Looking for comfortable second car

[rian222]

Hi guys, I recently got a bonus and a tax refund, and went to my financial advisor for advice on what to do with it. She told me that it would be a good idea to take out an auto loan, and buy a new car. I couldn't agree more, since my current car is nearing the end of its usefulness to me. I was hoping to become more educated on the concept of cars, engines, and tuning, but it seems that no matter what, I've got years of learning to do. So I've tried to narrow down what it is I'm looking for and wanted to get a few more opinions.

What I'm looking for:
-A comfort car, something that is comfortable for me to drive, not to difficult/expensive to maintain, at least average gas mileage, and maybe a few extra gadgets.
-I wanna get into some basic tuning, maybe a new body kit, or some simpler type things.
-Manual. I'm sick of driving an automatic. I like manual cars.
-AWD. From what I hear, these have pretty good handling, and most of the things people tell me about AWD seem to appeal to me.
-I don't need a really fast car, but definitely something faster than my current 2001 Plymouth Neon. I want something i'd be proud to own.
-Price range, not sure yet, depends on the car. But I don't like taking years and years to pay things off. I have pretty good credit, and a good chunk of money set aside for a down payment though, so I have a bit of leeway.

I've been looking at a few different cars. The Audi TT, BMW 3 series, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, and Subaru Impreza WRX STI. The last two were suggestions from various different friends, and I haven't done a lot of research on them yet, but the first two I came up with myself. The Audi seems nice, but I've been advised that parts and maintenance are expensive. The BMW is what I'm leaning towards now, but I could still use some more advice.

Also, I like the idea of a two seater. They appeal to me. Lighter and more compact, etc. Plus, I don't have to give all my friends rides if I don't have enough seats . Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[igor@af]

As for 4-door cars that are manual and AWD with ability to modify, I'd go for Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution hands-down. I like the way they drive way more than the Subaru Impreza, although on paper they're very similar.
A coupe is a bit more difficult.
Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX / Eagle Talon TSI are both turbo/awd coupes. Neat cars, but they're a bit old now.

If you were in Japan, Nissan Skyline GT-R fits the bill perfectly - and it's a coupe.
Here's my car.

You really need to specify your price point and whether you're OK with buying a used car. I would definitely get a used car if I were you.

[rian222]

Unfortunately, i don't live in Japan, so the Skyline you mentioned isn't really an option for me. My dad owned a really old Mitsubishi Eclipse. 1988 i think. It seemed like a pretty nice car, but im not really looking for an older car. Im thinking something made in 2000 or later. Yeah, i was definitely thinking used. I doubt i would ever consider buying a brand new car off the lot. Right now, i can probably afford about $30000, more if i get the promotion im expecting in a few months.

[igor@af]

Well, figure out your price point and then let me know. That would be the number one qualifier in what cars fit your criteria.

[speediva]

Maintenance and repair on the Audi and BMW will be considerably more expensive than either of the other options you listed.

I can say that AWD in Subaru is pretty flipping awesome. I may have a boring Forester, but holy COW is it fun to do AWD drifting in my 5spd!!!! Unfortunately, my experience in the WRX was prior to the STi model addition and I can say the WRX wagon I test drove (read: beat) SUCKED! The pedals were too close together, the clutch felt unreasonably stiff and it actually didn't handle as well as expected. I suspect the standard 4-door STi would probably handle better than the wagon did.

And while I feel your pain on not wanting to haul everyone around, the insurance will be *slightly* cheaper on a 4-door, although insurance won't be cheap on ANY of the makes/models you're seeking.

[MagicRat]

Excellent feedback on the Subaru! A couple of my friends are seriously looking at them. Generally, I hear very good things about them; people who own them love them

[702VegasLife]

Buddy of mine had a 03 wrx, excellent car ! After blowing the motor due to over boosting though(which is only his fault).He got new wrx. His grandma buys him everything so now he has a '10 wrx . After driving both of them I would give excellent feed back on the Subaru wrx ! I'm actually gonna pick one up myself here in the next 6 months hopefully ! Good luck on your search !

[abigailpoul]

First of all, you should check that their appearance. Look at the car scratches. It should be in good working condition. You should check whether the car between the dashboard or in the same breath is blank. This will help you choose the car is aware of a recent encounter some accidents.