What car thread :)

I have been lurking on this forum for a few months searching for a reliable DD that can also run in a few autox events.

I currently am driving the following:

1995 Wrangler 4.0l - Sell for 4-5K? 2000 Mustang GT - Sell for 5-6k? 2013 Mustang GT

I am in upstate NY and will see some snow, especially when traveling on the highway for ~3hours once a week.

The issue - Jeep is terrible on the highway in the snow and I have white knuckles the whole time, not to mention 14mpg. This is most likely due to the short wheel base, lift, and 33x12.5 tires.

I do not want to drive the new mustang in the snow with all of the salt they pour on the roads, especially on the highway. This also means 19" snow tires.

I can sell both the wrangler and the mustang. I will probably not get much for the Jeep.

I would like something reliable with decent MPG that I can autox a few times a year, must be manual. I despise rust. Budget would be an equal trade or less than mustang.

Cars I have considered: Integra Saturn SC2, - How are the SL200/300 in autox? Honduh's Mini Cooper - alittle over my price range.
WRX/2.5RS - Same as cooper 240sx - Snow capabilities? MPG? Unmolested? FC - Reliability in winter? E36 - Reliability/High mileage an issue?

I do not like Neon's

Thoughts?

SVT Focus?

Out here where we can get lots of snow, Imprezas (and other Subarus) are rather popular...

I don't understand why the formatting got all screwy..

Anyway, I am not a huge focus fan either. I am open to subarus but in my price range not thinking I will be able to find something reasonable for reliable DD/Autox.

machinehead131 wrote: I don't understand why the formatting got all screwy.. Anyway, I am not a huge focus fan either. I am open to subarus but in my price range not thinking I will be able to find something reasonable for reliable DD/Autox.

Sure you will. Lots of stuff out there, but it will be a plain jane Legacy or imprezza.

machinehead131 wrote: I don't understand why the formatting got all screwy..

There is a quirk to this board that requires a double hit of the spacebar at the end of a sentence if you want that sentence to be single spaced. In what I quoted above, I placed the double hit of the spacebar at the end of your sentences so as to get the format you originally intended

machinehead131 wrote: I have been lurking on this forum for a few months searching for a reliable DD that can also run in a few autox events. I currently am driving the following: 1995 Wrangler 4.0l - Sell for 4-5K? 2000 Mustang GT - Sell for 5-6k? 2013 Mustang GT I am in upstate NY and will see some snow, especially when traveling on the highway for ~3hours once a week. The issue - Jeep is terrible on the highway in the snow and I have white knuckles the whole time, not to mention 14mpg. This is most likely due to the short wheel base, lift, and 33x12.5 tires. I do not want to drive the new mustang in the snow with all of the salt they pour on the roads, especially on the highway. This also means 19" snow tires. I can sell both the wrangler and the mustang. I will probably not get much for the Jeep. I would like something reliable with decent MPG that I can autox a few times a year, must be manual. I despise rust. Budget would be an equal trade or less than mustang. Cars I have considered: Integra Saturn SC2, - How are the SL200/300 in autox? Honduh's Mini Cooper - alittle over my price range. WRX/2.5RS - Same as cooper 240sx - Snow capabilities? MPG? Unmolested? FC - Reliability in winter? E36 - Reliability/High mileage an issue? I do not like Neon's Thoughts?

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I know where you could get a rust-free 2.5RS for $3k (ish) but you'd have to come to Georgia...

Perhaps a Sentra se-r spec v or a 5.5 gen maxima? Both are within your price range and hlsd was standard on the spec vs while it was an option for the 02/03 maximas. They're new enough to be not rusty come in manual and seem to fit your requirements. Might not be the most fun on an autocross course but there are worse options?

^ Combine those suggestions by stuffing the Maxima VQ35 into the sentra. Best of both worlds.

njansenv beat me to it..

The sentra, and if you get bored with it, turbo or put the vq35 in it. Not sure i can recommend both.. ~500whp?

Friend of mine found a pre-swapped, running/driving VQ35 Spec-V SE-R for 5.5k down here a week or two back.

I drove a stock 2.5L se-r a few weeks ago. I liked it. Just wished the powerband was shaped a little different up towards redline but definitely quick and punchy anyway.

Also, i think there's a good chance you'll get just as much or more for the wrangler as for the 00 stang..