GM's SPG.

 

Agreed. If I had the money, thats how it would be spent.

 

Personally I look at it this way, I legitimately think we will be driving lame little electric cars in the near future so I am trying to enjoy driving raw gasoline cars as much as I can. New cars are obviously much more refined and technologically advanced, but if you have the option 80's cars are so much fun to drive around because its just at the point where cars became "advanced" but they are still drivers cars and aren't run by computers. When my grandchildren ask me what cars were like when I was young I want to tell them about burning fossilized dinosaurs and straight pipes, so my completely biased vote would be for the SPG or the 944 Turbo, both of which will be cheaper than the BMW. The 335 is no doubt an amazing car but given the options I would pick the other two (assuming I had to foot the bill) along with a fair amount of other cars I want to own before we run out of gas for under $20k.

Old Saabs, BMW's, 5.0 Mustang of any vintage, VW or two, gmc typhoon, you name it...

 

Agreed, although the e39 m5 is raw enough if you turn off the tcs. Old 911's are great cars. You won't find a 335i for 20k so you might as well take that off your list. Not sure if this will be a DD for you, i guess you would want something newer if thats the case though.

 

BMW 335i test one out. best car on the market. expensive though.
m5 is an awesome car, but i wouldnt take it over the 335i anymore.

Old Saabs, BMW's, 5.0 Mustang of any vintage, VW or two, gmc typhoon, you name it...

good plan as well, but if u can swing the 335, id hit it instead.

 

ms3, end of story. they sold for 21-23k new off the lot. hard to beat the performance in that price range.

 

GTO!

If you're not gonna drive a lot (saving on MPG), and you don't expect any more snow (AWDLOL), then Pontiac would be perfect for you. For me, my next upgrade from this car will be Maserati GT coupe, that's how cool the GTO is.

 

Best car under 20K for what?

My picks in various categories:

Luxo-Sport:
S4 2.7T, Money interior, stupid fast for not much work
E34 540i 6-speed, classy and fast
E36 M3, more civilized than the E30, but also not as cool.

Droptops:
S2000, raw, fast, one of the best handling cars in the world.

Cheap, Practical fun:
MS3, very fun to drive, LSD, boost
Civic Si, also ridiculously fun to drive, LSD, no torque (but revs like a bike)
Golf/Rabbit GTI, nicer interiors than the others, a little more mature, but still cheeky
Mini Cooper S, duh
WRX, AWD, can be made crazy quick.
'04 WRX STi, these are getting pretty cheap

Raw Classics:
930 and higher mile 964 Porsches
E30 M3
944 Turbo

 

We're in the same boat with a common reason (plus I wanta bigger car for when the kid is born).

I love '80s cars for same reasons mentioned.
BMW E28 M5. Pure and raw (for a bmw). The last of the real bmw's.
BMW E34 M5, a bit more refined.
BMW E30 M3
Porsche 944 turbo. I've driven the non-turbo models, get the turbo if you go that route.
Supra
Starion/conquest
Supercharged MR2


Newer stuff:
Vovlo S60 R
Mazdaspeed3 (cheapest 155mph car currently in production)

I'll add more as I think of it.

 

We're in the same boat with a common reason (plus I wanta bigger car for when the kid is born).

I love '80s cars for same reasons mentioned.
BMW E28 M5. Pure and raw (for a bmw). The last of the real bmw's.
BMW E34 M5, a bit more refined.
BMW E30 M3
Porsche 944 turbo. I've driven the non-turbo models, get the turbo if you go that route.
Supra
Starion/conquest
Supercharged MR2

Newer stuff:
Vovlo S60 R
Mazdaspeed3 (cheapest 155mph car currently in production)

I'll add more as I think of it.

Avoid the S60R as it's been said on here, maintenance is pricey.

Not seeing how the E28 M5 was the last of the pure and raw BMW's. Mine has no traction control, just ABS and front airbags. Add that to having a SHORT wheelbase and it's as raw/rawer than anything aside from an E30 M3.

 

I like the 968, it gets similar power out of a big NA 4 cylinder and is much newer and more reliable. if you are looking to mod the shit out of it, the 951 is easier since it's already turbo'd.

You can get a nice 968 for less than $15k and it's cheaper to keep on the road than an older 911. If you buy an 911, it needs to be a 996 in order for it to be reliable to maintain.

 

If you buy an 911, it needs to be a 996 in order for it to be reliable to maintain.

Totally untrue. I know of plenty of people who drive 930's and 964 into high mileage (think 200K+) just doing standard maintenance. The fact that the air-cooled engine is mega-high maintenance is a myth. Especially the lower power ones.

 

Mitsubishi Evo VIII

EDIT: the only problem with that is they are most likely going to be beat pretty bad.

 

This is FUN for $13k or less.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-...W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3a54786be1QQitemZ250525281249QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks

 

Wasn't this entire topic the cover story of Car and Driver a few months back?

EDIT: Yep. Found it....without having to search through the bathr...er...library.

I remember that the Goat made the list, despite being slagged for being "a bland reskin of the Holden Monaro" ...which is actually a nice description.

 

Wasn't this entire topic the cover story of Car and Driver a few months back?

Yes.

The EVO, M Coupe, RX-8, S2000 and Boxster were the ones I remember. You can afford a Boxster S-the only one to own, for about $16k these days. Talk all the shit you want, they handle great and are reliable.

 

I had a 944 for 2 years, it was somewhat reliable - but I wouldve never wanted to work on it..

There are plenty of SPG"s out there for less than 5k - buy four of 'em, and call it good.

 

^This is a car forum, most of us DIY. I think you can drive a 964 for about the same cost as owning pretty much any other Euro car. I know several people who do. The guy who takes his car to the Porsche dealer or specialist is going to get hammered on costs. Same with the guy who goes to the Audi or BMW dealer.

I agree that the 996 got to the point where the car is damn reliable (and now, finally, pretty affordable), but the H20-cooled cars just aren't as neat.

 

I agree.

I think the 964 is still an awesome car and many purists will only own an air cooled 911.

But there are still plenty of people who tinker on here, who might not be comfortable doing a clutch job on a 911 which I think I remember hearing is $3k at the dealer. So if you are like 19, going to school, and not making REAL money, a older 911 might not be such a great idea.

That is why in the same thread on another forum, I recommended a newer car with a warranty. I said for $25k, the new '09+ WRX is very hard to beat, as well as the '07-09 MS3 and newer '08.5-'10 Mk5-6 GTI.

 

There are lots of nice cars out there for under 20k... it's hard to make a suggestion without knowing what exactly it is that you're looking for in a car.

My suggestions...

RWD:

BMW e46 m3
BMW e39 m5
BMW e36 m3
BMW e30 m3
BMW 335i
Toyota Supra Gen MkIV
Porsche 911 Turbo (old school)
Mazda Miata

FWD:

Saab SPG (lots of left over money to play with and infinite amounts of fun)
Mazda Speed 3

AWD:

Saab 9-3 TurboX
Subaru STi
Audi S4 (very expensive and hard to work on though)
Volvo S60R
Mitsubishi Evo

There are plenty more, but those were the ones that popped to mind.

 

Old Corvette?

 

http://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/1419751632.html

http://longisland.craigslist.org/ctd/1448290993.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1446247956.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1432397932.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1437940669.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1411513963.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1446049111.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1440694118.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1426005839.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1427406420.html

http://hartford.craigslist.org/cto/1435287806.html

http://worcester.craigslist.org/cto/1444807092.html

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1411089325.html

 

Actually, I know just the car :lol:

http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1415381314.html

 

lol'ing at the pic of the tow hook. what a ***.

 

Lotus elise can be had for about $20K if you look hard enough

Best bet is to go drive them! Start hitting used car lots & see what does something for you. R32 vw's are a great alternative to the evo/sti/wrx's but again it depends on what you want/like

-S4's are great but they can be very costly
-3 series & M3's same as above. The newer they are the more they hurt the wallet for service
-GTO thought it was a great idea untill I saw the looks of them..... definantly not for me
-MS3 something I would consider if I wanted a new fwd car
-elise -very fragile car & also expensive to insure....
-911's if you want a sportscar are hard to beat especially if you want to drive it a lot

 

Lotus elise can be had for about $20K if you look hard enough

-3 series & M3's same as above. The newer they are the more they hurt the wallet for service

I will speak about what I know lol.

Elise is still nearly impossible to find for $20k without a salvage title. I also would never want it to be my only car. Remember, I am the asshole who spent 9 months obsessed with buying one and checked the market 2-3x a week.

E46 M3's and E39 M5's are just not the cars to buy on beer budgets. But I have learned with the E36, is quite doable.

One thing to know, BMW parts are not cheap. BUT, being a CCA member I get 20% off all parts, I think labor too, and my favorite 2 online websites are 25-40% off dealer retail. This has made all my BMW new parts cost LESS than they did for the Saabs. Also, the aftermarket is so much bigger.

There are like 10 supercharger kits, so finding used ones for 35% the cost of new is a daily occurrence.

 

One Word. Diesel Chevette.

If you can't afford one or find a decent example, Get a Pacer.

 

haha, wow I have alot of thinking to do. I would like to go RWD since I will be going to California and don't have to worry about cold weather anymore.

Right now, I am heavily leaning towards a e39 M5 or 540i as a possibility since they are practical, reliable, and very comfortable. I would still try and find a 335i but that would clearly be my favorite. Please keep em coming, I am going to make a list of favs to look into!

 

haha, wow I have alot of thinking to do. I would like to go RWD since I will be going to California and don't have to worry about cold weather anymore.

Right now, I am heavily leaning towards a e39 M5 or 540i as a possibility since they are practical, reliable, and very comfortable. I would still try and find a 335i but that would clearly be my favorite. Please keep em coming, I am going to make a list of favs to look into!

I wouldn't really call them reliable... my gf's dad has a e39 540i m package (m62) and it seems to be in the shop almost every week... oh, and his clutch job... 2500.00.

Alignment issues
ABS issues
Engine issues
etc...

don't get me wrong, it's a nice car when it's in tip top shape... it's just pricey to keep it there.

 

All 5 series (not the M5) are for old people.

IMHO.

 

Agreed. Save the old man cars for when you're an old man.

 

Used Elise.
Miata.
MazdaSpeed3.
Used 911.
Nicest C900 evAr?

That's a lot of money. Go drive a lot of things and see what fits.

 

I really don't want to go with any boy racer type cars like a MS3, Evo, STI, or anything from Honda or Toyota lol.

My favorites so far:

-M5
-Porsche 911 (968.)
-Still a nice example of an SPG lol
-Audi S4 (2.7t)

Thanks for all the advice, Im trying to research all the cars that have been mentioned.

 

http://myfox9.carsoup.com/used/deta...SZ4PTAmeT0wJnNlYXJjaGlkPW00NzAwJm1vZGVseWVhcj0xOTg3JnJlZmluZWlkcz1tb2RlbHllYXI=

http://myfox9.carsoup.com/used/deta...mNoaWQ9bTQ3NjAmaW52dHlwZWlkPTImbW9kZWx5ZWFyPTE5OTYmcmVmaW5laWRzPW1vZGVseWVhcg==

http://myfox9.carsoup.com/used/deta...TYmcmVmaW5laWRzPW1vZGVseWVhciZzb3J0Y29sPW1vZGVsbmFtZSZzb3J0PWFzYyZwYWdlbnVtPTI=

 

Since you'll be living in California (correct?), you probably don't have to worry about the all-wheel drive weather thing, so I'd go impractical. If I were in this situation, I'd get 2000 or newer M3 or M5. Aero93 has a 2000 or 2001 that he scored for less than 10k and the thing is absolutely vicious. You can't pick your body off the seat. Just endless endless power...A big, agile cruiser that can tear anything up in a tap of the gas. On top of that, the thing has every feature you could possibly ever imagine or want. One ride or drive will make you forget about Saabs...for forever, lol. The only negatives are maintenance and parts costs...two things you may be able to partially avoid if you're not driving too much and have a car with great maintenance history.

20k buys something nice though, so you'll be good anyway you go. I say M3, M5, or STI though.