Reliable but Cool $5000 car for 19 year old?

My sister is looking to replace my nephews 99 323i with something that needs less love to keep on the road. He never got into doing his own maintenance and after several fairly expensive small repairs and stranding him on the interstate twice they are ready to move on. He of course wants something cool and they have asked me if cool, reliable, and sub $5k can be done. Any suggestions?

I also have a question-How is the reliability and consumable cost of a G35 coupe? The occasional one falls into that range and is a super sharp looking car.

My 16yo is driving my Fathers old 05 Acura TL. It is a 6-speed. seems very reliable and fun to drive.

Responsible 19 year old or normal 19 year old?

How much V6 Mustang does $5k buy? V8s are cooler but more $$ and more, um, tempting toward irresponsible behavior.

I'm going to throw a curveball into the mix, what about a nice W140 S500? The M119s are pretty damn bulletproof, they don't have expensive and failure-prone air suspension, and are a really cool bit of history. The last of the "hewn from granite" Mercedes Benzes.

Bonus points if he finds a good Coupe.

At that age, my biggest advise is to get a quote from the insurance guy before you actually buy.

It should be as simple as a call like, "I am thinking of buying a XYZ and aslo looking at an ABC. What would my rate be on those cars?"

The logic in insurance rates is not always evident. What seem like two very similar cars can often have significantly different insurance rates.

Unless things have changed, the insurance costs are going to be the BIG limiting factor for a 19 YO to have a cool car.

In the past State Farm hasn't really done the giant rate swing based on the particular car thing. I will advise them to check first just to be sure.

I think the answer is miata.

Or mazda3. Hatch.

NOT crammit, mustang, srt4, etc. The really fun stuff in that price range has been beaten to death by previous 19 year old owners, and will have higher maintenance costs due to abuse. Mazdas are cheap, bulletproof, and not normally hammered by mouth breathing owners with a monster can, vape, and flat brimmed ballcaps.

Is manual trans an option or limited to auto only.

Is this question "theory" or are they really ready to buy?
If ready, what market and we'll scour CL for you.

I am pretty sure a manual transmission is preferred.

Any thoughts on the G35 coupes? They definitely meet the cool requirement.

I think it depends on this particular 19 year old's definition of cool. When I was 19, it would've been some kind of 70s American iron. My parents wisely talked me out of this and I ended up with a b-series swapped EK civic. My first couple of picks for th sub 5k class of reliable, reasonably fun cars are 1st gen Mazda 3, ep3 civic, Rsx, Celica GTS. I think seventh gen accords and 2nd gen TLs are getting around that price and with a stick are more fun than they ought to be, though the suspension's a bit squishy from the factory for my tastes.

Uhh, what else. Miata obviously fits into this category, but not sure what insurance looks like on them or if your sister would be ok with a relatively new driver in a comparitively small car. 5th gen maxima SE? A high mileage g35 sedan? C4 corvette? (Kidding on the last one. Kinda.)

His cool: He really likes his dark tinted black E46 with an M nose, CSL ducktail, on ZHP wheels, loooow eibachs and konis, slightly loud exhaust, with a nice mix of tan leather and piano black? accents on the interior. It rides way better than it has any right to and looks and sounds great while doing it. It's not fast, more like quick, but it feels and sounds great pulling through the revs. So i'm guessing he prefers import, probably sporty luxury or just sport. I really would love to get him in an S2k but $5k only gets you one with a blown engine.

From what I've seen, the g35s you ask about are pretty strong cars. I've never seen or heard of any particular complaints. If he's into the luxury end, how about an 03ish m35? Super cool and will give him massive vip cred. Same with an early ls400.

They are ready to buy.

Reliable luxo-sport screams 2nd gen TL to me then

G35s are cool. Could you find one for under $5k, sure, but here is where I see the contradiction.

To buy a G35 at the low end of the price scale implies that you know you will need to make some improvements/repairs/deferred maint corrections. You mention that he is not "handy". This then suggests that you might want more Camry-like reliability.

This I see as the balancing act. I think instead of searching for a under market price you need to find a better than market condition. This then implies you will not be shopping so much an expensive car at a "cheap price" but rather an exceptional condition at a more normal price.

When I mention Camry, it makes me think of a Solara. These often have all the reliability of a Camry but the two doors negates the Camry-tax that seems to be so popular. The Solara was offered as a manual too which makes them even less desirable (and lower priced) to the general public.
Or, there is the Camry drivetrain with a hatch, the Scion tC. Also quick depreciaters. Sure, some compromise on "sport" but exceptional on reliability.

What are they doing with the E46?

I'd put him in an S10

In reply to AngryCorvair: You Nailed it. Ins. may be affodable but he is 19,that hurts all buy itself. also could be a chance for him to learn 'bout cars.

In reply to JohnRW: Check and mate.

Or ask the 19yr old if he's willing to learn to do the maintenance. I got my kid started working on his Focus, and he took to working on cars like a duck to water.

Nothing like assimilating another one in to the Borg.

If this fellow isn't so inclined, then JohnRW at check and mate is pretty much it.

Edit: and then I read this... "He never got into doing his own maintenance and after several fairly expensive small repairs and stranding him on the interstate twice"

Sigh. If you want cool, and ya got no money to pay somebody else, how bad to you want cool?

By the time I was 19 Mom and dad had quit buying my Cool.

Which cool car is tolerant of deferred maintenance? Because that sounds like what will be happening.

EK Civic. Not slow, not faster than it needs to be, reliable, cheap to run, not awful on insurance, chicks dig them I hear.

Find a manual SC300?