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Suggestions for a Sporty car around 25000

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Originally posted by: FDF12389
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Don't get a used GTO, those LS2's suck, they only get like 7mpg and the leather seats are horrible. Don't even get me started on that pos 6 speed. Go for the scion, those are very sporty.
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Ive driven them more than a few times and you couldn't be more incorrect.
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Scions are not very sporty? My gf says they are. 😉

Seriously though, I can't believe how cheap used GTO's are going for right now. As long as people looking for 'sporty' cars stay away from them I plan on picking one up in a few months for cheap, even though it is a crappy, ugly, uncomfortable and slow car. Oh yeah they get horrible gas mileage, stay away from the GTO's!
 
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Don't get a used GTO, those LS2's suck, they only get like 7mpg and the leather seats are horrible. Don't even get me started on that pos 6 speed. Go for the scion, those are very sporty.
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I took my buddy for a ride in the Goat tonight. We had been talking cars and he mentioned his friend who had an MS6 and how fast it was. When we were done, he said "Yeah, this thing has a bit more power than the Mazdaspeed 6..."

He also liked the interior a lot.

Yeah, those terrible LS2's and crappy interior...
 
Originally posted by: Insane3D
Originally posted by: Arkaign
The Altima V6 6spd Coupe would be a good fit for you I think.

270HP
6-Speed Manual or 5-Speed Auto
FWD (better than RWD for inclement weather, without the expensive maintenance of AWD)
Fresh design for '08
Roomier for passengers, decent backseat
Looks a lot like a G35
Cheap insurance
No turbo = lower maintenance as well
$24k with good options

So, lots of pluses 🙂
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So, why exactly does a turbo or AWD = more maintenance?

😕

Also, you are suggesting FWD like it's the best option??? OMG...you're killing me! 😀
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Well, it should be plainly obvious that with either/or a Turbo or AWD, you have more moving parts. That means more things that have scheduled maintenance on, and at the same time, more things that can break and need replacement.

FWD is constantly bagged on by ignorant people. There's nothing wrong with FWD on a car, unless you're expecting it to be (A)- a race car, or (B)- an off-road vehicle. Particularly with less than 300hp, it makes very little difference with handling, driving, etc.

Furthermore, as anyone who's driven a truck (or Mustang, Vette, etc), in the snow or rain can tell you : you have to be damned careful driving in slick weather with RWD. The rear end will swing around very easily. Of course, you still have to be careful in an AWD or FWD vehicle, but the advantage of the front wheels pulling you along as opposed to the rear wheels pushing you along is quite obvious to anyone with either the smallest inkling of physics or any reasonable driving experience in slick road conditions.

So yes, FWD or AWD > RWD for bad weather, and FWD has the added bonus of having lower maintenance costs as well. FWD is nearly as cheap to maintain as RWD.

There should be some kind of automatic forum demerit system in the Garage for every ignorant bashing of FWD.

Would I want a 400HP FWD Vette? NO.
Would I be happy with a 270HP FWD decent-handling daily driver? YES.
 
Originally posted by: SoundTheSurrender
I'm looking for a new [~$25,000] car in the near future.
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Me too. Since I want AWD, I'm considering both the 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX and the 2008 Subaru Legacy GT. I know the latter will be a few grand more than the target price, but I may go for it if I like it enough. Can't wait to do the test drives.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Don't get a used GTO, those LS2's suck, they only get like 7mpg and the leather seats are horrible. Don't even get me started on that pos 6 speed. Go for the scion, those are very sporty.
Click to expand...
I took my buddy for a ride in the Goat tonight. We had been talking cars and he mentioned his friend who had an MS6 and how fast it was. When we were done, he said "Yeah, this thing has a bit more power than the Mazdaspeed 6..."

He also liked the interior a lot.

Yeah, those terrible LS2's and crappy interior...
Click to expand...

Well of course it's faster..lol. IIRC the GTO's have two variants of the LS motors that put out 350-400HP stock, and lose less in the drivetrain because they are 2WD. The MS6 puts out ~275HP stock, and promptly loses 15% of it through the drivetrain...not to mention a loaded GT is like 3800lbs. Now, let's talk handling and interior, and the differences swap.

It's really apples and oranges comparing a GTO to a MS6 anyhow.
 
Originally posted by: Insane3D
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Originally posted by: hscorpio
Don't get a used GTO, those LS2's suck, they only get like 7mpg and the leather seats are horrible. Don't even get me started on that pos 6 speed. Go for the scion, those are very sporty.
Click to expand...
I took my buddy for a ride in the Goat tonight. We had been talking cars and he mentioned his friend who had an MS6 and how fast it was. When we were done, he said "Yeah, this thing has a bit more power than the Mazdaspeed 6..."

He also liked the interior a lot.

Yeah, those terrible LS2's and crappy interior...
Click to expand...

Well of course it's faster..lol. IIRC the GTO's have two variants of the LS motors that put out 350-400HP stock, and lose less in the drivetrain because they are 2WD. The MS6 puts out ~275HP stock, and promptly loses 15% of it through the drivetrain...not to mention a loaded GT is like 3800lbs. Now, let's talk handling and interior, and the differences swap.

It's really apples and oranges comparing a GTO to a MS6 anyhow.
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The LS2 makes 400/400 at the crank and ~340-350 HP/TQ at the wheels. 6-speed manual or 4-speed auto through an LSD. 3725lb curb weight.

Handling could be a toss-up honestly - yes the AWD has an advantage in powering out of sharp turns, but while the GTO has lots of roll it sticks pretty damn well and with 245's on all corners, there's a decent amount of rubber.

Have you been in a GTO? The interior is actually quite nice, ten times better than any other Pontiac period. The seats are very comfy and all the dash/door surfaces are very rich. The worst thing about it is the HVAC controls, which are large & plasticky, they stick out like a sore thumb - but all in all you get a sh!t load of stuff for your money.
 
Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Have you been in a GTO? The interior is actually quite nice, ten times better than any other Pontiac period. The seats are very comfy and all the dash/door surfaces are very rich. The worst thing about it is the HVAC controls, which are large & plasticky, they stick out like a sore thumb - but all in all you get a sh!t load of stuff for your money.
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I haven't been in one, but I did research them when looking for my new car. I could ask the same question...have you been in a loaded GT MS6?

I can't speak toward the interior of the GTO compared to other Pontiacs though, so I'll take your word.

Regardless, you simply can't compare the two cars IMO...two different animals altogether.

I'm not saying either is "better" than the other either...just that they are completely different cars.
 
Thanks again. I'm not really interested in after market mods, I just want a car that has more power and is fun to drive. So far I think the Nissan Altima and the MazdaSpeed3 are the best choices. I don't want a 400 HP car, the insurance will be insane.
 
Originally posted by: SoundTheSurrender
Thanks again. I'm not really interested in after market mods, I just want a car that has more power and is fun to drive. So far I think the Nissan Altima and the MazdaSpeed3 are the best choices. I don't want a 400 HP car, the insurance will be insane.
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these are the two i'd consider for new cars. drive em, see how you like them. drive the other cars mentioned just for kicks...who knows, you might like one of them a lot and might be able to get a used one ('05-06).
 
400HP != high insurance

Owning a regular Impreza or WRX would probly cost more in insurance than my GTO, and I did compare them before I made my purchase.
 
You can get a base model Mitsubishi Evo 8 or 9 with nearly no miles for that...

Or an STi.

You'll be extremely pleased with either.
 
Originally posted by: SoundTheSurrender
What are the factors then?
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It's a combination of things. Power in and of itself may not be a big deal, but: male+young+high-powered car might be different. Add an accident or a ticket or two, and it could get even worse. Some companies also offer deductions for advanced safety features like ABS, more airbags, theft-deterent systems, etc. Heck, I think even geographic location and popularity can affect insurance rates, if you live in an area where the particular car you're looking at happens to be more often used than others.

Nathan
 
Originally posted by: NTB
Originally posted by: SoundTheSurrender
What are the factors then?
Click to expand...

It's a combination of things. Power in and of itself may not be a big deal, but: male+young+high-powered car might be different. Add an accident or a ticket or two, and it could get even worse. Some companies also offer deductions for advanced safety features like ABS, more airbags, theft-deterent systems, etc. Heck, I think even geographic location and popularity can affect insurance rates, if you live in an area where the particular car you're looking at happens to be more often used than others.

Nathan
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Heh, back in '94 my brother (Age 23, several tickets) was paying $1,200/mo for full coverage on a Silver '95 NSX-T with State Farm. Someone backed into it with an SUV, and the insurance adjuster discovered that it had a turbo & intercooler, and they dropped him. He switched to something like Allied or Alliance or whatever and he literally saved over $400 a month.

But yeah, young + tickets + sports car = $$$$$ insurance
 
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