Help me decide on a newer car

[blackawdtsi]

So a lot of you have probably seen I'm selling two cars and a bike. My plan is to find a newer car with lower miles than what are on the other two. I want something with balls that I don't need to mod (omitting exhaust). My DSM days are over and I'm ok working on cars, just not DSM style working on them. I'm done rebuilding a motor every season.

That being said, I've been looking a lot at the 04 maybe 05/06 Audi S4s. They have plenty of juice but aren't that great in the corners. On the other hand they have AWD and I can drive it in the winter.

My ideal car would be an e46 M3. Obviously this is a summer only car and driving it in the winter would make me want to kick my own @$$. But that doesn't change my attraction to it.

Any cars you guys can think of that I'm missing? I'd like it to be AWD for winter as it will be my only car. Must have good get up and go and above all else, be reliable.

[Kracka]

Evo/RA/STi/WRX

All are decent in power and handling stock, and all will remain reliable if left stock or lightly modded correctly.

[93gtpeater]

I vote c5 vette. Or buy a liter bike and a nice dd/winter beater. Theres a nice repsol liter bike for sale on here. Cough cough

[Trogdor]

Originally Posted by Kracka

Evo/RA

Chris, you beat me to it haha.


The other one you might wanna look at would be a 325ix, or g35x

[blackawdtsi]

There's stock evo's in my price range? Haha. I thought about an Evo or STi but the stigma of modding them or someone else having touched anything doesn't sit well with me. Of course I'll get an itch and be an idiot and end up right where I'm trying to dig out of.

I'd like a Vette. But owning the epitome of compensation would haunt me.

Forgot to put up my price range is $20k or less.

[Trogdor]

Originally Posted by blackawdtsi

There's stock evo's in my price range? Haha. I thought about an Evo or STi but the stigma of modding them or someone else having touched anything doesn't sit well with me. Of course I'll get an itch and be an idiot and end up right where I'm trying to dig out of.

I'd like a Vette. But owning the epitome of compensation would haunt me.

Forgot to put up my price range is $20k or less.

Lease to own, dude! Lease to own is the new way to finance for 60/72 months.

If you go the used STI route, make sure its '07 or older - lol ringlands.

[C3L1CA]

How much are you looking to spend?

I was looking at evo's and you can find decent ones for a pretty good price if you're willing to travel a bit. I also been looking at the 07+ up g35x sedans. Seems like they would make a really comfy daily, still have awd and was thinking it might be halfway sporty enough to tide you over.

Are those m3's really that bad with decent snow tires? I had an s2000 for a little while last winter and granted I only drove it through one decent snow, it seemed just fine if I didn't try to spin the tires and kick it sideways.

[timschot]

I went the 06 S4 route and sold it less than 6 months later. It is an ok car, but it is a turd. They handle ok, but are very heavy for how small a car it is, and the 4.2 motor in them is way too complicated for the power it makes. The interior was a little nicer than on my evo x, I'll admit, and I am really a fan of the B7 body style, but in every other category, the evo wins (and body styles on both are good). Honestly? Evo x... light mods.. call it a day. You say you won't mod it now, but once a modder, always a modder...

[Kracka]

Originally Posted by blackawdtsi

There's stock evo's in my price range? Haha. I thought about an Evo or STi but the stigma of modding them or someone else having touched anything doesn't sit well with me. Of course I'll get an itch and be an idiot and end up right where I'm trying to dig out of.

Forgot to put up my price range is $20k or less.

$20k can get you a nice VIII or WRX. I've seen nice low mileage Ralliarts (baby Evo X) going in the low $20k's (still under warranty coverage). Buy a stock one, or one that is lightly modded with quality parts and proper tuning with detailed service records kept. There are 200k+ mile modified Evos out there, you just have to make sure the car has been taken care of properly and not beat to death (i.e. don't buy a car that's seen track time, modified then returned to stock, modified but untuned, etc.).

[s1ngletracker]

S4's don't handle well??

[Trogdor]

If you've had a chance to drive the newer S4/5's with the Supercharged 6, it's a hell of a lot more fun. Plus this MTM chips unlock some 90HP, where as the V8 they were only getting an extra 20 for the same 3k.

[Trogdor]

Originally Posted by s1ngletracker

S4's don't handle well??

They do pretty well. The one I drove had no-season tires on them so I couldn't really get a good feel for it.

But hands down, there isn't a car in the new car market, for under 100k that handles as well as the Evo X.