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United States24745 Posts
By now people who have been following my blog are probably getting bored with discussions about hatchbacks or family cars. I diverted my attention to sportier cars (secretly!) and came to the conclusion that there are not that many options.
In retrospect I'd prefer to stick with an American car if possible. Consumer Reports seems to prefer most of the Japanese and German cars, but it does recommend at least some cars in the USA. Most people have told me things like 'F the US economy' but I feel a little bit bad about that.
So I'm looking at good American cars. One that I've taken an interest in is the Ford Mustang:
I'm definitely taking a hit on cargo space (since I was considering that a priority recently), but I don't mind the fact that it's a two door since I rarely have passengers. I'm assuming as long as I stay with the modest 210 hp 4L v6, the insurance won't take a hit (correct me if I'm probably wrong). Of course they have options for sportier engines, but that will be expensive, and I don't really need them. This would be the first rear wheel drive car in the family which should be fine, but might be a bit of a pain when it snows.
Another American car recommended by Consumer Reports is the Dodge Charger:
It's a bit more money, and bigger. It also has four doors. For whatever reason I don't think I like it as much, but I haven't given it much thought yet.
I looked at the Pontiac models (G6,G8) but they were not recommended by CR. Does anyone want to recommend them?
I looked at Chevy. The Corvette is way out of my league. They don't currently have a Camaro. The Cobalt is a pretty commonly seen car in my experience, but not recommended by CR. I realize a car isn't necessarily off limits simply because it's not recommended by CR, so please correct me if I'm ruling out a good car.
I think the American car market is currently somewhat limited. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Did I miss something obvious? I'm not getting a viper :p. I definitely want the price to be under 25k. Suggestions like the MX5 Miata would be nice if I was prepared to have a two seater with virtually no trunk space, but I'm not in that position.
Edit: btw will getting a manual on a sporty car like a Mustang hurt the resale of the car more than the 1000 dollars you save when you get a manual?
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I don't know much about American cars specifically, but in response to your last question I found that some cars are more expensive with a stick shift in the first place. This is pretty rare though. Otherwise, it really depends what kind of car you have for the stick shift to affect it's resale; sporty cars generally don't lose much in resale, for example, whereas more "luxury" sedans definitely do. It also depends on your market, which is generally your marketable neighborhood. Some areas are definitely more inclined to buy into the manual sports car craze, whereas in others (specifically areas where that are not many sports cars) the value would probably go down more dramatically. Just some things to have in consideration.
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 11:33 fanatacist wrote:
I don't know much about American cars specifically, but in response to your last question I found that some cars are more expensive with a stick shift in the first place. This is pretty rare though. Otherwise, it really depends what kind of car you have for the stick shift to affect it's resale; sporty cars generally don't lose much in resale, for example, whereas more "luxury" sedans definitely do. It also depends on your market, which is generally your marketable neighborhood. Some areas are definitely more inclined to buy into the manual sports car craze, whereas in others (specifically areas where that are not many sports cars) the value would probably go down more dramatically. Just some things to have in consideration.
Okay that's just about exactly what I was thinking. In that case the Mustang is probably a good car to get a manual with, and it also chops off 1000 dollars. And I've been thinking I want one (manual) anyway :D
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United States22883 Posts
Japanese companies build their cars in the US as well, but it is pretty thoughtful of you to toss American companies a bone. I think Mustang/G8s definitely push insurance, but I'm not 100% about that. I'd <3333333 to have a Giugiaro mustang. D:
Have you looked at a Chrysler 300? I think it's a variation on the Charger, but again it's another muscle car so it might change the insurance.
EDIT: NM it's a luxury line.
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 11:38 Jibba wrote:
Japanese companies build their cars in the US as well I think only some do. I know mazda (which I was seriously considering) doesn't. but it is pretty thoughtful of you to toss American companies a bone. I think Mustang/G8s definitely push insurance, but I'm not 100% about that. I'd <3333333 to have a Giugiaro mustang. D:
Have you looked at a Chrysler 300? I think it's a variation on the Charger, but again it's another muscle car so it might change the insurance.
The Chrysler 300 starts at over 25k so I don't think I'd go for it.
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United States22883 Posts
Toyota and Honda both have plants in the US (meaning Lexus/Acura do as well.) It depends on which car, but I think most are built outside Japan. So in that sense, you'd still be pumping money into an Indiana/Mississippi/etc. town, but draining it from Detroit. :x
Personally I don't think I would drive a Malibu, but I guess the new one is pretty good if you're looking for a practical car.
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United States22883 Posts
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United States24745 Posts
Nice, I read many of these articles :D
Chaosbringer: They aren't in production in the USA anymore, right?
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United States20661 Posts
I do not like American cars, by and large.
No-one in my family has ever owned one, and we've gone through about eight cars during my lifetime.
That being said, I would prefer a Mustang over most other <25k choices; unfortunately, though the V6 helps on insurance, it's not as Mustang-y.
Yeah, basically I'd really push the MX-5 but failing that, most Japanese cars are somewhat preferable to American competitors. Get a Subaru Impreza. Or the WRX version of it.
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 13:45 Last Romantic wrote:
I do not like American cars, by and large. Why?
No-one in my family has ever owned one, and we've gone through about eight cars during my lifetime.
If you have never owned one, why do you judge them so?
That being said, I would prefer a Mustang over most other <25k choices; unfortunately, though the V6 helps on insurance, it's not as Mustang-y.
I don't think that will be a problem for me. Maybe my NEXT car could be the bigger engine :D
Yeah, basically I'd really push the MX-5 but failing that, most Japanese cars are somewhat preferable to American competitors. Get a Subaru Impreza. Or the WRX version of it.
I'm sure you can understand why I'm not gonna get the MX5... just too small and no space...
The WRX is 99% out of my price range, and turbocharged to boot. A bit too expensive. The regular impreza seems to be nothing special but I could be missing something. You like Boxer engines?
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There's a good reason Consumer Reports prefers German/Japanese cars over American ones. If you're going for a sports car you really cannot go wrong with Japan, considering their selection. That said, if you just want a car to get you from A to B it's not really going to matter what you buy. The extra 200 horsepower isn't going to get you to work through traffic any faster.
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 13:49 H_ wrote:
There's a good reason Consumer Reports prefers German/Japanese cars over American ones. If you're going for a sports car you really cannot go wrong with Japan, considering their selection. Which would you suggest for <25k?That said, if you just want a car to get you from A to B it's not really going to matter what you buy. The extra 200 horsepower isn't going to get you to work through traffic any faster. True, and generally the opinion of my family. But I'm not aiming for something with several hundred horsepower anyway.
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The inherent problem with going sub-25k is that 25k is that generally that's where the 'real' 2008 sports cars start in terms of price. Have you considered buying used or are you adamant on buying a new car?
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 13:55 H_ wrote:
The inherent problem with going sub-25k is that 25k is that generally that's where the 'real' 2008 sports cars start in terms of price. Have you considered buying used or are you adamant on buying a new car?
I'll go used if I can't get what I want new, but overall I'm pretty flexible so I'm just trying to get something that isn't entirely impractical or will jack up my insurance (of course horrible fuel efficiency wouldn't be terribly good either).
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On May 05 2008 13:57 micronesia wrote:
I'll go used if I can't get what I want new, but overall I'm pretty flexible so I'm just trying to get something that isn't entirely impractical or will jack up my insurance (of course horrible fuel efficiency wouldn't be terribly good either).
I hate to rain on your parade but any car that your insurance deems as a sport car will probably be reasonably expensive. I think in America once you're 25 your rates are lowered by a lot? Either way, if you want a sports car check out:
Subaru WRX STi - 2005 looks the best, and to be honest there isn't much difference in specifications unless you REALLY wanted the hatchback for some reason.
Mitsubishi Evolution - Which one you pick is up to you and the laws in America.
Nissan 350z - Not much to say except that buying it will probably depend greatly upon your opinion of its looks. It's classier than the aforementioned two as well, if you are taking image into account. See also: Infiniti G35 (luxury/sports car from Nissan's American branch).
Supra RZ - I don't know how available these are in the US, to be honest. This also depends on how far back in years you want to go. If you don't like the idea of a 300hp twin-turbo RWD car (and who can blame you) you can opt for the SZ variant, which is NA.
RX-8 - less powerful, more stylish. Also has 4 doors to escape insurance-rape. Unfortunately, you cannot expect to fit people in the back of it. The only drawback is that it has a rotary engine (which is renowned for not-so-great mileage).
A great choice for you that I just remembered is a Toyota Altezza. It's 4 doors, comes in 5/6-speed manual, 200 horsepower (naturally aspirated), and it looks nice, even if the tail-lights are cliched. And it's a Toyota. And you cannot really go wrong with Toyotas. Just check reliability reports. If you wanted a little more luxury or power you could check out the Lexus lineup.
You can also spring for hatchbacks. In your previous blog you mentioned the Mazda 3, you really cannot go wrong with it. I imagine you've done your research on this section though so you don't really need help with it.
The rest of the sports cars are pretty much limited to enthusiasts - poor gas mileage, impracticality, availability, etc. The nice thing about the Evolution/STi is that despite the fact they are both All-Wheel Drive and turbo, they're still 4-door sedans (read: convenient). Your other options are to look at European sports cars - in particular, the BMW M3. Once again though, I don't know how that's priced in the US.
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Go for a Mustang. They're so sexy and sleek. My father has one, I love driving it on the highway, especially compared to my Accord. When you accelerate, you really feel it. Not to mention its a 2 door convertible. Just so nice T_T
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 14:39 Dknight wrote:
Go for a Mustang. They're so sexy and sleek. My father has one, I love driving it on the highway, especially compared to my Accord. When you accelerate, you really feel it. Not to mention its a 2 door convertible. Just so nice T_T
The convertible is an option, but that's not what I was referring to (and you'll notice that if you look at the picture I posted above).
Edit: H_ I'm going through your list now. Thanks for the input, I'll look into insurance.
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Ive always been a fan of the Mustang. Hell I wouldve gotten one if I had the money. But given the cost of insurance and gas for American muscle, you might want to reconsider. Then again, if you have 25k to blow, why not.
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United States24745 Posts
On May 05 2008 15:02 useLess wrote:
Ive always been a fan of the Mustang. Hell I wouldve gotten one if I had the money. But given the cost of insurance and gas for American muscle, you might want to reconsider. Then again, if you have 25k to blow, why not.
Haha I don't quite have 25k 'to blow' since I'll need to finance the majority of whatever I do ._.
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