It looks like it is time for me to trade in my 1993 Dodge Stealth. I bought the car new from the dealer. It has been a great realaible car. My only expenses in 90K miles had been routine service. In March I made a decission to keep it a few more years and spent $3000 on valves and a bunch of other "while you're in there" stuff. In August it was another $1000 for transmission repair.

The car overheated last week and died in traffic. It let out a BIG clould of smoke when I restarted it. I did a U-turn and drove directly to the dealer. Some of the required repairs are covered under warranty. Another 3 grand worth are not. (Cracked heads, radiator, etc.) I might consider it IF I knew that would be the final fix. I am afraid that there are only going to be more in the comming months. I guess it is time to give up and move on.

I am in the fortunate position that I have 2 other vehicles in the driveway: My 914-6 plus a full size Chevy conversion van (former tow vehicle). Both run great, but neither is a suitable daily driver.

My delima is - what shoud I buy? My #1 requirement is reliability. $20 - $30 K price range. #2 on the list is sporty. 2 door models only. Rear seats not required but preferred. (No tail draggers) I'll be shopping for something new or a year of 2 old. My 1st thought is a 350Z. I'll look at BMW's also. What else should I test drive? What should I avoid? Any feedback would be appreciated.

986S

Its already a buyers market and when the new model comes out in a few weeks, you will really be able to get a nice one for a great price.

I got a certifed 986S. Its a 2001 but wasn't titled till march of '02. So I have the extent of the factory warranty till march of '06 and then 2 more years of the limited "porsche certified" warranty. So I don't have to spend any money on the car until 2008. Except for cool stuff like wheels, exhaust, ....

Gotta spend the extra $$$ on the 914.

While I'm not a big Pontiac fan, my wife and I drove a very nice Grand Prix that had no extra maintainance (besides one AC visit) until we sold it with 120K on it. Still pretty sporty and very powerful. Converted me, to that model at least.

I think the Boxster S is a great deal as well. These cars have great performance and all the creature comforts such as; a power top that doesn't leak, cold a/c, and a very comfortable cockpit. Also, 993's are getting in that range. And they probably won't depreciate too fast.

new GTO?

kevin

I know these are 4 door but...

Subaru WRX (new $23-25k)

Subaru WRX Sti ($30k for one with a few miles on it)

I don't know if you're into new VW's, but the R-32 seems like a great car.

The GTO and WRX are both nice cars, but probably not the right ones for me. I will consider the Boxster S model. Maybe a S2000 or a used Lexus or Infinity?

This is my idea of a daily driver, in nice weather. Actually my wifes idea.
CCLINNADA

I just got a Mini Cooper S and can't say a bad word about it. It is really fun.

Matt

MINI COOPER S, Fun fun fun.

Keep it in the family...ensure it comes from the Black Forest John...

ive been a big chrysler fan for years.they have improved alot since that stealth was built.if you dont have kids,test drive a chrysler crossfire.fun cars.when i kicked my 97 intrepid to the curb after a wonderful 179 thou miles.i was buying my dakota i was looking at them(crossfires)i had to get out of one to go pick out a truck i needed.
james

If you want to stay in the P-car range you should seriously consider the 968. 3.0 4 cylinder. gobbs of power, comfort, easy driving and way fun in the twisties.

Other than that, the I wife and just went back and forth on lux sedans. Here in So. Cal. we have plethora of certified used, BMW, M-B, etc. We finally decided on, get this, a Volvo S80 t6 Executive. It cam down to this car and a 5 series BMW. I ended up with everything the BMW offered except rear wheel drive, for about 10K less. This car is a twin turbo 2.9 5 cylinder, and puts out 262HP. Leather, sunroof, weather package, 4 speed "tiptronic", STC, 17" alloys 235 yokos, all kinds of goodies. 100K MILE WARRENTY.
The car is not boxy either... $24k, and only had 21k on the oddometer.

have fun looking...

How bout an Acura?? Great engineering, fairly quick, honda/ Acura drivetrain/ look great, not quite the norm but you drive a 14 so why not!
not sure of availibility in your area Hate to say it but rice is nice

1.8T GTI.

buddy of mine just bought a brand new 2004 VW 24V VR6 GTI a week ago sunday.

$18,900 + the financing.


See if your VW dealership has any 2004's left, see if they'll make you a deal!

Porsche Boxster
Mazda Rx-8
Mini Cooper S (or Cooper S Works)
Audi TT
BMW 3 Series coupe
MB C series coupe
New Ford Mustang GT

The Infinity coupe, I think it is the I-30.
Its a grown-ups 350Z with a back seat.

Fort Pinto
Chevy Vega
AMC Gremlin
Ranchero
Fort Festiva
Renault Le Car
Renault Fuego

drove my friends 05 wrx. all i can say is "damn, wish i had that motor in my teener!" just add full 3" exhaust and enjoy.

I had the same situation a couple of months ago. I had a '95 Miata with 215,000+ miles, that I bought new. I spent some money on it earlier in the year, belts, 30,000 mile tune up, regular maintenance. Anyway, 2 months ago, the clutch started making 'strange and expensive' noises. I parked it and went to the dealer. Bought a new '04 Miata, Special Edition. I put nothing down (rebate of $1500 applied) and because of my credit rating, 0 % financing for 5 years. The '95 Miata NEVER let me down. I took it to the dealer to have the oil change and all maintenance. Yes, I know I could have saved money, but they checked everything and were able to find leaks and fix things before they broke. The Miata has been a great daily driver, I drive 85 mi round trip a day. The newer car is about $3000 more than the '95, but it has more engine power, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, leather interior, power steering. I expect this car to go 9+ yrs and 200,000+ miles before I sell it. BTW, I sold the '95 for $2600 and paid $23,000 for the '04.

My wife has leased a '93, '97 and '98 3000 GT/SL. We bought the '98 when the lease was up. That car is our weekend sports car, her daily driver is a '02 PT Cruiser.

Good luck with the search and let us know what you finally decide....

If you think you can handle 439rwhp and a sunburn on your bald spot....

Drive what I drive. (dyno taken before chip tune - now should be about 450bhp at the wheels at 14lbs boost)

These are cool. German Chassis, retro styling, now availible in a drop top.

the crossfire . my wife saw one (vert) and told me she saw "a really nice looking car". i told her they start at 45 large plus 8.6% sales tax, "would you like to get one or pay off the mortage?".

kevin

Thanks for all the ideas. You all sure are good at spending other peoples money. My list of options keeps getting longer. Thursday will be my first chance to go out and start looking. After only a few hours of Internet research the Infinity G35 seems to have climbed to the top of the list.

Thanks for your input Qarl. I'm sure any of those would be better than a Lotus Elise.

John I think there is a better idea. Someone in the club contacts Overhaulin, they do the whole setup and steal your car and let the A team loose. I can just see Chip Foose trying to figure out what to do to the Dodge Stealth.
Or you could go on MTV and have them "PIMP YOUR RIDE". XBOX and DVD screens all over the car. If you don't like that idea, maybe someone can get in touch with Bluebear, and you could let him loose on the Stealth.
Just a thought.
CCLINRIDES

New Mustang GT
Rx8
968 coupe, with $ to spare and spend on the 914-6

or Ditch the van as tow car and get a magnum hemi wagon with dubs, you are in vegas after all...

Ferg.

Here's what I drive when I am not in a 914.....

95 BMW 540I. 4.0L V8, 5 speed auto, full leather interior, all the bells and whistles you could want...

Paid far less than bluebook for it with under 100K on the clock. Seems there was an engine recall on these, and they don't sell too well. But if you find one that had it done by the dealer already (Warranty to 100K miles), you get an Excellent car cheap. This thing will flatten your eyeballs on accelleration, and it has the sport suspension setup.

No brainer for me.

Infiniti G35 coupe.

Wins all the awards.

T

Two doors, sporty, fun, and $20-30K? I'd go with:

NEW: Infiniti G35 coupe. Dynamically excellent (better than most German stuff save the 3 Series), far better steering and handling than any current Audi/VW offering, should be VERY reliable, and VERY popular around the Ross Peridocials offices, and we drive just about everything but tow vehicles and minivans.

USED: Plain used Boxster 1999-2001 for $15-25K. Skip the S and save the money. Who can't use an extra $10,000? The S is better, but not $7,000-10,000 better. The base 986 is every bit as sweet as the S to drive in terms of handling, noises, etc. and gives you all the squirt you need (so long as you know how to drive it -- and you're a914 gy, so I know you do ). It's also the best damn used sports car value on the planet.

pete

I have to trow my plug in for the MazdaSpeed Miata. My '97 is nice, but the new turbos have everything mine needs. Full suspension, body, interior, and engine mods. Great little car. Just a little short on trunk space.
--Alex

is that where you put your purse?


JK man.... holdin down the fort in pendleton?
take it easy, see ya! (alex driving miata smiley......fun car)

Seriously...

The New Pontiac GTO seems kinda cool

Turbo Miata

New Mustang GT

Infinity G35

Any of the six cylinder 3-series BMWs

VW Passat VR6

And finally...

the Audi A4... I think there will be a 2.0 Turbo to replace the 1.8T. I really like the Audi A4s

The G35 is a great car but isn't it over $30K?

Before you pick up the G35 I recommend you test drive a VW R32 (if you can find one). It's a blast to drive! I just bought one to replace my M3 daily driver and posted about it below:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?act...&t=21804&hl=r32

I vote for one of these Fun car, price range $19K - $21K.

I read a few days ago that the Dodge Neon has the worst projected value retention of any car in America. Not saying the SRT isn't a blast to drive, but the resale value is expected to plummet.

...of course, you buy the car to drive it, not sell it.

Mr.2 is getting long in the tooth (121K miles). I'm a 2 seater kinda guy, so the Honda S2000 is a slam dunk when the time comes.

Then it looks like I will picking up one cheap in a few years

If you need something with 4 doors but want some fun, and space in the back,


-go to a saab dealer, find the nice'st 02 93 they have and walk away with a fully warrantied near luxury hatch for 14-18k

-Full leather

-On-star

-trip computer, heated seats, s-roof, 205 hp, etc....

-near 30mpg

-and its a hatch with tons of room with the seats down...

-great value, and they are practically giving them away...and with interest rates so low, you can get a used car loan in the 4% range if your credit is decent...

I have a 1988 BMW M5, a classic and it flies. It's for sale.

I headed out today with an open mind and a list of over 20 models I wanted to check out. I returned home with a much more manigable list of top contenders. I learned I am truely a sports car kind of guy. I now know without a doubt that I don't like 4 door cars.

I thought the Infinity G35 was going to be among my top choices. I quickly knew it was not the one for me.

Some of the other rejects are:
VW - GTI & R32 - The R32 is a very nice car. Both seem like to much sauerkraut (German Rice) for my taste.
Suburu WRX - another great car (if that's what you want). One of my friends who is an excellent auto-crosser traded in his BMW M3 last year for a WRX and loves it.
Mini Cooper and some of the other high revving 4 cylinders are fun cars but not what I am looking for in a daily driver.
Pontiac GTO was nothing special. Just a big motor. I would much rather have an Impala SS.
Chrysler Crossfire - I was impressed a few months ago when I saw one do very well at an auto-cross. As a potential buyer - no thanks. It also had a $2K 'market value' add above MSRP.
BMW - The M3 is to expensive. The other 3 series cars are 4 door. The Z4 is not all that. I have some seat time as a drivers ed instructor in a Z3 and was disappointed.
Mercedes C class - not enough of a good thing.
Boxster - maybe if I didn't already have a nice 914-6.
Acura was not on my original list. They don't have any models that fit my guidelines, but I was very impressed by the quality.
Audi TT & A4 - see above comments. 4 cyl / 4 door. Nice cars.


The three I am now considering:
Honda S2000 - another car I have piloted at a Track Quest DE event. On a road course it was surprisingly similar to my 914 race car. Yes I know it is a 4 cyl. V-tech but it is a very pleasing car to drive.
Mazda RX8 - when they came out I did not like the looks. Maybe I am prejudice since my 1st race car was a RX7. I do like that it has some sort of a back seat.
Nissan 350Z - lots of HP and torque. It does feel a bit heavy compared to the other two.

I did stumble on one other option. It is a little beyond my planned budget, but way more car than I thought I could get. Why is the current price of a low mileage 2001 Mercedes SL500 less than half of what it sold for new? It is a beautiful machine. Are they unreliable? Would it make a good daily driver counterpart to my /6? The other 3 choices are the best options out there. Any of them would be good choice. The SL500 was the only one that made my heart flutter. Somebody talk me out of it. Please.

Then I say go with the with the SL500 (wood-invoker)!

Plus you won't have that language barrier in the garage between the cars!

There only payments.....if it fits the budget. go for it.

Wholesale: $34,753
Retail: $46,856



The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster arrives this new model year with detail refinements and an upgraded exterior appearance. Formerly part of an option package, the AMG-designed sculpted lower bodywork and 18-inch alloy wheels are now standard. Standard features include a Bose Acoustimass stereo system, the Brake Assist system, and both hard and soft tops. A Panorama Roof is optional that consists of a hard top with a complete glass panel top. Two designo editions are available, the Slate Blue Edition and the Black Diamond Edition. Both include unique two-tone Nappa leather seating and either carbon-fiber or maple wood trim. The SL 600 continues with its signature V12 engine, which produces 389-hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.


All I could find worthwhile to read about it...

Is that Canadian?

I should have know better than to come here looking for the voice of reason.

This blue car pulled up when I was at one of the dealers.
I wonder if he is trading it in?

I'd still get the Merc........ an a bottle of sunsceen!

I'm no "mustang" expert, but there's something about the front of that car that doesn't look quite kosher

A month ago these with 6speeds were selling for $25.300 in Atlanta. I think the MSRP was $33k thats a discount of $8k. Seemed like alot of car for the money.


Bob