but she didn't think it would be big enough for an only car.

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:04

Kinja'd!!!

Ive always had a soft spot for Legacy GTs. Such a stealth badass car. The first year turbos 2005-2006 are under 10k now.

GreatZombieJesus > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:06

2006-2007 CTS-V

Mikeado > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:07

Impreza WRX maybe? They're not pretty but they tick the other boxes bar easy to fix (the engine bay's pretty complicated, IIRC). Couldn't tell you what they sell for, mind...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:12

Kinja'd!!!

Yup

OPPOsaurus WRX > Mikeado
05/08/2014 at 08:20

Exactly what I was thinking. i think they'd be about 10 yrs old though.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:20

http://www.rallycarsforsale.net/clas/index.php…

I bet you could figure out a way to fit the back seat in.

PG; the scalpel wielder > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:29

rsx ticks them all hehe

wrx would be the other obvious choice

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:31

Audi A4 Quattro.

Manual? Check

Reliable? Kinda

Easy to work on? I don't see why not

Practical? Yessir

Under 10k? Easily

Good handling, AWD? Yep

Pretty? I think so

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > PG; the scalpel wielder
05/08/2014 at 08:33

Haha they are pretty nice, I think it's hard to find low mileage ones though. It does seem to be coming up WRX

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/08/2014 at 08:34

Haha!

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
05/08/2014 at 08:34

A spec b wagon is what I'm really looking out for, but they are pretty rare here.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Mikeado
05/08/2014 at 08:36

An Impreza 2.5RS is looking pretty good, although I think the Legacy wagons fit the bill better. anyone know how they drive?

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > GreatZombieJesus
05/08/2014 at 08:36

If you can find me one for under 15 grand sure.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > OPPOsaurus WRX
05/08/2014 at 08:38

Haha that is awesome!

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:47

A least you guys got them! Lol The Spec B was only in sedan form here in the States.

GreatZombieJesus > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 08:52

Under 15k

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/…

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
05/08/2014 at 09:04

Isn't a German car out of warranty a terrifying prospect?

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather
05/08/2014 at 09:10

I think only Japan got the legit spec b wagon, I believe the usdm wagon can have the same engine. I do keep my eyes peeled for spec b sedans though.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:12

If you find one that's been treated like it's a Camry all it's life, yes.

If you find one that had an owner that knows they require a special kind of treatment, no.

Ooor, go the Carmax route and get a warranty.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > GreatZombieJesus
05/08/2014 at 09:13

The link seems broken...

GreatZombieJesus > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:19

Do an autotrader search for 2006-2007 CTS and check the V trim box then sort by lowest price. Should be the first one on there.

Mikeado > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:26

The Legacy is/was based on the Impreza AFAIK, so they'll be similar, but the Legacy will have a more mature feel.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > GreatZombieJesus
05/08/2014 at 09:28

That is very tempting, and I can't believe how much they have depreciated!

RotaryLover > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:32

Get the FD anyway. As a Rotary lover, I command you!

GreatZombieJesus > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:44

I know, the prices are amazing. The cars have a healthy aftermarket too. Late gen C5 Corvettes are cheap as hell too but much less practical. I was looking at both as a possible college grad gift to my little sister. Maybe a Pontiac solstice turbo. If I had to have a backseat and had your budget, I would buy myself CTS-V for sure.

Will with a W8 races an E30 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 09:45

Kinja'd!!!

RX8.

-Manual

-Very reliable, assuming you actually remember to check the oil regularly. Still available with a warranty

- Stupid easy to work on. Like laughably so. Mazda built this thing for ease of maintenance and modification. My friend and I can swap the clutch in under 3 hours. Parts are also cheap and readily available, and the NA Renesis is far simpler than the turbo 13B in the FD. And as I stated above, rarely breaks down, even with frequent track abuse.

- Very practical. Rear seats are comfortable for a normal adult man for at least 2 hours, haven't tried longer. Capable of carrying a full set of tires, fluids, and toolbox

- Readily available under $10k in good condition, at least in 'Murica

- Commonly ranked one of the best handling cars on the market while still in production ( http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/20… )

- It's pretty.

In summary, its a bigger, more practical, prettier Miata, that according to C&D out handles the M3 and GTR, while being easier to maintain and fix than anything German, and even most other Japanese cars.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Will with a W8 races an E30
05/08/2014 at 09:50

I think the running is down to a Legacy turbo or RX8. The RX8 isn't as pretty as the RX7 but it still is good looking. Is there anything to look for when buying a used one?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/08/2014 at 09:50

This may be the only way you get me to buy a Porsche, find me this very car.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
05/08/2014 at 09:52

It's excellent. Every car I see with a smashed headlight is now referred to as Hank Moody'd.

feather-throttle-not-hair > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 10:01

G35 coupe might be close to your budget. That ticks most of the boxes.

Will with a W8 races an E30 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 10:01

Have it compression checked at a dealer if you have any suspicions about the engine. Chances are it will be out of spec, but if all 3 chambers are even on both rotors, its fine.

If the car still has a warranty, Mazda will usually replace the engine for low compression. You can usually get a fresh motor by taking it in and saying it feels down on power - used RX8s rarely pass the compression test to Mazda spec, even with very healthy motors.

Sheet metal is very thin to keep weight down, so watch for rust around the wheel wells.

You generally want one that is driven hard, as the engine gets a bit carbon fouled without regular revving, and don't forget about the oil - the apex seals are lubricated by oil pumped out of the crankcase and into the combustion chambers. Oil has to be topped off every few weeks to maintain a good level.

The cars are built as track toys with room to bring equipment, and still be useful as a DD. They are perfectly happy to be driven hard, so don't waste time trying to find one that was babied. Keep the oil topped up, drive it hard, and it will give you lots of smiles for years.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/08/2014 at 10:04

Lol I may actually be inclined to fix that, driving at night w/o catching a ticket is pretty nice.

But I definitely would NEVER wash it. And it'd be the only car ever that I'd let people smoke in :P

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > feather-throttle-not-hair
05/08/2014 at 10:09

hmm didn't even consider that. Not a big fan of the front end though.

66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 10:29

I'm confused, how popular are LHD RX-7s?

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > 66671 - 200 [METRIC] my dash
05/08/2014 at 10:39

Not super popular, I'd get a RHD if I did end up going that route

Bytemite > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/08/2014 at 12:52

E30 318is

DRobin78 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/13/2014 at 12:22

I'm in a similar boat as you and one question I would ask is do you really need a back seat? because if not I would go with a Z4 roadster still somewhat practical and one of the most dependable cars BMW ever built.

Kinja'd!!!

But if you're dead set on having a back seat I would go for a M45 Sport.

Kinja'd!!!

DRobin78 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
05/13/2014 at 12:33

Also have you considered an S2000?

Kinja'd!!!