And for something completely different,,,what car

OK, my use is for business, we transport people and I drive at least 1000 miles a week, so far and with great success I have used and worn out many Town Cars.

These have been great, reliable, roomy, reasonable economy and cheap parts made them perfect for the job.

Problem, I am sick of driving automatic lounge rooms, I am seeking something with reasonable economy, enough room and not too expensive to maintain, and can handle the constant use.

I do want manual and prefer RWD but can accept AWD.

Choices so far CTS-V, Subaru GT errrrrr.....ummmm

G8 GXP would be amazing but not at $38K

That's seriously about it, BMW, Mercedes are too demanding on parts and in reality give a poor impression for the business (too successful) Lexus do not inspire me.

Votes or ideas welcome

Lux minivan?

Diesel Excursion ?

I am seeking something fun to drive

I am considering that but have so many projects already, seriously a 300 hp mustang engine and manual trans into a town car would be perfect

I assume 4 doors is also required? Subura Legacy Spec B, Dodge Charger, Volvo? Acura?

Of your list, I'd love to have a CTS-V.

Is an Infinity G35 sedan available with a manual? Is it large enough for hauling people comfortably in the back?

Mercury Marauder/Crown Vic with a 5 speed swap?

http://www.racecar2000.com/classifieds/view-ad-17977.html

Late model 9-5, can look at Audi's if you want to look a cock and be on the side of the road a lot.

Of your choices though if you could find a GXP i would go for it.

CTS-V is the logical choice. I know a guy in Chicago that wants to get rid of his, if he hasn't already.

JFX001 wrote: Mercury Marauder/Crown Vic with a 5 speed swap? http://www.racecar2000.com/classifieds/view-ad-17977.html

4 doors are a must

Awesome car but the cage might be a problem for my clients...lol

Charger rear door is too low and I have doubts about the Chrysler reliability for such high mileage, can anyone positively state these cars are reliable enough

suburban with a stick?

mazdaspeed 6?...

4-door fwd hatchbacks like the mazda3 wouldn't be considered?

How about a Volvo S60R? Turbo 5, all wheel drive (front biased), 5 or 6 speed manual available depending on year, comfortable and well appointed. I don't know how well it would hold up to 50k/year use though. The rear seats are probably a little small for your needs, but so are the CTS-V rear seats.

Really though you are at cross-purposes. There's a reason innumerable fleets run Town Cars - comfortable, reliable, cheap to maintain people transport.

Well, fun is a relative term, does manual trans factor in here? In a lot of the big cities the 2nd gen scion xb is very popular for taxi service.

Volvo 740 wagon? Does it need to be a newer car or just not a total pile?

pigeon wrote: Really though you are at cross-purposes. There's a reason innumerable fleets run Town Cars - comfortable, reliable, cheap to maintain people transport.

That is why I have driven them for 10 years, but I need something different, I am so tired of the luxo-barges

No pile, it has to be a nice looking car, mid 90s and newer, lower mileage

S60R would fit the bill. The electronics are typically European but better than the Germans for reliability. Volvos laugh at high miles.

If the CTS-V is a litle tight how about an STS-V? Not sure how the supercharged Northstar might hold up. Any Caddy guys know the answer?

Acura TL? Fun to drive for what it is, plenty of room in the back seat, Honda reliability (just remember to change the transmission fluid), reasonable parts prices

Infinity Q45

Staying with my Scion theme, what about the little Suzuki SX4 which has your desired AWD?
I suspect that they have "good enough" rear ingress and egress which likely is very important to you.

jrw1621 wrote: Staying with my Scion theme, what about the little Suzuki SX4 which has your desired AWD?

Back seat is too small for regular adult use. Thats why I stopped looking at them.

Compared to my neon, there is about the same front leg room, but the back is a bit smaller

My wife has a '07 Nissan Versa SL. That car has a freakishly large rear seat. The rear is actually more comfortable that the front, even behind a tall driver. Stripper versions of these can be bought for $13k, new. Used should be down into the below $10. Yes, they are basic cars but in/egress is very very good and there is limo like leg room.

Edit: I should probably add that Versas are highly functional but I would not really call one sporty or fun. Maybe compared to a Towne Car they could be seen as fun given the stick shift capability but that would be about it.

I hate to say it but ebay has a slew of 2009-2010 Grand Marquis' with 15,000-20,000 miles and selling under $19,000. They had one 2009 with 20,000 miles for $15,000 near me.

Yes, they are ex-rental cars but who really drove those? And you still have some sort of warranty? You can run them forever. I imagine for the money these are practical?

Infiniti G35 or G35x four door? WRX wagon? Forester XT? Legacy GT?

Sonic wrote: Acura TL? Fun to drive for what it is, plenty of room in the back seat, Honda reliability (just remember to change the transmission fluid), reasonable parts prices

+1 - nice ride, nice torque, my friend had a couple of clutch issues though.