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Recs for a fun, reliable daily driver under $14K

longskate88

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Originally Posted by the_k
you should be able to score at least an 05 g35 in that price range.....have it checked out at the infiniti dealership before buying....if everything checks out, they're quite reliable....of all the cars you listed, the g35 is the best overall package.

i sold my 05 g35 sedan with premium package for 13.5k a few months ago....it had around 48k miles and was in flawless condition apart from a few dings here and there....

edit: if you decide to get a g35 make sure it does not have any oil consumption issues....i know some model years had that problem...an 05 sedan does not...i THINK the coupe does...


Thanks. Of the cars listed, I've narrowed them down to the G35 (Coupe or sedan, probably Coupe) or the Lexus IS250. My only hangups at this point are 1) Premium fuel I'm assuming, and 2) Expensive tires (odd, but I want the upgrade alloy rims, so the tires probably aren't cheap, and I drive a LOT of miles). Also, insurance is a factor since I'm 22.
 

Chiaroscuro

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'02' BMW M Coupe, between 15 and 17 g's.

_V9Y0936.jpg
 

crazyquik

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Originally Posted by serj
Lotus Elise under $14k? Are you on drugs

Originally Posted by Cavalier

Wrecked Elises go for $15-20g's..... I would sell my SI and buy one in a heart beat for 14k!



A decent (clean carfax) 2005 Elise is going to be 25k. I've never seen one for less. Maybe if you snoop around you can get one for 20-25k with higher mileage or a few niggles wrong with it. Less than that and it's probably been wrecked. Due to the extensive use of aluminium, even relatively minor accidents are usually ruled a total loss (ditto for most aluminium-intensive vehicles).
 

eqpablon

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Originally Posted by Cavalier
Obviously a new BMW comes with a warranty, but when it comes out of warranty you can expect each trip to the dealership to cost $2-3g's. I have an 03 330Xi btw. I will have to find a german 3rd party shop to start saving money.

Wrecked Elises go for $15-20g's..... I would sell my SI and buy one in a heart beat for 14k!


This man wins! Yes you can own an Elise for $15k, it will come with a salvage title tho.
 

eqpablon

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Originally Posted by crazyquik
A decent (clean carfax) 2005 Elise is going to be 25k. I've never seen one for less. Maybe if you snoop around you can get one for 20-25k with higher mileage or a few niggles wrong with it. Less than that and it's probably been wrecked. Due to the extensive use of aluminium, even relatively minor accidents are usually ruled a total loss (ditto for most aluminium-intensive vehicles).

They are actually fiberglass, so it is true that minor bumps can cause $7k worth of damage. However they are sex in 3D form
smile.gif
 

serj

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Originally Posted by longskate88
Thanks. Of the cars listed, I've narrowed them down to the G35 (Coupe or sedan, probably Coupe) or the Lexus IS250. My only hangups at this point are 1) Premium fuel I'm assuming, and 2) Expensive tires (odd, but I want the upgrade alloy rims, so the tires probably aren't cheap, and I drive a LOT of miles). Also, insurance is a factor since I'm 22.

You can't afford an IS250 either. IS250 started production in 06' at around $32,000. There is no Lexus that depreciates more than half its MSRP in a mere 3 years. I would guess a good IS250 at around $20k. But if you can find one I will stand corrected.

Not to mention IS250 performance is abysmal. A 3400 lb car with 184 horsepower doesn't qualify as "fun" in my book. The G blows the doors off the IS250.

Look at the IS300.


Don't let premium gas throw you. I am always surprised at how cheap people are when filling up. If you had a car with a 20 gallon tank, and with Premium prices per gallon usually only 20 cents more than regular...you spend $4.00 more per fill up. Is that really such a deal breaker when considering a vehicle?
 

crazyquik

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The body is fiberglass, so even a less than 5 mph tap can cause catastrophic 'glass damage.

The frame, however, is aluminium, which is why a low speed wreck will result in a salvage title, rather than a trick to the frame shop for a straightening.
 

Crane's

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Nissan Altima 3.5 6 with manual transmission. It's a nice "family" sedan with about 270 horsies that is a whole lot of fun. Do your part and it'll go 200K easily with nothing major to worry about.
 

nicad2000

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Originally Posted by the_k
you should be able to score at least an 05 g35 in that price range.....have it checked out at the infiniti dealership before buying....if everything checks out, they're quite reliable....of all the cars you listed, the g35 is the best overall package.

i sold my 05 g35 sedan with premium package for 13.5k a few months ago....it had around 48k miles and was in flawless condition apart from a few dings here and there....

edit: if you decide to get a g35 make sure it does not have any oil consumption issues....i know some model years had that problem...an 05 sedan does not...i THINK the coupe does...


Unfortunately, I think a percentage of all the model years whether coupe or not had that problem. Nissan has had a nasty habit of loosening piston ring tolerances in recent years to generate more HP at the expense of oil consumption.
 

constant struggle

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Originally Posted by serj
You can't afford an IS250 either. IS250 started production in 06' at around $32,000. There is no Lexus that depreciates more than half its MSRP in a mere 3 years. I would guess a good IS250 at around $20k. But if you can find one I will stand corrected.

Not to mention IS250 performance is abysmal. A 3400 lb car with 184 horsepower doesn't qualify as "fun" in my book. The G blows the doors off the IS250.

Look at the IS300.


Don't let premium gas throw you. I am always surprised at how cheap people are when filling up. If you had a car with a 20 gallon tank, and with Premium prices per gallon usually only 20 cents more than regular...you spend $4.00 more per fill up. Is that really such a deal breaker when considering a vehicle?


When I test drove the 07 IS250, it was slower than my 03 nissan sentra se-r
 

CTGuy

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I had a VW Rabbit until xmas time of last year. It was a great car and I would highly recommend that or the diesel or GTI incarnations. I drive a passat now and I am pretty sure you could find one in the 15k range if you looked around.
 

TheFoo

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What about a new Honda Fit? Nice car.
 

wilson brother

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If you live in California a jet ski could be cool
smile.gif



-Danny Wilson (the Guy)
 

BP348

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Hands down;

VW Diesel

You can easily put 300K on a VW diesel, get great MPG's, & they are super fun to drive.
 

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