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He's talked about a Mustang, but is definitely up for any pony car and even a Corvette. This is going to be his first car and daily driver. He has up to $15k to spend. Oh and he has been driving for 5 years, so he has some experience driving.
I'm sure $15k would get him a real nice later model Mustang, but for that amount or even much less he could pick up something from the 90s just as nice and even a Corvette.
edit: He will be buying from a private seller and is 23
Last edited by The Continental; 01-22-2010 at 02:33 PM..
How much experience does he have driving a rwd car? If none, I'd start with a V6 mustang, which should be plenty for him to handle, and inexpensive to get.
well, let's get the 'Debie Downer' stuff out of the way:
1) if he's been driving for 5 years, i will assume he's about 21. pretty expensive age to have a sports car insurance-wise. make sure he's well aware of what he will have to pay BEFORE he gets in over his head. calling around for some quotes is a REALLY good idea.
2) at $15K, any 'Vette you'll find will likely be beat and/or an older model that won't hang if he's all about having the fastest thing out there. you may be able to find a high-mileage C5, but otherwise i would pull the Vette off the list. again, insurance costs.
OK, now the fun stuff. what exactly does he want/need out of the car? does he need a backseat? is he a big guy who needs some room? does he have to have the fastest thing out there, or just 'fast enough'? does he care about handling? if so, does he care about handling MORE or LESS than the power?
one car that (IMO) is a helluva deal in that price range are the 04-06 GTOs. lots of power, lots of room, decent handling, superb interior, and they're sleepers. heck, some insurance companies don't even quite seem to know what they're capable of, so sometimes premiums are pretty reasonable.
Mustangs are cool and there's a ton to choose from in that price range, but they're a 'dime-a-dozen' if you ask me. i like 'em, but i would want something a bit more unique. still, there's so much aftermarket for them that you can easily make it stand out from the crowd.
Where are you guys, climate-wise? How handy is your friend? Can he DIY or has to depend on shops? Is your friend average sized, or NFL linebacker sized? Athletic or out of shape?
Urban or rural driving environment?
Typical drive to work alone commuter, that does not use all the room available in a Miata, or needs room for gear/stuff?
All that said, assuming a more or less average Joe that's into cars, a good C4 'vette is well within the price range, and while the C5 and C6 have moved the bar up quite a bit, it's not that hard to find a good C4 that's as good today as it ever was. Ragtop or hardtop, it's a good fun car.
Miata is a good choice as well, it's not a very "macho" car, but it is quick, it's fun to drive, economical on gas, even good tires for it are relatively cheap, the top goes down. You can spend as much or as little as you want with a Miata.
The previous gen Mustang can be found in this price range, depending on engine, trans, etc. it's another valid choice. You can get a ragtop here too.
My daily is an 82 Scirocco. Go on, laugh, because I'll laugh last. You need to be able to bend your own wrenches and live in non-rusting country to pull this off, but it's a fun to drive if a bit underpowered car, parts availability is no problem, I am getting better than 35 MPG lately, good tires are cheap although the selection in a 13" is getting a bit thin. I have put well over 150K on the current engine, it's still going very strong. What really surprises me is that a lot of school kids give me the thumbs-up when I drive by - I think they are mistaking it for a DeLorean - I did have a teenaged kid ask me if it was a DeLorean (A Mk II Scirocco looks a bit like a DeLorean from the front...). Whatever. It works for me. A GTI is similar and mostly better. The Cabrio is sometimes thought of as a "hairdresser's car" but it's a damn good car really, again the top goes down.
In the same vein, an older Toyota Celica is the same sort of nominally 4-place but for practical purposes 2-seat hatchback.
What really surprises me is that a lot of school kids give me the thumbs-up when I drive by - I think they are mistaking it for a DeLorean - I did have a teenaged kid ask me if it was a DeLorean (A Mk II Scirocco looks a bit like a DeLorean from the front...). Whatever.
i think a lot of kids these days recognize and appreciate some of the quirky-cool cars of the last few decades, especially imports. i used to 'ooh and ahh' over this Datsun 510 some guy down the street owned when i was in high school, but my folks (who are car enthusiasts) didn't get it.
Yeah as said, a C4 and maybe a C5 could be had in his price range. C3s are nice too, but most likely he'd had to go with a later one and something that old might not be the best for him to start with.
Would there be insurance differences between a regular coupe and one with t-tops or a targa top? I'm sure a convertible would raise insurance correct?
He's talked about a Mustang, but is definitely up for any pony car and even a Corvette. This is going to be his first car and daily driver. He has up to $15k to spend. Oh and he has been driving for 5 years, so he has some experience driving.
I'm sure $15k would get him a real nice later model Mustang, but for that amount or even much less he could pick up something from the 90s just as nice and even a Corvette.
edit: He will be buying from a private seller and is 23
What about European or Japanese vehicles?
If you want a fast car, try looking for Lancer Evolution. You can go for Subaru Impreza WRX STI, but Evo sticks to the road better.
Try any 2.0 Turbo vehicle. They are pretty reliable, fast and easy to modify.
If your friend cares about comfort more, then go for Infinity G35. Even this will be faster than Mustang.
Look through this cars:
Toyota MR2 (Turbo versions, 2.0L engine, before 1996. VERY HARD TO DRIVE FAST, needs very big experience, it is mid engined RWD, so, you should be gentle with it)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution ( Evo VI would be the best, but it is even more expensive than Evo VIII)
Subaru Impreza WRX STI (Any version, but STI is a must, usual WRX cars have problems with gearbox)
E36 BMW M3 (European Version ONLY, American versions have 240hp, Europeans have 286, or 312 (newer versions)
Nissan 300ZX (Very reliable car. Easy to modify, but a bit costly. DO NOT GO FOR CHEAP ONES, better to pay more, but get a better car. Consider only TwinTurbo versions)
Honda S2000 (Very reliable and fast car. Too small though and modifications are really expensive)
Mitsubishi 3000GT (TwinTurbo version only, 4X4 transmission and big power. Easy to modify, but the car is really heavy)
All of these cars are faster than Mustang in stock already. Modification is easy and looks are good (S2000 is a bit different).
And, ALL the cars I have listed handle way better then any Mustang.
Also, should he even mess with a V6 or should he aim for a V8? I would say V8, but I don't think he'd take much advantage of it.
I know he prefers automatic too, but maybe I can talk him into manual.
What is he looking for anyway? Speed or Comfort?
V6 Mustangs are really slow. I mean REALLY Slow
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