$14-17k Sporty car.. what to get?

My brother is looking to buy a new or a slightly used sporty car for 14 to 17k. He is 19.
So far we've looked at 2001 Tiburon and Eclipse, the latter being 2k more. I think the Tibu was a little better.
We are also considering a '98 240SX, hard to find, but a great car. And it's in the 14-15k range.
What would you guys suggest? Any other cars we should look for? New or up to 3 years old.

Thanks for any help.

Prelude
Integra
Eclipse(whale butt version)
Accord coupe
RX7

Just a thought!:D

Oh yea, I was also thinking maybe a 98 or 99 Lude... that'd be nice as well.... But man, would 98 s14 be nice or what?:D

S14...uummm, well maybe. I've never really been a fan of Silvia's, 240's, etc. I would definitely look into that lude though. If I'm not mistaken, Jackson has a supercharger for it, it will work wonders for that lead foot in you, if you know what I mean. Don't sleep on the RX7 either. They have a lot of potential too.

RX7 is out of the question unfortunately, too expensive, too much risk, no warranty.

Have you ever consider the Impreza RS? 2.5 liters, 165 hp, AWD, very fun to drive, reliable, and lot's of aftermarket.

Yes, my brother test drove the Impreza today and he loved it.
But it costs couple grand over the rest of the crowd - it's invoice being around $18k. Are there any rebates for the Impreza right now?

I say go for the lude...I absolutely love it...and its reliable and fast
and not killer on insurance

an E36 BMW. that's a 92-99 3 series just in case you didnt know. very cool cars. or maybe even get an E30. 84-91 3 series BMW. spend about 4-6 grand on a sweet car, then modify it. my brother got an E30 325is for 4K. it's awesome! those things are light and powerful!

Again, I am looking for a "New or up to 3 year old car in the 14-17k range" :)

He doesnt want to take the risk of buying a used car, if the car is 3 years old, it still has warranty, etc, so its good.

How much does a 98-99 Integra GSR cost in the US?
Theres a really good car.
Just tell him to get out there and drive as many diffent cars as he can find in his price range, thats what I did and instead of buying the car I thought I needed, I got the car that was what I needed.

Not sure what the G20 price is in USA, but have you looked at that?........you only have to see how big it is on your AF site :) :)

It is well in the $20's :)

We will most likely buy a 2002 Subaru Impreza RS... Silver in color. Test drove it today. It was amazing:D Also, can take it to skiing ;)

How well will a Subaru fit into your Nissan-saturated family?

I think VERY well :)
My bro has a Mazda MX-6 right now anyway, so the # of Nissan cars we have doesnt decrease or increase :D
And we are getting a GREAT deal on the Impreza, and I mean GREAT. When we buy it I will let you guys know the price and all the options.

Subaru's and Nissan get together very well. My wife's Impreza and my Primera never had any problems between them. So I don't think any will happens there.

Igor, tell your brother go for it. The only thing he will regret, will be not getting the WRX. But I can understand the money issue.

Prelude, Integra, (or spend a little more and...well, you know), Celica GT-S, Cougar V6 (questionable), Mitsu 3000GT VR4. I'd suggest getting an autotrader and flipping through it.

And so we bought a 2002 Subaru Impreza RS 2.5 :D
My bro brought it home from Cincinnatti earlier today... wonderful car... I will post pics as we make them.

Thanks you all for the advice!

I don't think anyone should buy a brand new car. I'd buy one 3-4 years old and save several grand for repairs and upgrades. Several things to think about is how much repairs and maintenence will be, insurance, taxes ect... I'd personally purchase an old man car and make the perfect sleeper out of it.

I also agree to buy a car used, unless it has a supoer-high resale value (BMW M3 for example) or there is a good possibliity it was abused (a sports car). So for most people, I recommend used.
So what was on this Impreza??

Originally posted by Chris
So what was on this Impreza?? And where the hell are the pics? :devil:

For the new cars I'd get the Nissan Sentra SER
Its got 175HP and 175Lbs of torque!!! & to top it off its got the 6th speed tranny:)
Of course you could go with the toyota celica GTS but thats a little too over raited. Ive tets drove the $hit out of it. I was plaesed with the gearbox but the power wasnt quite their:( It has 180HP which seems like it should do some good 0-60 times but its restricted with the low torque numbers! Only 130Lbs of torque:( The up side to this car is it has the best 6 speed tranny in a car under $60,000. Also you might want to check out this months edition of sports compact car magazine. They have the top cars that your brother might want to take a look at. Hope he gets what he wants. Good luck with the hunt.

TT4ever

im looking for a 2zz-ge engine
and wondering how much it will cost
cos my 2001 celica gts engine blew up on me
someone help

yea. i like subarus wrx, srt-4 turbo- dodge. those are great cars. the acura rsx type s is fast and great car. all above in between $10-18k new and used

M3 BMW and or Porsche 944. or newer E46 BMW 325, 328 or 330.

Geesh guys... this has to be one of the OLDESTthreads on AF. It hasn't seen activity in over 4 YEARS! Please do not resurrect old threads! Closed.