yes, its about that time. the deaded b15 2.0 auto trans is starting to show wear on me. but only if i floor it past 5500k and it happens randomly. this leaves me with the opportunity to repair the trans for about 2 grand, or just trade the car in after i clean it up really nice, and get another car. im aiming for another car, as the transmission was the only reason i disliked the car. no same model sentra's in the area, so im out and searchin to test drive numerous cars.


key points:
-10k max price
-would like to say N/A, for reliablity and long trip reasons
-definetly has to be manual
-should be sedan, but will take a coupe(insurance reasons)
-want somethin relativly mid-high 15s and lower
-gas milage matters to me. i want at least 20mpg city

Have you looked towards mid 90's Maximas?

Has a strong V6, 4 doors, can be had in manual, and if you upgrade them they can handle pretty well.

Or a Infinity G20 sedan... those are quick little cars.

Integra LS/GSR sedans. The 4 door GSR's are a bit rare, but they're out there.

Might want to look into Pontiacs, like the Bonneville GTP. It's supercharged, 4 doors and they can get good milege. Plus they're big and comfy for long trips, downside is they're automatic. I'm not sure what you're against a boosted car from the factory, they're just as reliable as an N/A car. As with an N/A car, you just have to keep up on the maintanence.

Anywho, with your price range and need for a manual.. and 4 doors, you're basically stuck in the FWD category. Not too many 4 door manual cars are RWD in that price range. Unless you buy like a Infinity J30 and swap the automatic for a 5-speed out of a Z32 300zx.

old audi 80 ftw.

ooo yesm I forgot about Audi's... Cool cars. And older Subaru's too. Ford Focus"s can be made to handle like mad...

You can pick up any pre-2000 Impreza 2.5RS for under 10k now, that includes the coupes.

I don't recommend the '98 RS though as it was prone to developing blown headgaskets.

The Focus is another good choice but I suggest only going with 2002 onwards with those, the 2001's had some nasty issues with them.

What about an integra? or maybe prelude. Possible choices for you. The Maxima is a good choice though as well.

SL 3000gt.

95-97 Ford Contour SE

2.5L v6,170hp/165tq. high 15s stock.

some people get almost 30mpg highway.. Can be had from 1000-3000$

OR you can go with a 98-00 Contour SVT

2.5L v6, 200hp/185tq.. Low 15s stock. Can be had from 2,000-6,000

Or the ultimate sleeper, the Ford Taurus SHO. 4 doors, plenty of power, ok gas milage. and you can get them for under 10K.

i'd recommend the maxima, it fits your criteria perfectly. you could get a later model 4th gen(95-99) for that price, maybe even a 5th gen with the 227hp VQ30DE-K if you look around.

Celica GTS?

another vote for 4th gen maxima from me

id also put in a mid 90s impala ss but those are autos

key points:
-10k max price
-would like to say N/A, for reliablity and long trip reasons
-definetly has to be manual
-should be sedan, but will take a coupe(insurance reasons)
-want somethin relativly mid-high 15s and lower
-gas milage matters to me. i want at least 20mpg city

I just want to address some things here. Horsepower for horsepower a turbo engine will be more reliable than an N/A engine as long as it is tuned properly. My Stealth only costs me $74 per month for full coverage with a $500 deductible and it will drop even more next month. The GTC is only $44 per month. Stock my last GTC ran a 14.8 @ 98 MPH and the Stealth should be able to run low 14s no problem. Also, the GTC gets an average of 29 MPG and the Stealth gets an average of 23 MPG which includes me having some fun and I think the Stealth would be better, I can smell fuel when it runs so I think there is a leak, possibly the intake gaskets.

Anyhow, my point it, don't limit yourself to N/A engines. You can have everything you want easily with a turbo car, easier than an N/A car.

JMO

dont be suprised of the post, iuts been typed like 5 times, due to relatives keep closin the windows when i wanted some more water. and switchin to a not a stable computer doesnt help :(

i was thinking about those maximas no doubt.

reason for no honda now that i think of it is that there is too much honda around. everyone and their mom has a honda, so it is very common. i myself am not a common person, so thats 1. plus the insurrance will be high as tjhose are two of the top stolen vechiles around.

reason for no 3kgt is that its hard to find one in my area, and the fact that its hard to find one that hasnt been abused yet.

i was thinking about audi's too, but then i heart that audis have a lot of electrical problems, and its a pain to even change the oil.

no celica, as they are considered sports cars. insurrance would be a pain, but it all depends. its really in the air.

basically so far i can take the inmprezas, the maximas, the celicas. im not too sure of the contours yet, and yea, keep em shootin

another thing. make sure you post them quick, right as you think of it, as this car would like to be purchased within the next 2 weeks, so availability of the car would be depening on whats available in my area. thanks much again guys.

I wouldn't assume that insurance would be very high until you actually get some quotes. You might actually be surprised. When I had my Honda CRX, I was paying $90/month for liability coverage. Now I pay $125/month for full coverage on a car that is worth 15 times as much. $35/month difference is no big deal for me, but I don't know how big of a difference would be tolerable for you.

this is the thing claw. i did it for just my sentra with just reliability, and it came to 212 a month. mind oyu in about 2 months im actually 18, so insurrance will be kinda high. 35 bucks more a month wont bother me no, but right now i have the premium and its about 180 a month since of the multiple car dis the parents get. ill do a geico, or wsomethin. need to know what company gotian is with, maybe he could strike me a deal.

reminds me, i dont care if its n/a or not. it just means i have to check everything about 4 times before the trip.

i'm thinking a Galant... not the mid 90's ones, but the early 90's or 99+'s

the early 90's can share parts with dsm's and the 99+'s share parts with the new(er) eclipses, which includes the ability to make a turbo kit for less than 500$ on either one. also, the 4cyl 99+ galants have very good reliability and share transmissions with the new eclipses as well, so a manual swap is feasible. if you wanted a v6, you could swap in a diamante motor which is 3.5 liters instead of the standard 3.0

now... if you want a v6 galant with no desire to swap, don't bother b/c the motor is a dog.

the evo motor should swap right into a 4cyl galant as it did in the 4 cyl eclipse.

I vote for 3rd gen Maxima. Power, stylish, manual trans, good mpg, spacious as all hell. And this is coming from an Accord guy.

I agree, hondas are a bit too common, but on the plus side, the aftermarket support is alot better. But if you want a V6, the maxima is the way to go imo.

Have to mention this- BMW E36 3-series

Have to mention this- BMW E36 3-series

Screw that, buy an E46...buy my E46. I'll discount it for ya!

Screw that, buy an E46...buy my E46. I'll discount it for ya!

Can you get a E46 for 10k? I didn't even think the 323i was that low yet.

True. I'm just trying to get rid of my car, lol.

How about a GTP. It's supercharged. It has a real sleeper affect. I paid $7000 with about 75,000 miles on it. From what I have been reading with less than 1000 dollars you would have a mid 13 second car. Thats pretty good for a 4-door. Mine came with everything from leather to H.U.D. so you get alot for your money...I ran mine stock 14.864@91 mph and I had only had the car for a week or so and had only drove it a few times. My insurance is $411 for 6 months with 2 drivers lisence points, but I am old...It really pulls hard .

ive driven my uncles gtp. its not too bad. you dont feel the power going into the pavement, kind of like, o wow im going fast, but i dont feel it at all, kind of like a luxury ride. its ok if you ask me, but i just didnt like the drive of the car, how it drove for me. i got some bad news for you guys. this different car is going to have to wait till the end of janurary, as the pops wont let me sell/trade in or w/e with the car until its in my name. i'll try and talk him out of it, buy the 4th gen maxima or the jetta gls turbo if they are in my area, and sell the sentra at the same time. we'll see. and now starts off the search for a heat gun, for me to get rid of the tarish glue from the doors from those rubber things and the rubber from the guy who hit me on the 1st day fo school. geez.

and now starts off the search for a heat gun
If you know somebody who works at a video rental store, they're pretty much guaranteed to have access to one. They stopped using the shrink wrap at my old store (movie gallery) so I just took the heat gun with me when I left. :)

hate to bring this back up, but its an update.

i took some of your guy's considerations into thought, and test drove a number of cars yesterday. lets just say im rather disapointed.

1st car. 2002 honda accord ex coupe. nice inside, had leather and the works. i basically really liked the car, but it seemed that the sentra had more pick up and power than the accord, and i liked the handling of the sentra more. basically felt like a cheaper car than mine, as the generic honda steering wheel and gauges diddn't seem to catch my attention.

2nd car. 2001 mitsubishi eclipse gts v6 with the tiptronic or w/e its called. car was ok inside. comfortable yes, but the interior diddnt seem to match the car to me. diddnt have the greatest view through windows, as there would be a large blind spot for the car. itwas a bit fast than the sentra, but when i took a turn it seemed the suspention was very soft and i diddn't like that. i would floor it, and the car would pull the front end up, but it diddnt really seem like i was controlling the car to me, it was more of a 'i like straights only' for me.

3rd car. 2001 vw jetta gls 1.8t. car was rather nice on the inside. now i see what they mean in the reviews on the detail on the interior. the car responded rather quickly when i played with the throttle, but the car doesnt seem like 'my style.' rade was very smooth, and as im used to a stiff suspention, it diddnt seem right. it also seemed that because of my body position when i drive, i would get a nasty blind spot.

4th car. 2000 nissan maxima se auto. car was rather nice, very roomy. reminded me of my sentra. had a lot more pick-up and speed, but it seemed when i turned the car, i was driving a bus. that's just me though.

5th car. 1997 chevy cavilier z24. car seemed pretty decent, but i diddnt like the whole generic dash to me. it wasn't really appealing. reminded me of the honda in a way, lots of plastic. car had some pep, but diddnt have the handling of the sentra. also diddnt like the transmission. had to force it into the gears, as it had long throws between gears. thats just my opinion though.

6th. 1999 madza miata. ive never sat in one of these cars in my life until yesterday. that was interesting. the pedals were soooo small. yet, the throws into different gears was sooooo short. i really liked how the layout of the dash and everything, as its all right infront of you. the car had very nice handling, like was said in reviews. it felt great to drive a rwd car for once. no wierd blind spots or anything for me. i could easily sit in the car, as i was worried about not being confortable inside the car. even the soft top was easy to take off and put on. i guess the draw back is that it only seats 1 other person, and a pretty limited trunk space. this on will definetly go on the list to check out again.

Miata or Eclipse GT. Those Jettas are notorious for being electrical nightmares, Cavalier wouldn't be bad but you could do better, Maxima is an auto (and I recall you saying you did not want that), and I do not think you would get as much fun out of an accord as you would the Eclipse of Miata. The Miata I think would be the funnest car for you so that would be my overall pick.

yeah miatas are good little cars, but not my cup of tea for driving long distances or for cramped city driving, you feel even smaller when youre in bumper to bumper traffic. As for the jetta, 2001 is a bad year for those cars, not as quick as the 2002's and they fixed most of the electrical problems in 2002. if you were going to get a jetta it would have to be 02+ or go with a GTI 02+

http://www.miata.net/skidmarks/images/Pink.jpg


:p

Those Miatas are pretty cool cars. I have a friend in Charlotte with one and he used to kill me off the line when I had my 92 conv. camaro 5.0. I drove it a couple of times and they handled really good. It has almost a 50/50 front to rear weight ration. It is a really small car though, but gas mileage should be around what 50-60 mph...j/k, it should be pretty good though...good luck

acutally got my heart set on one if its still there in about a month from today. 36k miles, 1999. dark green with tan leather and matching cover. want to do the crazy flyin' miata turbo kit, pushing about 240whp. that alone would be nutz. can you say roll bar isn't optional, but necessary?

but there is maybe 2 or 3 cars that stand in my way, since i haven't driven them yet.

the mr2 spyder, car get one for about 10k up here, 40k miles. want to drive it though.

a bmw 323i. i see them a little bit more often now, but never drove one. and im sure it would make dinan proud that i drove it to see my 'taste' of it

and the infamous 240sx. if i could ever find one period that hasn't been in a wreck or has a salvage title around here, or is basically in a condition to do a full restoration onto it...

any others i should try and get to drive while im at it? im kind of on a roll on do i like or not like certain kind of cars. kind of makes me feel like top gear, but not taking it on the test track or anything.

Just curious, how much are they asking for that Miata?

You live in Wisconsin, right? People usually tend to forget how much fun it is driving top down when they haven't been able to do so in 3 months, so you can probably get a pretty sweet deal on a Miata right about now.

IMHO, I'd get the Miata over the MR2-spyder. The MR2-spyder doesn't even have a trunk, it has approximately 1 cubic foot of storage space, and trunk space was one of the things that you mentioned was important to you. Also, the Miata is a lot more competitive in CS when it comes to autocrossing.

I'm not sure if I would ever buy an entry level BMW, but go ahead and test-drive it, see how you'll like it.

What exactly is your budget? You can probably get a high-mileage (100k) MY00 S2000 for about 12k. If you're concerned with the reliability, there is an older gentleman on the S2000 who bought a MY00 S2000 when they first came out, drove it for 60k miles, supercharged it, then drove it for another 120k miles. Finally, at about 182k miles, the compression was somewhat low, so he decided to rebuild it. He didn't baby the car either, he attended several track-days every year with it.

IDK whether or not it's been said, but Nissan made a maxima called the 4dsc which meant 4 door sports car (I think there was a guy on here who actually had one). It's got a nice performance-oriented engine (gets good gas mileage I'm sure), and has lots of nice goodies like and LSD and an upgraded suspension. I'm sure it's manual too...

well....if you wanted a 240sx, how much would you pay for a half finished one...




other than that, id say your analysis was semi right, but my ex-gf's mom's 00 accord 4door kept up with a 1st gen gsx(but was stock and an automatic) from a roll...the only thing is that i really wish they came in manuals. id say for 10 grand, if you wanted to stick with nissan, you could buy a late 90s altima with the ka24de and turbo it...its as easy as turboing a 240sx KA...

to be honest, if youre coming down here to live in south florida you might want to re-consider a convertable. The weather is a bit too harsh on them especially with hurricanes and crap.

if i can remember right, they want about 9.5k for the miata. thats before the bargaining. if i can have them get it for under 10k period and it's still there, i'd definetly buy it. other dealerships are trying to sell miatas with like 60k on them for maybe 2k less than the base price. its kind of rediculious.

not a lot of people i see up here with miatas. its all about big huge heavy monte carlos and suv's or the civic coupes with the fart can on them. i remember racing this car from a roll, it had like maybe 1 car on me.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=210188182&dealer_id=58574089&car_year=2000&model=CIVIC&num_records=100&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&search_type=both&distance=50&color3=&color2=&make=HONDA&color=&min_price=0&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=53223&advanced=y&end_year=2007&doors=&transmission=Manual&max_price=15000&cardist=14

most of the cars are sort of like that, except they have 1 piece of body kit, with a fart can, and the clear corners and all that stuff while they are bouncing around from not lowering the car correctly.

slideways.... i could do that, but my friend has the exact same car like that. he turbo'd it any everything. but this one was auto. ran 13.2 in the 1/4 before the tranny gave up on him. he bought another one that was manual, and put the same set-up on it, and is currently breaking in the clutch for about 500 miles. i think right now he is boosting 5psi so the clutch doesnt go crazy during break in. i drove one of those as well, and i diddnt like it.

if i can remember right, they want about 9.5k for the miata. thats before the bargaining. if i can have them get it for under 10k period and it's still there, i'd definetly buy it. other dealerships are trying to sell miatas with like 60k on them for maybe 2k less than the base price. its kind of rediculious.

not a lot of people i see up here with miatas. its all about big huge heavy monte carlos and suv's or the civic coupes with the fart can on them. i remember racing this car from a roll, it had like maybe 1 car on me.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?car_id=210188182&dealer_id=58574089&car_year=2000&model=CIVIC&num_records=100&make2=&start_year=1981&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&search_type=both&distance=50&color3=&color2=&make=HONDA&color=&min_price=0&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=53223&advanced=y&end_year=2007&doors=&transmission=Manual&max_price=15000&cardist=14

most of the cars are sort of like that, except they have 1 piece of body kit, with a fart can, and the clear corners and all that stuff while they are bouncing around from not lowering the car correctly.

slideways.... i could do that, but my friend has the exact same car like that. he turbo'd it any everything. but this one was auto. ran 13.2 in the 1/4 before the tranny gave up on him. he bought another one that was manual, and put the same set-up on it, and is currently breaking in the clutch for about 500 miles. i think right now he is boosting 5psi so the clutch doesnt go crazy during break in. i drove one of those as well, and i diddnt like it.


if you are going to buy the miata, i suggest buying the removable hard top cause it will come in handy down here.

definitly going into my mind. thats prob gonna be the 1st mod if you want to call it that. i dont think i want hail ripping through the soft top.

miata hardtop is practical, s2k hardtop is downright sexy. plus you can turbo the piss out of a miata without much trouble.