What better than another JBO "I don't know what to do and I need your opinion" post

A little background - its time for me to sell the cavy and get another car. I currently work for Honda too in case anyone was curious. The next car I get I really want to keep the mods down - so I need to buy something nice and I'm not going to do anything crazy.

1) So this time last year I ordered an Accord Coupe V6 6MT. Nice looking car, great power, brand new. They look too long to fulfill my order so I later canceled it.

2) I was then going to wait for the '10 Acura TSX I4 6MT w/ Tech pkg (nav). Only problem is that in the end after TTL it was going to cost a little over $30k. Also, a little bit lacking on the power. But the interior and amenities are awesome.

3) For that price, I decided to get stuck in my head that the next car I want must be RWD and MT. I was looking at the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe and absolutely fell in love with it. It's so "different" and really gives you a lot for what you pay. Was going to pick up this month a white 2.0T Track 6MT (Brembo brakes, LSD, turbo engine, 19" wheels). Was going to put me at $28k or so after TTL.

4) From there I realized that I'm not sure if I really want to spend THAT much money on a new car. You get the new car perks (new, warranty, etc) but you get hit hard with depreciation. So, that's when the fourth search began...........

I've narrowed it down to a few cars. If you have other car ideas, please feel free to post. My goal is to get a used car for $15-20k, including TTL. Must be in the premium or entry level luxury segments. Must be MT and RWD. The newer the car, the more expensive. Here's what's currently on my mind:

- G35 Coupe (overall: a nice 2 door sport coupe that I've always thought was nice)
04: (+) Brembo brakes, 280hp/270tq, (-) Interior is alright; Bose still has a tape player there (wtf?)
05: (+) 19" wheels, 300hp/260 tq, nicer interior. (-) Some engines had oil consumption issues, warranting full engine replacement (most under warranty).
06: (+) Same as 05 with redesigned headlights, taillights, bumpers
07: (-) Too expensive right now compared to previous years

- G35 Sedan (overall: a powerful 4 door sport sedan that I think would be nice to drive, especially as a stick)
04: Specs similar to 04 coupe, (-) maybe a little too big?
05: Specs similar to 05 coupe
06: Specs similar to 05 coupe
07: Redesigned 2nd Gen so too expensive right now

- MB C230 (overall: a nice looking sport sedan that would be fun to drive)
05: (+) MMC, upgraded interior. Interior looks pretty nice. 190hp/190tq 1.8L I4 Supercharged, 30+ mpg highway, (-) German reliability is either great or horrible, but this model doesn't seem to have any major issues according to my forum research
06: Engine now 2.5L V6 with 200hp/180 tq, slightly less MPG. No major issues reported
07: Similar to 06

- MB C32 AMG
02-04: (+) 350hp 3.2L V6 Supercharged. Incredible car. (-) Only comes in automatic so I unfortunately have to rule this out. I've owned an automatic for 8 years now and must get something different. It's also been a coupe, so sport sedan does intrigue me some.

- Lexus IS250 Manual
Looks great, but heard performance is lackluster

- BMW 3 series (previous gen)
You can find these in the same ballpark, yet I've seen so many 3's in my life that I don't want to own one. The M3's sure are nice though

- BMW 5 series (previous gen)
You can also find these in the same ballpark. Not sure if I want to buy an older BMW though due to reliability. Not sure if I want a large boat of a car either.

- Miata, Older Nissan/Datsun
Would be the cheapest of the bunch. But I do need a "respectable" car because this will be my only car. If I buy another car, I want it to be nicer than the cavy, not the same or less. And not rotting either. Plus, I worked on a team crazy about Miatas and BMW's. I've had enough of those.

My commute is mostly highway all the time because I live outside of the city. I don't encounter traffic at all really. So as much as a powerful car would be nice, I'm not going to use that power 99.9% of the time. But, I do want to have the RWD ability to make it swing around the corner on occasion, just not so much that I'm into a curb. Lay down the occasional tracks.

I can't believe I typed this much. But if you read it, kudos to you. And leave a comment if you wish



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

ever consider a lexus sc300. its the same chassis as the supra but is alot cheaper and more comfortable. A 2jz-gte will drop right in. PLEASE do not buy a genesis. it will be worth as much as a cavalier in a year or two.

1800ccS13 wrote: PLEASE do not buy a genesis. it will be worth as much as a cavalier in a year or two.

That's a little extreme, but I would wait to see what value used ones are commanding. I love this car as well, but its probably worthwhile to let someone else put the first 5k miles on it, work out all the bugs then pick it up for 17-19k

Current SC is too feminine for me and the previous gen.....I just never got that into it. Isn't one of those cars that I say "WOW!", regardless if it's a supra or not.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

G35 coupe.



2004 Cavalier. Razzi. (Sold)
1998 Corvette. Some mods.
1992 Typhoon. Lots of mods.
1994 Civic VX 44MPG

here's a few that might change your mind...

http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:irkXpr8PB2UkdM:http://www.driftingstreet.com/images/toyota-soarer.jpg
http://www.jdmcars.info/cars/toyota_soarer.jpg
http://www.japanesesportcars.com/galleries/data/media/72/sc300c.jpg
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/attachments/lexus-vehicles-classifieds/137924d1233538841-96-6spd-lexus-sc300-widebody-w-2jzgte-dsc00295-small-.jpg
http://www.cargurus.com/images/2008/02/12/15/25/pic-10277.jpeg

I don’t know. Some of those look a little too ricey. The car has a clean design that looks fine not modified at all. I too was NEVER a fan of the 1st gen Lexus SC’s. Until I saw this one!






It belongs to a member here on the JBO…I forget who. But the car is just stunning and left a great impression on me. I look at them much differently now. Very subtle and clean looking just lowered with 19's and a few basic engine mods. And IMHO they look far better with all stock body panels than with ricey M3, fake Nissan GTR fenders and tacked on stick on body exrtas. just because they came from a Supra doesn't mean they need to be as riced out as many supras are now.




"Formerly known as Jammit - JBO member since 1998" JBOM | CSS.net

Like I said, it's a cool car, I just don't care to say "wow" enough to own one.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

1800ccS13 wrote:ever consider a lexus sc300. its the same chassis as the supra but is alot cheaper and more comfortable. A 2jz-gte will drop right in. PLEASE do not buy a genesis. it will be worth as much as a cavalier in a year or two.

you are a @!#$ idiot

G35, hands down from what your options were

If it is a (MUST) and no other option from the line up you have. I would go with this in no particular order.

Viper98912 wrote:
1) Accord Coupe V6 6MT.
2) '10 Acura TSX I4 6MT w/ Tech pkg (nav).
3) Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T Track 6MT.

G35 Coupe
G35 Sedan
Lexus IS250 Manual
-Miata

I see you're tossed on new and used here. In my honest opinion, if you plan to change the car every 3-4 yrs; lease the car and then maybe go used (as in certified). But if you're going to purchase, just go new. Besides the new car smell, warranty, perks, there is nothing more assuring that the car you are driving has only been driven by the factory workers and you. With that being said, you are not driving other people's problems. In my case, I would NEVER had or will buy a used to keep (unless model discontinued), just because reasons mentioned. Now, I did buy a used ZO6 from a widow at an almost stolen price, but that was because I knew it would be an investment and infact I got almost $9K more then what I paid, that later went to fund priority, that was the only time I bought used. Right now I would like to jump in on a host of cars, but until I am a little more settled in a year or two (hope), I will go and buy a 0 miles new car again. And also I would not look into German cars, unless new and to then be leased.
Best of luck.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

you can find used 335 sedans in the mid 20's

GT, the first two of what you chose are FWD. I know it sounds petty, but I really want to go RWD and manual this time. The cavy is FWD and automatic, and I really want to do something different.

My daily commute consists of a 45-50 mile roundtrip to work. All highway, cruising at 75 mph with zero traffic (it's great actually). That right there though puts up over 11,000 miles in going to work alone. That doesn't count going to the grocery store, the city (30 miles the other way), and forbid me if I take a small vacation in the next state over. With the common 10-12k mile/year that most leases are nowadays, paying extra for the 15k+ mile/year now makes leases seem far from rosy. At the same time, if I'm going to lease, I would want to lease something nice. So all in all if I'm going to lease I might as well purchase new. And purchasing new is where I start to wonder whether I truly want to spend a lot of money or not.

How long do I want this car to last me? I don't know. 3-4 years? Maybe more? I'm not sure anymore.

And Mr. K, I definitely don't want a newer BMW outside of warranty. And I dislike the 3 series a lot (there are WAYYYYYYYY to many of them in Miami where I used to live). The only one I have respect for (and would consider) is the 335 solely based on the I6TT.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

I've looked at cars 24/7 now for weeks on end. I should just end it all and keep the cavy. So indecisive I tell you. I wasn't this bad when I first researched into buying the cavy.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

Really, you need to look into WHY you want to get rid of the cav. Is it really that bad? Why not save your money?

If you MUST get a new car, from the list you've provided I would suggest the G35 coupe. I've always wanted that car. The stock exhaust sounds amazing.

Viper98912 wrote:I've looked at cars 24/7 now for weeks on end. I should just end it all and keep the cavy. So indecisive I tell you. I wasn't this bad when I first researched into buying the cavy.

Im in the same boat as you. I've been out test driving for 3 weeks now. All different sorts of cars from scion tc's to the 335i... i can't decide if I want that big payment every month on top of my mortgage and other bills or do I want the economy car that I could mod here and there...

I'll just put it this way.. after driving a 07 acura tl type s , a new accord coupe ex-l, and the 335i im really leaning towards the luxury car. Personally.. the few extra hundred a month are worth the extra comfort and abundant amount of options you get. Especially since your in the car as much as I am... Why not spoil yourself a bit

g35 coupe.



maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow....... but some day

If you don't need to get a new car, then don't. I've been in the same situation for about 3 years now, I find a car I really like, but don't want to pay for it. Well, all of the cars I'm able to afford easily are cars that I don't want to pay for, and the cars that I wouldn't mind paying for would be stretching my budget too much. Therefore, I have my Cavalier that is paid off and still runs great, so I drive it.

themarin8r wrote:

1800ccS13 wrote:ever consider a lexus sc300. its the same chassis as the supra but is alot cheaper and more comfortable. A 2jz-gte will drop right in. PLEASE do not buy a genesis. it will be worth as much as a cavalier in a year or two.

you are a @!#$ idiot

G35, hands down from what your options were

Well I didn't mean it would actually be worth as much as a cav. What I meant was it will depreciate in value as quickly as a cavalier. Ever look at hyundai resale value.... Not so good. Its @!#$ korean for christ sake.

G35 all day. They have the sex appeal, they have the room, they have the power, they have the after-market, and they have the price.

What else would you want?

Vip, Yhea, I was picking from the line up you have. And totally hear ya on RWD, that's what I would prefer too. A advice I can give you since you drive so much on the highway, you may want to look for a car with a tall 5th or 6th gear, that way it can be more of a "cruiser" and that the same time save your engine and fuel costs. Its an idea to narrow your choices.
Looks like you have your hands full, so good luck and let us know.



>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

Gas mileage is another thing. C32 sounds awesome, and they're in my price range. C36, same thing. Only thing is when you compare the numbers, they get about 20 mpg highway. That's no good. The power is awesome, but I can't fathom doing 20 mpg highway. Who knows when $5 dollar gas will come back again.

From my forum research , the G35 looks to get about 24-26 mpg highway. I average about 27 highway with the s/c cavy, and that's mostly because of 25 mile trips off of cold start. Long highway trips I get about 30. And I complain enough already. I don't know if I'd be happy with a car with lower mpg. The 05 C230 I4 S/C seems to average about 30-32 mpg highway which isn't bad, and the 06-07 2.5L V6 avgs about 28-30.

I've also quickly considered a corvette, but big V8 mpg. Same with an older M5. Everyone wants the power, they just hate paying the gas for it.

As for the Hyundai resale value quote, that's actually the current conundrum. Since the Genesis line is somewhat new and different compared to Hyundai's older stuff, experts really aren't sure if it's going to follow the classic Hyundai depreciation or if it'll actually hold its value much better. Especially now that Hyundai seems to be making quality cars with good warranties. Only time will tell.



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

So yesterday I saw this picture, and said wow........



Then today I saw this and also said that's so sweet with 19's, 6MT, and RWD + LSD.




Tough.



PS - I did take these pictures from the forums. So if you know these people, these are your cars, or you own these pictures, these are awesome pix and I love your car and thank you for posting your pix (and letting me reuse them....).



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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -

Viper98912 wrote:

I've also quickly considered a corvette, but big V8 mpg. Same with an older M5. Everyone wants the power, they just hate paying the gas for it.

I avg 24-25mpg in my corvette in mixed driving. It will get about 30 all hwy, and about 19 all city. I have had it for around 5 years and it has been consistent.





2004 Cavalier. Razzi. (Sold)
1998 Corvette. Some mods.
1992 Typhoon. Lots of mods.
1994 Civic VX 44MPG

* * BIG FOR SALE POST * *

that front bumper is just nasty and not in a good way