The list of probables

sQuashed

sQuashed

Lack of oxygen up here
Since my SS was stolen and totalled,Ive been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what im going to be driving in the future. I had some very good news from the insurance company:xyxthumbs so here are my prelim choices for test drives in March. (I live 300 miles from real car dealers)



Audi A6 or A4 with the V-6



Lexus IS300



Acura TL



Infiniti GX35 Coupe



and of course another F-Body..the 05 GTO !!



I'll also be searching for a used BMW 530 or maybe a 330, always wanted a BMW but cant afford a new one right now.



On paper, the Acura holds the lead. Cant wait to take a week off and go shopping:up

What do you all think of these breeds I have listed?
 
i think they're all good cars. the car magazines seem to have good reviews on all of those cars. but unless you have you definitely know what you want, test drive each one.



and it's interesting in that your camaro was RWD, most of the cars you listed are RWD, yet the one your leaning to is FWD. i think the TL is FWD unless i'm wrong. or does it have AWD now? i tried checking their website but couldn't find any info, yet remembered one of their cars had AWD. or was that the RL? :o



personally, if i didn't get my mach1, i probably would've looked into the infiniti g35 coupes, mainly because it was a RWD sporty type car that was in my budget range, plus it looks quite good too. :)
 
Also Reid, I forgot to say im going to drive the New Mustang too.. So who the heck decided that "Deluxe" was going to be the big word with the new Mustangs anyway??



and yes the TL is a FWD. I bought a brand new Volkswagon GTI in 1981 and that was the only FWD car I have ever driven..
 
ah thanks for the info on the TL. FWD can be fun to drive to in the right car. the only FWD cars i drove were family haulers with no sporty intentions.



Deluxe. :nixweiss if you're talking about the Deluxe package, that's quite a deal for $25K for a 300-hp car. or maybe they're talking about how the new Stang has a bunch of options? i think one day i would like to test drive the new stang, just to see how it compares to my mach1. :D



but yeah, if i had to make a list, it probably be similar to yours. maybe you can also check out those automobile related sites to see if there are any problems with any of the cars on your list. might want to check out edmunds.com or something similar.



good luck! :wavey
 
Even though *I* would probably be happiest in one of the Audis (with quattro), of the stuff you listed I'd probably recommend the Lexus IS300. It would be OK fun to drive and would probably be a very hassle-free ownership experience. A slightly used one would be a decent buy, too.



I sure wouldn't want to go from your SS to anything FWD.
 
If you can afford one of the new A6's I'd definitely go for that, they're absolutely beautiful. Otherwise I'd recommend a 330i or an A4 but get the 1.8T for less $$ and reflash the ecu. Doesn't take much $$ to make it faster than the V6 which is a dog. And definitely get the quattro!:xyxthumbs
 
This really sucks too cuz I miss the SS. There's not 1 in the state that could replace it. Im such a moody dude:doh I was excited 3 hrs ago and now I could care less.:sosad



The 400 hp GTO could fix me up I think:cool:
 
I put in a vote the the Infiniti Coupe. One of my friends just got an '05. Black, with those 19" rims. OH MY GOD :eek: Gorgeous car. 298 hp doesn't hurt either, and the quality seems excellent.



I sat in one last week, and those seats just *hug* you so lovingly.
 
Id go in this order



GTO just because it has a LS2.

Audi A4~ they look badass and NO orangepeel

Acura~its nice but subtle

G35~ has a nice exterior but when you try to lower the steering wheel the gauges move down as well :down

IS300~ Looks pretty good but i hear it doesnt have much power.

Audi A6~looks like the new chevy vans



so i guess after typing this id go GTO or A4.
 
If you decide on a coupe go with the G35, as for a sedan its a toss up between the TL and A4. I just can not seem to appreciate the GTO after MotorTrend said that Pontiac should be ashamed to let that car carry the GTO badge, harsh critisism from many sources not to mention a parts bin interior. I would probably just flip a coin heads = A4, tails = G35. That is of course if you can not find a good deal on a slightly used BMW, their Certified Used Program is quality and comes with a 50K warranty if I remember correctly.
 
If you're considering the two-door G35 why not go w/ a 350Z and had some money left over for after-market mods.



I'm a Ford guy myself ( see sig. ) so I have to say, if you're looking for a good value car that would feel similar peraps look into an '03/'04 Cobra w/ low miles that's been treated well. Personally I think these cars are one of the best performance values going. Not tryin' to disrespect you former ride or start a flame war over auto allegiances, just thought I'd throw out the suggestion.



The TL Type S is a nice sporty sedan but doesn't seem to have much after-market support save maybe some up-sized wheels and a body kit. I think of those as more like mid-life family mobiles w/ a little pizzaz.



Good luck!
 
sQuashed said:
This really sucks too cuz I miss the SS. There's not 1 in the state that could replace it. Im such a moody dude:doh I was excited 3 hrs ago and now I could care less.:sosad



The 400 hp GTO could fix me up I think:cool:
Click to expand...



I know just how you feel. There's *nothing* out there that can replace my "deered" S8 :( and I can drive myself nuts trying to come up with ideas...



Why not go *drive* the GTO and see what you think of it. Much as I love Audis (and also think highly of your other choices), trying to replace your SS with something that's just *so* different might end up being a drag. At least the GTO has good old-fashioned *torque*.



Of course, I myself would buy a b-body ('94-'96 Impala SS, Caprice 9c1) and modify it to whatever level of performance/handling/etc. you're happy with. In fact, that's what I'm currently having done :D When you really want an American muscle car, nothing else will fit the bill ;)
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. Its going to be a fun experience test driving all these, Im taking a week off work to do it:nixweiss

Living far away from the big city has alot of advantages but car shopping is NOT one of them. I probably will turn the page on HP and get something a little more practical. I used to enjoy hearing my 70 year old father say "that SS just SCREAMS practicality":D :D The good ole days I suppose.

Would a person be overly anal to not buy a car because of the hard clearcoat??

* ie: Audi *
 
sQuashed said:
.. I used to enjoy hearing my 70 year old father say "that SS just SCREAMS practicality":D :D The good ole days I suppose.

Would a person be overly anal to not buy a car because of the hard clearcoat??

* ie: Audi *
Click to expand...



Heh heh, LOL about your father's comments on the SS :D



I *like* the hard clear on the Audis! As long as I wash correctly I don't have to polish out any marring. If it's just too worrisome, get a color like silver that doesn't show stuff. My wife's silver A8 is far from perfect but unless you see it beside my S8 you'd never know it. Audis usually look great in silver anyhow, and it harkens back to their "silver arrow" tradition.



If you have any winter weather to contend with, Quattro would be great. I pretty much moved right from RWD muscle cars into quattro and I sure didn't miss my f-bodies in the winter!
 
sQuashed said:
I used to enjoy hearing my 70 year old father say "that SS just SCREAMS practicality":D :D
Click to expand...



:lol my mom says something similar about how we can't use my mach1 to go to the supermarkets. my answer: i didn't buy it so i could buy grocesseries. :D



as far as what to buy, practical or not, i believe you should buy something that you will really enjoy driving, especially if you love cars. also one that you can afford is good too. so when you go car shopping, test drive all of the cars you're looking at, until you fall in love with one. as a friend put it to me, you're gonna have to live with it for a while, so you might as well as get something you'll love to drive. :xyxthumbs



also, check out edmunds.com or some similar website and get all the info you can on the pricing of the cars so you won't buy more than you need to.



good luck! :wavey
 
Here's an update .. Went grocery shopping yesterday and I saw an 05 Acura TL in the parking lot (1st one Ive seen in person)..

I was looking at it and the owner came out of the store and I knew her !!! She lets my wife and I test drive it while she tells us about the navigation system and the other nice things etc etc...

I liked the car alot , tons and tons of standard features but it lacked the power I NEED..lol..Besides the fact that my wife hated it,she cant understand why I would want a "old person sedan"..lmao



Todays test drive is the brand new 04 GTO.. The tiny local dealer has had this car since day one and I never really even checked it out until last weekend. The only drawback is that its black !!! errrrrrrrr....... I really didnt want another black car but with a $6000 price reduction and the dealer dying to get this car out of his showroom, I can probably buy it for $27,000 out the door. Not wanting to endure car payments for years, that would mean only about 1 year in payments and I LOVE that idea !!! We will see what happens.
 
You might want to have a look at a few other RWD rides too.



-350Z (Cheaper than the G25 Coupe, and VERY fun to drive).

- 2005 Mustang GT.



The GTO did not sell well. I'd think that you could offer 24-25K and they'd bite. It's a year old, and the new model has an additional 50HP, not to mention a few other upgrades. My neighbor had one for 2 months (wrecked it), and it was a solid car and it hauled some a$$.
 
Chevy guy buying a Mustang ...:eek: That will be the day :D I have to agree though, it definitely is a choice for the top contender in the "bang for your buck" category (if you're willing to overlook the design). I don't want to steal the thread or start a flame war so I'll leave it at that.



G35X,350Z - Great vehicle. A lot of aftermarket parts and adding a supercharger will kick up the horsepower to 400+ :xyxthumbs



TL - All around great vehicle and I agree, it could use a bit more HP. :up



IS300 - IMO, dated.



A4/A6 - I'd personally only get the V6. I don't like the turbo lag of the A4. Chipping is fine but you still need to deal with the turbo. If you are willing to go used (BMW 5), how about an S4? Easiest, the sleeper car of the past 3-5 years.



3-series? 325Xi or 330i?

The new model that is based on the 5 and 7 series looks sweet!



BMW 3's are still the King in my opinion but the G35s is making a very worthy attempt at unseating them for the title. If the G35 or 350Z ever come out with an TT version, it might be the extra bit that puts them over the top. :cool:



Of the picks above, I'd be inclined to go with either the G35 AWD or TL. Depending on what you are looking for as they are 2 very different vehicles. I'd also take a serious look at the new 325 if budget is an issue over the 330.



I'd stay away from a used 5-series, they'll be looking very dated sooner rather then later as the streets get filled with the new 3.



Paco
 
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