Just wanted to say I bought a new car recently and started by contacting the internet departments at dealerships. They were able to give me a good starting price at dealer invoice.
Buying a car?
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Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
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It is between a Ford Fusion and C63 AMG. Understand your white people 1st world problems, faggot.
Thanks Fatty, last time I bought a car the Internet dealership stuff wasn't really set up. That is probably a good starting point.
Selix
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Cad
scientia potentia est
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Unless you want something faster and cheaper, in which case C5 Z06's beat them quite handily, for the money.
But an E46 M3 is a great poser car.
Intrinsic
Person of Whiteness
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After deciding to just stay practical I've been doing some test driving and shopping around. Got a few pretty good offers on Mazda 6, Ford Fusion Titanium, Subaru Legacy. Each around $30k +/- $500 and with most options / tech packages. Honestly really like all three although leaning a little more towards the Mazda at this point. My Speed6 has been perfect without a problem since I bought it in 2006, both my parents have had a couple generation of 6s without problems, and they've offered me more on my trade-in than Ford or Subaru. Some brand loyalty, some financial. With X-Plan pricing the loaded Fusions aren't that bad, and even a Titanium Hybrid is around $33k nicely equipped. But Ford was really negative about my trade in value. Going out of town next week so at least it'll give me more time to decide.
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Anyone have experience with Porsches? I'm really considering doing something stupid and getting a 911(996 era). They're getting to be close to the $20k mark, which is doable. I know about the IMS issues with them, but if you can find one that's been replaced with the aftermarket seals it's supposed to be pretty reliable. I've thought about older 911's (like '80s or so) for the air-cooled factor, but eh, they seem like they're almost too small for me and likely will have tons of little things always going wrong. The attraction with the 911 is the whole speed thing, but also the lack of significant depreciation is a big selling point.
E46 M3's seem nice, but the maintenance horror stories kind of scare me. I've read it's best to set aside like $1k a year just for incidentals, fuck that. Thought about the E36 M3 as well, which would be almost as fun but much cheaper assuming you can find one that hasn't been thrashed.
Corvette's are fast and all, but I'm not sure about the image that goes with them around where I live. Only people who drive them are old men pretty much.
Also thought about an S2000, but I'm not sure about a convertible though.
Nissan 350/370 just doesn't do it for me, not a fan of the looks or the interior or the sound.
My main criteria here: Something that handles well, doesn't necessarily have to be the fastest thing in the world but fast is good, something I won't lose my ass on in depreciation or maintenance in the next few years, daily drivable, ~$20k or less.
E46 M3's seem nice, but the maintenance horror stories kind of scare me. I've read it's best to set aside like $1k a year just for incidentals, fuck that. Thought about the E36 M3 as well, which would be almost as fun but much cheaper assuming you can find one that hasn't been thrashed.
Corvette's are fast and all, but I'm not sure about the image that goes with them around where I live. Only people who drive them are old men pretty much.
Also thought about an S2000, but I'm not sure about a convertible though.
Nissan 350/370 just doesn't do it for me, not a fan of the looks or the interior or the sound.
My main criteria here: Something that handles well, doesn't necessarily have to be the fastest thing in the world but fast is good, something I won't lose my ass on in depreciation or maintenance in the next few years, daily drivable, ~$20k or less.
Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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Get a 2008 Z4, or 2009 for the new body style if you're willing to go up to 30K or so. Rare to see on the road with amazing looks, beautiful interior, and has great handling. Only negative is the jaw rattling ride and BMW rattles (tm), but if you replace the RFT's with regular tires it's much better. The 2008 Z4 coupe is gorgeous if you don't want a convertible, but from 2009 they switched to a hard retracting top and at that point I can think of no reason not to go convertible (besides potential mechanical issues).
Forget about an old Porsche. You'll spend a fortune on repairs, ESPECIALLY on any model built pre 2010 or so. Don't buy any used car with a turbo (which I believe the E46 M3 is) because you are guaranteeing yourself a 5K repair at some point.. Corvettes are for D-bags and old farts and are basically a huge engine with a Ford Fiesta interior. S2000 is aight, but there is more bang for your buck elsewhere and I find the body style kind of feminine.. 350/370 is a nice car, but imho is just a poor man's (or Ricer's) Z4.
Also, what's most important to you? Style/looks, prestige, performance, or reliability?
Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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Izo
Tranny Chaser
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Zodiac
Lord Nagafen Raider
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Frenzied Wombat
Potato del Grande
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The only thing I feel the S2000 has over the Z4 is maintenance costs/reliability. Most of the significant depreciation is done for by the 4-5 year mark. When I got my Z4 I test drove the SLK, Z4, Boxster, S2000 and 350Z. Boxster and S2000 had the firmest/sportiest ride followed closely by the 350Z, while the SLK had the worst (felt spongy with anemic steering). Z4 was middle of the road-- had a firm ride and responsive steering, but felt heavy in turns. S2000 is certainly the most logical/pragmatic choice from a cost/value standpoint, but then again so is every Honda. Ultimately what sold me on the Z4 was the interior.. It was pure sexy (at least after I cleaned it lol)..
Izo
Tranny Chaser
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