How does one "Afford a Car"

"E30Joe drives a Subaru" (325joe) 12/07/2013 at 01:04 • Filed to: None

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Well, I'm an idiot and buy everything that goes fast or I buy things that don't go at all and make them fast. Now that I have my newest bike not really interested in having the fastest car on the block. I have honestly never bought a car that was worth more than 2000-3000 bucks at the time of purchase.

Here's what I'm looking for:

1) Looks good
2) Manual
3) Has some aftermarket
4) Wont break down every week (so used to that right now...)
5) Has some luxury items/toys (good stereo, comfortable, yada yada)
6) JALOP MODE GOTTA BE WAGON OR SEDAN BECAUSE FUNCTION > FORM BRO

A Focus ST is like exactly what I'm looking for except $$$ (and kinda FWD but it's growing on me). Like ughhhh! I just need something or I'll go insane, I sold all my project cars and I'm left with nothing since I sorta just DD'd between projects all summer cause I'm dumb as hell.

End of rant.

OkCars- 22k Crossroads > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:11

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Id get a mustang, an s197
it has
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2
3
4 i think its pretty reliable
5 the toy for me is changing the lights of the speedo once in a while.
6 bonus: its tail happy

* i dont know shit about the price...

E30Joe drives a Subaru > OkCars- 22k Crossroads 12/07/2013 at 01:15

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Forgot to mention four doors for more whores! Preferably a wagon but sedans are ok

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:17

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I agree with Red Baron, a Mustang fits the bill here. Especially with the new one coming out, you can get them for cheap. And December is when dealers will literally be throwing money at you to take cars off their lot. You can probably get a new GT for about $25k right now.

OkCars- 22k Crossroads > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:18

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Hahah the rhyme! i had never heard it before sounds cool. Ok ive never owned a wagon so i couldn't recommend you one in special, but ill think about an option for you.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 12/07/2013 at 01:19

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For 25k I'd rather pick up an ST, because gas mileage and it's got more doors.

Baskingshark > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:23

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As for the affording part you can usually finance or lease a car through a dealership with a little down payment as long as your credit isn't shot. Another great and probably better option is getting a auto loan through a local credit union and buying used or new.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Baskingshark 12/07/2013 at 01:25

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I hate not owning it outright, but man I need a car that people are not terrified of.

handschaltgetriebe > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:25

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FWD= no fun, torque steer and understeer. Also focus STs are for bros.

handschaltgetriebe > OkCars- 22k Crossroads 12/07/2013 at 01:27

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What's not to love about rustangs

E30Joe drives a Subaru > handschaltgetriebe 12/07/2013 at 01:28

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Well I've had my fair share of RWD, I used to outright hate FWD until I got a motorcycle and now everything on four wheels just feels slow so I don't care as much. And Focus ST's are probably the only FWD car I'd get, I don't care about what stereotypes a certain car's owner has, chances are I don't fit them.

handschaltgetriebe > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:28

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.

Baskingshark > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:35

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I have leased or financed all of my cars and it's not too bad making a monthly payment, it's just like paying any other monthly bill. If you go the credit union route you can get all of you financing out of the way and not deal with the dealership financing bs. Then if you bought a newish used car you would get the most bang for your buck.

I just noticed your username, where did the e30 go? I hope to pick one up sometime this year as a fun project car. What about a 5 series touring? I saw an e39 touring the other day lowered slightly on some bbs wheels that looked so sweet. I'm not much of a wagon guy and I wanted to take it home.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Baskingshark 12/07/2013 at 01:39

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Still got one E30, not exactly... street legal. I don't NEED a car right now, but come spring time when I'm out of school, I will 100% need a car. I don't know if I want another BMW, bad luck with them so far, but I do really, really, really, really like them. I also work at a BMW dealership in service so there's that. I can get a sweet lease deal on almost any new BMW, but I don't want to lease right now. Ideally I could find a WRX for sale that isn't beat to hell and overpriced. But that's impossible.

Leadbull > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:40

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E46 satisfies your every desire.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Leadbull 12/07/2013 at 01:42

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So deathly afraid of owning an E46. I know that they can be reliable, but they can also suck. I would love an E46 wagon with a manual transmission.

Leadbull > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:47

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BMW parts can be pricey, but they are great cars.

/smethingsomethingcheckouttheforumssomethingwarblegarble

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Leadbull 12/07/2013 at 01:48

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Yep, I work at a BMW dealership in the service department, I know exactly how much they cost haha... An E46 is hit and miss in my professional opinion.

Baskingshark > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 01:59

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Golf R would fit the bill too.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Baskingshark 12/07/2013 at 02:03

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26,000 dollars seems like an awful lot right now, which sucks. I'll have to bite the bullet eventually.

Manuél Ferrari > Baskingshark 12/07/2013 at 03:03

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I agree. I'm on title for 3.5 cars. None are owned outright. All are financed

Debt sucks but not as much as not having stuff

Casper > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 07:03

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I was getting ready to reply and then you lost me at #6. Utilitarian purposes are secondary to everything else for me unless it's something like a truck. Instead of making a suggestion, I'll just offer a list of what I have bought in that price range that I remember:

* 1993 MR2 (Great car all around)
* 240Z (A 71 and 73) (They weigh less than a shoe - they are getting rare so the cost is going up)
* 300ZX (An 85 and 90) (The Z32s are the only ones I like now)
* 1995 BMW 535i (not cheap on parts)
* 1997 BMW 325i (not cheap on parts)
* 2001 Wolfsburg Jetta (It was ok for being FWD and not very well made)

Of course I have bought a bunch of temp cars when I have either broken or wrecked my other cars and needed transportation. Usually I just go to somewhere like a tow yard and pay $200 for something like a Sentra in those cases.

Stupidru > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 08:22

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Have you thought about a Focus SVT? What about a Legacy GT (those come in wagon)? WRX wagon? Volvo S60R/V70R?

jariten1781 > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 08:54

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Forester XT fits the bill.

08 was the last year with a stick I believe.

TFen > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 09:24

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I had tremendous success with my E46. Drove it for a year, put 20,000km on it & sold it for $1000 more than I paid for it. Only service I performed was 2 oil changes.

I miss that car dearly.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 10:51

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e36

E30Joe drives a Subaru > TFen 12/07/2013 at 15:25

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See this is what I hear all the time, and then E46's come in to our dealership with all sorts of weird issues.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > jariten1781 12/07/2013 at 15:26

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I was looking at Foresters, I actually like them.

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Stupidru 12/07/2013 at 15:26

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Never really considered a volvo, heard the shifter is called like a space ball or something and it's cool.

TFen > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 15:56

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I know, it's strange. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. I did my DD before diving in and I was prepared for the following:

Cooling system overhaul (Expansion tank, thermostat, etc.)
PCV Valve
MAF Sensor
Suspension & Control Arm Overhaul (Only if you want to maintain the crisp drving dynamics)
Steering Guibo (Only if you want to maintain the crisp drving dynamics)

I read/watched a lot of DIY's before purchasing and was ready to take care of any of these issues at anytime. Thing is, the time never came during my year of ownership... If you shop around and aren't opposed to OE parts - even a bad E46 shouldn't cost you too much to maintain. The vehicles aren't really that complicated, and the engines are pretty damn bulletproof so that saves a lot of potential repair $$$. Any of the above items can be done by the average DIYer in an afternoon - would help to have a buddy present.

The trick is to find a well maintained, Face Lift model with relatively low KM. Also, you'll want to ensure the rear sub frame is in good shape (the early US bound models were prone to cracking - Sedan and Coupe only). Also, the automatics used a GM transmission and were prone to failure above 180,000 miles. Mine was 5spd so I wasn't worried.

I'd say go for it if you could find an original owner car with good service history. They truly are fantastic cars - especially for the prices they're going for now. I'll eventually get another as a secondary car one day.

JasonStern911 > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/07/2013 at 17:22

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not going to (intentionally) repeat what has already been mentioned, but Crown Vic/Grand Marquis? sedan, V8, RWD, huge aftermarket at least engine-wise due to the Ford modular V8 being shared with the Mustang, and reliability-wise, there's a reason cops and taxi drivers swear by them...

6cyl > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/08/2013 at 17:04

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It appears the answer is in your name. E30 sedan. Done. You can pick them up for around 3 grand any day.

They look good.

Manual (or can be converted to manual).

Decent aftermarket available.

Wont (read: shouldn't) break down every week if you stay on top of the maintenance and replace bushings and ball joints after purchase.

Has some luxury but not too much.

As mentioned above get the sedan version. As it is way more practical and the exact same in every other way as the coupe.

deekster_caddy > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/08/2013 at 17:06

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We looked at Foresters in '08 when my wife needed bigger wheels for the extra kid. Ended up finding the Passat Wagon much more comfortable. The 2.0 Turbo and 6 spd manual make it much0 enjoyable when it's my turn to drive. They are reasonably priced used, but the manuals are hard to find.

Architect > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/08/2013 at 17:42

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If you like the Focus ST (and are able to ignore the "bro-by-association" stereotyping), do what I did: Track one down in your area that doesn't have all the pricey options (Recaros, stupid touchscreen, HIDs, etc...) and haggle the shit out of your dealer. I picked up my '13 over the summer for just under $21,500. For a brand-new ST. Think about it.

Burt > E30Joe drives a Subaru 12/09/2013 at 05:04

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First gen CTS-V.

suss6052 > handschaltgetriebe 12/10/2013 at 09:31

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Grow up. The Focus ST is massively fun to drive, it's quick, handles pretty well, and can engage in rear oversteer when pushed but it's quite and civilized when cruising at least with the stock exhaust.

Besides your bro comment is misguided when the poll results showed more adults over 30 owning the car than 20 something bros. It's also not a lifted truck. Lol

Who cares what you think when the car is that much fun.

Might not have the same thrust stock as the 5.0L Mustang but driven back to back with the S197 2013 Mustang (*Auto) and the ST was much more fun to drive around the test track and felt more exciting even though both were limited to around 80-85 mph.

suss6052 > JasonStern911 12/10/2013 at 09:36

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I have had two now, but they are really bad on gasoline which makes them much less practical than even my nicer car but they are trucks with a car body with the frame dating back to 1979 minus the rear suspension from 1998 and the front rack and pinion from 2003.