^

3/15/2019 7:34:36 PM

reliability and room for 4?
a mid 2000's IS350

3/15/2019 8:51:02 PM

^ thx. Reliability would be good. Some ability to haul dogs would also be helpful.

[Edited on March 15, 2019 at 10:17 PM. Reason : ^ excellent suggestion too ]

3/15/2019 9:53:18 PM

CADILLAC SRX

3/18/2019 11:17:32 AM

1st gen cayenne S up to 07 (don't want 1st gen direct injection)
got one for sale too

3/18/2019 11:50:14 AM

I was looking in that range and settled on a Passat. But it came down to whatever had the best deal. Mazda 6 and Fusion were also on my list.

I'm very happy with it... it's a capable people mover... but I'd trade it for a diesel of the same model in a second.

Pros:
-Lots of features for moderate coin. $10K if you want some features will probably mean you're looking used ~80K miles, 3-4 years old.
-Maintenance is easy peasy on inline 5 w/o turbo.
-Many nifty things - remote start, booty heaters, comfortable seats.
-Personally I think it looks better than many.
-The amount of exterior plastic is reasonable. I don't have to tape or be careful when I wax.
-Available in a stick
-~30 MPG city, have seen 40MPG on the highway regularly, but 35 is more reasonable.
-Leith on Capital is always a decent experience for me, and 2 out of 3 times has bested the price from the neighborhood place for regular maintenance items: brakes, busted light housing, etc. Saved me $1300 by fixing a misdiagnose from a local shop for just the diagnose fee.

Cons:
-Inline 5 is a commuter car. 4 adults of weight + gear cause it to downshift more than my previous V6 on the highways and byways. Taking friends to lunch is fine, but a mountain trip was painful with all the shifting.
-Car runs fine on regular gas, but will get 2-3 miles more per gallon on premium.
-Interior has a few rattles and squeaks. Cutting weight for plastic shows in a few places, especially the back seats.
-I like wood grain, but come on, not in a cheaper car. VW can do better.
-OMG T30 bits. Go buy 3-5, put one in it and in every tool box.
-Certain items almost require the dealers computer. It's about $125 for diagnose fee even to just flash tech bulletins and "non required" updates

3/19/2019 1:48:34 AM

Apparently I've expanded the budget to $15k and a 2012+ Acura TL SH-AWD is at the top of the list.

What I'm looking for:
250-300+hp/reasonably fun
<$15k
more reliable than my 335i
cheaper to fix than my 335i
updated tech (camera, BT stream etc)
sedan/hatchback (needs to haul a dog or 2)

Quote :

"Features on the base TL include 3.5L SOHC V6 engine, six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, four wheel disc brakes with ABS, airbags (front, front side, side curtain), LED mirror-integrated turn signals, vehicle immobilizer, TPMS, automatic headlights, fog lights, power heated mirrors with reverse tilt-down, HID headlights, dual exhaust, power moonroof with tilt and auto-open/close, stainless steel roof and door window mouldings, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone automatic climate control, exterior temperature indicator, Bluetooth phone connectivity, illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio/phone/MID/cruise controls, remote entry system with driver position memory, map lights, maintenance minder system, multi-information display (MID), power windows with front window auto-up/down, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, eight-speaker 276-watt 6-disc AM/FM/CD/MP3/WMA audio, auxiliary input, Bluetooth audio, USB port, satellite radio, 8-way power front seats, heated front seats, and leather-trimmed interior. TL SH-AWD adds (to base TL) 3.7L SOHC V6 engine, all-wheel drive, 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, hill start assist, headlight washers, and steering wheel with sport grip and interior colour stitching. TL SH-AWD Tech adds (to TL SH-AWD) the choice of automatic or manual transmissions (only trim with the manual choice), rear decklid spoiler with integrated rearview camera, Acura 60GB HDD navigation system, GPS-linked solar-sensing dual-zone automatic climate control, Keyless Access System (smart entry and push button start) with driver recognition, 10-speaker Acura/ELS 440-watt premium sound system with 15GB HDD storage, and perforated premium Milano leather trimmed interior."

3/19/2019 5:30:46 PM

TL looks nice!

3/20/2019 12:18:50 AM

Looks perfect on paper. Going to drive one soon.

3/20/2019 12:31:21 AM

I would look at a hyundai equus/genesis with the big v8
300+hp, end all be all in comfort and tech at the pricepoint. Many are probably still under the 10yr 100k mile warranty. Parts are cheap AF
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/viewDetailsFilterViewInventoryListing.action?sourceContext=carGurusHomePageModel&newSearchFromOverviewPage=true&inventorySearchWidgetType=AUTO&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity=d2087&entitySelectingHelper.selectedEntity2=&zip=27610&distance=500&searchChanged=true&modelChanged=false&filtersModified=true#listing=234514769

the real tech to look at is something with a semi-autonomous mode, but 15k is just below the cheapest used subarus that have a reasonable offering

[Edited on March 20, 2019 at 10:43 AM. Reason : .]

3/20/2019 10:41:57 AM

Interesting option, but not sure I want something that big.

3/20/2019 11:07:25 AM

The Acura is uuuuugly. Stick with the Lexus

https://tinyurl.com/y4p464kz

https://tinyurl.com/y3lof5wd

[Edited on March 20, 2019 at 10:58 PM. Reason : ]

3/20/2019 10:57:45 PM

^ 0-60 in 7.9 kinda kills it for me.

The 2007 is350 I drove felt pretty old (handling and interior especially), but probably wasn't the best example of its vintage.

3/21/2019 12:25:44 AM

I have yet to find a submarine for less than $10,000

3/21/2019 5:25:37 AM

That gen TL is ugly as fuck.

3/21/2019 8:54:50 AM

something like this isn't that bad

3/21/2019 11:25:13 AM

something like this isn't that bad

3/21/2019 11:25:13 AM

then again it's a goddamn work of art compared to a new civic.

3/22/2019 12:20:21 PM

Quote :

"Interesting option, but not sure I want something that big."

the acura is 4k lbs 305hp
the hyundai is 4.5k lbs 429hp

I'm not sure its a given which drives bigger, especially without awd on the hyundai

3/22/2019 9:52:57 PM

Acura is 3837 lbs, Hyundai is 4486 lbs. I'm not gonna look up dimensions but the Hyundai looks way bigger. Like 8 series vs 5 series bigger.

Ok I had to...Hyundai has a 10" larger wheelbase. 0-60 is similar. I like the idea of a V8, but not in that big of a package.

I drove a 2010 sh-awd and the awd in turns is good bit of fun. Auto tranny is lacking tho. The Equis looks like it feels like a boat in turns and skimming the reviews that looks like the case


[Edited on March 22, 2019 at 10:13 PM. Reason : ]

3/22/2019 10:05:23 PM

Nissan Maxima (inb4nmsj)
https://tinyurl.com/y4ccn6k4


https://www.automobilemag.com/news/2016-nissan-maxima-sr-vs-2016-bmw-340i/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c0QidLgSgk

3/25/2019 9:58:58 PM

I've had a few idle thoughts about the Maxima, but the FWD kinda kills it for me.

Plus NMSJ apparently

3/25/2019 10:23:21 PM

8 series is a cramped 2 door coupe. Not really that big

3/26/2019 10:24:24 AM

You definitely gotta go with 15's.

3/27/2019 6:15:15 PM

Good call!

3/27/2019 10:06:25 PM