First Car Help

Hey guys,
First of all i'd like to thank you all for listening to me, you'll proabbly get alot of repeat questions and such but thanks for your time. I'll be looking for my first car soon. I don't particularly want a Fast car, but more of a cruiser (IMO a car that is a BLAST to drive, very comfortable can fit a buddy or two and still be able to haul some ass if needed). I'll be working on my own car lightly modding it as the years accumulate. Price range will be <$10k most likely, My dad hasnt given me a definate. My family and I are fans of European imports (namely on my moms said audi/vw, dads side bmw). I'm thinking hte A4 is out of my range. I'm not a huge fan of the jetta so maybe an mk4 1.8t or a mk2, also perhapse a e36. Car needs to be reliable and have good gas mileage. Also somethign that won't cost me an arm and leg in insurance. I'm not crazy about american cars but some of them do tickle my fancy (Firends black 5.0 foxbody cobra, AutoX BEAST), Asian Imports are nice too but some have been completely overdone and have recieved a bad rep *cough*civic*cough*. Either way thanks again.

EDIT:I jsut need some suggestions and then i'll go do some research and come back then i'll need help on picking a specific one. =]

Most European imports are more pricey and less reliable than the japanese imports.(no insult intended) the S14 240sx is a fun car conservetively styled but handsome can be pretty quick and they handle really nice. Plus they power the rear wheels instead unlike most jap imports. It would be within your price range. Plus you'd have a little money left over for a few mods. I really think that they are nice little cars.

hmm....european, i would go with the bmw, i personally prefer the 5 series......but since u have a fancy for a nice foxbody 5.0...thats also a good choice...

An LT1 Camaro (1993-1997) would suit you well. It has plenty of power and torque (275 and 325, respectively), a large aftermarket with many options, and pretty good gas mileage (19 city/28 highway, I believe). An E36 BMW 328i (96-99) could work too. It's not quite as powerful or economical as the Camaro, but it's more of a driver's car, and the interior is of better quality (although the ergonomics are pretty poor, good luck finding a cup holder in there). You can find either of these two for under ten grand in great shape.

If you want reliable, fun, and ergonomics, go for an E30. For 10k you could buy a darn near flawless, low mileage cabrio and still have money left for wheels and springs to make it look better.

I agree with the 240, but I just hate the styling. Way too bland and buzzy for me, but that's personal taste.

You could do a 5 series, but get the 5 speed.

I also agree with the camaro, but as a first car I can't imagine the insurance would be cheap. They are also not what I'd call reliable compared to european and japanese cars.

I'm leaning for more of a Sedan. I'll be giving ALOT of rides. E30 Sounds like a good idea but i'm not sure about the cabrio. The 328 is a lovely car. I'll have to travel at least 200 miles to find a decent car in my area (small town =/) Any more suggestions/recommendations are welcome!

yeah sedan...go with the 5 series, and 5 speed, excellent handling, some speed to it, very comfortable ride, room for 5

As far as sedans go, the E36 BMW 328i (96-99) or E39 BMW 528i/530i (97-03) would work just fine. The 95-99 Nissan Maxima is a fine car as well. With 200 horsepower and a five-speed manual transmission, it's more than quick, and still able to carry four people comfortably. On the American front, you might like the 97-04 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. The supercharged 3.8L V6 makes plenty of power, and can make a whole lot more with a couple of simple and cheap mods.

Get something with four doors, 4 or 6cyl, and fwd. I assume you don't have a lot of experience behind the wheel since this is your first car, and you want to start off with something that isn't very powerful, or fast. Inexperience + Gobs of power = Potential disaster. Get some experience then think about going fast. In the mean time something like a Grand Prix GT, or even a GTP would be a good idea, or even a Yamaha powered Taurus SHO. The GTP and SHO will give you very good acceleration while being pretty reliable, efficent, and inexpensive. As for some Euros, a Jetta or Passat would be a good choice.

The problem with bimmers is that the insurance kills you, especially if you are under 25 and single. Also parts for one will cost an arm, a leg, your first born and uhh other important things. The problem with camaro's and Firechickens is that if it's an automatic you really have to be careful with the tranny (no not eddie izzard) because it is know to have trouble once it gets high milage. I think you should go with a cheaper older car and put some money into it. That way you get more respect for the car and you'll be less likely to do something crazy with it.

yeah taurus SHO is a good pick, i forgot about that one, quick cars, but parts for them will be expensive if anything was to go wrong

How long do the BMWs last for?

depends on how well the person took care of it and how much you will take care of it