taparsons
taparsons New Reader
8/2/16 10:36 p.m.

I just wanted to see people's opinions on what the best car under 20k, used or new and Under 10 years old.

I realize this will be comparing apples to oranges.

Requirements, budget friendly in either mpg, consumables, repair costs, or all.

Cars should also be competitive in their class.

I've just been thinking about this lately.

A few quick cars that come to mind... Abarth 500, V6 camaro, velociter, brz...

Your thoughts and why?

Vigo
Vigo PowerDork
8/2/16 10:53 p.m.

You can get a 10yo Corvette for under 20k, right? Hits everything but tire costs.

drdisque
drdisque HalfDork
8/2/16 10:59 p.m.

You should be able to get a 2010ish Mustang GT for those prices. That's probably what I'd go with.

Of course, BMW depreciation has also worked its magic on the 135i and 335i, which offer a lot of fun in that price range.

You can also get a used MS3 or FOST easily in that price range.

If you made me pick new cars, I'd just go with a Mazda 3 with the most bells and whistles you can get with a manual for under $20k.

bigdaddylee82
bigdaddylee82 SuperDork
8/2/16 11:12 p.m.

Mazda 3 s GT and 6 s GT

codrus
codrus GRM+ Memberand SuperDork
8/2/16 11:34 p.m.

FD! Except it fails all of the requirements other than being awesome. :)

loosecannon
loosecannon HalfDork
8/2/16 11:39 p.m.

MINI Cooper S-We had a 2006 JCW and it was amazing and I regret selling it

Klayfish
Klayfish UberDork
8/3/16 6:04 a.m.
taparsons wrote: I just wanted to see people's opinions on what the best car under 20k, used or new and Under 10 years old. I realize this will be comparing apples to oranges. Requirements, budget friendly in either mpg, consumables, repair costs, or all. Cars should also be competitive in their class. I've just been thinking about this lately. A few quick cars that come to mind... Abarth 500, V6 camaro, velociter, brz... Your thoughts and why?

That's a really broad spectrum. Using those criteria, I could make a strong argument for the Prius or especially the Nissan Leaf. You can grab a lightly used Leaf for $10k or under. They're extraordinarily budget friendly when it comes to mpg, consumables costs are minimal, repair costs are also minimal (until the battery dies). If you need longer range, than the Prius or Volt fit the bill.

bmw88rider
bmw88rider GRM+ Memberand Dork
8/3/16 6:28 a.m.

Sounds like you just described the Fiesta ST. You can get it for about 20K new or 14-17K used. It's a class leader in Autox. Tires are cheap for it and it's pretty light on tires. It'll get you about 30 MPG and can fit 3-4 in a pinch. Beats all of the cars you listed hands down.

NickD
NickD Dork
8/3/16 6:28 a.m.

Never driven one, but I'm pretty partial to how they look and I've heard they are good, so I'm going with the NC Miata Club. The '06 GTO also slips in there too, but just barely on time.

Appleseed
Appleseed MegaDork
8/3/16 8:05 a.m.

S2000. Get one now before prices skyrocket.

trucke
trucke Dork
8/3/16 8:34 a.m.

FRS' are under 20k.

FRS Autocross

G_Body_Man
G_Body_Man SuperDork
8/3/16 8:35 a.m.

Panther. Endlessly reliable, comfortable, safe, and with surprising aftermarket and board support.

tjbell
tjbell Reader
8/3/16 8:51 a.m.

newest VW GTI you can find, my 2013, with 19k miles, stage 1 revo tune, loaded (minus leather) rang up at 18,800$

NOHOME
NOHOME PowerDork
8/3/16 8:58 a.m.
trucke wrote: FRS' are under 20k. FRS Autocross

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Clarty
Clarty Reader
8/3/16 9:53 p.m.

The GTIs are good, but don't be too quick to dismiss excellent Golf TSI. I picked up this sweet little unit two weeks ago for a little over $17,000. The car is astonishingly good, with its torquey little turbo engine, excellent build quality and TDI-like fuel economy on 87 octane gas!

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