What car for $10-12K?

[RGN]

Maxima. 96-97 with low miles. You will love it.

 

[LordMaul]

Go to the bad side of Chicago...I'll bet you could find someone wanting to, uh, unload a Lexus for around $10...

 

[cmdavid]

early 90s 3000GT VR4... but insurance would kill.. so... gotta get something else..

I dont understand how you can list speed as one of your criteria for cars and then complain about insurance as you are only 17 years old...

 

[SuperTool]

I back RGN. Get 96-97 Maxima.
They lose resale faster then Camry, and you will get a lot of car for your buck.
And it's fast. VQ30DE engine is a jewel.

 

[flabbergasted]

<<
So if someone told you you could have a car for between $10-12K, what would it be?
>>



The age old question: &quot;I have xxxxx amount of dollars. What should I buy?&quot; Reading through your replies, it seems that you want the elusive &quot;perfect&quot; car. Ah feel your pain. Do you want another compact sedan, a la your Contour? Or would you like a two door? Would you like a mid-size sedan instead?

Personally, I'm a fan of Subarus. Decent quality, all-wheel drive, and fun to drive. They hold their value pretty well, and you can probably find '97 Subaru Legacy LSi sedan for around $12k. They're generic enough, but you can call it your own.

 

[Thegonagle]

Or you could get a 2000 Altima. Good cars with low-average resale. About the same size in and out as the Contour, 155 HP, decent handling (ie, you can make it 4-wheel drift if you want). You might be able to find a stick, but ~90% were auto. Don't get a 98-99. The 2000 got some serious upgrades that make it a much better car. Most 2000s out there are GXE's. Find a 2000 GXE with Al rims (pretty common) and you've also found a stereo upgrade (CD, Cassette, and tweeters) and a factory strut tower brace (cool, a good race upgrade).

The best find would be a SE 5-spd with leather, but that might be out of the price range due to rarity. GXE's are a dime a dozen and used ones are dimes on the dollar.

Good luck ^^^

EDIT: SOME IMAGE ADVICE. Get the Nissan spoiler. They make the car look so much better! IMHO, the back end looks &quot;incomplete&quot; without it.

I don't know how much the part is, maybe a couple hundered? Get a reputable body shop to quote you paint and install on a factory spoiler and then see if the dealership you buy at will get it done for a reasonable price for you.

 

[Viper GTS]

Get a quote on the Mustang GT, it might not be as bad as you think. Certainly not as bad as it's 8 cylinder Camaro competitors.

See how much it is, &amp; if you're capable of paying the difference vs. what you pay now.

Viper GTS

 

[beer]

<< early 90s 3000GT VR4... but insurance would kill.. so... gotta get something else..

I dont understand how you can list speed as one of your criteria for cars and then complain about insurance as you are only 17 years old... >>



There's a difference between fast and neck breaking. For example, I would consider a VR6 Jetta fast. However a Z28 is neckbreaking. There are cars out there that can be fast and spirited without snapping your neck as you gas it. My contour, for example, was slow. Very slow. A Civic LX, for example, is slow. However a Contour SVT and a Civic Si are fast. They are not neckbreaking but they are spirited.

 

[beer]

BTW has anyone heard anything about the MX-6s from Mazda? Maybe I could find an MX-6 with a stick from 97 for right around $10K.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

<< BTW has anyone heard anything about the MX-6s from Mazda? Maybe I could find an MX-6 with a stick from 97 for right around $10K. >>




they're the same thing as the Ford Probe---definitely get the V6, though

 

[RGN]

<< I back RGN. Get 96-97 Maxima.
They lose resale faster then Camry, and you will get a lot of car for your buck.
And it's fast. VQ30DE engine is a jewel. >>



Actually Nissan's resale is comming up. At least its better than most American cars. I think Honda and Toyota are still ahead tho.

And yes, the VQ engines are awesome...

 

[SuperGroove]

lol...image? With a car that is less than 5 years old? Sounds simple...but less than 15K? Bwahaha...Anyways...I wish I had a nice car during High School.

My choice:

1996 Volkswagen Jetta GLX; Porcelein Blue