First car - Input Please!

Alright, so I've been saving for quite a while, and I hope to be in the market for my very first car by the end of this year if everything works out:dance:. I like to do research on everything, :computer:especially a purchase this big, before hand so I figured may as well get my start now. I will be paying for this all myself (including insurance, I will be calling later this week for quotes), and am pretty excited.

Here is the list of cars I was considering that is within my budget:
Year of production followed by model

05-07 Scion TC
00-03 BMW 323-330I (coupe)
00-04 BMW 323-330I
01-03 Mercedes C240
00 Mercedes C230
01-03 Audi A4
99-01 Porsche Boxster

Bit more expensive but I would be willing to save a bit more and liquidate some of my investments for:

05-07 Mercedes C230
05-06 Dodge Charger
05 BMW 5-Series

So now that you know my list of cars (open to suggestions!) I'll let you know how about how I'll be selecting my vehicle. I will be making a spreadsheet (i'm cool huh.) of all the vehicles in the running, and be giving them different scores for different categories, such as future repairs, safety, practicality, "cool factor", gas expenses annually ect ect. After which, I will add the scores, and make my decision from there. Some cars, such as a Kia Sentra, and Mustang weren't added to the last because of the fact I know too many people with those vehicles :giggle:.I'm really not a fan of Honda/Toyota and what not but if you wanna make your argument for a certain car go for it! Might change my perspective!


Some basic questions I'm looking to get answered (For all of em' if possible! I know you can google it but I'd like to hear from vehicle enthusiasts aswell as guys with the stat books), if you've owned one of the cars on the list please include that if you choose to answer it'd be much appreciated.

What problems should I expect to fix in the future? (Can provide approximate mileage on all the vehicles listed)

How is it to drive?

How much would you say you (would) spent(/d) on maintenance annually?

How many miles is approaching death for this car?

Common problems or any complaints?


I'm sure there are more questions but I'm asking so much; any feed back would be awesome. Opinions are definitely welcome, if you see a car on the list (or not on there) that you are a huge fan of please mention it and let me know why!

My apologies for the blabber :bla2:, just love doing my research! Hope to hear from you all soon.

 

Look at the new tahoes. Dont get that year or whatever of the cherokee unless its an srt8. Look at the xjs(jeep) if you want to offroad it. Dont get a charger unless its an srt8. Boxsters are no bueno. My choice is the audi or 5 series bmw. Or a Bmw X5 <3

 

What don't you like about boxsters + Cherokee's? I'm trying to steer away from SUV's/trucks due to their size (parking isn't always the easiest in Seattle), and gas mileage. The only reason I have the JGC up there is because I love the lines on that car.

 

My uncle get a new Jeep Grand Cherokee every other year. Its a nice suv, but to me it just feels awkward when your sitting in it. My girl had a TC which she loved. We never had any problems with it till she totalled it, lol.

 

I have 2 trains of thought. Go fast(road racing) go slow(rock crawler). The generation of cherokee you put up has independent suspension instead of solid axles. Not so great for rock crawling. The srt8 is the only current non wrangler jeep I would buy. It hauls ass. Well slower than a trailblazer ss, and it looks great. Slam it on some 22 inch wheels nasty cam intake header exhaust small shot of nitrous and it would be fun. Boxsters are the bastard of the porsche line. They dont do anything well or really even good and they look hideous.

 

Maybe you shouldn't have spent so much money on a house in Medina :shead:
JK JK I would also not look at a charger unless it was the SRT8 model.

 

get the audi A4. 'nuff said.

 

Or an A3 if the A4 is too much, but the A4 is about 5k more, so if you want it, it's worth it.
And remember....always ALWAYS get a quattro.


I was going to say get an 2008 RS4...but I saw you were in a budget. :angel:

 

I would remove Jeep grand Cherokee for poor reliability reasons...and add Lexus to your list. Something like IS300, very reliable, very dependable, that car is gonna last!!! If you want a SUV - Lexus RX 330 would be very nice.

 

There's one very important aspect you are overlooking bro, and that's reliability. Most of the vehicles aren't known for their reliability and are out of warranty, meaning a lot of money out of your pocket if it breaks.

Check out Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Toyota, etc and see if you find any cars you like. I like the G35, pushing 300 hp, decent gas mileage (19/26), fun and reliable. The powertrain warranty is also 6 year/70k miles so you're covered if you get a newer one. But that's just my pick for a good DD IMO.

 

I'm definitely keeping reliability in mind, I intend on researching common problems to estimate future repair costs, annual vehicle upkeep costs, ect ect. I would love to pick up a newer vehicle but money does become an issue. I have been looking at Lexus' and Infiniti's but they seem to hold their value better than say a BMW. G35 was definitely a car I was eyeing, but in the year that I've been lurking the car market, I haven't seem to found one that would fit my budget. Removed Jeep on my list of canidates, didn't like their saftey rating either.

 

is300 with a 2jz swap and a nice size turbo 600whp all day everyday on 93 octane.

 

Until I move out of the house I doubt I would be allowed to install a turbo on my car

 

my pick would be an audi. you get luxury, sport, and comfort all in one. plus the worlds best all wheel drive system (in my opinion). if you get an audi though, make sure it still under warranty, and do NOT get an 01 or 01.5. the B5 chassis audis are still great cars, but are prone to all kinds of issues. trust me, i used to own one. get yourself a B6 A4. and if its a 1.8T, make sure the timing belt and water pump have been serviced if the car has 60K miles or more. its not worth the risk, unless youre willing to gamble on blowing your motor or not.

 

yaaa bent valves.

 

In this economy, you might have to swallow your pride and get some COOL yet still reliable.

How about buying yourself a nice, brand new, VW Golf? Or the Rabbit as they're called here. Lower it, some nice BBS action and you've got a fantastic car!!! WITH WARRANTY!!!

This vehicle, by the way, is very highly rated on Consumer Reports.

 

I'd really like to get like a 08 VW golf, it's just hard to find one that's within my price range. (~10k without selling some of my stocks) I'd really like to hang on to my investments so i'm trying to keep it all around 10k

 

Ok. I never thought about this. How about a Honda S2000? Fun car, go-kart handling, and very reliable. I used to have one. Had almost 107k on the odo when I got rid of it, and never leaked a drop. 240HP out of 1997 cc's. Thats nice. 9k redline = Fun and a 6 speed to boot.

Look for the AP1's (2000-2003). You should be able to find one under 20k with decent mileage.
Oh the other reason to get one? The last one rolled off the assembly line a few weeks ago.

 

I'm definitely checking out S2000's, hard to find the right seller but if I can find one for the right price, I'm getting it!

Edit: I just found this one (http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/1323974568.html) when looking again. Someone should pick it up and hold it for me :giggle: But seriously. Hold it for me.

 

my vote goes for the E46 3series. i currently drive a 03 330 and it has run flawlessly up to 190k. Yes, i bought it brand new with 8 miles a lil less than 6 years ago. The tranny just gave, but i expect that with my kind of mileage.

PS-A certified BMW tech said he thinks my car holds the record for longest orig water pump! It didn't get changed till about 175k miles!