Need help with choosing a car in the US

[Mpower]

Both Eclipse and 3000GT can be easily had for about $5000 but they are going to be the non-turbo base versions. Problem is, most of them are going to be automatics. If you dont mind the lack of grunt, then Celica and Integra are good options.

[autopsyche]

<--- ex owner of an Eclipse GST (my college car in MI)... and im sure you can find a decent one within 5k! Nothing beats the fun for dollars quotient of this car.

[CaliAtenza]

Yeah Celica and Integra are good options..i dunno though..any chance u can stretch that budget to 10k??? cause for 5 grand u wont get much. Stay away from most mitsus..unreliable!, but the GST/GSX is a good choice if u can find a decent one. Ur wife is gonna let u get a sports car??? if so..then u have one very cool lady .

[Mpower]

Just keep in mind the sports car market in the US has be dead for a while now.

Celica, Supra, MR2, RX-7,MX-6, Prelude, Probe, Camaro, Firebird, 3000-GT, 240SX were all withdrawn/not replaced from the market due to "poor sales". The US market has been crazy about pickups and light trucks and the craze for sports cars has faded off bigtime.

Another new segment that was born out of the ashes of the sports car was the "sports sedan" segment. There are many 4 door sedans out there which simply will blow the so called sports cars out of the water. I would recomend a Maxima V6 with manual transmission...but if you want the look of a swoopy coupe then

I fell for the sports car fever and got an eclipse turbo...excellent straight line machine but poor dryhandling, poor steering feel and diaster as far as reliability. But if you can find one below 50K miles and get rid of it below it hits 75K, you should be OK.

Toyota and Honda are the safest options for buying used. California is not in the rust belt so cars tend to live much longer than the midwest or the east coast. Look up autotrader.com and you will find a lot of options.

[hawkeye]

Raihan,

You can pick up a Hyundai Tiburon, may be some '99-'00 car. You may have to extend your budget a bit though to around 6.5.

Be sure of one thing. HAGGLE! You can definately pick up stuff for around 75 % of the quoted prices at the car dealers. Most of the new car showrooms have used cars and they are pretty decent too. The only thing you need to do is bargain well.

Other options are 96-97 Accords, Camrys, Nissan Altimas/Maximas/Mazda Millenias and these offer max. reliability. And you could get a decent American car post 2002 (like a Dodge Stratus) in that price bracket. And check out carfax for the cars.

Some sites where you can search for stuff:
www.autotrader.com (Private + Dealers)
www.automart.com ("")
www.craigslist.org (Mostly Private)
www.carmax.com (Good quality certified cars. You could get very easy finance, they have some new immigrant scheme where you only need to put down 10 % and no credit history reqd.)

For insurance, check out progressive, geico, allstate. These are the best and cheapest around. You can get online quotes too. And take a 6 months installment scheme. So that you can switch over if you find a cheaper deal.

And don't forget, a 2 door coupe will have an expensive insurance too.

[man23ish]

Raihan,

I've driven the Mitsu Eclipse for a month, myself.. Although that was a rented one paid by my company. ;-) The Eclipse is a very steady car and its a fun one too. You can identify it with the old Lancers in India.

But, if i were you, i would go for the Acura Integra, man those are made by Honda and made to last.. Real Fast and Real sporty.. And you get a decent mileage on the stick-shift as well.. (I am sure you don't want AT right??)

Acura is really an incredible beast. And you should be able to get a 96 or 97 Acura for 3-4 grands..

One word of caution while going for used cars. Use your own instinct while buying a used car and have the vehicle thoroughly inspected by a local mechanic. Even if you have to spend $100-200 in the inspection, you won't regret it.

Secondly, there are a few websites catering to Indian Janata. Surabhi and Aapkamanoranjan are the ones that i can think of.. Check out those websites for any good deals.. Generally, vehicles owned by desi-guys are much more reliable and affordable too.. Don't, I repeat DON'T ever buy a car from a used car dealer.. Else you'll spend the better part of your income in maintaining the car.

Second option is to visit www.cars.com or www.edmunds.com shortlist the cars that you want. Visit the owner, have a test-drive and buy the vehicle if you like it. I know this can be time-consuming.. But is well worth the effort..

All the best,

Manish.

[man23ish]

The pontiac is no-no in terms of fuel efficiency and maintenance.. Hyundais are not good in terms of reliability... But you may want to consider a used Toyota-Celica or Nissan 200-SX or 240-SX.

Don't forget to check for the vehicle history on www.carfax.com though.

[man23ish]

The Mazda Miata is also a good option.

[hawkeye]

Originally Posted by man23ish

Secondly, there are a few websites catering to Indian Janata. Surabhi and Aapkamanoranjan are the ones that i can think of.. Check out those websites for any good deals.. Generally, vehicles owned by desi-guys are much more reliable and affordable too..

Add to that list www.sulekha.com.

I really wouldn't prefer buying from a desi. And believe me you shall find very few using Intergra and Eclipses. May be just a couple in your locality.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Another new segment that was born out of the ashes of the sports car was the "sports sedan" segment. There are many 4 door sedans out there which simply will blow the so called sports cars out of the water.

Mpower, you touched upon a very important point, I had forgotten.

Yes, with the starting of the new century, US sports car scene changed significantly. Slowly sedans started offering powerful engine options. It started happening when I was looking for a car in 2000. After seriously considering the Celica, Integra-R, Tiburon (all coupes), I noticed that many newer sedans had very power engines and were getting classified as sports sedans. Besides, we were expecting a baby, therefore Sedan made more sense. The ones I seriously looked at were Acura 3.2 TL, Chrysler 300M and Lexus IS 300. Eventually I leased the Acura. Four months after I got the 3.2TL with 225HP, Acura introduced the S type with 270HP.

In 2001-2002, it got even crazier, even compact sedans like Nissan Altima came out with 240HP engines. Then there was the Subaru WRX, and so on.

If you drive the eclipse, Integra, MR2s, be ready to be smoked by some homely looking Sedans whose drivers insurance payments will be half of yours.

[raihan]

Hi,
Autopshyche, Mpowerm, Hawkeye, Man23ish , I'll keep my eyes open for the cars suggested by you.
Samurai can u plz trace ur Acura for me
keep them coming,
thanks,
Raihan

[Rtech]

Screw the car, if you're in Cali, you'd be crazy not to pick up a crotch rocket! You have the best weather coupled with the best roads there! Riding heaven man...

And 5 grand will buy you any of the best bikes in the world!

If you really need a car, by a bike for 4,500$ and use the balance 500$ to get a junker to use for the grocery run and stuff. Well, that's what I'd do.

[raihan]

Originally Posted by Rtech

Screw the car, if you're in Cali, you'd be crazy not to pick up a crotch rocket! You have the best weather coupled with the best roads there! Riding heaven man...

And 5 grand will buy you any of the best bikes in the world!

If you really need a car, by a bike for 4,500$ and use the balance 500$ to get a junker to use for the grocery run and stuff. Well, that's what I'd do.

A bike is on the cards too Rtech, maybe a little later though

[sonic]

Well, I've been driving the Mazda 6 sports sedan (220 HP) from the past 4 weeks and it feels great! Looks real good, has some great torque (it has 6 gears!) and has surprisingly reasonable FE too! Not driven any others cars mentioned below though.....so can't really compare and contrast! But I surely love the look and feel of this vehicle!!

Check it out: http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...ehicleCode=MZ6


~Sonic

[hawkeye]

Originally Posted by sonic

Well, I've been driving the Mazda 6 sports sedan (220 HP) from the past 4 weeks and it feels great! Looks real good, has some great torque (it has 6 gears!) and has surprisingly reasonable FE too! Not driven any others cars mentioned below though.....so can't really compare and contrast! But I surely love the look and feel of this vehicle!!

Check it out: http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...ehicleCode=MZ6


~Sonic

This is a 2005 car. Any ideas about used ones and what price ranges?