What would you buy???

Well it looks like my price range may have just dropped to around $25k ($450-550/mo), sigh. The wife is set on this house, plus you live on a lake you have to buy a boat, etc, etc, etc and I dont want to stop saving money just to buy a house. So anything interesting in the $20-30k range, even used?
 
LightngSVT said:
Well it looks like my price range may have just dropped to around $25k ($450-550/mo), sigh. The wife is set on this house, plus you live on a lake you have to buy a boat, etc, etc, etc and I dont want to stop saving money just to buy a house. So anything interesting in the $20-30k range, even used?
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Subaru Legacy GT is one option. Also, if you want to go GM take a look at the Grand Prix either GTP or GXP - fast front wheel drive not quite a hanlder. Used G 35s are in that range, too.
 
No GM's for me. The MAzda 6 wagon sounds like it might be interesting to go look at. There is a Subie dealer over by where I work, Ill go check them out too. Man am I going to miss the M car though. :sad:
 
2002-2003 Certified pre-owned bmw 540i 6 spd. Get the sport and you get the m body kit, lower stance, tighter suspension, nice exxhaust, etc. PlentPy of wow factor, practical, fast as hell for a sedan, and very fun to drive. Plus, I think you get a 6 yr 100k mile warranty with cpo bimmers now. Besides, you can;t homnestly go from a bmw M to an acura and be satisfied. :P





-Eric

540i6
 
LightngSVT said:
No GM's for me. The MAzda 6 wagon sounds like it might be interesting to go look at. There is a Subie dealer over by where I work, Ill go check them out too. Man am I going to miss the M car though. :sad:
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Good news for the Subie is that it can be modified quite easily.
 
Just one man's opinion, but is there any reason not to just go back to having the Lightning and Contour? Sell the M3 (you just bought that, right?) and go back to the way it was before. Heck, you may want to buy a boat or something as you get used to lake life. :)
 
I actually had 2 Lightnings before the M3, a 02 and a 93. I tradred the 02 (still working on the 93) for the M3, I probably should have controlled the impulse and just kept the truck.
 
So what's considered expensive lake front property in MI? Just curious. A nice $35K car you can get for about $30K is the Mercedes C230, the 2005 is a s/c 4 cylinder but the new 2006 is a V6, my guess is they are blowing out the 2005 as the 2006 came out last week. They usually have great lease deals like $329/mo. It also has insanely hard paint they call nano paint, no swirls in 1 year of ownership and I take it to the dealer for free car washes and I've never polished it yet (my 2002 C230 needed polishing every 3-4 months because of swirls). Had plenty of Mustangs and they've been great but my problem is that in a year or two, they'll be giving huge rebates and discounts on these and I would only want the 'vert but don't live where it snows.
 
Michigan realestate is probably not even comparable to prices in Cali. In our area, to me at least, expensive is between $450k - $700k. There are other areas in MI where lakefront property can go way, way past $1M without thinking twice, but those areas are usually on one of the great lakes and not an inland lake.



The C230 is that the little "hatchback" Benz? Those are pretty cool looking little cars, we have a neighbor with one. What are the HP and TQ #'s? Can you get it in a true manual tranny?
 
LightngSVT said:
Michigan realestate is probably not even comparable to prices in Cali. In our area, to me at least, expensive is between $450k - $700k. There are other areas in MI where lakefront property can go way, way past $1M without thinking twice, but those areas are usually on one of the great lakes and not an inland lake.



The C230 is that the little "hatchback" Benz? Those are pretty cool looking little cars, we have a neighbor with one. What are the HP and TQ #'s? Can you get it in a true manual tranny?
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You could still try getting the Coupe. They also had it with a V6 - and yes six speed is available. The C 230 is powered by a 1.8 supercharged engine. The power rating is like 180ish Hp with similiar torque.



The C 230 sports sedan comes standard with a six speed byt the way.
 
They don't make the C230 hatchback anymore although they maybe some leftovers. I'm thinking of what they call the C230 Sport Sedan. HP is 189 but it's a nice free reving motor, the new V6 is 201HP (they all have a C280 at 228hp, the C350 at 268hp and the C55 at about 350hp, so there's choices). What's nice is it's lowered compared to the other C's, has nice 17" wheels, blue tinted windows and is a nice high speed cruiser for the long trips.



$450-750K is pretty good, that's a condo in So Cal but prices are unreliastically insane here as they are in many of the top cities like NYC.
 
That’s too bad about the M3, many people consider that their “dream car.�



Are you looking for a fun daily driver or something with a little class? If you aren't looking for luxury accommodations but want something fun for all seasons a used '04 WRX STI would be great. 300Hp with AWD great for any weather but very "bare bones" as far as interior goes.



If you want something with a little more class how about a used S4 or S6, AWD, nice interiors and plenty of pep. S6 also comes in Avant so you have plenty of room if need be. Otherwise a certified used A6 with the 4.2L engine also gives you a bit of everything. Also the Bimmer 330XI isn’t a bad choice, not very fast though. All my suggestions are AWD but if it’s a daily driver it's not a bad idea for MI, I know the climate I’m in MN.
 
mc_866 said:
That’s too bad about the M3, many people consider that their “dream car.�
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I hear ya. I was a dream car for me, not in the way the Ferrari F355 Spyder is but a "realistic" dream car. Its soooo awesome when its all waxed up (with Sovereign), top down and the engine just singing to the 8000 RPM redline. Sigh. To bad my wife is insane, one minute shes pissed at me for buying it and "wasting" money on it. then the next shes like Im not going to be the ------- for making oyu get rid of it (because she likes it too), so just keep it. :angry I guess in reality it doesnt make that much diference if I sell it or not becuase Ill still have a car payment just like everyone else, right? So hopefully me and the //M3 will be "partners" for a while to come.



Funny story, I was tlaking to our VP at work the other morning. He's a car guy, has a bunch daily drivers are an Acura TL and a Jag X-type 3.0. He recently traded his F355 Ferrari for a brand new Lamborgini Gallardo! It was cool, kind of like a welcome to the club as he asked me if this was my first "real" sports car. He talked about how it will change me and where will I go from here and that Porsche would be a good choice for my next car. He told me how he started with BMW, went to POrsche then Ferrari and now Lamborgini.
 
Honestly, if you can at all do it, keep the M. I don't think you'll regret it. Just out of curiosity, what lake are you looking at? Looking on lake St. Clare, Huron, or one of the smaller inland ones? Inland lake property is a lot cheaper (at least up here it is), but it sounds like the wife might have her heart set on a house. Hey, maybe that's the angle you can take, you have your heart set on the house, I have my heart set on the M ... worth a shot, right?
 
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