Getting a new car soon

[Greco101]

Finally... I've been out of a car since my GTO got repo'd and my girlfriends been having to drive me around like my mommy. Pretty emasculating.

I've been thinking... I'm obsessed with cars... Love damn near each and every one in its own way... so picking is a chore for me but thankfully (kinda?) my options are somewhat limited by convenience and $


What I'm looking for in my next car:

• Luxurious
• Min. of around 300 hp
• NOT FWD
• under $40,000
• Sedan

so far, here are the possibilities:

• Benz C55 AMG
• 2000+ M5
• 2002+ BMW 540i
• 2004+ Audi S4
• 2004 BMW 545i

[moojoe]

Id personally say the Audi.
ever since I was young, my dad has driven audi's, and they have always been some of the funnest cars I've ever driven. theyre also built like a tank. I got rear ended in a A6 with the guy going about 25, and there was absolutely no damage to my car, but his was completely screwed. (some american car). since my dad got them, I got an A4, and besides my subaru, its been the best car I've ever driven. One of my friends has an RS4, and I know a guy who has an S4, and because I know how to fix/work on cars, I'm constently tinkering with them and upgrading them in various ways. simply put, all around great cars to both drive and work on.
also got to drive and play with the R8 a few weeks ago...damn. I dont think i've ever had more fun in a car. even driving super exotics, nothing beat just the shear driving pleasure of the Audi.

[Commando]

under $40,000

Dude, you amaze me. You come across as younger but if you can afford a car like that....

I owned a Charger for little while and it was amazing. I had to get a truck but if would ever suggest a sports car that what it would be.

[Greco101]

Well, I'm only about to turn 19.

Personally, I love the front end of the chargers (including that 6.1 in the srt but I feel the ass end and interior are a little bland. Plus I smoked an str8 in my GTO which means either:

A: Bad driver
B: He was scared of it
C: The charger is an even bigger boat than the '06 GTO's
D: All of the above

[Commando]

Plus I smoked an str8 in my GTO which means either:

That's easy to answer. It's because Chargers are beasts (like 1000lbs heavier).

I totally agree with you that they will get smoked by mustangs. That was the only but still a huge drawback. They feel a bit a heavy....

[Greco101]

That's quite a bit of weight consider the 15/100 "rule."

Also, I forgot to mention... Although I LOVE the newer audi's (especially that open mouth grill on the RS4's and some S4's) the hp they lose from the engine to the wheels kinda sucks... especially because they don't offer very many bolt ons yet.

I'm looking towards the 500hp range and am kinda shy of tubos... MTM offers a nice super charger kit but at ONLY around 20,000 dollars! (for a bolt on?! wtf?!!!) the 340hp translates to around 260whp :o/

[Omega]

Hmm. Interesting requirements for a car. I'd say drop the price you're willing to pay (Save your money. It'll be better.) and forget about the Sedan part. Maybe even lower the hp you want (lightweight with low power is better than heavy with lots of power often -- If you don't believe me, Try it in Forza: Porsche 914 with 200rwhp and under 1 ton will beat cars that have 350rwhp and weight considerably more).


I'd also say that at your age you should worry about reliability. BMW's and Merc's are notorious for being in the dealership getting something fixed. Unless it's an old one. Then all you need is a roll of duct tape, some hammers, and some spanners.

The big Japanese 3 make really reliable cars (That's Toyota, Nissan & Honda), so perhaps a Lexus, Infiniti, or an Acura is what you want. They're usually pretty reliable, I know the older Lexus IS300 is quite quick and it's a 4-door, and I'm sure with a little work you could get it to 300rwhp for a lot less than a Merc.

Now, Audi's something I'm not sure about. I know they're quality, but I don't know about their reliability. If you could find examples of their reliability, that'd be my option. Not to mention, I love the way Audi's are styled.

Just my two pence (wait... I mean cents. I've been watching too much Top Gear. =p).

[calumc]

I'd be inclined to go for something in the jap line as well.
For that kind of money you could import something like a Skyline, Supra or a nice STi. You might not get one quite as new but you can be garunteed it will be reliable.

**** just remembered that it would be right hand drive :-/

[SgtM]

Young guy.. So Cali.. high gas prices. Driving anywhere takes you forever. Go with a extended cab light truck, and modify the hell outta it. My S10 5 speed gets about 28 MPG.

[NightrainSrt4]

I don't mean to be rude if it comes across that way, but I remember you talking before about how the GTO was just too much for you yourself to afford, nonetheless the insurance.

You want something powerful and fast, pick up an older car and rebuild the engine/slap some bolt ons for it. If the bodies messed up a bit, grab some new panels and get a cheap paint job. You can do this on the cheap and beat the hell outa those 40k cars you just mentioned. You can get some nice late 90's A4's on the cheap too.

You guys were just in a tough situation not too long ago, and I don't think jumping right back into something 40k is a very wise idea. Eventually the novelty of nice/fast cars is going to wear off, and what are you going to be left with, a huge ass bill.

Please don't take this the wrong way as I am not trying to be rude or mean. Just think about it for a bit before someone flames me or something. Please. Just coming from a young guy whose gone through the sick car thing...