Need help choosing a car for $6-8k.

I have to start commuting about 35 miles one way to work now. So I have decided to get a car and figured there are alot of people that would be able to get me started in the right direction here. Heres what I want. I want a manual and sporty car, would prefer 2 door but won't eliminate 4 door cars. It must be reliable and get good gas mileage(25 or above) because of the commute. Insurance must also be decent(For a 20 year old with clean driving record), the lower the better. Prefer domestic but will be taking a hard look at imports, but I do not really want to get a civic but if its the best and absolute top choice would be considered. Thanks

Civic sounds like the perfect car for you but you say you don't want one. Check out the Corollas, Sentras, Integras, and maybe Neons.

I could only recomend japanese cars.

If civic is the type of car you want but not the brand check out nissan sentra and mazda protege. Those are better values used.

If you want a larger car hmmm i would try to find a manual nissan maxxima. Its one of the few v6s sold in the us that has a manual.

ok you do want a two door. You have way more money to put into the project than I recomend spending but um...

Im thinking mitsubishi eclipse is actually what you are describing best.

I guess I should of posted this right away but I think the problem I am going to have the most with imports is being comfortable while driving the car. I am 6'1" @ 250 lbs. So being a bit more roomier to enable a comfortable ride is a must. Also about the civic I prefer to not get one but if it comes out to be the best choice I would look into getting one. Also added what I left out when I firsted posted. I want the car to be at least somewhat sporty. What does everyone think about a 90 Cavalier z24 with a 3400 dropped in that has 25,000 miles?

um i cant tell you whats going to come up on the used market of your area.

I could tell you how to shop for a used car from a private party because Ive put 100s of hours into it and bought and sold many cars. all of them absolute steals. But Im not sure thats what youre asking for.

I can tell you that a 90 cavalier even in special circumstances like 25k miles is worth Im thinking 1500 max and Im not the person with the 1500 to put into it. I dont believe a chevy cavalier is worth anything and I dont feel confident I could sell it immediately on that selling point, IE I dont think the average person does either.

Low mileage is desireable in an american car though. But you have to think about why its like that. Good chance its a salvage title vehicle. Now if it is, dont even worry about the previous figure. 500-600 bucks max for a salvage vehicle. Including a porsche.

What does everyone think about a 90 Cavalier z24 with a 3400 dropped in that has 25,000 miles?
If you want something sporty then dont go for a cav with a 3400 in it. The 3400 would make the car really nose heavy and give it really poor handling. Not to mention get worse gas mileage

I'll always recommend a cavalier :thumbsup: I'm 6'1 220 and I fit in my cavy very well actually.

Keep the opinions coming. I have about a month before I need to get this car so I have a little time to look around.

My top two out of the ones listed so far are probably the Sentra and Integra. Sentra seems like it would have more leg room but I could be wrong. What year/model is the best for each of those cars? Do they both have sufficient power( I don't want to feel like I can run up a hill faster than the car). Also just kind of looking around it seems like I can get more bang for my buck(Newer year/Lower miles) going with the Sentra. Which one would you choose and why?

Edit: The more I read the more I am starting to like the Sentra SE-R Spec V. But its a little out of my price range it seems.

you should look into the 1997+ year honda accords: great gas mileage, quality, its quite comfortable for a big guy (i'm 6'1" 195lbs), it also has a peppy engine and theres also aftermarket.
for a nissan sentra if you can't get the SER spec-v, try the SER or 2001 SE sentras. but i think its a better choice to go with the 1995+ maxima for a nissan
because my friend has one and drove it and its bigger then sentra and a powerful V6.
So i advise you to go look at the Accord or Maxima, great cars from my experience

My top two out of the ones listed so far are probably the Sentra and Integra. Sentra seems like it would have more leg room but I could be wrong. What year/model is the best for each of those cars? Do they both have sufficient power( I don't want to feel like I can run up a hill faster than the car). Also just kind of looking around it seems like I can get more bang for my buck(Newer year/Lower miles) going with the Sentra. Which one would you choose and why?

Edit: The more I read the more I am starting to like the Sentra SE-R Spec V. But its a little out of my price range it seems.

You know what I have to look into when the sentra started getting made in mexico. However in general its one of the top picks on the used car market as far as what you get for your money. Mazda protege and mitsubishi mirage, or I think its galant eventually as well.

If you want a sporty protege, its the protege ES with the top motor from the miata. I mean its similar to the v spec or civic si etc. However its 4 door only. As I said, comfort is more a function of the seats and how far they go back and how high they go. the seats in the protege are large and high. Its also actually larger than the civic but only barely.

the 3400 would not make the car nose heavy at all as it originally came with a 3.1 which is the almost the same block and exact same weight.

You might also want to look at Saturn SL2's and Ions.

For a reliable sporty fuel efficient car I’d look at;

Acura Integra 86+
Toyota Celica 95+
Honda Prelude 93+
Hyundai Tiburon 00-02
Mazda Protégé (with 1.8 or 2L) 1996+

6 year old hyundais are not reliable or sporty

I have to start commuting about 35 miles one way to work now. So I have decided to get a car and figured there are alot of people that would be able to get me started in the right direction here. Heres what I want. I want a manual and sporty car, would prefer 2 door but won't eliminate 4 door cars. It must be reliable and get good gas mileage(25 or above) because of the commute. Insurance must also be decent(For a 20 year old with clean driving record), the lower the better. Prefer domestic but will be taking a hard look at imports, but I do not really want to get a civic but if its the best and absolute top choice would be considered. Thanks
Toyota Celica might be a good choice. They are highly reliable, get about 30-32 mpg on the highway (the GT-S trim requires premium fuel, however), they are 4 cylinders so the insurance won't be as bad as a six cylinder, and they're pretty sharp looking. Might be a little hard to find a GT-S for $8k, but the GTs go for less. The only criticism I have of the GT is that the clutch is sensitive and the engine produces minimal low end torque. As a result, it's easy to kill a GT on takeoff if you don't know what you're doing. I'd definitely try one out before you decide on it.