beater/daily-drvr... which would you get (sedan) ? Options

[Crazy Canuck]

As title says,

what car would you guys get ?
I'm looking for a family car (sedan) with the following goodies:

• leather
• dual-climate-zone
• heated seats
• HIDs
• sun-roof
• leather interior
• decent handling/power
• automatic (wife doesn't want manual)

I test drove the Subaru Legacy GT Limited edition and wasn't impressed.
Although the AWD was good, lighting sucked, and the triptronic was bloody slow to shift. I prefer the Volvo S60 AWD a lot more compared to that one.
Anyways, what would you get as a car and why ?
I'm thinking on SAAB 93-Aero (2.8V6Turbo: 250hp/258tq, 3175lbs) vs SAAB 9-5(2.8I4Turbo: 260hp/258tq, 3670lbs)... pretty much same price, power.
The 9-3Aero is lighter (~500lbs) but less goodies... so might be more fun to drive, but maybe have less value then the 9-5.
It's a car I want to keep for long (10+ yrs), and have no kids YET, but they might be in the picture very soon, hence the decision for a family oriented car (practical)... but I still want something decent to drive... much better than the 94 civic I have.

Anyways... waiting on input.

[bobbylee]

I drive a '76 Ford Maverick. No payments. No one will steal it. Parking lot dings are a non-issue. Larger dents are handled with a hammer, dolly, and some spray paint. Only costs $250 per year for insurance. The a/c blows 48 deg when it's 95 out. It gets 20-21 mpg avg city/freeway, more when I get an o/d in it. The thing is stone reliable and I'd drive it cross country tomorrow. With larger sway bars, black d-spoke Nascar type wheels and decent rubber plus KYB shocks it doesn't drive too bad either. There's a jackass on the hood and the eyes light up at night. Oh, and I got two bumper stickers. One says Dog Is My Co-Pilot and the other says Drunks Against Mad Mothers. The last one is a favorite with social do-gooders and police officers. My dogs and I go to the park and eat fried chicken, throw the bones out the window, and watch the ducks and grackles go nuts.

P.S It's not for sale to all of you who are covetous of it.

I've got my eyes on a '66 Nova 6 cyl with 79K original miles on it. It's a stick car with a/c. A T-50 5 speed is a drop in for it. I'm waiting for the guy to come up with a price that's agreeable.

Why spend money on a beater when you can spend it on a hot rod.

[JKnight]

Go drive a BMW 3 series or 5 series, depending on what size sedan you want. BMWs are driver's cars, and are a joy to drive.

Don't listen to Randy. I don't know anyone that ad the maintenance issues that he seems to have had, and I know a lot of folks with BMWs.

You could help us spend your money if you narrowed the search with new vs. used and a price range. :-)

Jason

[Crazy Canuck]

Go drive a BMW 3 series or 5 series, depending on what size sedan you want. BMWs are driver's cars, and are a joy to drive.

Don't listen to Randy. I don't know anyone that ad the maintenance issues that he seems to have had, and I know a lot of folks with BMWs.

You could help us spend your money if you narrowed the search with new vs. used and a price range. :-)

Jason

every single time I've driven a BMW, I've gotten very disappointed @ it.
in all honesty, even the 3 series is so overpriced... so they are out of the radar scan.
and to answer an earlier question, invest in daily driver so that daily driving is somewhat enjoyable and not a PITA (Pain In The ***) (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif)

[jensend]

Believe that the Acura TSX comes in a 4 door configuration. Plenty of comfort, tech, and decent performance.

[severous01]

the new RL from Acura is nice. BTW...the new Passat is nice too. has more goodies than you can imagine.

my mom has an older Altima with the v-6, i think it would give a stock camaro a run for it's money. she averages about 28 MPG and the new ones have an option for HIDs and GPS units. stock 17" wheels and sport tuned suspension, spoiler, leather, stick shifter...it's a sweet ride if you ask me

[BigEnos]

My Dad is a big fan of SAABs. He's had some pretty good luck with most of them, and one was a real headache. I borrowed his 9000 once to drive to Montreal. Fantastic car for the trip never missed a beat. It was only the CDE with a turbo 4 and an auto. I could drive it every day and be pretty happy, as long as I had something else interesting.

I agree on the BMW front. They are nice, but not that nice. There's tons of them for sale, too. Carmax alone has hundreds. I just don't see how the prices stay so high.

The SAAB sounds like a good choice to me. Only other car I can think of is a WRX, but Subies are a love 'em/hate 'em proposition.

[BigEnos]

Oh, yeah. Check out the Acura TL, too. Hear nothing but good about them and personally I like the way they look.

[Crazy Canuck]

Believe that the Acura TSX comes in a 4 door configuration. Plenty of comfort, tech, and decent performance.

only thing about the TSX is that it's quite loud inline-4 (civic-ish)... test-drove it... and would rather spend the extra $ and get a TL

[Crazy Canuck]

the new RL from Acura is nice. BTW...the new Passat is nice too. has more goodies than you can imagine.

my mom has an older Altima with the v-6, i think it would give a stock camaro a run for it's money. she averages about 28 MPG and the new ones have an option for HIDs and GPS units. stock 17" wheels and sport tuned suspension, spoiler, leather, stick shifter...it's a sweet ride if you ask me

RL is too expensive and big... the Passat I am considering.
As for the Altima, wouldn't consider them, since they don't offer dual climate zone and heated seats.
The Maxima does, but for the price, I think the Volvo S60 is a better choice.
I was actually disappointed @ the Maxima test drive and found that the Accord offers more space, confort, support for less, and is actually more fun to drive than the Maxima.
Nissan is out of picture.

[Crazy Canuck]

My Dad is a big fan of SAABs. He's had some pretty good luck with most of them, and one was a real headache. I borrowed his 9000 once to drive to Montreal. Fantastic car for the trip never missed a beat. It was only the CDE with a turbo 4 and an auto. I could drive it every day and be pretty happy, as long as I had something else interesting.

I agree on the BMW front. They are nice, but not that nice. There's tons of them for sale, too. Carmax alone has hundreds. I just don't see how the prices stay so high.

The SAAB sounds like a good choice to me. Only other car I can think of is a WRX, but Subies are a love 'em/hate 'em proposition.

Thanks,
I considered the Sub's, but was more inclined towards a Legacy 2.5GT Limited.
Test drove one this week, liked the AWD, exterior and interior.
Lots of nice things, but the tranny is bloody slow to shift (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) and the lighting isn't efficient on the road... my 94 civic illuminates the road better, and the ABS, when comes on, causes an earth-quake of rattles (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
so i'm reconsidering the subarues.

Other possibilities I have in mind:
Saab 93 Aero
Saab 95
Impala SS (no HIDs) testdriving tonight.
Accord V6 (no HIDs)
Acura TL
Passat
Hyundai Sonata (no HIDs) seems like a great bang for buck, though
Volvo s60
audi a4

seems like the volvo is the only one that can offer the awd, and at this point, i don't care much if it's only a fwd.
Would be nice if Impala SS was rwd.
before I'd consider any bmw, I'd give a chance to the Mercedes C320 sport... but it's getting $.

1 thing to note is that i'm not in a rush, so I have to come accross a great deal from manufacturer... i can afford to wait.

[slowTA]

Pontiac G6 four door GTP... 240 hp, manual shift 4 speed auto, adjustable pedals, etc. Haven't drivenone but heard good things about them.

[Crazy Canuck]

Pontiac G6 four door GTP... 240 hp, manual shift 4 speed auto, adjustable pedals, etc. Haven't drivenone but heard good things about them.

isn't that mechanically the same as the Malibu SS ?

[slowTA]

Could be... I haven't really compared them side by side, most likely they are. I know both 200 hp motors have the electric power steering pump. I was originally looking at the GTP since you can get a 6 speed manual with it, 2 door version instead though. Actually isn't the Malibu SS coming as a wagon too? That may be more user friendly for a family. I looked at the wagon a few months ago during one of the dealer's promotions, not a bad car. Just wasn't the right time to get a new car. Funny thing is that I think the trunk in the 4 door is wider since they don't put any of the plastic interior stuff in it.

[Crazy Canuck]

Could be... I haven't really compared them side by side, most likely they are. I know both 200 hp motors have the electric power steering pump. I was originally looking at the GTP since you can get a 6 speed manual with it, 2 door version instead though. Actually isn't the Malibu SS coming as a wagon too? That may be more user friendly for a family. I looked at the wagon a few months ago during one of the dealer's promotions, not a bad car. Just wasn't the right time to get a new car. Funny thing is that I think the trunk in the 4 door is wider since they don't put any of the plastic interior stuff in it.

unfortunately, I'll have to go with an automatic... wife won't compromise there.
the wagon is the MAXX version and fwiw, we are not interested on wagons... and my wife REALLY hates wagons... lol... I hate minivans.

[rpoz-29]

We bought an '06 Sonata in late August. Plenty of neat features, but we didn't want leather. Plenty quick, but the mileage isn't what I had hoped for....we're averaging 21mpg, but virtually all of it in town, and we only have 2800 miles on it. Handling is fair, although I really haven't pushed it much. The "select-shift" is fun to play with, but it upshifts a little slow. For the money it's a good buy, and the warranty is wonderful.

[DanO]

First off.. what is your $$ range???


1.New Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300C (both can have the SRT-8 option and auto) If i wanted a classy buisness vehicle i would take the SRT-8 300. plus they have RWD!!!

2.Infinity G35 (again RWD + Auto+ 4 doors) ... but the coupes look 100x better

3. Lexus IS350 quite powerful, rwd, auto, 4 doors (or an older IS300.. but they are quite small and less powerfull)

[Teutonic Speedra...]

I'd steer clear of a Saab or Volvo due to the price of parts and labor. I'd go with something Japanese.

[00 Trans Ram]

Well, my sister-in-law just got a Pontiac G6 GT w/ leather and all the other stuff. It is very nice, and handles pretty well. However, I agree with DanO - get the Charger or 300. Nice, powerful, and good handling.

Personally, I decided to go with a Saturn ION3. I got leather, sunroof, XM radio, and every other available option. Total price, plus a 6/72,000 warranty was $22k-ish. I figured that I'd rather spend the extra $$ on house (minor flooding from Katrina-induced hot water heater failure) and turning the ESP Trans Am to a CP/road race car. Oh, and I commute 100 miles (roundtrip) per day, so the 32mpg is nice too!

[Crazy Canuck]

I'd steer clear of a Saab or Volvo due to the price of parts and labor. I'd go with something Japanese.

labor ?
what's that... I'll have car lift in the house being built... noone else is touching my cars apart from myself (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)