My recent thread was like yours except I have the need for three-across shoulder belts in the rear.
I'm having a hard time telling myself a Crown Vic isn't the answer.
I've even read how taxi and limo drivers find them great in the snow (not exactly your problem though!)
Hmm, so it sounds like I should look at a Mazda 3, crown Vic, and maybe a duratec focus and 5 speed accord. Are any of the Japanese BMW competitors worth looking at (I looked the m45, but haven't done anything more than think about or look at Craigslist ads for anything else). An is300 would be pretty difficult to find in ok shape, but anything else is probably reasonable.
Travis_K wrote: I had actually kinda forgotten about miatas, as funny as that sounds. I really don't fit in them very well at all though. I did drive one once and it was fun, but I don't think I could stand it for more than short trips.
NC Miata. 09+ preferably. Unless you're enormous, you'll fit. It's about as un-miata as you can imagine, but still a Miata, if that makes sense.
It's a good thing.
I should try that too probably, the one I drove was a 1990 I think. For being such a common brand, there really aren't many Mazdas in this area, but it shouldn't be that hard to find one.
What about a slightly sporty, big FWD american car?
Supercharged 3.8 GMs?
I like the GTP/GXP, you can get a 300 V8 to, but the S/C 3800s are pretty cheap.
They are super reliable, tough as hell, cheap to fix and pretty quick (great sleepers)
What about the Pontiac Vibe/Toyota Matrix with the hotter engine/6spd manual? It's not luxurious, but it should be comfortable, reliable, and reasonably fun.
Hmm, the w body 3.8 is a possibility, my mom actually used to have one. It wasn't bad, but it always ran hot, the interior was creaky and noisy, and it didn't have enough suspension travel for California freeways. Other than that it was pretty reliable though. How reliable are the engines in the matrix/vibe? Those cars seem to have an excessive amount of engine failures at relatively low mileage from what I have seen. It might just be the slower ones though.
Every time I am in a 00's era GM car I reallly do not like the interior very much. Spent plenty of time in my dads Impala and recently my uncle's Bonneville. Do not want. The bonneville was especially offensive. It had a little too much driving excitement I think.
But this is your thread about your car shopping and thats none of my business.
I know the Ford panther platform interiors arent really leaps and bounds better but for reasons I cant even really figure out how to explain, I like them better.
I will say the Fords have surprisingly small back seat legroom considering the size of the car. It could be just me, I reallly like to stretch out in the front seat and if someone sits in my seat i get accused of laying down while i drive and "why is this seat so far back??" Im not even that tall.
If a 3.8 was running hot it probably had an unresolved issue. Really the engines are dead nuts reliable. You have to put know heater pipes on them because the OE ones are plastic and leak but the aftermarket metal ones are like 11 dollars and its not a hard job at all.
You will probably have to put some tie rods and hub assemblies on it and that should be it.
Yes the late 90s to early 2000 GM cars can have very ugly interior and can be exceptionally horrible when they are taken care off and stuff starts to get real dirty, shrink, and separate.
Ive never driven one in anger so I have no comment on sportiness.
Im gonna jump in and say try to avoid BMWs. Ive daily'd an E36 for 5+ years. Its been reliable, never left me anywhere, but its cost me to keep it that way. Lots of little things that add up, much like your Merc. Also of note, E46 cats are integral to the headers. Replacement is not a small job.
Ive driven in the bay area a lot and I can say that from my experience I would NOT want an American barge. Small cars with decent power carve up traffic and city streets much better.
Good to know on the e46 cats, that sounds like the potential for a major headache that would probably cost more than the car is worth if they ever needed replacing. I mostly drive on the freeway and not in heavy traffic too much, and I have even driven my Mercedes in SF a few times and it wasn't bad, but I do know what you mean. If I get a big car I think it would be a Japanese one this time. I still want to try a Mazda 3, but 99% of the people here who were looking for a car of that type bought a focus or golf because there are way more ford and VW dealers than Mazda dealers here. I still keep thinking that maybe I would rather just get an m45 too, I know I would like it if it was reliable enough, but I don't know if it would be more toward the "its a Japanese family sedan, it should go 300k with normal maintenance no problem", or "its a Japanese copy of a jaguar, and the experience will be a lot more authentic than you would like it to be, don't ever think about it if you are complaining about a $22k Hyundai being too expensive" side of things lol.
The Infiniti are pretty reliable. The MPG might leave you wanting if you drive a lot. A friend struggles to get 25 MPG in his G35 sedan.
Drive them all and see what tickles you the most. The new / recent Hyundai and Kia are pretty nice IMO. Not luxurious like the Infiniti but nice for the price point - and they can be had with a manual trans!
Of the new cars I drove the Hyundai veloster was actually probably the best. Actually I would say that and the m45 are probably the best cars I have ever driven as far as something that would be nice to drive everyday. I do want to try the Kia Forte 2 door also, they look like they could be somewhat fun too.
As far as fuel mileage I don't usually drive over 75 miles in a day more than 3-4 times a month, so the difference in insurance cost between an automatic Japanese boat and a 4 cylinder hot hatch would probably make the fuel mileage difference not matter too much.
I couldn't get comfortable in the Veloster. There was a piece of my brain that kept focusing on one side having too many or too few doors, and wondering if it was sold in England with too many/few doors on the opposite sides.
Check out a 2003-now V6 Accord. Easier to find a stick in the coupe version. Older ones (03) without a ton of miles should be around $6k. They sound like just the right mix for you. Just enough luxury, not too big, reliable, fun/entertaining to drive (double wishbones), pretty good on gas(should be around 30mph hwy), and a good amount of power.
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