Want a new ride, what to get?
 

Inspired by y8s "family car" thread, but because I have a bad case of cabin fever as well. My current Jeep Liberty is boring as hell, and an automatic.

I want a new daily driver. It MUST be RWD. No exceptions. FWD sucks rabid moose cock. I will drive a 1970's big as a house Buick that gets 6 MPG before I subject myself to Fail wheel drive.

Not limited by gas mileage (I dont drive enough to really care), but it must have a usable rear seat for the kid. I prefer 2 door, but could be talked into 4. No trucks/SUV/crossovers, as I already have the Jeep. Performance isn't really the goal, just something fun to drive. 4 bangers are fine, I'm driving to work, not racing.

Here's the trick. I'm looking for cheap. As in less than 10 grand. Hopefully something that hasn't already got 150k on the clock, but obviously not pristine. I've been looking at used Porsche 944, BMW 3 series and the like. What else is there?

I had a stripped down 1981 Toyota Celica ST way back when, and I loved that car. 5 speed, full gauges and not much else. But it was built like a tank, and I thrashed the hell out of it for 10 years with virtually no problems. If I could buy a new one, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Possibly an old e30? For 10grand you could probably find a really nice one.

Porsche 944 with LS swap. I know this will be my next car.

Nissan 240sx.

WHy not AWD? An Impreza RS can be a really fun daily driver.

Forester, bitch. It's what all the cool froods with turbo miatas have as DD's.

This man has taste.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can buy a 4dr vehicle for ME. With the kids, I need a backseat a bit larger than the older Foresters have. The new 09+ Foresters have larg'ish backseats... but they're auto's and they're a bit heavier than the earlier years.

As far as I remember, the sweet Forester XT's are 2004-2005. I can't remember why, but those are the most built, most interchangeable with STi's.

If I ever live somewhere that a Miata won't do winters, a mildly modded '04XT will be in my driveway.

The problem is that they hold their value VERY WELL. A fully STi converted (or same-same aftermarket upgraded) '04XT with matching miles is still going to get $10k-$12k... but you get 300+whp and I think they're lighter than the same year STi.

But I'm not sure the OP is looking for a Forester... what do first year ('04?) GTO's go for?

Hell yeah BRO,
forester power BRO

:makeout::D

the 06-08 ones are just as interchangeable. Only difference is they have .2 higher compression (same as the 06+ wrx's).

I'm loving the hell out of my 08 XT sport 5mt.
Perfect daily driver

Pusha, I had a Mustang GT. 1989, and I never drove the damn thing. Too heavy feeling, like it was a sled. More than enough sheer power, but it always felt like it was plowing along. I bought it new, and tried to keep it perfect, so it mostly sat. I sold it in 2000, with 9650 miles on it. Wish I'd never bought it.

No way I'm driving a love wagon. Those commercials piss me off way too much. Besides, other than the WRX, subarus are all butt ugly. Makes the Volvo wagons look stylish.

Yo, if I fly up there, can we get garbage plates together?

I liked my buddy's twin turbo 5.0.

Sure, but they aren't the same since they moved out of the stabby section of the city.

Attachment 190365
doesn't look half bad to me, but w/e

a prius

in reverse.

OK, at the other end of the spectrum that I was looking at last night - and fits your requirements to a "T"

02-04 Lexus IS300. RWD, decent power, handles good, lots of aftermarket. Lots available in the sub-$10K range and the sweet spot seems to be 95-110K miles. This assumes that you will take an automatic. Manuals are out there but rare and hold their value.

Thanks, Stein. I'll do some searching.

And then they buy a LegGT when they grow out of their lesbian stage.

I hate rotaries but owners that aren't pissed off with the problems seem to love the RX-8 and claim their back seats are usable.

I'd probably roll with a used GTO. High mileage ones are right around 10K and aside from piston slap, an LS1 can rack up miles no problem. Or you could go all mullet and pick up a decent Trans Am or Z28.