There are just no cars that are close to quot;perfectquot;... I don't mind some flaws as long as a car's merits overweigh flaws with a great margin. Unfortunately, I don't know a single car that meets this criteria.
Here's a run down of all the sub $50k cars that are on the market right now (sedans and trucks are not included as I don't see them as cars... convertibles are not included either as the only convertible I ever was interested is Miata). Each has dealbreakers listed:
- Smart ForTwo
just NO
- Cobalt SS
way too bland/ugly... I need to like my car, and I only like pretty or cool looking cars
- Civic
boring
- Focus
everything about it
- G5
everything about it
- Tiburon
kind of cute, but that's about it
- Astra
everything about it
- Solara
ugly, huge and boring
- Eclipse
nose heavy, weird design in and out, thirsty
- G6 (GXP)
ugly, it's a Pontiac
- Solstice coupe
impractical, it's a Pontiac
- Mustang
like it, but it's a bit too big... and a bit too... ugly... and a bit not too pretty inside... almost a desirable car... almost
- Altima coupe
sedan with 2 doors
- Genesis coupe 3.8
yet another quot;almostquot;. Almost fast (for 300+ hp)... suspension that is almost comfortable... almost beautiful... almost good interior... everything almost. Stops short of being an exciting car.
- Challenger
too big, thirsty and overpriced
- Camaro
too big, horrible visibility (not good for DD)
- Accord coupe
boring
- RX-8
it's a sedan... ugly and thirsty and kind of slow
- 135i
overpriced, looks like econobox in and out
- 370Z
you absolutely must have it in touring trim with the sport package, and navi... and this way it's almost 40k
- TT
overpriced, not sporty/fast enough
- TTS
two words: turbo lag
- G37
heavy, very dated styling... very old car that's still for sale for some reason
- 335i
big-gish, bland looks, expensive
- A5
same as 335i minus performance
- Shelby GT500
it's an overpriced Mustang...
- Mercedes E350 coupe (new one)
add any option and you're in sixties (as in thousands dollars)
- Corvette
long past the days when it was in low 40ks... also, can't be used in winter
Everything else is above 50k in cheapest trim.
I love cars and spend most of my internet time on car websites... and yet there's not a single NEW car I actually WANT to own. I don't mind having lots of them... some beautiful, some powerful, some sporty, but none of them is worth monthly payments, in my book.
And before anyone mentions used cars (I include CPO there too as most CPO warranties are just for a few months to a year)... I had a few... I think the headaches and worries of repair and maintenance are just not worth it.
Anyone feels the same?
MX-5. Hardtop.
No. I see a lot of cool cars that I would like to own.
Ummm...nope..and you forgot to roast the Miata.
ters have written about those cars (maybe ALL cars) over the past year or so: quot;boringquot;, quot;bigquot;, quot;uglyquot;, quot;blandquot;, quot;datedquot;, quot;impracticalquot;, quot;unexcitingquot;, quot;overpricedquot;, quot;slowquot;, blah blah blah.
There are a few in your list I'd sure like to try...a 370Z maybe, or the Shelby 500 - or a Vette any day!
If you can't think of anything you'd rather drive than an old Miata, I suggest you keep your old Miata (although quot;dated, impractical and slowquot; sort of come to mind ).
Not liking what's available is not really a problem though, is it?
You can just not buy any of them. Its a really cheap option.
Additionally, if, for one reason or another, you really do need to purchase... just go and buy a car that you DO like, even if its not brand new.
Where's the problem?
ok, so you hate a lot of cars. was that the point of your post? because i'm having trouble see the point of this thread, period.
feel free to keep the negativity to yourself. thread is ridiculous.
Pick up a Genesis Coupe R-Spec. It's a stripped down version of the 2.0 Track package priced $3,000 less than the Track (~$23,000 or so). 210 hp Turbo-4 isn't much, but Hyundai made sure it was a tuner car out of the box (so you can fit it to your needs). They themselves said the ECU isn't hard to crack and there is going to be in-house after market support.
Aside from an NC, this would be my pick for a new car.
I find the new STI attractive as a nice utility meets sport kind of thing. Not perfect - but very nice.
After that - not much more. Waiting for the Toyobaru with hope...
Well Nuive ... picky, picky, picky
Originally Posted by rloewy
I find the new STI attractive as a nice utility meets sport kind of thing. Not perfect - but very nice.
After that - not much more. Waiting for the Toyobaru with hope...
I hear a lot of people saying this. I'm in the same boat. Low $20k range with ~200hp, direct injection, decent mileage, RWD coupe... I'm in. Some of the renditions of it look good, some look horrible, terribly, new-mazda-3 wrong. Wish the Tokyo motor show would come sooner so I could make up my mind.
Okay...
Boxster, expensive
Elise, expensive
SLK, expensive
Z4 PRHT, expensive
SL, very expensive
XK, very expensive
Gallardo, very very expensive
F430, very very expensive
I like several of the cars on your list and would buy a couple if I were in the market for a 2 door.
What's wrong with the 370? Even optioned as you would want it, it still falls under your 50k limit.
Of you list, I'd take the 335. I've driven my boss's several times and I love that car!
nuieve, totally understand your frustration, exactly why I went for a car that's 10years old. But what do you look for in a desirable car? sometimes you have to remind yourself that much of makes a car exciting is not performance or daily practicality...it's the history/culture and owners fanaticism. When thinking of that you just have to accept its quirks and shortfalls and think that it's those very things that gives this car its defining character.
Take the mustang for example...a car that's outmatched by current muscle cars, carries the stigma of being a high school student/girls car, universally hated by both domestic and import owners, yet the owners are a tight group and this very thing makes owning a mustang so desirable that they're willing to overlook it's annoyances.
If the A5 has quot;bland looksquot; what do you consider exciting?
This is an excellent time to get a great deal on a used performance car.
Let me put that another way. A Mustang would be a lot easier to swallow at used prices. Ditto a 350 Z with less than 40 K for 12 grand, or a Boxster S for around 20.
Can you say M3 ?
That Hyundai Genesis Coupe looks even better in the flesh, news/2...20391.1-lg.jpg
PS Looking for perfection may relegate you to taking the bus.
I can see where you're coming from but there are a few cars that I like quite a bit. That doesn't mean I necessarily want to own all of these, but I can see their potential to fit someone's criteria for a long term keeper.
base 370z - Much better than the 350 in my opinion and really starting to grow on me. I'm not a fan of the weight and the V6, would love to see a lighter z-car with a turbo 4 and a lower price, but that may just be me.
GTI/TDI Golf - The Mk V and Mk VI GTIs are great. Great low end torque, good gas mileage, and a utilitarian hatch with an upscale interior. I love them. The TDI Golf could be a real winner with good performance and economy in a similar package. Even the Rabbit/Golf is a good hatch for the money. We have a Jetta TDI Wagon and while I find it superb for our needs, the regular hatches may have an edge in their driving dynamics.
Honda Fit - Great value with amazing economy of space. Still want to see an Si version.
VW CC - Super nice interior in a nice package. Haven't seen value like this in a long time. Reminds me of where the entry level Audi A4s used to be.
Soul and Cube - Nice and different. Not too expensive and fun.
MX-5 - I'd love to have an NC. Too bad they haven't put in an iPod connection. I'm worried about the pricing climbing up there but they are a great value in the lower trims.
Prius - Love it or hate it, it's a decent people hauler that has a lot of cool technology. No, it's not a performance vehicle. Price can be a bit daunting but the mileage is fantastic.
Upcoming cars that I think might be fun:
Ford Fiesta - Good value with decent handling?
Honda CRZ - Just hope it isn't too expensive or too boring.
Fiat 500 Abarth - Could be fun.
VW Polo - Not sure it will make it, but could be good small hatch value.
I'm sure there are some more I'm leaving out, but my point is that I don't have a pessimistic view that there aren't interesting cars being made today.
Originally Posted by segundo
I can see where you're coming from but there are a few cars that I like quite a bit. That doesn't mean I necessarily want to own all of these, but I can see their potential to fit someone's criteria for a long term keeper.
base 370z - Much better than the 350 in my opinion and really starting to grow on me. I'm not a fan of the weight and the V6, would love to see a lighter z-car with a turbo 4 and a lower price, but that may just be me.
I'd love to see them bring back a 240SX-type car... they could add to the Z line and call it a 240Z. Some time ago, someone made this design, and I'd give it a hard look if it came with a turbo-four, manual tranny and weighed in under 2800 lbs:
My beef with the new Z car is that despite its outstanding looks and decent performance, it's still about 30% more expensive than the old Z cars were, adjusted for inflation. I would like a cheap, fun sportscar that's not FWD for the low $20k range. A 1971 Z costs about $4200-$5k new which translates to about $21k to $26k today, while the 370z starts at $30k. The new Genesis finally hit this mark, but it looks like a turd and is way overweight. The NC is also around there, but it's pretty sluggish. There are fast cars to be had in this price range but they're all FWD. I'm ready for an old Z-car or a new 240SX or something. Hoping that the Toyota/Subaru thing will end up hitting the mark spot on.
From my point of view (I like small cars and hatchbacks), the choices available now are a million times better than they were 10 years ago. Things were grim back then!
There may not be a perfect car out there right now, but that's true more often than you think!
Originally Posted by NoOneCanKillMe
Take the mustang for example...a car that's outmatched by current muscle cars, carries the stigma of being a high school student/girls car, universally hated by both domestic and import owners, yet the owners are a tight group and this very thing makes owning a mustang so desirable that they're willing to overlook it's annoyances.
outmatched in what sense? it is faster in the quarter and to 60 when compared to the challenger, despite having less horsepower, for example.
member) would describe a quot;tight group willing to over look annoyances.quot;
Pontiac G8 GT. Don't knock it until you try it. Great suspension, great interior (LOVE the leather. And this is coming from someone who usually HATES leather), fantastic engine with plenty of power on tap, decent fuel mileage for a V8, huge trunk, huge amount of interior space, etc.
And with Pontiac going belly up, they can be had for a song and a dance. A buddy of mine has one, and I fell in love with it. Made my other friend's Infiniti G35 feel like a Civic in comparison.
common davisinla lets not be so sensitive! Just an example! I wasn't even attacking the mustang! Just pointing out common mustang STIGMAS (which last time I checked are not always true!). Why go OT and get all offended and start flaming?
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Post at 2-7 07:37 AM
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