yet another what car thread

Alright - specifications are as follows.

-I drive 30-40k miles a year, for work, 95% highway, most of that interstate. Fuel economy (25+ on the highway) and reliability are most important. Long maintenance interval and general lack of fussiness and expensive, hard to find parts are important.

-I'm looking for something with decent straight-line performance out of the box, no engine swaps or forced induction required.

-Good handling out of the box is important...but less "autocross champion" and more "feels right driven at 8/10ths".

-I don't want a convertible, I specifically don't want a Miata (already have one, sucks on long highway trips). I don't need four seats, but it would be nice to have...as I have a feeling little psteavs are in the not-so-distant future.

-Nice amenities and snob appeal are a plus, but not super-necessary.

-RWD is preferred, not crucial. Real manual transmission is mandatory.

Budget is $5-10k.

What I'm thinking right now: 350Z as the leader, E36 M3, Mazdaspeed 3 (difficult to find under the budget cap) and RX8 as contenders, late C4 Vette as a dark horse. Interested in any input or other suggestions anyone has.

If you want a good, solid, highway bomber, you're going to be hard pressed to find something better than a low-mileage E39. My buddy just got a 5-speed 530i with less than 85k on the clock for around $8k, so it's right in your price range. It's not a race car, but it's definitely tossable enough to be entertaining on an on-ramp. If maintenance has been kept up, it'll be plenty reliable, and it's a very comfortable car to drive.

I would add E36 328 and 330 to M3 along with e46 330.

Hell, even a 325i or 328i E46 would meet your criteria. Those can be found with a 5 speed at the bottom end of your price range, leaving enough for some preventative maintenance (every 100K type stuff that may or may not have been done, but will afford peace of mind).

I think the cars you mentioned all would struggle to make 25mpg highway, unless you were cruising slow, especially the RX8 and Z car. If you could consider FWD, what about Maxima (uses same basic engine as Z, but maybe gearing is more highway friendly?), or even an Accord coupe. Not sports cars per se, but handle well, are reliable, can seat 4, etc...

Don't discount the first generation Infiniti G35 coupe. Could be had with a 6spd and fantastic Brembo brakes, it has a longer wheelbase than the 350Z, which gives it better stability and a less choppy ride (not to mention 2 usable back seats). The other suggestions are very good as well, my E36 328is would pull 31-33 MPG on the highway and was very comfortable for long trips.

I would vote an E46 330, sedan or coupe, though I prefer the latter.

E46 330 or 528i/530i: any of those will yield surprisingly good fuel economy on the highway. An RX8 will kill you wrt fuel economy.

The above cars will be significantly nicer inside than an E36 M3 (and a bit quieter), but that said, mine was a fantastic highway cruiser, fun to drive, and averaged 27-28mpg at 65mph.

If you give it a few more months, C5 will probably fall into your range.

Accord.

TDI Jetta with a tune. Fwd obviously...

Sorry, neglected to mention that I'm snakebit when it comes to VWs and Hyundai/Kia products. Had not considered an Accord, but if the right V6/stick could be found, it could actually be a contender, I suppose.

In reply to psteav: (I'm a little nervous about VW stuff myself but some guys here swear by 'em!)

I had a 350z and it wasn't a very comfortable highway car for me. G35 might be the better choice.

I drive a Subaru WRX 80 miles per day right now highway at 70mph i get decent MPGs around 25 but anything above that and i'm getting like 22. It's a fairly bare bones car and still more comfortable than what the Z was.

G35 sedan would be good, 05+ gets the "rev-up" engine where the coupe for some reason does not. If you like the Z and want a comfortable highway car this is what I would get. All manual cars had a upgraded suspension and LSD. If you can get a V36 for your price range get it.

Long maintenance interval and general lack of fussiness and expensive, hard to find parts are important.

G35, lol. Please don't get a E46.

G35 coupe or sedan would fit your description nicely. A 4-door with a manual is the cat's pajamas...

sethmeister4 wrote: G35 coupe or sedan would fit your description nicely. A 4-door with a manual is the cat's pajamas...

You're not wrong. They're a bit hard to find, though. Fully half of the coupes have a stick, but it seems more like 5-10% of the sedans have three pedals. I would absolutely love one if I could find one.

I when I drive my 06 WRX for all highway on a tank I get 26mpg with my right foot tuned to 80 mph. But thats "stage 2" with my own tune. Its not a great highway commuter, but I'm sure the natural harshness of the koni yellows isnt helping that. And its going to be about 2 grand out of your price range.

When I read the OP my immediate thought was 5 series.

The G35 sedan is sweet, we had one (auto). Very much like a four door Z, since they use the same platform and basic powertrain. But I think we got 18mpg in suburban driving, I think 25 on the highway would be the top limit. I also recall that it ate brakes like candy, though it could stop on the proverbial dime.

GTO's, late model F-bodies, and S197 mustangs.

Hell, if you go new, my Mustang meets all of that criteria. Its a 2013 base model V6, 6spd manual. Easily hits 30mpg+ cruising at 55-60mph and 20-22 in town, supposed to be good for high 13's bone stock, and its a fun driving car. The HID headlights are fantastic, and the fact that it has a real honest to god radio and HVAC controls instead of a space shutter control terminal is nice.