So I'm probably going to buy a used car. I currently drive a 98 Grand Prix GT and I love it, but it's getting too costly to maintain.

I need a recommendation of a car with similar handling, power, and sleek body style, no older than a 2000, for less than or equal to $10k.

Prefer to stay with General Motors or Chrysler. Could go Ford. Will only go foreign as a last resort.

Suggest away.

7/8/2008 4:07:34 PM

Quote :

"Prefer to stay with General Motors or Chrysler. Could go Ford. Will only go foreign as a last resort."

wha?

7/8/2008 4:48:54 PM

ballers drive limos



[Edited on July 8, 2008 at 5:55 PM. Reason : psi]

7/8/2008 4:51:48 PM

^^ i thought the same thing. wat?

7/8/2008 4:53:46 PM

Quote :

"Prefer to stay with General Motors or Chrysler. Could go Ford. Will only go foreign as a last resort."

this thread fails from the get go

7/8/2008 4:55:57 PM

Quote :

"FOUND ON ROAD DEAD"

7/8/2008 4:57:22 PM

mopar or no car

7/8/2008 5:03:14 PM

I suppose you could buy another, newer Grand Prix.

Maybe you can find a G6 on sale.

7/8/2008 5:10:41 PM

g8s are nice

7/8/2008 5:11:05 PM

You might be able to find a chrysler for that price, but it may have high miles and chrome rims with maintenance issues.

7/8/2008 5:16:34 PM

Quote :

"this thread fails from the get go"

Why so? The price point? As I said, it's not impossible, just a last resort. If it means meeting my budget, so be it.

7/8/2008 7:12:47 PM

Actually I'm looking at something along these lines at this point:

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?tracktype=usedcc&searchType=22&pageNumber=0&numResultsPerPage=50&largeNumResultsPerPage=0&sortorder=ascending&sortfield=PRICE+ascending%2cPRICE+descending&certifiedOnly=false&criteria=K-|E-|M-_5_|B-12000|H-|N-N|R-50|I-1|P-PRICE+ascending%2cPRICE+descending|Q-ascending|Y-_2003-2004-2005-2006-2007-2008_|X-popular|Z-20653&aff=national&paId=136109867&recnum=1&leadExists=true

Time to forsake my principles, sell out, and buy a beamer.

7/8/2008 7:26:07 PM

it's missing a pedal

7/8/2008 7:34:29 PM

my friend was looking for an eclipse in that price range around 2k2. there were simply TONS of grand ams and grand prix for like 6-8k that were 2k2-2k4. you shoul dhave no prob if you want another.

7/8/2008 8:21:15 PM

For some reason I never saw the point in the grand prix...what a worthless fucking car IMO.

But if you want another one and it works for you then go ahead.

7/9/2008 8:46:57 AM

I'm expanding budget to $20k.

Forget the BMW - I've found several reports online saying they actually rank among the LEAST reliable...completely contrary to the reputation I've heard about them.

Can anyone attest?

7/9/2008 11:17:55 AM

08 Camry

7/9/2008 2:51:17 PM

^^ get a 330 with a 5spd and sport package. you can get a nice one for substantially less than $20k.



and limiting yourself to domestics is silly. there is, for all practical purposes, no such thing as foreign or domestic anymore. the car industry is so inbred that such distinctions are pointless.

[Edited on July 9, 2008 at 3:14 PM. Reason : no, it isn't as cheap to operate as a camry, but you gotta pay to play, and it's a sweet ride.]

7/9/2008 3:14:20 PM

Buy a Lexus IS250/300. Those look pretty nice and should be reliable and go WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENK... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENK all you want!

[Edited on July 9, 2008 at 3:36 PM. Reason : I mean, if you're dropping $20k now and think maintenance is an issue.]

7/9/2008 3:35:45 PM

^ wtf are you talking about? What's whenk mean?

^^ I know. It was a matter of principle, but as I said, I have officially sold out.

^^^ No style to it. Gotta have something with some style.

7/9/2008 4:36:59 PM

yeah, it's not even selling out. there isn't really even any principle behind it.


i mean, Saab is a GM company.

lots of BMWs are built in SC.

lots of "domestics" are built in Mexico.


there's a chart that graphically depicts who owns who. it's such a mess that the real takeway is that there is no such thing as foreign or domestic.

[Edited on July 9, 2008 at 4:40 PM. Reason : asdfasd]

7/9/2008 4:39:21 PM

Quote :

"wtf are you talking about? What's whenk mean?"

Have you never heard a rice burner take off before?

It's what it sounds like when somebody with a car with a custom exhaust, a stickshift, and a smaller engine takes off down the street outside of your house/apartment. It's the sound of sporty these days.

[Edited on July 9, 2008 at 4:51 PM. Reason : onomotapoeia ]

7/9/2008 4:51:26 PM

^ No I have not, unless it's anything like in the fast and the furious movie.

No, my aim here is reliability and class. I'll not be customizing anything.

[Edited on July 9, 2008 at 7:17 PM. Reason : ]

7/9/2008 7:17:02 PM

ha. I just call them pissed off bumble bees.

7/9/2008 7:20:46 PM

^ Oh, THOSE! Yeah I've had some laughs at those.

7/9/2008 7:21:59 PM

Yeah, that's all I mean.

It's the sound of a rice burner engine having the piss driven out of it. If you live near NCSU you hear it frequently at night, haha.

7/9/2008 8:37:42 PM

Off the top of my head:
-Chrylser 300C
-Cadillac STS
-Lincoln LS V8
-BMW 330ci
-Mercedes CLK
-Audi A4 or A6
-Mazdaspeed 6

7/10/2008 11:05:22 AM

I have a '99 Honda Accord EX V6 and a '08 VW Rabbit S for sale

7/10/2008 11:51:46 AM

Brand loyalty FTW!

PM SENT

7/10/2008 11:56:40 AM

Test drove a 2005 Lexus ES 330.

Boy howdy, everything I've heard was absolutely right: a BORING drive.

But damn beautiful and extremely comfortable.

My 98 Grand Prix still feels better than any car I've driven. If it was what people call "bad handling," then I guess I love bad handling.

7/18/2008 4:19:28 PM

^im amazed that car is still on the road.

civic si
is300

7/18/2008 5:11:15 PM

^ By "that car" you mean my Grand Prix? What can I say...I took good care of it. I have an appointment to test drive a 2005 IS 300 in two weeks.

[Edited on July 18, 2008 at 6:25 PM. Reason : ]

7/18/2008 6:25:19 PM

Quote :

"My 98 Grand Prix still feels better than any car I've driven."

oh

dude

you need to get behind the wheel of a good car, and soon

like an E46

7/19/2008 2:50:21 PM

^ I actually did try a 3 series and still preferred the Grand Prix.

Was considering BMW 'till heard Lexus was much more reliable, and reliability is my main priority.

Might end up buying that IS300 next weekend after all...

7/19/2008 10:53:39 PM

so you like mushy handling? go drive a camaro or something damn.. that's awful

7/19/2008 11:15:04 PM

But it's not mushy - this is what I don't understand. I think my dad's Acura RL is mushy. I think the Lexus ES I drove the other day is mushy. The steering in the GP is stiff and very responsive, which I like. Guess I'm fortunate that my preferences are just cheaper.

Anyways, last chance to talk me out of a BMW 3 series...?

7/19/2008 11:18:18 PM

Sorry to bump this damn thread again, but I'm REALLY teetering on the fence here.

The 2005 IS300 I'm looking at has a sweeter color scheme, more features, and generally a nicer interior.

The BMW 3 series I've seen have a little less of the above, but feel (handle and perform) just a little bit better.

SO

I fully respect that some of you are fanboys for a certain brand (I know I used to be) - if you are, please don't respond. To all else: can you attest to the reliability of the IS versus the 3 series from a maintenance standpoint??

[Edited on July 21, 2008 at 3:26 PM. Reason : ]

7/21/2008 3:25:42 PM

Quote :

"^ I actually did try a 3 series and still preferred the Grand Prix. "

haha, dude...I've owned the former and driven the latter, and I don't think I can help you if you think the Grand Prix is even playing the same sport as an E46 BMW.

If you seriously think the Grand Prix is a better drive than a 3-series, for the love of your bank account, go buy yourself another Grand Prix. Why pay for the BMW (or the Lexus...I haven't liked the Lexus' I've driven, but I've never driven an IS300...I just know that the consensus is pretty much unanimous that the E46 is a superior car) if you don't even appreciate what it is?

Save your money and get the Pontiac.

7/22/2008 2:51:21 AM

Quote :

"^ I actually did try a 3 series and still preferred the Grand Prix."

quote of the year!

7/22/2008 3:22:42 AM

^^ Thanks for the advice. Considered. But I'm after reliability here. A new Grand Prix would be a time bomb.

I'm also not a track driver or racing enthusiast like some of you on here. I just want a nice and luxurious daily driver that also doesn't feel like my grandmother would drive it. The IS, though a tad slower and less personality than the 3 series, fits the bill (for me). And the IS300 in particular that I'm looking at is loaded with features that no 3 series I've found has, and in general has a nicer interior.

Plus I've found more reviews regarding the reliability of the 3 series. I'm going with the IS.

Thanks all!

7/22/2008 9:25:01 AM

Quote :

"I'm also not a track driver or racing enthusiast like some of you on here."

the 3-series isn't exactly a purpose built track tool...it's just a phenomenal jack of all trades daily driver.

7/25/2008 12:35:25 AM

Quote :

"I actually did try a 3 series and still preferred the Grand Prix."

i blew coke on my monitor laughing so hard after reading this. Good joke, or were you being serious?

i've pretty much narrowed my car down to either a 325i/328i or a 2.0T A4. test drove the A4 yesterday the thing sticks to the road and has a pretty forgiving clutch considering i have minimal stick driving experience.

[Edited on July 26, 2008 at 6:07 PM. Reason : l]

7/26/2008 6:04:01 PM

i'd go with the bmw personally

7/26/2008 7:11:47 PM

explanation?

7/26/2008 7:37:42 PM

just personal preference

7/26/2008 7:39:33 PM