Best Sub-$10K Grand Touring Car
 

I started a thread with a similar premise on another forum about two years ago, not knowing I'd find myself in a position today where I have to make frequent 1000 mile drives. So - sudden fresh relevance! I'm looking for suggestions on the best sub-$10,000 grand touring car that money can buy. The criteria:

• It has to be a car - not a truck, SUV, van, flying saucer, etc
• Coupe, sedan or wagon is fine (yes, I know that real GT cars have two doors)
• Must be comfortable for 15 hour trips (seat, noise level, suspension)
• This is a big one - passing power - I don't care so much about 0-60, but 60-100 should be ferocious
• Suggestions can include modifications, but they will be performed by a third party, since I don't have access to my garage right now. So if a modded car, the $10K needs to include parts and labor.
• Big gas tank is a plus
• Reasonably mechanically reliable
• Under 100K miles at time of purchase
• Manual transmission is a big plus, but not a necessity

Some ideas to start things out!

• 1998-2000 Lexus SC400
• Mercury Marauder
• Crown Vic with ADTR supercharger
• Buick Lacrosse Super
• Mazdaspeed 3
• Acura CLS 6-speed

I probably will end up buying the best suggestion, so thanks in advance for your help!

Volvo S60R/V70R meets all those criteria pretty well, except for cost / ease of maintenance :)

Since you're putting the SC400 in there, I feel obligated to suggest the LS400. I'm looking at buying one right now, and I've been driving it around for a couple weeks. It is extremely comfortable and it definitely has passing power, but ferocious is not what I would call it. You may have trouble finding one with under 100k miles but if you do it will probably be under 10k. Not sure about the LS430 though.

honorable mention: is300, gs300

I just realized that the SC400 is only 240lbs lighter than the LS400. I assumed it was way more than that.

Edit:

Because it's Saturday, and I'm bored, I started running down actual dyno numbers for some of these cars, because why not.

• 2003 Acura CL-S. Claimed power - 260hp@6100, 232ft/lbs@3500.
  • Dyno numbers - 218hp, 206ft/lbs
  • Curb weight - 3500lbs
• 2000 Lexus SC400. Claimed power - 290hp@6000, 300ft/lbs@4000
  • Dyno says - 235hp, 227ft/lbs
  • 3649lbs
• 2003 Mercury Marauder. Claimed 302hp, 318ft/lbs
  • Dyno'd 251hp, 232ft/lbs
  • 4195lbs
• 2003 Lexus SC430. Claimed 300hp, 325tq
  • Dyno'd 236hp, 278tq
  • 3840lbs
• Mazdaspeed 3. Claimed 263hp, 280tq
  • Dyno'd 216hp, 245tq
  • 3281lbs

I think G35/G37 is the answer that ticks all your boxes. I've never driven one and have no experience, but I always thought I could see myself in one.

A quick check through the Seattle and Spokane CL ads (only by owner) show a large supply of coupes and sedans... quite a few manual trans models and even a few with some serious mods... plenty for well under $10k with acceptable miles for the year and even a few that I would call straight up "deals".

Show up with $10k cash and see what he says: https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/c...285715719.html

DEAL: https://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/c...306539921.html

I never thought I'd post this...

They're getting a bit hard to find, but the Town Car / Grand Marquis / Crown Vic is pretty much unbeatable for long distance comfort. Not exactly the highest marks for reliability (avoid the air suspension, for instance) but they're easy work on. Never taken one up to 100, but the 4.6L modular v8 has got some balls.

The GRM folks, typically try to find a P71 (the police model with upgraded cooling, suspension, etc) and then pull the interior out of a Crown Vic/Town Car to have the niceties and the upgrades.

Cheap, but a lot of work.

Crown Victoria has cheap plastic switchgear. But parts are cheap.

Nissan has some component reliability problems and interior durability concerns, too.

Idk what I'd choose...

Not those, though.

G35/G37 coupe. Donezo

I've wanted a merc marauder for a long time. The 32v motor really wakes it up

Years ago I had a 1996 Mustang GT with a centrifugal supercharger, putting down about 350whp. Everybody loves the 5.0, but I think the 4.6 is very overlooked in terms of potential. Great engine. I like the idea of a Crown Vic/Grand Marquis a lot, but my only quibble is that the only bolt-on supercharger kit for Panther bodies is $6k. And I won't get the power I want for on-command passing without it.

This seems like such an obvious answer I don't know how I forgot about it. I don't know much about these in terms of reliability, but they certainly seem like they tick the box.

There's a 2005 Cadillac CTS-V near me with 70,000 miles, for $8500. I know it's going to be a money pit, but 400...horsepower...LS6...

Something worth looking into is the Hyundai Genesis sedan. Have a friend that picked one up pretty cheap and has been completely satisfied.
Budget luxury tourer, Just shy of 400hp V8. I have not done research on it, but it seems a well built car.

Have you looked at the e39 BMW? You can get a pretty nice, low mileage 540i (v8, ~300hp, 6sp) for 10k.

This!.. just make sure its had the timing chain guides done, or budget for them around 160k miles, otherwise bulletproof.

Taurus SHO

Stefanst has one and has written about it on here. I got a ride in it and it's quiet and hauls when you want it to. I was pleasantly surprised.
I think it's like 320/320 or something stock.

Mazdaspeed 6 instead of the 3. Your budget should leave enough wiggle room for your basic bolt ons and a COBB AP to make some jam.

Genesis Coupe as well.

legacy gt

As a frequent Hertz user, I've driven a lot of Taurii over the years. I despise that car. Not especially comfortable for long distances, and everything in the interior buzzes and rattles...

I had a Mazdaspeed 3 (bought it new). Fun car, but they aren't particularly reliable and finding an unmolested one now is probably impossible. It also developed rattles in a few years.

I drove that car from LA to Denver in like 16 hours- averaging 77mph with gas stops & construction. It does have very good passing power :)


How about an Accord or Camry V6? Cheap, reliable, pretty quick, not a cop magnet...

I was doing some flying with the LASD a couple of years ago, and they flew me over a field where LA had a huge stockpile of new Crown Vic police cars. They loved that car so much that they bought a bunch as soon as they were informed it was going out of production. That's quite an endorsement.

Along the lines of big bruiser sedans with V-8s, I still really like my G8. It has gone back for a couple of silly recalls (a new gas cap and something they needed to do to the flipkey), but otherwise the only maintenance has been oil changes and tires. The only issue is that they've really held value, you'd be hard-pressed to find a V-8 model for less than 10K unless it was really beat up.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...e771ab85b1.jpg

That '05 CTS-V is literally the perfect car for what you're looking for, and they're really not bad reliability wise. Snap it up, nao, if it's in good shape and clean title etc.

Aside from that, the G coupe/sedan is probably the next best option.

Speed 3 needs to come off the list because they're noisy and don't really ride well. Speed 6 is better but still not great in that regard.

Late 90s/eayl 00s Buick Regal/Rivera with the supercharged 3800 Series II. Dead nuts reliable, stupid comfy, super cheap, easyish to work on, easy to get parts for, quiet, comfy. My friend drove his 280k mile rust bucket non supercharged (salt belt!) example from NY to FL and back last year averaging 90mph and 28mpg.

What did he do to piss you off?

:giggle:

Srsly. Yeah they are cushy and cheap and get somewhat decent mileage, but what pieces of shit.

would MUCH sooner buy an older Avalon.

A few months back while i was visiting Vteckiller, there was one for sale in his area. Ultra rare manual trans.

..... with a TRD supercharger, dealer installed.

Could you IMAGINE the lulz?

Everyone I know with a GM from that platform has only ever had transmission problems, and even that, was not that common from what I have seen. Mentioned them in counterpoint to the crown vics.

A supercharged Avalon would be a hoot though.

My mother has an Avalon and it replaced a Crown Vic so I have driven both on road trips over the years. I also had a Grand Marq and a bubble Caprice back in the day for work. Avalon makes good power and has a huge amount of back seat legroom (and reclining rear seats). Overall length is surprisingly very close to the Crown Vic but the space is in the cabin and not the hood and trunk like the Vicky. I've seen them parked side by side and marveled at that because the Vic looks much longer when parked by itself. Avalon is quicker than the Vicky, too. Avalon gets ~26mpg mixed driving and has achieved 30+mpg highway when driven reasonably.

Same V6 from Avalon is found in the Camry, which is lighter. It is easy to break the all seasons loose in the Avalon so I wonder what the Camry may be like. I'm not a front wheel drive fan but I'm not in a place where it snows and might have more benefit.

Despite blowing up my Speed6, I would also recommend a Mazda6 for the comfort and interior. I've always been a big fan of Mazda leather and the seats in that car don't disappoint. All the controls feel very nice... bonus that you have auto-control of all 4-windows from the drivers seat... hvac fan blows like a tornado (in a good way) and other than the motor, every single part of that car worked perfectly until the end. For info... Intake/IC/catback and an Accessport gets you 300whp on the stock turbo, but it's max'd at that point, and so is the fuel system. Torque builds like a diesel though once you free up the breathing.

In other news:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/c...307917380.html

Barn find:
https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/c...291715430.html

Might be a winner?
https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/c...287315273.html

Manual trans, supercharged Avalon? Geez. Awesome.

I've owned a car from that GM platform. '02 Monte Carlo SS, non-supercharged. I owned it in 2011 and it had 80k miles on it. Had an awful transmission issue with loud clunking and hard shifts. Had some ABS/TCS issues. Lost the IM gasket, which is a LOT of work on these due to a shitty design by GM. Only got 23-24 mpg highway at 75 mph. All this on a well-maintained very clean car.

Yep, no more GM cars for me after that. (course, I bought a GTO a year later, go figure)

There were more: '95 Pontiac Bonneville, non-SC. Had transmission and overdrive issues, along with the usual shitty interior parts falling apart. Lost the head gasket at like 140k, but I can give it a pass there because we beat that car... hard.
'95 Pontiac Trans Sport. What a piece of shit. Lifter issues, mostly, but all the other issues too.

Nope.

You are a bad person. There is a special place reserved for you in hell, along with child molesters and people who talk at the theater.

My mother also has an Avalon. 1999/2000 or so. Fortunately it doesn't get driven very often since I bought her the new Camry last year.

I've driven it on trips of 4-5 hours. It's very comfortable. And it's been fairly reliable.


It also handles like shit.


I'm serious. It's as though, instead of tie-rods, there are semi-rigid rubber tubes joining the steering rack to the front hubs.

As in, you turn the wheel to change lanes, and the car decides to take a moment of pause to allow you to reflect upon your decision, and make quite certain that changing lanes is really going to bring you happiness and fulfillment, and you get the impression that if it really had a choice in the matter, the car would prefer to allow you to slip into a lavender-scented bathrobe and offer you a cup of chamomile tea while you pondered the matter of changing lanes at a metaphysical level while soothing new-age music played in the background.

And all you really want to do is to FUCKING CHANGE LANES!


Driving that car actually scares me. I hate it immensely.

I have a G37 sedan as a daily/baby seat hauler. It ticks all your boxes. The Uprev versions of the slightly older G35 have nearly the same power and are ridiculously cheap. VQ engines can sound amazing too!

I got to drive a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC today. I loved it unironically, goofy interior and all. I might start actively looking for a '97-98 Mark VIII LSC. In black only, of course. That car should only have ever been made in black.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...41056d34e4.jpg

Oh, and a necessity: http://www.strutmasters.com/products...t-with-shocks/

Taurus in general or the SHO in particular?

I'm sure the ones I drove were the regular, non-Yamaha versions.

But my complaints were all about trim, fit & finish.



Huh. Never even thought about the Mk VIII, but yeah, that one looks appealing.

One thing that the American automakers were doing right in the 1990s was cushy luxury.


Heh... Yeah, these are super popular with the Towncar / Grand Marquis crowd as well. The air suspension in those cars, as I believe I noted previously, is notoriously unreliable.

Do all of our mothers drive Avalons?

The one my Mom has is a later model with some kind of upgraded engine. Drove it once. Nice drive, lots of power. It's been reliable for her. She's a closet car nut.

Avalons have never had an optional engine except from the Hybrid option. So the later model one is a roughly 270hp 3.5L v6. They have plenty of power for a Japanese Buick.

Joe's Avalon experience is with the old body style, and yes, they were soggy. The newer version is very different and has much more power.

E320 Mercedes diesel, G35/7, Mustang GT

To update an old thread, I ended up buying a 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC. I am very happy with it, so of course I've begun to mod it right away. ECU programmer is on the way, next is headers, underdrive pulleys, full 2.5" exhaust, and maybe a Cobra intake. It's a bit like driving a bullet train. Good times.

So i guess im too late to suggest a Lexus GS 430? ultra reliable V-8. Fun to drive. Tracked mine a few times, a 5,000 lb car eats tires up out there though.

If I had seen this thread earlier, I could have warned you. I truly hope things go well for you with that car. My wife had one when we met (still does 10+ years later), and my god do I hate that car with a passion. If you haven't discovered already, similar to other "premium" badged vehicles, you will always pay a "Lincoln" tax on any part you need that isn't from the Ford parts bin. The ballast for the rear neon, steering rack, interior pieces, etc. Exterior door handles like to break as well, seems to be made of cheap pot metal.

We also did the strut conversion on the car, got tired of the ridiculous prices on each piece that broke on the air bag system (which was nearly everything).

Hers is a 98 LSC in black as well. I wish you the best of luck!

Luckily there's a big support community for these cars - I've already purchased an aftermarket neon ballast for about 1/8th of what the dealer charges, from a guy on a forum. Lots of used parts available too. It's not Miata cheap, but if you shop smart it doesn't seem too bad, and the engine is a champ.

Might be one of the ugliest cars on the road lol

Probably the worst option from all presented in this thread, but if you're happy that's all that matters!