First car? HELP

[Hoona fish]

hey im 15 and working for my first car rn. i want something i can have fun in and speed around backroads ( to all of the ppl saying get a slow car thats safe, im too dumb to listen to u srry, but i dont wanna streetrace or put anybody elses life in danger just hoon around empty parking lots or speed around backroads) im estimating ill have at least 5k as my budget and ill probably need 1k in repairs and maintenance so more like 4k. ive always been into cars fir awhile and i work at a charity auto garage on the week ends so i like to think i can do some work by myself. anyways, i cant find a good option for a first car so i was thinking id get some help, here are what i need in one
-4-4.5k price
-preferably JDM (my dad hates domestics and german cars r too damn expensive and since i am on west coast JDM has large support)
-needs to handle in a shit ton of rain(i live in the northwest)
-im thinking i want it to be somewhat unique (dont want to to be another kid w a tuned civic or bmw 3 series)
-needs to be reliable + safe
-fun + kinda fast
-some tuning potential so i can learn more abt cars and personalize it a little
-insurance isnt too much of a problem cus my parents said theyd pay for it if i get the car by myself but i dont wanna b a dick so preferably not insane insurance rates

srry for big post and profanity, ik thats probably a impossible list to fill out so just give ur best suggestions thank you for the people who took the time to read that and reply

 

[XavierMace]

Lexus IS300.

 

[NutBucket]

We'd take you more seriously if you wrote proper English as this is a proper forum.

The IS300 is a pretty good suggestion, especially if you manage to find one with a 5-speed. Used car prices have been ridiculous for a while now. Theoretically you should be able to get an early WRX for your budget but they're super overpriced.

 

[jonivanart]

Mazda Miata

 

[Yuriman]

Mazda Miata

I was going to say this. Miata is always the answer. You can even put the top down for those glorious 2 months of sunshine.

Plenty of cars can be fun if you get a manual. I've had a blast driving a 5MT Corolla before. Any modern car will accelerate reasonably well if you wind it out, and any modern car will easily be able to break any speed limit anywhere.

 

[Tormac]

As long as winters are not bad where you live, and you don't play the tuba in your local polka band, I agree, it sounds like you need a gently used miata.

To be fair though almost any lightish little hatchback will be fun to drive. Be sure to get the most reliable car you can afford. Having to constantly deal with mechanical issues will sour one's crush on a first car quickly.

 

[Yuriman]

As long as winters are not bad where you live, and you don't play the tuba in your local polka band, I agree, it sounds like you need a gently used miata.

To be fair though almost any lightish little hatchback will be fun to drive. Be sure to get the most reliable car you can afford. Having to constantly deal with mechanical issues will sour one's crush on a first car quickly.

To me, this means not buying from another teenager. Cars driven by younger drivers are more often abused, and maintenance is more often neglected.

My girlfriend recently picked up a 2007 Honda Fit 5MT with 200k miles, for around $3,000. Single owner, older, female. Car is spotless, mechanically perfect. I've seen cars trashed with 1/3 the miles. It really depends on how it has been taken care of.

 

[Midwayman]

Honda Del Sol? Assuming you can find one with low enough miles. My folks had one back when they were new out in the NW and it was a fun little car. Based on the civic so if you want to tune it probably a lot of civic stuff works for it.

 

[Yuriman]

The first car I bought with my own money was a Del Sol, with the larger B16 engine in it. I abused the crap out of that car and loved every minute of it.

 

[SabaII]

You can have some decent fun with a FWD car and they are typically less expensive but I personally have always been left wanting with them. Miata is a great choice if you can find a decent one in your budget. Old pickups can be pretty fun and unassuming. Either way the best advice I can give is try not to be too impulsive. When I was younger and dumber I missed out on some nice cars because I spent the money on a vehicle I didn't necessarily want. Not saying wait forever but if you find something you want just make sure there isn't something you want more right around the corner.

 

[Yuriman]

Fuel economy a factor at all? The cost difference in ownership can be thousands per year, depending on how much you drive.

 

[bradly1101]

I was going to say this. Miata is always the answer. You can even put the top down for those glorious 2 months of sunshine.

Plenty of cars can be fun if you get a manual. I've had a blast driving a 5MT Corolla before. Any modern car will accelerate reasonably well if you wind it out, and any modern car will easily be able to break any speed limit anywhere.

It sounds kinda weird, but my '89 4cyl./5sp. Camry was a blast to drive, especially in the mountains. They're probably too rare, but super-comfortable too.

If reliability is desired by the OP, stick with Toyota/Lexus. [edit:/Honda]

 

[dave_the_nerd]

For $4k, I bet you could find a 2004~2006 Accord V6 or similar Acura TL, if you look to private party on Craigslist.

MT are a bit on the rarer side, but were offered for both. I think the TL came with paddle shifters on the automatic. The engines aren't anything to sneer at.

If you're actually "hooning" around, you'll probably put it in the ground before you need to replace the timing belt. But if you manage not to, you can fit child seats in the back.

 

[desy]

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a9931/saturn-ion-red-line/
I know you said no domestics but you also want fast cheap and different than everybody else

 

[Hoona fish]

thanks for the replys, im gettin alot of miata suggestions but i thought insurance would be insane on one and i need a little more practicality than that, preferably a 3dr coupe would be great. ive been suggested to get a integra but all of those have been modded to shit near me and they just donr seem to appealing, ive looked into ut and found a couple cars that seem like they would work
-VW corrado, theyre supposed to be very rare but i can find multiple vr6 models near me for cheap so i guess im lucky, vw wasnt a luxury brand as much in the 90’s so i think parts should b cheap?
-porsche 944 NA or turbo?, ive heard great things abt porsche 944s and my step grandpa used to drift his around and work on it w me, it kinda got me into cars, anyways how reliable are these and if i can find a cheap turbo would it b better than getting a NA as they lack power. ive heard aftermarket support is good but im not sure its an actually practicle car cus of porche parts prices
- subie impreza rs, seems to be a great looking fun awd coupe that just lacks power, good idea or bad idea
-240sx s13 hatch, im guessing all of these have been beat to shit but if i find a diamond in the rough thats in moderate condition could this be a possible first car?
-corrola rwd? my dad says this is a great rwd car thats fun but i asked some friends and they say some anime made the prices skyrocket and they require too much maintanence, is this true? it would b awesome to have a small rwd toyota thats somewhat practicle but i think theyre just too expensive, opinions?
-rx8, ive heard these are amazing cars but have reliability issues? theyre rotaries so they require lots of oil but oil isnt all that expensive, ive heard the engine problems got fixed in the 2006+ models and i can find some of those in my budget, and i can find a couple of rebuilt engines from 2006- would these be a good car or are the problems just too many?

thx again for the help

 

[Yuriman]

-VW Corrado - VW isn't and was never a luxury brand. They're like General Motors to the rest of the world. We only treat them as special because they're imports. Plus their reliability is among the lowest of any major brand, and parts are a bit more expensive. Plus this is an old car on top of that.

-Porsche 944 NA or turbo - Also relatively unreliable, they're actually part of Volkswagen group. I'm sure it will be fast and fun to drive, but probably also excruciatingly expensive to own for a 15 year old's budget, unless you're independently wealthy. Tires will be 4x as much as any other car listed here and wear out twice as fast, just as an example.

- Subie Impreza RS - this is Subaru's Civic or Corolla sport trim. It's not a bad car, but a Civic Si will be faster and more reliable. Not a bad car by any stretch though.

-240SX - At this point I'd be surprised if there was one left in the world that hasn't been beat to shit. Even if it isn't, you're going to have Old Car problems. Bushings dry rotted, gaskets, seals, faded and cracked interior, leaky roof.

-Corrola RWD - Also Old Car problems. Bushings dry rotted, gaskets, seals, faded and cracked interior, leaky roof. You're also going to pay a premium in that they're old enough that they're getting more expensive, rather than less.

-RX-8 - be prepared to rebuild the engine every 60,000 miles. Plus you can grenade it if you stall it.

Probably the sweet spot in terms of value right now would be a 2000-2008 of any make. Of your above ideas, I'm most in favor of the Subaru.

 

[Insomniator]

Subaru or a Civic with a stick.

 

[xnsheryl]

Civic

Sent from my SM-N915V using Tapatalk

 

[Hoona fish]

thanks for the replys, im gettin alot of miata suggestions but i thought insurance would be insane on one and i need a little more practicality than that, preferably a coupe hatch would be good. ive been suggested to get a integra but all of those have been modded to shit near me and they just donr seem to appealing, ive looked into ut and found a couple cars that seem like they would work
-VW corrado, theyre supposed to be very rare but i can find multiple vr6 models near me for cheap so i guess im lucky, vw wasnt a luxury brand as much in the 90’s so i think parts should b cheap?
-porsche 944 NA or turbo?, ive heard great things abt porsche 944s and my step grandpa used to drift his around and work on it w me, it kinda got me into cars, anyways how reliable are these and if i can find a cheap turbo would it b better than getting a NA as they lack power. ive heard aftermarket support is good but im not sure its an actually practicle car cus of porche parts prices
- subie impreza rs, seems to be a great looking fun awd coupe that just lacks power, good idea or bad idea
-240sx s13 hatch, im guessing all of these have been beat to shit but if i find a diamond in the rough thats in moderate condition could this be a possible first car?
-rx8,i know what everybody is going to say abt the rotary and i know they are keen to braking down BUT i can find a couple within my price range that are post 2006 (which is when i heard they fixed alot of the reliability issues, and ones with rebuilt motors so i should not have to worry abt them, additionally there are alot of mods people have come up with to improve reliability so taking all those factors into account it could be a moderate car as its considered a sedan by insurance companies and its a rotary thats cool as shit

thank you again for reading into this and taking time out of your day to help

 

[Yuriman]

rx8,i know what everybody is going to say abt the rotary and i know they are keen to braking down BUT i can find a couple within my price range that are post 2006 (which is when i heard they fixed alot of the reliability issues, and ones with rebuilt motors so i should not have to worry abt them, additionally there are alot of mods people have come up with to improve reliability so taking all those factors into account it could be a moderate car as its considered a sedan by insurance companies and its a rotary thats cool as shit

thank you again for reading into this and taking time out of your day to help

Relative to other engines they're still unreliable. If you like spending money and working on cars, rotaries are gems. If you like driving your car and not being left on the side of the road, avoid old German cars and rotaries. You've been warned.

One other thing to consider - rotaries have relatively bad fuel economy.

2006 RX-8 - 3000lbs, 215HP, 22mpg highway
2006 Civic Si - 2900lbs, 195HP, 29mpg highway
2006 S2000 - 2850lbs, 240HP, 26mpg highway
2006 Mustang V6 - 3350lbs, 210HP, 26mpg highway
2006 Mustang V8 - 3500lbs, 300HP, 22mpg highway

Maybe it doesn't sound important yet, but if this is your daily driver and you're working a minimum wage job, it can make a huge difference in what you're able to do and where you're able to go.

 

[jonivanart]

It's almost if I'm talking to my son! Lol! I think if you check you'll find that the Miata is low on insurance due to the low power of the engines. My son loved his for exactly what your looking for.
The rotary is actually a good engine except for its quirky-ness. Every time you stop you have to let them idle for a few minutes which is great if your never in a hurry to get inside where your going. Which always happens and this alone gets old fast! Easy to work on but very expensive parts.
The Porsche is out if you have any budget. The parts are expensive and picking the right model takes a lot of research. Been there. And any decent one is going to run $50k or better.
Just remember, there are lots of people wanting to get rid of their problem car. Know what to look for before you buy. And anything under $10k is most likely going to need work done soon....

 

[Midwayman]

I had a subaru rs 2.5. They're neat little cars. They look more aggressive looking than the amount of power they have, but with a manual they are fun. A rear sway bar is all you REALLY need to do to those. It completely changes the handling. I had a turbo kit with new ecu on mine at the end. Overall they are pretty reliable cars. Biggest thing that tends to go wrong on them is the head gasket, but that's subarus in general. Just have mechanic check it when you buy, but if if the exhaust smells sweet or turns white when you floor it (past warm up) its probably leaking.

 

[Hoona fish]

thanks everybody,the miata just isnt practicle enough for me and it doesnt really appeal to much to me anyways even though ik its one of the best cars out there, and the rx8 seems like its too expensive for me once i looked at the #s and the subie seems a little too flashy for that little horsepowe imo. any opinions on the corrado and s13 hatch?
corrado seems like a great car you could have fun in without sacrificing too much money and for some reason theres alot near me even though ive heard theyre extremely rare and i can find a couple of silvia that arent complete drift machines, in fact 2 have only had 1-2 owners with only coilovers for 3k, could i in theory make a good first car out of the s13 if it wasnt modded to shit, had a intact diff and wasnt drifted around?
also how expensive would a vr6 corrado’s maintenance be because they seem like really great cars and the owners seem to be relatively conservative from what ive heard.

thank you so much for your help everyone ik u probably have better things to do then give a teenager advice and i apreciate it.

 

[Hoona fish]

srryvto doubke post but additionally these cars are increasing in value from what ive seen so is there a potential profit to be made off of these cars values?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

srryvto doubke post but additionally these cars are increasing in value from what ive seen so is there a potential profit to be made off of these cars values?

Don't count on it.