best car new or used for no more than 20000 dollars

[godspeed06]

im seriously considering getting a solstice this winter when it comes out. my dad works for gm so i can get the gm discount, plus as one of his perks, he can drive it for three months then buy it at a "used car" price along with the discount. and obviously no one has driven it yet so im not asking for comparing car to car; id just like some more ideas of a reliable yet fun car new or used to be had for 20000. i dont want anything older than say 5 years though. for example, im thinking about the audi tt, but then again, it is an audi so repairs wont be as cheap as a gm car. thanks.

[SilviaEvo]

personally i would opt for a 2001 Honda S2000. they are Honda so they should be really reliable. the pricing is around 19-20K. you might be able to find a good 330CI Coupe for around that price as well. earlier in the 2000 range of course. personally i dont like GM cars except for the Hummer. everything is just too expensive.

[ZfrkS62]

personally i would opt for a 2001 Honda S2000. they are Honda so they should be really reliable. the pricing is around 19-20K. you might be able to find a good 330CI Coupe for around that price as well. earlier in the 2000 range of course. personally i dont like GM cars except for the Hummer. everything is just too expensive.

That's going to be one high mileage 330CI. a CPO will still run you about 32K, maybe 28K for a non certified. There is an E46 around here, private seller, for 14,500. Probably what they owe on it.

[SilviaEvo]

personally i would opt for a 2001 Honda S2000. they are Honda so they should be really reliable. the pricing is around 19-20K. you might be able to find a good 330CI Coupe for around that price as well. earlier in the 2000 range of course. personally i dont like GM cars except for the Hummer. everything is just too expensive.

That's going to be one high mileage 330CI. a CPO will still run you about 32K, maybe 28K for a non certified. There is an E46 around here, private seller, for 14,500. Probably what they owe on it.
well excuse me for not being a BMW worker :lol: :lol: :lol: ! as usual it was a good idea in the head.

[ViperASR]

I would test drive the solstace. I dont know how they would be on reliability. American cars tend to suck with reliability. Even our $150,000 Ford GT has been recalled for suspension parts breaking. Aside from questionable reliabilty, it would be a good buy. Possibly a used WRX, or S2000

[godspeed06]

yea, s2000 would be nice, not much low end grunt though... as much as i love winding an engine out, i also love feeling it pull from 2000 rpm... yea i will definitely test drive the solstice. im not worried about gm reliability. the only thing i would be worried about is it is its first year run so there are going to be problems. doesnt matter who makes it, first years always have them. as much as i like the bmw 3 series, there are just way too many of them. id like something that is at least somewhat eye catching. the solstice certainly will be.

[DeMoN]

how can you not be worried about an american car's reliability? I say S2000 if you dont mind a 2 seater. I was going to get one of those, but my father didnt want me getting a 2 seater (which basically is what I have lol, rarely ppl sit behind and well only midgets could fit for a longer than 10 mins ride)

[godspeed06]

american cars had higher reliability ratings than european cars in the last consumer reports reliability ratings. they are getting much better, still slightly behind japanese though. and none of my family's cars have ever had problems so first hand experience is fine. so i guess all anyone can come up with so far is the s2000? theres gotta be more than that :lol: .

[SilviaEvo]

there are a bunch more Japanese cars in the mid 90's that are nice but not sure if they would be the best choice because they are so old.

[antonioledesma]

I don't really know how used cars are priced in the USA, but with that money I would buy a 2003-2004 jetta gli or golf gti, of course here in mexico. After owning a stratus 98, I seriously doubt I'll buy another chrysler or almost any american car

how much an mr2 is worth down there?

but... we could help you more if you give your ideas of what a car should be. ie. fast, reliable, good looking, with booth, cheap repair and parts. You will carry more ppl than your girl/boy friend and a couple of backpacks.
a sporty coupe, family sedan, comfy big sedan, etc

[Nemisis8u]

Do you want a RWD car? Or it does not matter? Im not sure on the prices of these cars so dont flame me.

GTO, LS1 model
Mach 1
SVT Cobra
Camaro
Trans Am
350 Z
RX8 ?
Miata :?

[ZfrkS62]

of all those you listed, i think the Trans Am is the only one i've seen for less than 20K. I think i have seen them for 18K.

not counting the Miata of course :lol:

[antonioledesma]

here you can buy a 95' camaro for 8k :mrgreen:
I'm seriously thinking in buying one

[Nemisis8u]

of all those you listed, i think the Trans Am is the only one i've seen for less than 20K. I think i have seen them for 18K.

not counting the Miata of course :lol:

Cool thanks, I was going to try autotrader.com to look at prices to be of more help. But then didnt know any of your zip codes. After trying a few random numbers I gave up.

[SilviaEvo]

Nemisis8u a lot of those cars are worth over 20k. not flaming just saying. but most are close by barely. like the 350Z if he sqeezed out about 3-4k more he could get a good one maybe.

Antonio are you talking about the SW20 or the MR2 Spyder? the SW20 is around 10k in the US its a nice car and there is one with a turbo. the Spyder is a shitty ass car at 138hp and 125 ft-lbs of torque. but a 2004 is 20k.

[godspeed06]

ok ill give you some more info. im only going to be a sophomore in college so cheap repairs is definitely needed (ie no used mercedes or audi). i would like a coupe or two seat roadster. also insurance costs need to be taken into account. i have a clean record but at my age i think a v8 would bump up insurance too much for me to afford. besides the insurance costs i would be just fine with a v8 :D . it doesnt need to be lightning quick, but quick enough. and i would like it to be eye catching, dont want a sleeper. 350z, s2000 sound like good ideas. id have to get an early model 350z though and they had a shitload of problems. anyone here have experience with an early year z?

edit. mr2 sounds good too. what is the sw20 youre talking about?

[ZfrkS62]

The 2003 Z's were pretty problem free. I don't remember hearing about any major problems with them, which is amazing for the fact that it was a first year run.

You are going to be facing quite a large insurance cost for a coupe and even heftier for a roadster.

[Nemisis8u]

What about a WRX?

[ZfrkS62]

the WRX i think is a good possibilty

[SilviaEvo]

yes teh WRX is good you could get a 2003 RS or something for around 20k. and godspeed i am talking about the old MR2's the last generations. they had a 200 hp turbo version.
http://www.mr2.com/GRAPHICS/mr2-red3.gif

[TransAm]

I shall throw the RX7 into the debate as well. Excellent power to weight ratio (260 hp, 1300kg/3100lbs) for under 20k. Trouble is trying to find a decent one...

I had no major problems with my 01 WS6 and it was fun to drive, but at the end of the day it's a however-many-year-old chassis thats just had some powertrain and bodywork updates over the last twenty years, and compared to something like a 330i refinement is zero. It's cheap speed and you gets what you pays for. I've seen WS6s for $16k round here. I wouldnt buy one without a warranty though, lots of niggling little problems like seals letting water through into the cabin, horn replaced, water pump packed up (three year old car with 28k mi) window motors wore out, interior plastic flimsy etc.

I imagine the GTO is MUCH better as its a ground-up new design and with the GM discount on a preowned you might just might find one for 20k if you hold out til when you say you're going to wait to buy.

The other GM choice might be a Corvette, but there are people on here more knowledgable than I on Vettes so I will leave it to them...

Good luck in your quest!

[ZfrkS62]

I assume you're talking about the 3rd Gen RX-7? I know most of the 2nd Gen's will go for dirt cheap just due to the fact that the seals on the rotors are gone. even still, that's a problem to watch out for on the higher mileage 3rd Gens as well. Rotary engines are great if you don't mind having no low end torque but alot of high end power.

[TransAm]

Yes the 3rd generation. The ones that look a bit stealth in black...

:twisted:

[godspeed06]

a wrx is another reasonable choice, i would take the s2000 before it though. a GTO would be nice, but id have to see what insurance would be on it. same with the s2000. is it true that convertibles are that much more in insurance? i dont think id want an rx7 just because its a rotary engine.

[ferrarif1fan89]

used s2000, or maybe an old 5 series. maybe the second gen m5's have gone down below 20g, atleast for a high-mileage example.

[HeilSvenska]

If you really want a Solstice, why not wait for the better looking Saturn Sky/Vauxhall Lighting instead? they're the same car but i'm sure Sky'll be cheaper, although it'll probably less powerful.

*actually, the pontiac has a mere 7hp more

[coloradosilver]

I'm going to go along wit everyone else who has said WRX.

Reliabilty, good stock performance, excellent car to modify if you want. AWD, It's an all around good car. And they seem to hold their value pretty well too.

[SilviaEvo]

problem with the mid 90's Japanese cars is that they probably havent been taken care of well and the engines are probably screwed over. so i say go with the WRX its a sensible choice and your insurance shouldnt be as high as a S2000.

[godspeed06]

yea, right now im the most serious about the s2000 and the solstice. the wrx is quick, has four seats and a big trunk, but i feel like ill have enough time the rest of my life to own a sedan. right now i dont need a sedan and id like to see what its like to drive a roadster. im gonna start looking up stuff on the 2001-2002 s2000s. the idea of a roadster is just too appealing to me. as far as teh sky goes, i like the clean lines of the solstice much more and the solstice will sticker for around 5 grand cheaper and has a few more horses.

[coloradosilver]

Isn't the solstice going to be Front Wheel Drive? You don't want that!

[blah]

Isn't the solstice going to be Front Wheel Drive? You don't want that!

RWD.

[SilviaEvo]

yea, right now im the most serious about the s2000 and the solstice. the wrx is quick, has four seats and a big trunk, but i feel like ill have enough time the rest of my life to own a sedan. right now i dont need a sedan and id like to see what its like to drive a roadster. im gonna start looking up stuff on the 2001-2002 s2000s. the idea of a roadster is just too appealing to me. as far as teh sky goes, i like the clean lines of the solstice much more and the solstice will sticker for around 5 grand cheaper and has a few more horses.
the Solstice weighs more than the S2000. Solstice - 2860lbs, S2000 - 2755. the Solstice is weaker 170hp and teh S2000 is 240hp. the Solstice has a bit more torque specially around the low end area though. Solstice - 170ft-lbs, S2000 - 153ft-lbs. the S2000 has a nice 6 speed gearbox which i believe should be better than the Solstices 5 speed gearbox. also the S2000 revs really high :twisted: .

[godspeed06]

yea, the s2000 had me really excited. it seems unbelievable on paper. but after reading a bunch of stuff on it, it seems like its just made for the track. apparently its loud as hell (to be honest, im fine with that, i like the sound of engines but i also think it cruises at 4500 rpm on the interstate that is unacceptable - my dads 1966 mgb is like that, but a 2003 car shouldnt have to do that) as far as daily driving im not so impressed anymore, i mean you only have 3000 rpm once vtec hits to have any fun at all and to do that you have to be way up at 6000 rpm, below that its a pig - its roll on (5-60mph) is ungodly slow at 7.6 seconds. thats just ridiculous for a car at that weight and horsepower and roll on starts are much better indicators of what a car is like during daily driving. its chassis is very good, and everyone praises it for its neutral chassis, and great gearshift, but then again the solstice is built on a brand new rwd platform and can pull .90 g on its shitty eagle rsa stock tires. put some decent tires on there and it will hold even high than .90. thats very very good for a 20000 dollar car. i dont know, im a little dissapointed with the s2000 now; it still deserves a test drive but im not as psyched as i was :cry:.

oh yea, the solstice gets almost all of its torque below 3000 rpm. it seems to be a very good engine.

[Shinigami]

I quite like the Miata and the S2000 myself. I've had some good moments with them.

[TransAm]

yea, the s2000 had me really excited. it seems unbelievable on paper. but after reading a bunch of stuff on it, it seems like its just made for the track. apparently its loud as hell (to be honest, im fine with that, i like the sound of engines but i also think it cruises at 4500 rpm on the interstate that is unacceptable - my dads 1966 mgb is like that, but a 2003 car shouldnt have to do that) as far as daily driving im not so impressed anymore, i mean you only have 3000 rpm once vtec hits to have any fun at all and to do that you have to be way up at 6000 rpm, below that its a pig - its roll on (5-60mph) is ungodly slow at 7.6 seconds. thats just ridiculous for a car at that weight and horsepower and roll on starts are much better indicators of what a car is like during daily driving. its chassis is very good, and everyone praises it for its neutral chassis, and great gearshift

I agree completely. I drove the S2000 and the Z3 3.0i back to back - to cut a long story short I bought the Z3.

I drove the S2K a week ago or so, as much as I love the VTEC my feelings haven't changed. It's useless below 6000rpm. It was a relief to get back into the (turbocharged) Saab and make torquey progress at low revs.

Look at the 30-50mph and 50-70mph times rather than 0-60 times if you want a flexible torquey motor.

[godspeed06]

yea, i have so much more fun dropping a gear or two and pulling away (the 30-60 stuff) than the 0-whatever stuff. its no where near as hard on your car and tires either. i wish i could get a z3 3.0i but i dont think i can with my price range. i love the z4 also but thats definitely out of my range.

if teh s2000 dropped its redline to 7000 and vtech to around 4500 even if it lost 20-25 hp i would like it more. thats how much the nature of the engine bothers me, i would be fine with a weaker engine as long as it was more useable day to day.

[ViperASR]

Hey guys, why bad mouth the miata. I think that they are great handling cars. Put some thicker anti-rollbars on it, and some racing wheels and tires, and they will scare the shit out of you in a corner. Throw on a Turbo or a Supercharger and you can get well over 300 reliable-hp. And that will beat a lot of cars on track days. Thow on a body kit and you wont look like the other "gay" miata drivers. You can probobly do most of this for under 20000

[madcowfj79]

Get a 240sx for about 1000 and then but some work into it. Like a new engine...SR20DET or if you are really brave a RB26DETT or any of the RB engines. Doin about 15K of mods to this little car will but you well over 300bhp

[godspeed06]

the miata just seems so bland to me... there are so many of them, but i might end up test drving a msm at some point. just seems like even though i dont like it that much, i owe it to myself to give it a shot. its sold so well for such a long time. as far as getting a junker and putting thousands and thousands in mods on it... i dont think that is what i want. i need something with a warranty and everything. i cant have something break and then have to find money to fix it. i need need need a warranty. so the modding thing is pretty much out :cry: .

[godspeed06]

i just noticed i can get a 2002 wrx sti for around 20000. does anyone know how reliable this would be and expensive to own?? i know it has virtually slick tires stock so i realized tires will be an expensive thing but im not going to put huge miles on this car so i can deal with that.

[irrational_i]

I know I am biased and its not your requirement, but I would look at some other, older cars too.

For instance you can buy a late 80's, low mileage Porsche Carrera. '87 - '89 is best.
You may be able to pick a good one up for around $15k. (Anolder SC like my car is about $10k-$15k)
$5k can do a lot of repairs if needed. Although a good example should not need much. A lot of service parts are shared with older Mercedes and other German cars, so its easy enough to get.
If you are like me and do your own brakes, filters etc. You can cut cost a lot.
Fuel consumption can be heavy depending on your driving style.
Also you will not lose any money on the car. They appreciate, so its an investment.

Another older car I would never disregard as a student car is a nice E30 BMW 325i('89-'91). Even a cabrio should be cheap, but I have no idea about US prices for those.

[godspeed06]

im just afraid of insurance and service costs with one of those... but it would be cool. 8)

[SilviaEvo]

i just noticed i can get a 2002 wrx sti for around 20000. does anyone know how reliable this would be and expensive to own?? i know it has virtually slick tires stock so i realized tires will be an expensive thing but im not going to put huge miles on this car so i can deal with that.
uhmmmmmm there were no 2002 WRX STi's for America. only Asia and Europe and dont know about Aussie land/

[godspeed06]

yea haha, i figured that one out, i was looking on ebay and the guy was bullshitting, at first it seemed odd but i didnt think much of it. on the same topic, the 2004 sti are around 23000 right now which is pretty cheap i think.

[T-Bird]

yea haha, i figured that one out, i was looking on ebay and the guy was bullshitting, at first it seemed odd but i didnt think much of it. on the same topic, the 2004 sti are around 23000 right now which is pretty cheap i think.

A 2004 STi for 23,000 would be beaten to shit and I wouldn't trust it too well.
According to Kelly Blue Book a 2004 STi with 20,000 miles and only a good condition rating is worth $25k from a private party and 28 from a dealer.

[irrational_i]

im just afraid of insurance and service costs with one of those... but it would be cool. 8)

I do not know how insurance works in the USA, but servicing is not so bad.
If it is comparable to South Africa - and the parts prices seem to indicate it will be - a personal Porsche mechanic (Easy to find from a Porsche club I am sure) should run to about $200-$300 per service. Definitely not more than $500!
(My mechanic charges about $50 per hour, service parts about $150)
Some parts can be expensive and US-spec Porsches have extra bits in them to meet emissions standards.
Tyres are cheap enough. A set should be between $400 and $500.
Fuel Consumption is roughly 17mpg for me and I drive very fast. Regularly over 100mph etc. Highway is about 20mpg.
The really expensive fixes sometimes required by older Porsches are gearbox synchros (Around $3000) and Chain Tensioners (About $3000) both including labour. The later Carrera models should not need these repairs.

My car has just hit 165000 miles and they have been very trouble free.

If you are interested a little bit of research and questions to the Porsche club of America is recommended....

[godspeed06]

yea haha, i figured that one out, i was looking on ebay and the guy was bullshitting, at first it seemed odd but i didnt think much of it. on the same topic, the 2004 sti are around 23000 right now which is pretty cheap i think.

A 2004 STi for 23,000 would be beaten to shit and I wouldn't trust it too well.
According to Kelly Blue Book a 2004 STi with 20,000 miles and only a good condition rating is worth $25k from a private party and 28 from a dealer.

yea, i went to kbb and punched in 25000 miles and it gave me 23 something. the only thing keeping me from basically pouncing on one of these is that i know theyve probably been extremely abused, mostly by people who think they know how to drive and dont, and beat the hell out of everything. i mean, the way that these cars are advertised and and talked about, im sure that every single person who has bought one is between 20-30 and was looking to drive really FAST all the time. i think the only option would be to get one certified pre owned and then it would be too expensive compared to privately buying one.