ok i bought a z for the wife to baby (i wouldnt dare park it on my construction site every day!) and i love it. its by far the fastest, best looking, most well made car i have every owned.

i will need a new car for myself soon! my 91 jeep cherokee is starting to fall apart.

what to get? i like the subaru WRX, and i wouldnt feel so bad about it being out here on my job site. we need something with a back seat, so another Z is out of the question (heh heh). i originally wanted a g35 coupe, but thats out of the question due to costs. i dont want to spend much more than 20 if i even get a new car.

any suggestinons? im still leaning towards WRX for the cost vs. fun ratio.

indulf

 

I am not sure if your a big fan of domestic's but I would look into the Ford Focus SVT. You should also check out the Sentra V-Spec ( i think that might be over 20K though).

I owned a Ford Contour SVT and that was an amazing car. Really fun to drive and great handling. SVT is a very reputable company.

 

You might take a look at the Honda Accord. IIRC, they should go out the door for around $25k.

I have a '00 V6 myself and must say it's been problem-free from day 1. Has lots of head room, decent get-up for what it is (15.8@92), decent gas mileage, leather, etc. It even handles pretty well.

 

The SVT would be a good choice. It is fun to drive, relatively quick. What does a Mini S go for? That would also be a fun car around the town. Oh lets not forget the the Neon SR4T !!

 

Get ahold of Consumers Reports most recent car issue & look up its recommendations for used cars in the price range you want to spend. Then look up the reliability ratings of the choices.

Go for the facts, man! LOL!

 

You will end up with a Toyota Camry if you follow them.. yuk

 

CR lists roughly 50 cars as recommended between 18Gs & 22 Gs.

(I never understand it when people don't want facts to HELP make a decision.)

 

breath... breath.... ok... SRT4, best car under 20 grand, 4 doors, 4 seats, and 270hp.

reliability is questionable tho.

 

270?? try 217

270 would make it a serious competitor.

plus for the srt-4-- a good family friend owns a dodge dealer in town and will sell me one for 1% under invoice. they will even let me order it with no $$ down, and if i dont want it there's no harm no foul. reliability is questionable, and no matter what its still a neon.

pluses for the WRX include bulletproof reliability, AWD, and tons of parts out there should i get the inevitable itch to mod it. i DO have to have a faster car than my wife right?

other cars im interested in include slightly used accords, maybe a VW jetta 1.8t (used) among some other domestics that look interesting.

i do read CR and i did see the reccomendations, but it doesnt particularly cover anything that has the kind of soul that im looking for.

the subaru is still in the lead until i can find a typhoon with 10kmi on it for 14,000 bucks! fat chance.

indulf