Which car would you pick?

[general_kill]

Hey gang, I'm having trouble deciding which car to get for myself in the near future and I'm hoping you guys can help me decide.

Here's my situation:

• 
  I'm a freshman in college so I think I need more practical features in a car (i.e. back seats to carry more passengers, and a trunk to carry luggage for when I drive back home during breaks).

• I really really want an eye catching car. Ideally, the car can turn a few heads on the street.

• The specs on a car is not as important to me, I don't really need a car that can accelerate 1-60 in 4 seconds. Pretty much any car can hit 110+ so I'm don't really care if it takes a few seconds longer to get there.

• My price range is anything less than $30,000. I'm looking for cars with starting prices between $20,000 - $25,000

• I will not buy used cars

With that being said, here are the cars I've been looking at:

1. Pontiac Solstice




The Pontiac Solstice is really the eye candy I want. It's MSRP is $22,785.

Pro:
- A beautiful machine that almost got me into a car crash when I first saw it on the street. I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
- Relatively cheap. This car looks like it is worth the mid $30,000 area.
- Convertible! Probably one of the cheapest convertible around. And it's a sports car!

Con:
- No back seats. I can't really go out with friends in this car.
- No trunk. The lack of trunk means I have to put my luggage in the passenger seat. I can't really go shopping with another person neither because we would have no where to put the bags. The lack of trunk also makes this car really short, it's not as aesthetically pleasing.
- Prone to vandalism. This machine often catches too many eyes and I've heard of stories where people "key" the car (or intentionally scratch it). I would probably be paranoid leaving this car in any parking lot (i.e. a movie theater's parking lot).

Basically, this car will sacrifice a lot of practical uses for pure looks. Amazingly, this is my top pick so far. I guess I'm just crazy about looks

2. Nissan Z350




MSRP $28,120

Pro:
- It has a trunk.
- 306 horse power, double that of the Solstice (basic). This is the true sports car.
- Looks good, not as flashy as Solstice but this definitely has that race car look and feel to it.

Con:
- Starting price is on the higher side
- No back seats
- There's some kind of an ordinary look to it.

3. Mitsubishi Eclipse




MSRP $19,149

Pro:
- Cheap
- Back seat (really cramped) and a trunk

Con:
- Poor looks imo. I saw one the other day and it seemed really ordinary.
- 160 horse power for the basic model

This is a cheap and practical car. I can't imagine turning many heads driving this but at least I can have fun with more than just 1 other person in this car.

4. Ford Mustang




MSRP $19,490

Pro:
- It's a Mustang! 300+ hp, loud engine, scare the kids away noise when you hit the gas.
- Cheap
- Practical for everyday use with backseat and trunk

Con:
- Just about everyone who owns a sports car has one. One in every two sports cars sold in the U.S. is a Mustang. It's just too common, I see this car all the time in parking lots.
- Too many opinions about this car. Unless you have this car the way other people want it, you'll get heat for not making the most out of the machine.

I like this car. Theres just something about it that makes me smile. There's just something about the noise this thing makes that makes me happy But to people who know cars out there, is it ok to just get the basic model and features? I'm not a fan of driving stick, but is it a big deal if you if you automatic with this thing?

I'm not a car fanatic at all, I wouldn't even call myself an amateur because of how little I know. So if you guys can give any advice or correct anything I mentioned, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Godwynn]

Can you spare some cash?

 

[Synobun]

Out of those, I'd take the Mustang...

 

[DNK]

Unless you've got massively rich parents, none of the above.

If you must have a freshman college car, make it a cheap, old, BMW or something. You can get an early E46 3-series with poor specs for pretty cheap nowadays. It would catch eyes but be affordable. You can then save the rest to invest in a more intelligent manner.

 

[skadistic]

Save your money and get a Hyundia. Sport cars should not be your primary cars. You want something cheap to own including good mpg, insurance and maintenance. You are young and should start you adult life buying what you need not what you want. Wait until you can really afford a sports car before you buy one.

 

[general_kill]

Unless you've got massively rich parents, none of the above.

If you must have a freshman college car, make it a cheap, old, BMW or something. You can get an early E46 3-series with poor specs for pretty cheap nowadays. It would catch eyes but be affordable. You can then save the rest to invest in a more intelligent manner.

I can't really ever see myself buying a used car unless it has less than 500 miles on it. I'd rather buy new and sell it for $5000 than to save $7000 buying used.

And a car (especially an expensive one) is one of the biggest liabilities I can have. It depreciates fast, has high insurance costs, and cost more to maintain. But I feel like it is worth it to have fun when I am young. It's so much more fun driving a fast sports car when I'm 20 than when I'm 50. Plus I have been investing in the stock market since sophomore year of high school and with my latest returns, I can cover 25-37% of the car's total cost with my money in a down payment (depending on which car I choose). I'm also planning on starting a business very soon so I can help cover the monthly costs.

Save your money and get a Hyundia. Sport cars should not be your primary cars. You want something cheap to own including good mpg, insurance and maintenance. You are young and should start you adult life buying what you need not what you want. Wait until you can really afford a sports car before you buy one.

I have a cheap car right now with good mpg, but I need something a little more fun to drive. Plus the car has gotten dirty from my mom's use before she gave it to me and it has somethings wrong with it that would take a lot of money to repair. Btw I didn't mean to repeat what you said in my above response, I didn't see your post when I started replying.

 

[LendMeYourTeeth]

If you have fifteen thousand quid to spare, then I can think of a few better than that. Out of the ones you have picked, then Mustang all the way.

 

[general_kill]

If you have fifteen thousand quid to spare, then I can think of a few better than that. Out of the ones you have picked, then Mustang all the way.

How much is 15k quid in dollars?
And can you drop a few names of cars you would get?

 

[Rossiya]

Nissan 350Z looks the best out of the Japanese cars, and the Japanese cars are likely to be able to turn around curves in the road

 

[Cutlass]

Quite honestly I would get the Mustang with the v6 engine instead of the 8. Having grown up with muscle cars and big block v8s, i'm sick to death of bad gas mileage.

 

[taper]

I second DNK. Unless you have no financial concerns, a new sports car at your age isn't a good idea.

That said, I have a few tips. A friend of mine just bought a Mustang, and while it is a nice car, the back seat isn't fit for adults. Add the Mazda RX-8 and/or MX-5 and maybe the Mini Cooper S and VW GTI R32 to your test drive list. For a more practical but still sporty list, try the Mazdaspeed 3, Subaru Legacy or Impreza or Audi A3. A lot depends on how the car feels as you drive it.

 

[aaglo]

Only idiots buy cars. Ride a bus or a train - be responsible

 

[Cutlass]

Only idiots buy cars. Ride a bus or a train - be responsible

How does that apply to the 2/3 of all Americans who have little to no access to mass transit?

 

[Ansar]

How does that apply to the 2/3 of all Americans who have little to no access to mass transit?

Well, in this case, mass transit is available (he does live in the Big Apple [New York City], after all).

I'd go with the Mitsubishi Eclipse, though. Cheap and it's ok.

 

[nc-1701]

Nissan Z350

It looks cooler and performance is always nice to have...
I drive my Dad's Subaru Impreza WRX (Two-door version), and I gotta' say I love it.


Admittedly it doesn't look quite as good as some of yours, but it handles really well, and btw whatever you get make sure it's Manuel. If you get a decent sportscar in Automatic, that's just plain sad.

 

[general_kill]

I second DNK. Unless you have no financial concerns, a new sports car at your age isn't a good idea.

That said, I have a few tips. A friend of mine just bought a Mustang, and while it is a nice car, the back seat isn't fit for adults. Add the Mazda RX-8 and/or MX-5 and maybe the Mini Cooper S and VW GTI R32 to your test drive list. For a more practical but still sporty list, try the Mazdaspeed 3, Subaru Legacy or Impreza or Audi A3. A lot depends on how the car feels as you drive it.

Thanks for your recommendations. I'm really digging the Mazda RX-8. That car looks like a really good fit for what I need/want. Good storage, backseat, and sports look. I will definitely test drive that baby.

Well, in this case, mass transit is available (he does live in the Big Apple [New York City], after all).

I'd go with the Mitsubishi Eclipse, though. Cheap and it's ok.

I'm not going to college in New York

 

[bhsup]

You're a freshman in college. You don't need the insurance for those. Get a Ford Taurus.

 

[amadeus]

May I ask why you're buying a new car at 19? Most people I know, even in their fifties, don't buy new cars.

 

[really]

Of the above I would go for the Mustang.

Otherwise for just under $30k you could get the most basic Audi A4.
That would have plenty of room for passengers and luggage, but probably is not as sporty as you seem to want.

 

[Ecofarm]

Buy a 2-3k bicycle and get in shape, avoid parking nightmares and speed traps.

On the rare occasion you really need a car and a friend is not available, take the bus or rent one for the weekend (like $200).

Plus, if you ride a bike drunk you are not likely to hurt anyone except yourself.

Why would you want a car in college? It's one of the few times in life when you can manage without one. There's always bike racks, food, "work" (school), and recreation are all within a mile or two. And campus buses are good like europe, not bad like urban/surburban US.

At my school, parking is terrible. You only get permits to park in certain parking lots and some people drive to school only to take a bus to another part of campus. They take, to get to school: 15+ minute drive, 5 minutes parking, plus walk/bus to class. I take: 15 minute ride (campus speed limit is 20, I average more on my bike), lock bike at front door of building. The exercise is icing.

Rain? Who cares on your way home. To get to school, you only need 30minutes of dry weather (have mud flaps), or take the bus. The bus is like a circus side show. I only had to a couple times per semester.