Soul searching on a new car... a variety of options

"Chairman Kaga" (mike-mckinnon)
09/01/2015 at 12:34 • Filed to: None

I’ve made some rather teen-angsty posts in the recent past about which new car, should I even get a new car, should I sell my project Alfa and get something new and nice, forget new and nice and get a CPO, should I keep my project and keep my hateful ‘08 Honda CRV LX for another decade...

Blah.

So I’ve really been studying the numbers and the reality of my family’s situation. We just bought a new Highlander XLE last March. This is my wife’s car and our primary family vehicle. We paid about 50% up front and financed the remainder, about $16k, through Toyota at 1.5% over 60 months. We’re planning to have it paid off in early 2017 and should be able to drive it for at least 10 more years, since my wife only puts about 8-9k miles on the clock each year.

The plan had been to replace my hateful ‘08 Honda CRV LX (calling it anything else imbues it with personality it doesn’t deserve) in 2018 or 2019. Getting that car was a mistake by the way, but it was more or less forced upon us by a domineering family member while we were expecting our second child. I’d give about anything to still have my old Fit. I digress. I’d planned on getting a grown up car... that’s not too grown up. Probably a 4-door GTI, 4-door Mini or Mazdaspeed3 (assuming it ever comes out), maybe even a Golf R. A quick hatchback that’s also a comfortable, efficient daily driver. Sorry, no Focus RS. The ST beat my kidneys badly enough. I can’t imagine what the RS is going to be like. I’m not 20 anymore. It’s not fun.

Now though... it sorta seems like a waste of money. We’re talking about spending $30k new, or mid to high $20k range for a CPO. We are a firmly middle-class family, two kids, no mortgage but who live in a city that has one of the highest annual increases in cost of living in the entire nation, without much chance of seeing our income increase at a commensurate rate. I only drive about 7,500 miles a year. My commute is 12 miles one way, usually 45 minutes to an hour per leg. I take the kids to daycare, but starting next year they’ll begin transitioning to school and will go with my my wife. We don’t take long trips in my car - that’s why we have the Highlander. Basically I need a commuter daily driver.

But a cool commuter daily driver.

Relatively but not absolutely reliable and efficient, sure. But affordable (under $10k), comfortable, relaxed but capable on its feet, adequately powerful, preferably a hatch or wagon, isn’t an SUV/CUV, and most of all something I won’t get bored with. It’s gotta have some moxy. That nixes pretty much anything that most fiscally hyper-aware folks would put on their list - econoboxes, Japanese 3-box sedans, that sort of thing.

No, I’m thinking more like:

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Yeah, I know. The myth of German engineering. But it meets all of my criteria and I’m decently handy in the garage. I don’t know enough about the pros/cons of the V6 vs V8 though. I do know I pine for the e39 and don’t think I’d easily or quickly tire of looking at or sitting in it, even when it’s 30 something years old. There are also plenty of 5-series wagons around for $7,000 or less. My CRV is worth about $10-11k - plenty to cover the cost of the car plus maintain a healthy repair fund (that’ll be drawing interest).

What say you Jalops? Am I contemplating a path to ruin? Does this make any sense? What other cars should be on the list? Or should I just close my eyes and swallow a used Accord?

Or this?

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DISCUSSION (21)

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 12:46

Dat E39, I can only get so erect!

Dunnik > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 12:47

I flirted with the idea of a E39 for a time, in my research I found that the mileage of the 6 and the 8 are nearly identical for some reason. So get the 540.

There was one word that scared me off the E39 for good, though:

Plastic.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 12:51

Inb4 “V6 BMW”

Really though, the STRAIGHT six is gonna be lower maintenance and cheaper to fix than the V8. There’s a few common issues to look for but they’re mostly solid. Everything I’ve heard about the V8 indicates that they are finnicky, high-strung motors that respond very poorly to deferred maintenance.

Chairman Kaga > Dunnik
09/01/2015 at 12:54

Plastic?

What did you do instead?

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

Bytemite > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 13:04

IS300 Sportcross?

Dunnik > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 13:07

Yes, plastic. BMW in their infinite wisdom used it in places they really shouldn’t have. Do some research on the E39 and you’ll see. Head gasket issues scared me off too, but if you can wrench, not as scary, I guess.

What did I do instead? I closed my eyes and swallowed a used Honda Accord. Or, to be more specific, a 2008 Acura TL. It’s the answer I came up with to the question, “What is the most reliable used sports sedan?”

StoneCold > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
09/01/2015 at 13:15

Post-VANOS? Yes, that is what I hear about the 4.4. I had my 4.0 for a good amount of time in my ‘95 740iL, and it worked fantastic. I only had to replace the starter, which was a 30 minute job. Grabbing the a repair manual, it seemed like things were easier to get to on the V8 rather than the iron M52 I6 of the 728i (Less steps for the same operation; but my god, the V12...everything had 2-3 times as many steps)

random001 > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 13:44

Go look to test drive a 2010-2012 Legacy 2.5GT. It’s a freaking blast, looks grown up enough to escape the radar, and is a tune away from over 300 AWD torques.It might not be for you, but that’s exactly what I thought before I stumbled on one in a CarMax parking lot and fell in love.

Chairman Kaga > Dunnik
09/01/2015 at 14:16

Tell me about the TL. Not many years ago it and the TSX were on my shortlist. Then came the Superman grille followed by a bit of dry heaving.

Chairman Kaga > random001
09/01/2015 at 14:17

Yeah, that’s DEFINITELY on the list, although I’m really looking for a car that I can obtain for less than I can get for my Honda.

The ‘10-’12 Legacy GT is still commanding prices in the mid $20k range, which is sorta nuts!

Chairman Kaga > Bytemite
09/01/2015 at 14:38

Rare as a hen’s tooth. A friend of mine who’s a manager at a local Infiniti dealership spent 6 months tracking down a good one. Then the car carrier it was being transported on from Vegas caught fire in Amarillo. Car was torched. Spent another 4 months finding another.

However, I’m still intrigued by the old IS300 sedan...

Chris_K_F drives an FR-Slow > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 15:14

Also the Sportcross only comes in automatic unfortunately. :(

Bytemite > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 15:15

I didn’t mention the sports sedan because you said you don’t want Japanese 3-box sedans...

But if it were me, I would not mind the sedan body. You can get one with manual and LSD, perfect recipe for daily hooning.

Chairman Kaga > Bytemite
09/01/2015 at 15:22

What I really meant was Accord, Camry, Civic, Corolla, even Mazda6 or 3.

IS is RWD though, thus negating the majority of my issues!

I’m looking at the 3rd gen Acura TL too. What. Don’t judge.

Bytemite > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 15:30

...yuck. Acura.

Honestly compare that Acura TL to an IS300...

Same money gets you RWD, lighter weight, lighter front end (of course), better suspension, better looks, and it isn’t a tarted up Accord. Why even look at that thing?

Also forgot to mention you get 2JZ Inline 6, compared to a big SOHC V6 sitting transversely on the overhang of a rebadged Accord.

Chairman Kaga > Dunnik
09/01/2015 at 15:51

Hmmm...

http://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthre…

Tapas > Chairman Kaga
09/01/2015 at 21:37

Have you considered the IS300?

Dunnik > Chairman Kaga
09/02/2015 at 00:30

Yep, the timing chain guides are made of plastic. German engineering!!!

I could talk your face off about the TL, but instead I’ll just link two reviews I wrote for Oppo: an initial one, and a six month review.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/six-months-wit…

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/2008-acura-tl-…

Happy to answer any additional questions you may have, email me at:

marshal dot dunnik at gmail dot com.

random001 > Chairman Kaga
09/02/2015 at 08:35

True. I paid $18K for mine, but man is it so worth it. That car has everything.

Chairman Kaga > random001
09/02/2015 at 11:16

What about the 4th gen 2.5GT?

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

random001 > Chairman Kaga
09/02/2015 at 11:43

I know people who have them, and love them. I needed the extra space in the 5th for car seats, but the aftermarket support of the 4th eclipses that of the 5th!