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I have a dilemma...I will need to buy another car in about a year. My current car (2000 Mercury Cougar) has about 120k on it. I love the shape of this car and was thinking about an '09 Accord Coupe.
Only issue is...the 2 door Cougar has been annoying to drive because of the, well, 2 doors. I'm in my 30s now but I'm not married and don't have a family, so I don't feel compelled to buy a 4 door car other than the fact that my current coupe is kinda 'tight' space-wise.
I was however leaning towards a sedan because I feel like it's the 'adult thing to do'...but I can't seem to find a sedan that has a sportier feel to it. Plus my budget is around 20k.
There is a current trend now to have "coupe" styling in a four door car. The only examples of this that would be in your price range are the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:
The CC would have to be a used purchase at that price, but they have been out since 2009 at various trim levels, so you have options. The Sonata is new for 2011, but a base model would fit into your price range new and there are some used examples out there.
There isn't too much "sporty" in terms of looks in the mainstream sedan market. Probably the sportiest looking outside of the Sonata is the Accord. The rest all have a more traditional sedan shape even if they have sportier styling elements.
If you drop down to the compact class, the new Focus has a decently sporty look:
I'm sure others may offer some additional suggestions, but the only other thing I can think of would be the entry-level luxury sedans like the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, etc.
I just got a Focus hatchback about a month ago. I love it so far. I spent more than $20k, but mine is decked out: leather, heated seated, sports package, 18" tires, sunroof, automatic wipers/lights, push button start. It is a nice car. Pretty wide for a compact car, but definitely not meant for 5 people to ride in for a long time. 4 is fine.
An Accord coupe is going to be a lot bigger than your Cougar. Especially inside and in the back seat. You may feel that the Accord 2 door is fine for space, where you think the Cougar feels a little "cramped."
There is a current trend now to have "coupe" styling in a four door car. The only examples of this that would be in your price range are the 2011 Hyundai Sonata:
Or the Volkswagen CC:
The CC would have to be a used purchase at that price, but they have been out since 2009 at various trim levels, so you have options. The Sonata is new for 2011, but a base model would fit into your price range new and there are some used examples out there.
There isn't too much "sporty" in terms of looks in the mainstream sedan market. Probably the sportiest looking outside of the Sonata is the Accord. The rest all have a more traditional sedan shape even if they have sportier styling elements.
If you drop down to the compact class, the new Focus has a decently sporty look:
I'm sure others may offer some additional suggestions, but the only other thing I can think of would be the entry-level luxury sedans like the BMW 3-series, Audi A4, etc.
Thanks so much for the suggestions...the Hyundai Sonata looks nice.
Of course if money wasn't an issue, I'd probably get an Infiniti G35.
An Accord coupe is going to be a lot bigger than your Cougar. Especially inside and in the back seat. You may feel that the Accord 2 door is fine for space, where you think the Cougar feels a little "cramped."
Hhhmmmm...good point. Maybe I'll test drive one this weekend since I haven't actually done that yet.
Hhhmmmm...good point. Maybe I'll test drive one this weekend since I haven't actually done that yet.
Here's a thought. V-6 Mustang convertible. At around $24k, they have 300HP, sporty, hold value very well and since you already like Ford (Cougar) it will feel close to what you're driving. Drop the top and have zero crampy feeling.
Here's a thought. V-6 Mustang convertible. At around $24k, they have 300HP, sporty, hold value very well and since you already like Ford (Cougar) it will feel close to what you're driving. Drop the top and have zero crampy feeling.
As much as I like my Mustang 5.0 I would not recommend it to anybody who wants more space.
The back seat is useless.
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