Another what car thread

I figured with all the what car threads floating around I might as well add mine.

Budget is around $8k, I am looking for something fun, decently quick, and inexpensive to maintain.

My Ideas so far
- Mini Cooper S
- Pontiac GTO (more difficult to find for $8k)
- Mazda3 S hatch

We really need more requirements than this.

In addition to your list:

+Miata
+E30
+E36 (not quite so cheap)
+Mustang
+Subaru Impreza RS or whatever that one is
+MR2
+Celica
+Nissan Sentra SE-R
+Some older civic SI's
+Focus SVT
+SRT-4
+Transmarobird
+Geo Storm
+Tiburon

Thats all I can think of right now.

In reply to mtn:

Yea I guess the first post was a bit vague.

It needs to be have more interior room than a Miata, so a hatch would work. I would like RWD but not a necessity. Something newer than 2000 would be best.

This is to replace my Miata that is getting old and more worn out and doesn't have enough space.

Coopers of any flavor aren't cheap. I've seen 100k mile cars going for $10k easy. GTO's and 3's are going to be tough to find in that price range also. Mtn really built a pretty comprehensive list right there. If you could find a decent one, a later model Integra might be a good fit. Also, a Zx2 S/R or even a plain jane Zx2 with some suspension work might fit the bill.

98-02 Camaro/Firechicken LS1. Big hatch, lots of motor. Easily found very nice for under $8K.

04 GTO would be great, though it does have a tiny trunk. I've seen them down to $9K, but not $8K.

What about RX-8? They have lots of room and I've seen 04-05's for $8K.

I'd check out the Focus SVT 5 door.

MAzda3s are starting to get down into that range.

In fact, i put up our 04 mazda 3 2.0/auto sedan w/110k on CL for $5k and noone bought it.

I saw an e36 m3 for $5k on local CL the other day.

A subaru would fit the space requirement but would be hard to find a nice turbo one for that money, they're mostly beat on. You MAY be able to find a turbo baja for that money thats been left alone, but thats on the real low side of what they go for.

The celica and the 5dr focus also work in my mind. A lot of the other ones on the list are just not much bigger than a miata.

C4 'vette? They seem to have bigger load spaces than the later ones and you should be able to pick up a pretty decent one for 8k.

The forerunner right now is the Cooper. I have found some decent ones in my price range with 80-100k miles and a few CooperS for around the same price although they are fewer and farther between.

I would rather have the extra power of a 'S' but after driving a Miata for the past 5 years I wouldn't be too disappointed with the regular model.

Have you driven a Cooper? I remember one track instruction day where a tuned Cooper S couldn't stay with my standard-power Miata (on coilovers, admittedly) with the instructor driving the Cooper. The Cooper would catch up down the straight and as soon things got a little twisty, the Miata left it for dead.

Just sayin', not trying to talk you out of it.

I haven't driven a Cooper yet, I plan to test one sometime in the next couple weeks. This car will be 90% daily driving with probably some autocrossing for fun. I don't mind being competitive, just a fun, reliable daily.

E36 non M's are everywhere and can be found in junkyards if needed, i would like one myself come to think of it... lol

02 ws6 trans am ?????

I rode in a Cooper with what I was told is a factory Sport suspension install and I thought the thing rode fairly hard and didn't really deal with bumps and acceleration or bumps and cornering that well. The driver was being overly "enthusiastic" just after a not so great meal of Burger King and I about threw up in the car.

Maybe it's a me thing and not the car but I wasn't too impressed with that aspect of the thing. Everything else I generally liked.

I changed my mind (I seem to do that alot when shopping for cars ) and I think I am going to look for a Mazda3 hatch, the extra space would be useful.

I just got a 02 focus in your price range. it had 58K

2 door, can fit 4 easy and still has guts with 4 in it. The amount of room inside the car is simply astonishing, esp. coming from a 2G Eclipse. Looks way smaller on the outside then it is on the inside.

And its really fun to drive...

One vote for Focus SVT

02 focus in your price range

Wow, did "in your price range" really need to be added there? Any 02 focus thats not under 8k better damn well be made entirely out of rare metals and gems.

Focus SVT is getting some votes here.. and the power is WAY better than a miata! In fact, i can tell you with absolute certainty that a 5dr SVT is just as fast as my old $300 sohc neon!!

And actually, a 2.3/5spd mazda3 hatch with muffler and other possible mods was actually minorly SLOWER than the $300 neon..so from that i can extrapolate that, in case you were wondering, the mazda3 hatch is minorly slower than a 5dr SVT

But, for that minor power tradeoff you get a WAAAAY better interior. BUT, A nice 3 hatch will be damn hard to find for $8k unless you pay in cash to get the 'cash discount' from an already low price.

I have an 04 mazda3 and for a base model fwd small car it has VERY good handling and brakes.

A quick e-bay search for hatchbacks, wagons and sedans in your price range with a manual to keep the fun quotient high and mileage under 50,000 miles reveals lots of Aveos. With some shopping and luck, you could snag a Mazda 3.

2000-2001 or 2005 Celica GT-S 6spd.

They're comfy, reliable, can hold a TON of stuff, handle GREAT, and they're pretty quick when it comes time to hammer down.

I just test drove an 04 Mazda3 and an 03 Subaru WRX and I believe I have reached a conclusion. Boost is fun .

I also felt more comfortable in the WRX, the doors on the 3 are higher (sitting in the car) and I like to hang my arm out the window.

The WRX I drove was kinda beat, the clutch had an annoying chatter and didn't engage smoothly. Is that normal? I can understand how the sudden engagement would be normal since it is a stiffer clutch than I am used to but the chatter didn't seem right.

Just check it over well, boosted cars like V8 cars tend to get thrashed around alot more so just take the more time with that now and it will not bite you in the butt too soon.

Yea, I am looking for one that is completely stock. I found one for $7000 with 91k that looks clean and seems to have been maintained well.

Well, one thing you just cant say about the non turbo mazda3s is that they have turbo torque.

On the other hand, i have seen boosted 3's making 215whp on 5psi.. and a wrx made what.. 224 at the crank at how many psi? A moot point, though, considering your shopping goals.

I think this thread has gone long enough with no pictures.. post pics of what you buy!!

Vigo wrote: MAzda3s are starting to get down into that range. In fact, i put up our 04 mazda 3 2.0/auto sedan w/110k on CL for $5k and nobody bought it

Damn, we sold my wife's 04 mazda 3 2.3/5MT in 2008 for $14,500!!! (she bought it new for $17,000)

Then again, it only had 21,000 miles on it in 5 years

Have i mentioned the insane amount of stuff you can fit into an integra??

My mother has got an 01 Integra GS 1.8/5spd with 84k in VERY nice condition for sale. She'd take $5500. Adult driven, unmolested and un-beaten to E36 M3, straight, and clean. Obviously the potential is there to be sporty, practical, high MPG, reliable. Gets 30mpg. Quick depends on your definition but its faster than a 1.6 miata and i think people have cracked high 15s stock. I can email you pics if you are interested.

/shameless self promotion.