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Looking into getting a used RWD 4dr Sedan

DarkThinker

DarkThinker

Platinum Member
In a couple of months I will be looking into selling my trusty daily driver (FWD coupe) and getting me something that's fun, has 4 doors and is spacious but not pricey nor highly costly.

I can easily afford to spend more than budget, but I just don't want to at this point in time so it's a $9-10K MAX budget that I gave myself ( planning on paying it cash most probably), I am aiming for the nicest thing that I can find for less than $10K and the lower the price the better.

My criteria:

- A 4 Door sedan, that adults don't have to be crammed in.
- Must have a 6 Cylinder engine (preferably I6)
- Manual Transmission preferred (Automatic a maybe, but it better be a good semi-auto in that case)
- RWD (of course)
- Leather and a good quality interior
- Doesn't cost an arm and leg in future maintenance costs and parts
- Preferably not too high mileage

With that said, here are cars that I think fit the bill:

- Lexus GS 300

* I6
* Most owners say it's a pretty solid and reliable machine
* Spacious
* No manual but does have Semi-Auto, though some say the semi-auto is slow

Will be test driving one next week hopefully.

- Lexus IS 300

* I6
* Very sporty
* 5spd Manual available
* Not so spacious in comparison to the GS 300

Will be looking to test drive one soon, but can't find Manual ones around

- First Gen Cadillac CTS

* I don't like the pre-2005 ones and the 2005+ ones are for sure outside of my budget
* Driven a 2006 one and it was very nice and fun
* 6spd Manual available
* 3.6L VVT not I6 but very nice still

- Lincoln LS

* Test drove the only one I could find in the area and it was an automatic 2001 V6.
I have to say, it wasn't fun to drive. I don't know why, maybe it was a bad one, but it just seemed like it had slow responsiveness, I didn't feel any action inside that car, I was disappointed, heck I have more fun driving my old commuter than the LS, I am hoping just the car I drove was bad.

- Infiniti G35 Sedan

* 6 spd Manual available
* Looks like it has a better interior than the Lexus counterparts and people who drive them most def love them, I do think they look sharp and nice
* I have spotted some deals for some with less than 80K miles for about $8K, on paper that sounds great
* Looks nice and spacious to me
* I hear the 260 HP 3.5L V6 is a very good one

- 1998 Volvo S90

* A sleeper if I have ever seen one hehe, it's old but those were the good pre-Ford FWD days
* I6
* Spacious
* High interior quality
* Seems like a rare car that would be expensive to maintain and hard to find parts for but that's just my impression
* Can't find ones neaby

I am obviously skipping BMW, Audi and the rest of the usual suspects. Though for instance I would love nothing more than to get an E46 with an I6, and manual tran , but I think I would be paying out of the nose for maintenance costs and not sure about reliability either.

Would appreciate your input and suggestions.

Thanks 🙂
 
s90/960, blah. i was never really a fan of the 700's or 900's, it was just a gussied-up 240. the FWD 850 (released in 93) was the superior platform, and the FWD p2 platform that most all the 99+ cars were based on was created before ford was involved (and owes a lot of its design to the 850/s70)

for being a bit fun but also a good reliable daily driver, i would want the g35 or is300, from that list. tsx would probably be the competing honda, but it's fwd. not a ton more options in your price range for rwd sport sedans.
 
G35 is a 6spd Manual btw, no such thing as a 5 speed Manual. the 5speed is Automatic.

If your looking for a 6spd get 05+ since they have rev up engine(298 hp).
As well as 05 was a refresh model from the 03-04.

btw what state do you live in?
 
Not the finest Euro lux interior but......

Pontiac G8 3.6L V6 - no manual trans option (RWD, roomy, 18" wheels, 6spd auto)


The IS300 has a ridiculously small interior with a tiny rear trunk.

Lincoln LS interior pre-2003 refresh is lacking. They dropped the manual trans option in 2002. Reason the car did not feel sporty is because the 3.0L V6 is rather weak in HP/TQ and the LS is a pretty big car.





 
Originally posted by: thescreensavers
G35 is a 6spd Manual btw, no such thing as a 5 speed Manual. the 5speed is Automatic.
Click to expand...
OK thanks, noted the manual mistake.
If your looking for a 6spd get 05+ since they have rev up engine(298 hp).
As well as 05 was a refresh model from the 03-04.
Click to expand...

YA, but that refresh would require me to refresh my budget, which is a no no at this time 😀
 
Originally posted by: DarkThinker
Originally posted by: thescreensavers
G35 is a 6spd Manual btw, no such thing as a 5 speed Manual. the 5speed is Automatic.
Click to expand...
OK thanks, noted the manual mistake.
If your looking for a 6spd get 05+ since they have rev up engine(298 hp).
As well as 05 was a refresh model from the 03-04.
Click to expand...

YA, but that refresh would require me to refresh my budget, which is a no no at this time 😀
Click to expand...

ok no biggie its only 25 hp 😛
 
I think G35 is your best bet, definitely a very nice sedan. What about M-series though? They are nicer than the G's, although I'm not sure what their specs are otherwise.
 
From your list, I would go with the G35 or the GS300.

Someone else recommended the Infiniti M. There's only like 3 G35's that are <$10k in my area (all automatic), so idk how you'll find an M45 in that price range...if you can find an Infiniti M in your price range, they're nice cars (I personally prefer the look of the G35).

Maybe a 2003ish Subaru? The Impreza looks alright. But I think it's AWD.

There really aren't that many options. You won't be winning any races with these cars and I don't see power sliding in your car's future. Is FWD really off-limits?

The Nissan Maxima from 2000-2003 would work (preferably 2002-2003) if you can look past FWD. You can get the SE version in a 6 speed manual.

You can always buy a FWD car and convert it to RWD 😛
 
As for the Lincoln LS. You need to drive one with the 8 cylinder. The 6 is a pretty small V6 and is underpowered for the car. The 8 is a pretty small V8 also, but it's got plenty of oomph to get that car moving.
 
Personally I would get a BMW, but given your criteria I can see that might not be your best choice. Of that field I would get a G35 and never look back . . .
 
Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
2006 E46 330i

You said it yourself, that's what you want. Just get it.
Click to expand...

Yep, this. The E46's really aren't too bad in the maintenance area either. Supposedly these are fairly reliable as well. Just make sure you find a nice one and it should take care of you for well over 100k miles.
 
The V8 LS with the Sport package is the one you want to drive. I had one, great car. The 3.9L V8 is a really great engine (It's a Jag engine) and loves to rev.
 
If you can find a 3.5L(V6)/5.7L(V8) Chrysler 300/Dodge Charger/Magnum where you live for your price range, might consider looking at one of those. Or perhaps a Jaguar XJR
 
I also cast a vote on the V8 Lincoln LS with Sport Package. Lexus and Infiniti make great cars, but they don't deliver goods at a decent budget. They're for people with money to burn. Domestics are much better for people on strict low budgets because their depreciation is bad or at best fair. Good imports have senseless depreciation. Good domestics depreciate as badly as the bad domestics.
 
I had two of those cars on that list, the GS300 and G35 6MT sedan.

I absolutely loved the G35 sedan. It is fast, large and relatively problem free. I had the '05 298HP model. The GS300 was also very nice. It was more of a luxobarge type car though. It wasn't very fast or sporty but it was extremely comfortable. That car was also relatively problem free. I think it had 225HP IIRC.
 
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
I had two of those cars on that list, the GS300 and G35 6MT sedan.

I absolutely loved the G35 sedan. It is fast, large and relatively problem free. I had the '05 298HP model. The GS300 was also very nice. It was more of a luxobarge type car though. It wasn't very fast or sporty but it was extremely comfortable. That car was also relatively problem free. I think it had 225HP IIRC.
Click to expand...

While I think the G35/37 is pretty nice, I just can't see what the hype about it is. I get them every so often as service loaners when I take one of my parents cars in for service. Its got a great engine but the refinement is just not there. Its loud, the VQ pulls like a monster, but NVH is horrible, I think my GTI is a bit quieter inside. Even a friend of mine who had a 04 agreed with me on that, and was one of the major reasons he sold it.

I think the IS or C is a much better option if you want the lux-mobile option, while the 3 is better if you want something that handles.

Or a Passat CC which is more/less the same thing for about 7k less 🙂
 
Originally posted by: PhoKingGuy
Originally posted by: Doggiedog
I had two of those cars on that list, the GS300 and G35 6MT sedan.

I absolutely loved the G35 sedan. It is fast, large and relatively problem free. I had the '05 298HP model. The GS300 was also very nice. It was more of a luxobarge type car though. It wasn't very fast or sporty but it was extremely comfortable. That car was also relatively problem free. I think it had 225HP IIRC.
Click to expand...

While I think the G35/37 is pretty nice, I just can't see what the hype about it is. I get them every so often as service loaners when I take one of my parents cars in for service. Its got a great engine but the refinement is just not there. Its loud, the VQ pulls like a monster, but NVH is horrible, I think my GTI is a bit quieter inside. Even a friend of mine who had a 04 agreed with me on that, and was one of the major reasons he sold it.

I think the IS or C is a much better option if you want the lux-mobile option, while the 3 is better if you want something that handles.

Or a Passat CC which is more/less the same thing for about 7k less 🙂
Click to expand...

The 05 G35 sedan was updated and very different from the 04s. I personally liked the noisiness of the VQ engine. My ex wife called the car very masculine. The GS300 on the other hand was like sitting in a crypt. I've sometimes turned the ignition on when the car was already on but never did that with the G35. I don't think you can say one is better, it is really a matter of personal preference. For example, my 335i is not as loud as the G35. I really want to hear the engine and the turbos so I did a simple modification to it so that the engine and exhaust noise is louder. While I like my 335i, I still enjoyed the G35 a lot. Maybe in time I will come to like the 335i as much but right now the G35 was my favorite car.
 
How about a 2003/4/5? BMW 325/8? A friend of mines had one and it was a very well rounded car. The one thing that struck me the most was the brakes, they were freaking incredible. You can't beat the interior or dash either + the car still looks plenty nice to this day.
 
I'd go with the G35. Thats the best car on that list in my opinion. I've driven in one before, they are fantastic! Yes the 3.5L V6 is a great engine.


Though personally I'd get a BMW.
 
I've driven five of the six cars you listed. I thought the GS300/IS300/CTS/G35/330i. The GS300 wasn't as fun to drive as the IS300, and the G35 was light years ahead of the IS300, IMO. The CTS was fun to drive and was fast but, again, the G35 was ahead in every single category, for me at least.

If you can spring it I'd go with either a 330i or a G35, none of the cars on the list even come close to the G35 in terms of fun and drivability, in my opinion. I just really doubt you're going to be able to find a low-maintenance and dependable luxury car for $8-$9k. Frankly, you're asking for too much for too little. If you can very easily afford the $10k then you should up your budget to $15k because, honestly, if you buy a G35 for $8000, I can pretty much guarantee you that you will be dropping easily half that in the next couple years. At $15k you can look at dependable G35s and 330is which, IMO are the best driver cars in that price range. The Legacy GT and WRX are also in the upper part of that range but the WRX is too much of a toy, personally.

Other than that, I really think you should just try to test drive all the cars you can. I personally went with an '05 G35. The '05s are a pretty big jump from the '04s. The interior is much much nicer and their are various upgrades to the engine and little things like the brakes, etc.
 
I didn't see fun to drive on the list, so I'll toss out the Ford Crown Victoria (which isn't what I'd call uninspired, just not quite as fun as some of the sport sedans you list.) It fits all the criteria you list minus the transmission, but really I don't see an auto stick as making a car fun to drive, just less clunky than running the shift selector through 1,2,D and OD and less chance of getting excited and running it all the way into reverse. Resale value is crap so there are good deals out there and the V8 gets fantastic gas mileage, probably better than most of the other cars you're looking at in real world driving conditions with plenty of aftermarket support to get more performance.

I assume the average member's image is more important that practicality so I'm prepared to get flamed.
 
Infiniti G.

/thread

I saw a 2004 with maybe 68k miles online this weekend for $11,900. I also recently saw one a year or two old (it was newest body style) with around 11k miles for $21k, the sport edition sedan iirc, it seemed a screaming deal.

I can't speak to the cadillac and lincoln but the lexus resale will be too high; you'll end up with a rusted 1988 model with 300k for the kind of money you want to spend.

Infiniti M is a crazy idea. They are not crazy expensive used but they are pricier and much rarer, you can be sure that any repairs will cost more.

I'm on my second maxima and most of the time when I think of my next car I assume it will be a G or another maxima. If it was stolen today I would absolutely shop among those two at the top of my list.

I think stay away from bmw. Again like the lexus but probably more severely you'll end up with much less car because resale is high. Also you can bet your life on the fact maintenance for it will be more expensive _and_ more frequent.
 
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