Daily Driver, Manual, $5-10K: GO!

"Long Live the Longdoor" (victoryred08)
03/07/2017 at 18:59 • Filed to: None

I’m continuing to flirt with the idea of trading in my CVT Accord Coupe for a manual daily. If you had $5-10k, what would you do Oppo?

DISCUSSION (62)

d15b > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:00

Accord Coupe...manual?

interstate366, now In The Industry > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:06

That, with 4 doors.

Vicente Esteve > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:09

Don’t know if they are in the price already, but a 128i.

Long Live the Longdoor > interstate366, now In The Industry
03/07/2017 at 19:11

Ya definitely, I prefer the 8th Gen Si as a sedan.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:12

http://m.ebay.com/itm/2008-BMW-3-Series-Base-Sedan-4-Door-/311814406859?nav=SEARCH

http://m.ebay.com/itm/2015-Chevrolet-Camaro-ls-/282381199466?nav=SEARCH

http://m.ebay.com/itm/2016-Ford-Focus-ST-Recaro-Navigation-Moonroof-Turbo-ST3-Loaded-/272559088835?nav=SEARCH

Not sure what you’re looking for but I’d buy these

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:13

4runner.

Long Live the Longdoor > d15b
03/07/2017 at 19:15

I’ve thought about that, I like my Accord a lot; I just don’t love it for some reason. Maybe chalk that one up to the CVT versus the manual?

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:16

Butt lift.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:17

Early production Jukes can be had for $10k, they will be higher mileage. NISMO’s have not came down that far yet, but mid-trim SV’s have. Maybe SL’s. There were recalls on the you need to make sure was fixed.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:20

If I wasn’t looking for a bigger house I’d be looking for a ZZW30 MR2. But if you need more space here’s a few cars I found in the price range. That I’d consider in order of “adultyness”

Any mid 2000's NA Subaru. Accord Coupe V6, Acura TSX, BMW 325i, Ford Focus ZX5 SVT, SRT4 Neon, A late 70s, or early 80s Japanese Sports car.

Long Live the Longdoor > Vicente Esteve
03/07/2017 at 19:23

Hmm, I’ll have to check prices. I like the 128i quite a bit, though the high mileage BMW is a little worrisome in terms of cost of ownership. Thought it’s a straight six, minimal electronics, what could go wrong?

Dusty Ventures > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:26

Need more data. Single? Family? Friends that ride with you enough to merit four doors? How often do you carry stuff in the trunk? What’s the standard commute? What’s the frequency of road trips? Etc.

random001 > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:30

Abarth.

interstate366, now In The Industry > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:31

Yeah. I hate the rear end of the 2-door, and the good Type R (and subsequently the RR) was based on the 4-door so all the good aero is for that. I’m thinking about picking at least one, maybe two, up when I get a better job. DD one and make an R or RR clone out of the other.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:32

Kinja'd!!!

You could get a near mint E36 M3 in that price range. Silky smooth straight 6, downright excellent chassis, pretty reliable, and available in 3 different body styles. I miss mine every day and want to buy another badly.

Long Live the Longdoor > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
03/07/2017 at 19:35

The idea of buying an Impreza or a Legacy from the mid 2000's intrigues me, my wife has a Forester which we both love (for some reason even driving around a parking lot I can help but say “Wheeee”; no idea why). A V6 Accord would be good, a 2008ish TSX would be a good size (plus I’ve always liked the first gen design). There’s a SVT focus that lives around the corner from me, I feel like one of those would be fun.

Vicente Esteve > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:38

Being NA straight six I don’t see anything major being an issue.

Long Live the Longdoor > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
03/07/2017 at 19:41

Hmm, salvage titles, that’d make for an interesting project. Damn those are freaking cheap! I really need to do some research on the things to look out for on NA straight 6 BMWs (328i, 128i etc.), they seem like a pretty solid option.

Long Live the Longdoor > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/07/2017 at 19:42

How bad is the maintenance costs? Grab my ankles and hope for the best?

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:47

Whoops, didn’t notice they had salvage titles, sorry about that.

Long Live the Longdoor > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
03/07/2017 at 19:48

A fellow kanuck with eclectic tastes! If I were going Juke, something tells me I’d want to go Nismo (thought I sat in the Nismo RS at the autoshow and the seats were a little much for a passenger car IMO).

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:54

The recaros in the RS are overkill, but will hold you in very well. The upcharge you pay for the NISMO RS is lots. What you save buying non-NISMO can buy you coil overs & tune, it still cost less then a NISMO RS.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 19:58

If you do the work yourself and don’t buy parts from the dealer unless absolutely necessary, it really isn’t bad. Mine was a pretty neglected example and I had to replace a lot of wear items that had been ignored over the years. If I had a shop do it all, it would have been expensive. On my own? No worse than my S10 I have now with half the amount of miles has been.

Long Live the Longdoor > Dusty Ventures
03/07/2017 at 20:00

Married, no kids, wife has a Forester. I’m greenlit for anything from Miata to luxobarge.

Commute 60km/day, I’d rarely carry people in the rear seats (I’ve done it a handfull of times in the Accord); if we’re driving people around it’d be in the Forester. I have a medium size duffle bag with my taekwondo stuff that I cart around every couple days, but that fits in the front seat fine (assuming you don’t suggest a morgan I should be good). Our Forester is our primary road trip vehicle but we do take the Accord occasionally.

Long Live the Longdoor > Shamoononon drives like a farmer
03/07/2017 at 20:01

Long Live the Longdoor > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/07/2017 at 20:01

To the Kijiji to check prices!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 20:07

I quite liked my 2002 Impreza 2.5TS, but check the rear strut towers for rest, as well as the control arms and subframes...there were recalls out for premature rust on some of those parts.

Long Live the Longdoor > Logansteno: Bought a VW?
03/07/2017 at 20:07

Hmm, cool. I’m going to do some research. Thanks for the idea!

RyanFrew > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 20:11

Mini Cooper S

Long Live the Longdoor > random001
03/07/2017 at 20:16

I haven’t seen one under $14k here, I like them a lot though!

Long Live the Longdoor > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/07/2017 at 20:28

I’ve looked at some 2.5RS’ before but every one I’ve seen around here have 300k+ kms or is rusted to hell. Any idea what was the difference between the TS and the RS? Any opinions on the NA 08-11 Impreza’s?

Busslayer > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 20:32

https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/cto/6034078882.htm

Maybe not a great dd though.

Long Live the Longdoor > Busslayer
03/07/2017 at 20:38

Kinja'd!!!

Sweet baby jesus, you win!

Shamoononon drives like a farmer > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 20:42

I’m having a bad day, sorry.

CompactLuxuryFan > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 20:56

I’d throw in a B7 A4 quattro, hopefully 2007 or newer. Great 3-series alternative IMO, and definitely better to daily than an E46. The 6-spd manual is way better than the 5-spd on those.

Long Live the Longdoor > CompactLuxuryFan
03/07/2017 at 21:09

Any mechanically gremlins to look out for on the B7's?

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 21:15

So Canada then. Maybe not. 4WD and some good tires would be unstoppable in the snow but that last ones you could get with a manual (3rd gen 96-02) have the problem of Toyota rust.

gmctavish needs more space > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 21:18

Probably an E39 540i

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rch/cto/6031824617.html

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 21:48

The 2.5RS was the sedan, the 2.5TS was the more practical (and, IMHO, awesomer [wagon all the things!]) wagon! :P

Otherwise, I believe the RS and TS were the same mechanically, so, in North America, 2.5L naturally-aspirated engines with 5-spd transmissions (if you go the manual route).

Long Live the Longdoor > gmctavish needs more space
03/07/2017 at 21:49

Wow, that’s super clean!

Long Live the Longdoor > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
03/07/2017 at 21:58

Definitely going the manual route, good to know about the TS vs the RS! How was it reliability wise?

Dusty Ventures > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 22:19

RX-8?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 22:22

I like the Focus SVT too, but I haven’t heard great things about their reliability.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 22:28

Great, never left me stranded once other than the one time the night I bought it when the battery went dead.

Only issue with them is rust - the body will start to rust around the rear wheel arches, and check the control arms, subframe and rear strut towers. There was a recall on the subframe or control arms (I forget which) for premature rust.

Also, the head gasket issue those engines were known for at the time, so make sure to check the coolant to ensure no milkshakeness. If the head gasket was already done on the one you look at, then you should be good as the later headgaskets were made of better material and much more durable.

Long Live the Longdoor > Dusty Ventures
03/07/2017 at 22:40

Hmm, awesome car but don’t the rotaries have major issues?

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 22:48

miata

Dusty Ventures > Long Live the Longdoor
03/07/2017 at 23:13

I honestly don’t know. I basically just figured I’d name a fun sporty 2 door that’s not a Miata.

d15b > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 00:02

Is manual a must? If so, TSX.

Long Live the Longdoor > d15b
03/08/2017 at 00:12

Ya, the manual is a must. I just learned how to drive manual last summer (after having bought the Accord) and I’ve been itching to buy one ever since.

TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 00:21

Most of it is fallacies, just make sure you always have spare oil in the garage and never turn it off when cold. Quirks do not equal issues, most of the time

CompactLuxuryFan > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 00:42

Nothing a 3k buffer can’t cover twice over! There’s nothing catastrophic to look out for, thankfully, except the timing belt. Main thing that fails on pretty much every 2.0T is the coil packs, but also many random parts got sorted out through the run, which is why I said 2007-2008. It’s also direct injected, so carbon buildup can be an issue, but the 2.0T’s not particularly prone to it among DI engines. My ‘05.5's had a few things upgraded to new revisions but nothing major. Never been stranded (or stuck thanks to quattro).

The cam follower thing is way overblown. Both of the ones I’ve had taken out have been flawless, and I drive pretty hard.

So overall not bad at all considering how cheap they can be had! Surprisingly quick once you’re rolling. Gobble up highway miles. And like I said, nothing catastrophic, but you will more than likely run into little things.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 00:53

http://www.autobase.com/cgi/info.exe?bc=13782713/Foothills-Toyota/Toyota-1996-Celica

1996 Toyota Celica?

random001 > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 06:43

Where do you live? They’re all over around here in OH +200mi for like $9k. So fun!

Long Live the Longdoor > random001
03/08/2017 at 07:24

Ontario, Canada. They haven’t dipped that low up here that I’ve seen.

Long Live the Longdoor > Svart Smart, traded in his Smart
03/08/2017 at 07:28

Nice! I don’t have my ear to the ground on Celica prices, but isn’t $6k a little much for that?

random001 > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 07:41

Wait, are you talkin US bucks, or Canadian bucks?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 09:51

Gotta love the green light...

theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 10:00

I don’t have anything to add, then say a manual TSX, but that Civic coupe is sitting real pretty.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 10:17

Probably. It’s a dealer listing (vs. a private seller), so that doesn’t help.

Long Live the Longdoor > random001
03/08/2017 at 12:07

CAD, I suppose, but they’re still a fair difference apart.

Long Live the Longdoor > theuserformerlyknownasaluminumfoil
03/08/2017 at 12:12

Ya the TSX would probably be a bit more comfy and similar to my Accord I imagine (albeit a bit smaller). The Si would probably be a bit more manic and fun; I’d probably pick up a sedan if I can find one, since I like the design a little more.

random001 > Long Live the Longdoor
03/08/2017 at 12:15

Well, $14k CAD is $10K USD, approximately, so really, pretty close?