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Location: On the "Left Coast", somewhere in "the Land of Fruits & Nuts"
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Middle-aged female friend is looking for something a bit sportier in a used car than her current soccer-mom Toyota van. A friend has a customized 2010 Altima (with the big 6), available for around $15 K which she likes, but she's also not very savvy with cars and I'm thinking this is basically just a souped up Camry, Avalon or some-such that she'll quickly get tired of. Am mostly a Euro/BMW fan myself, but I suspect some sort of relatively low-maintenance yet sporty Japanese car might be a better fit for her. Her budget's around $15K, give or take, and preferably less than 4 or 5 years old. Any suggestions?
does she need a back seat, would she like a convertible, can she drive a manual trans, would this be an only car or an addition to the minivan? There are many options that could be listed, but knowing how far towards "sporty" she is leaning and how much practicality is still desired will dictate her final choice.
The Miata is a great little sports car, a Honda s2000 is another option though tougher to find a clean one (unmodified) for a good price. We had one, not very practical but loads of fun (manual trans only). And now after owning a new generation Mustang i'd add my vote for one of those as well.
does she need a back seat, would she like a convertible, can she drive a manual trans, would this be an only car or an addition to the minivan? There are many options that could be listed, but knowing how far towards "sporty" she is leaning and how much practicality is still desired will dictate her final choice.
That sums it up fairly well.
I obviously don't know this person but if I had to guess I would think that sporty appearance might be as much if not more important than sporty driving feel. Thus, I think it's right to steer away from that Altima. $15k and 4-5 years old might be somewhat limiting as well.
Miatas are great if you want that sort of classic roadster. But if looking for, say, a sporty coupe with a back seat, there aren't quite as many choices from the Japanese. All the Mazdas even though 4 doors have a decent sporty feel though. Well, the 6 is better if you get the 2008 smaller one. I think with the Infiniti or Z you'd have to go older or get more expensive than $15k. You could look at Acura RSX if willing to have it be 6 years old.
Define "sporty." Are we talking appearance? Corning ability? Lots of power? People define sporty many different ways. (Example: my wife likes sporty cars, but for her, it means a nice driving/riding car with a sporty appearance. It doesn't have to be fast or great in the corners).
Then, what does she need this car to do and haul? What are her priorities? Preferences?
Otherwise, this is a needle in a haystack and you can search autotrade for all japanese cars since 2009 with asking prices at or under $15K just as well as us....
If she wants a sedan with some sporting character, though not a sports car, a first generation TSX might be in her price range, though she may have to go a bit older to get to $15k, or a few more miles. The TL is not going to be $15k that's 4-5 years old, perhaps one that's 8+ years old or with 100k+ on the odometer. I would never use the word sport and Altima in the same sentence, though.
Why Japanese? She will pay a hefty premium over some other vehicles, such as the Ford Mustang that is a sports car, and is pretty reliable.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
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