$25k or less, best choice?

L

LightngSVT

New member
Im so torn here, with the new house (and 5 car garage) on the lake the wife had to have we have to cut back on some "frills". We have X amount to spend on cars, I currently have an 02 M3 and a 98 SVT Contour and pay $800/mo in payments and $174/mo in isurance. Well the wife just lost her free company car so we just bought her a new car. Like a schmuk I told her to get what she wants even if it costs more than she wanted to spend. So we bought her an 06 MAriner last night.



Back on topic, needless to say my car budget is now that much less. I need to be in the $350 - 500 ish payment range total (NOT counting the wife-mobile). My M3 is a lease, is there anyway to dramatically lower the payments while already under contract? I LOVE the car, but $700/mo is a lot plus I refuse to use it as a daily driver!



So what would you drive, new or used, for $25k or less (or that would lease in the $400-500 range)? I would be getting rid of the M3 and Contour so it has to be a daily driver as well as cool and performance oriented. My current toys include a 93 Lightning w/a 396cid motor, lowered, etc and a 91 Mustang GT. So far Im thinking:



05 Mustang GT coupe

03-04 Cobra coupe

05 330ci ($400/mo lease)

06 3251 sport



Any suggestions? I really like my current fleet, but something has to change (unless someone wants to give me about 20 grand, LOL!). A good all around performer- handling and acceleration, style and some "wow" factor, decent gas mileage and reliability (or warranty) would be my priorities I think.
 
Are you dead-set on a Ford or BMW? Just wondering, because if not there are quite a few cars I think fit your requirements. If you're not opposed to FWD a used Acura TL would be one to look at, my current fav, the Infiniti G35 sedan is another, an A4 or even A3 might suit you, although the A3, being new only, might be over your budget range. Of course it goes without saying that there are any number of fwd nissans/toyotas/hondas that are worth looking at (Accord v6, camry v6, altima/maxima 3.5se's). I have a feeling since you own an M3 you might gravitate towards a rwd car, in which case the G35, Lexus IS300's, A4's etc... would probably warrant a test drive. That's without even mentioning domestics. I find their styling a tad bland but that's all personal preference. There are a bunch of solid V6 sedans from GM/Ford, inclusing mustangs, which you obviously like. I'm a big fan of the new mustang, so the gt would definitely be a contender for me.



Of the four listed I would get the '05 330i, of course I'm biased since that what my wife drives. :)



In terms of warranty you know, as the owner of an M3, that BMW's warranty is really good, but also kind of short, so that's something to keep in mind.



Do you have any dead-set preferences like "It must be RWD or AWD" or "It has to be a V6, or a 4 cyl turbo" that would help narrow down the list? I mean there is always an WRX STi or something, but for some reason I don't get the feeling from you that you're into those.
 
Ther is an 04 Mystichrome and an 03 (silver with about 25k miles) at my local Ford dealer. They have the 03 price at $23695 on the window, havent check the Mystichrome yet.
 
If u can even find an 05 330ci that is left in inventory....and further the lease is 400 out of the door....get that! A lot of guys are paying close to 600 a month on them. Remember loaded up it is a 44K car.
 
DETAILKING said:
If u can even find an 05 330ci that is left in inventory....and further the lease is 400 out of the door....get that! A lot of guys are paying close to 600 a month on them. Remember loaded up it is a 44K car.
Click to expand...



That's what I was thinking. A $400/mo lease on an '05 330i is a really good deal. I've had a couple electirical problems with my wifes but it was all covered under warranty and it seems fine now (knock on wood).
 
A few weeks ago my local BMW dealer had 2 or 3 05 330cis left, with the lease special tag on the windows. Not sure if they are sold or not? My concern is that I would compare it to the M3 conv I have which wouldnt be fair to the 330.



As far as requirements, RWD would be first choice, FWD or AWD second. Other than Ford products I cant think of really any other dmoestics that Id want (sure Vette, GTO, SRT4, etc are nice but I dont think Id buy one). Im not real big on the asian cars either for some reason. I think the WRX's are very cool little cars, but I drove one and while it was fun didnt feel that it was "me" exactly. I guess some test drives might help broaden my horizons though.
 
I'd find out if they have any of those 330ci's. If you can get one for $400 a month DETAILKING is right, it's a no brainer. It won't be as powerful as your M3, obviously, but the handling should be similar enough that it won't kill you to drive it. Honestly it's going to be difficult to find something with the power and handling of the M3 in the 25k range that still has a warranty.



I'm a big fan of Japanese cars, especially the luxury brands, but that's mostly because their cars tend to be RWD and have bullet proof reliabilty. If you're not into them that's understandable. If you want a list of RWD cars in that price range that I would personally test drive it would be Mustang GT, Bimmer 328/330, Audi A4, Infiniti G35 sedan, Lexus IS300 in no particular order. Of those the Gt will have the most power, the 330i will probably have the best overall handling stock, and the G35 is probably the best mix of the two (imo of course).
 
So what do new A3's go for? That seems like an intersting car. Or maybe a used A4? Ill do a little research on the G35 too. How would a Lincoln LS Sport compare to a G35? I realize nothing in that low of a price range will match the M on any level, and thats why Im sad to think of it going.
 
I'd buy a certified A4 or maybe an S4. In fact, for $25, you could buy a used A8, 300 HP and all wheel drive.
 
Got my 06' A3 for right under $25k but I got pretty much a base model since I didn't want leather seating and for whatever reason Audi decided that people who might want the sport or prem package would automatically get leather too. Whatever Audi!!! :angry





The car is great so far, only have about 1500 miles on in in about 2 months of driving in ATL traffic. I was coming from an '03 WRX and I like driving the A3 more as it doesn't suffer from the turbo lag the WRX did. Before the WRX I had an 03' G35 Coupe 6sp, which was a great little car also, but got rid of it after 4 months of ownership as it began to feel to cramped inside.



I also tested the 325i 06' model and took the A3 over it as it felt more "fun" to drive. The BMW handlded better obviously as it was RWD vs FWD, but didn't leave the smile on my face the A3 did/does. Good luck in your car hunting.



:dance
 
The A3 starts at $25,500, so you're looking at 30k+ with options probably. I am sure you could get one for 25k (edit, I see you can). A 2004/5 A4 might be a good bet. They get beat in mag tests pretty consistently by bmw/infiniti/acura/lexus, however those are mags, so I don't give them that much cred. Definitely worth driving one - the 1.8t is a nice engine, they handle pretty well, and they have an unbeatable interior. A 4cly (even a turbo) might feel kind of gutless if you're used to an M3, but its hard to say without driving one.



RE: The lincoln. I really don't know how it would compare to a G35. They are listed as competitors but to me they seem pretty different. The lincoln is a 3.9l v8 (280/286) and the G35 is a 3.5l V6 (280/260 in auto trans, 298/260 in manual), so the lincoln has 2 more cylinders and more displacement, similar hp and torque - both are RWD. I'm not sure how the lincoln drives. Here is a c&d review.



http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=19&article_id=1819



It seems that the lincoln is probably more floaty than the g35, less aggressive in terms of handling, which is better or worse depending on what you're after. Given that you drive an M3 (great handling, lots of feedback, lack of understeer) I would guess that you would gravitate towards the G35s slightly more aggressive handling, but who knows. The Lincoln is a tad heavier, epa says it gets 14/20, the g35 epa is 20/26, I get about 18/24 in real life driving. Makes sense given the difference in displacement. It is also likely the lincoln is much more luxurious than the G35. The G35 is an entry level Infiniti, so it's interior, while nice, is bland. In terms of performance the lincoln is listen as 0-60 in 6.7, 1/4 mile in 15.1@94. G35 is 6.1ish, 14.3-5@97 or so, probably just due to being 400lbs less heavy.



I guess really the only way to decide is to drive them both. The lincoln has the v8, which you will probably like given your m3, and the G35 has the handling I think you'll like. If I had to guess I'd say the lincoln is more luxury-sport, and the g35 is more sport-luxury, but drive them and see. :)



Man, long post. I like talking cars. Maybe I should shut up and let other folks chime in. More opinions can't hurt. I'll just end by saying drive them all. I'm sure you know as well as I do that all the research in the world can go out the window during a test drive.



edit - the tsx is a good recommendation too. ~200hp 2.4l 4 cyl. its fwd though, and might be a little underpowered given your previous cars.
 
The A3 has the 2.0L 200hp Turbo charged engine which my understanding is the first engine in a production car to use direct injection which helps with mileage and reduces the turbo lag. The MAX torque of 207ft lb is also available at 1500-5500 RPM which is AWESOME!!! Love it, I have the 6 sp manual and the car pulls so well with all that torque available at such low RPMS. I think the A3 engine is better than the 1.8t A4, and so does Audi, which is why the A4 will get, or has already gotten the 2.0t power plant that is in the A3.



Also FWIW the DSG transmission is AWESOME on the A3!!!! Pretty much like the SMGII on the BMW, but faster.
 
SamIam said:
I'd buy a certified A4 or maybe an S4. In fact, for $25, you could buy a used A8, 300 HP and all wheel drive.
Click to expand...



I think my buddy picked up an older S4 (I think his is an 01) for about $25K. I totally forgot about it. That car is fun to drive. Definitely worth looking at.
 
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