Taurus SHO with a stick.
Huge trunk, good sounds, easy parts availability, moderately luxurious interior, lots of room all around, good power and handling. They're worth almost nothing.
Taurus SHO with a stick.
Huge trunk, good sounds, easy parts availability, moderately luxurious interior, lots of room all around, good power and handling. They're worth almost nothing.
Currently, take your pick of 90's cars or maybe the early rx8
Remote control car?
Anything with big power that can handle "sort of ok".
I can be anywhere, at anytime and mash the hammer down. Hard to say the same thing about taking corners as most roads nowadays are straight.
So do I want a chevelle with a big block? Hell no. But any modern muscle car from the late 80's onward with good power definitely checks the box.
If I had to stay within a cheaper budget, virtually any civic with a turbocharger slapped on it. They go like stink while still keeping all of their great characteristics.
pimpm3 wrote: 1991-1994 Sentra SE-R
Close. B15 Spec V, mit turbo.
Not biased at all, am I?
Powar wrote: That's... helpful. We all have our opinions. What's your choice?
I KNOW it isn't the most satisfying car... but the other Swedish car maker's... 122 series would be hands down superior to the SAAB.... far simpler, far easier to repair and maintain. Rwd, and plenty of modification options
I'll say a rental car with FWD and a passenger accessible hand brake in a blizzard. In this case - it was a Dodge Neon.
One of the most enjoyable things I have ever done was take turns driving around with a co-worker and fellow track junkie in Peoria, Il in a blizzard. We would try to surprise each other by yanking on the hand brake at inopportune times like the middle of an on-ramp and then recover. By the end of the night we were just driving everywhere with the rears locked up all the time thru 8" of snow and ice and laughing so hard my ribs hurt. We were at it for HOURS. Then we went drinking when we couldn't get thru the deep stuff as it piled up too high. We beached it on a plow pile in the hotel parking lot.
The cheapest thing you can find that runs and is RWD. Sure, corners and reliability is great and all but in terms of fun for the money, nothing will beat a $200 Grand Marquis/whatever. Do skids in the rain, jump it, bang through a few ditches, bust the motor mounts smashing through snow banks, only park it somewhere you can stop by bumping into something, etc. Nothing beats a beater.
Early E36. They're cheaper than my late E36, handle and ride good, and can fit people 6' and up. 
oldeskewltoy wrote:Powar wrote: That's... helpful. We all have our opinions. What's your choice?I KNOW it isn't the most satisfying car... but the other Swedish car maker's... 122 series would be hands down superior to the SAAB.... far simpler, far easier to repair and maintain. Rwd, and plenty of modification options
Again, you're welcome to your opinion. I like Volvos, too. I just don't expect people to refer to others' choices as pieces of E36 M3 in a serious manner on this forum.
In reply to Powar:
I learned long ago that there's a pretty serious amount of "OMG THEY SUCK NO PARTS UNRELIABLE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX" irrational Saab hatred on this forum. I won't name usernames, but I've learned to just ignore it.
When I was young (before the last Ice Age...) it used to be the Bugeye Sprite. You could pick them up cheaply, they were tons of fun and you could drive them foot to the floor all the time and no one would notice, given the modest power output.
What's the modern equivalent? Maybe one of the new Fiat 500s once they are old enough to be cheap?
I will echo all comments about Escorts. I had a 93 hatchback I bought for $450. A mishmash of junkyard parts including a wagon rear sway bar, Zx2 springs and Mx3 Recaro seats went into it. It handled really well, got 35 mpg and never let me down. I even drove that to Montreal and got 41 mpg. You could park it in a rough neighborhood with the windows down and unlocked and no one would touch it. I drove it for a couple years and sold it to a guy who specialized in Escorts (he had a collection of parts cars) for roughly what I paid for it.
I'd vote AW11 MR2. Mid engine goodness that's practically free! Sure it won't look great, but what fun!
As for the SAAB discussion, I can't say I've ever found them to be a must have, but I did get to autocross a '50's version (92?), and it was a blast. Mainly because it had no power, and the steering had zero feel. You spent the entire time at full lock and throttle! 
In reply to SlickDizzy:
I have been trying to stear clear of those threads for that very reason.
In order of priority:
1) BMW E30
2) DSM AWD Turbo
3) Saab Viggen
4) Porsche 944
5) RX-7 Turbo 2
6) Miata (because if I don't mention it someone will cry)
7) Starion/Conquest
8) BMW E36
9) Audi A4 AWD
10) Saaburu 9-2
I've seen fair examples of these on CL for <$3000
SlickDizzy wrote: In reply to mndsm: I bought an old Ford Escort wagon with the 1.9 and 5-speed for $50 once. It was owned by a NAPA manager and had over 400k on it; the thing was made of rust but mechanically sound. I loved that car to death for the time I had it! It was nothing special in a lot of ways, but knowing I had a decent set of wheels that was remotely fun to drive for a whole $50 was hugely satisfying. I later sold it for $500 too!
Thats funny... In high school I bought my friends old 91 escort lx 2 door hatch for 50 bucks. I ran the living sh*t out of it. I later sold it 4-5 years later rusted out for 500 bucks.
Honestly would open shift the car.. never letting off the gas. Good times. If it didnt rust out I would still have it.
pinchvalve wrote: I have to nominate the Fiesta ST. It takes some serious money and HP to beat it in a Best Driver's Car comparison.(An ST about to lap a slower car)
If you are only counting new cars. Multiple used cars that are far cheaper are better than the Fiesta. This includes cars with two things the Fiesta doesn't have. RWD and LSD.
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