I graduated two years ago and landed a corporate job making a semi decent living (10+ yrs. experience). It's time to trade in my heap for a hip new car. The devil in me would love to pick up a BMW M3 or an Audi S4 but my logical environmentally conscious side pushes me towards the Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic Hybrid. What kind of a car would you recommend if you were in my position? What do you drive?
Unless you want to carry around a bottle of canola oil everywhere you go you'll need to accept the fact that gas stations are the easies place to fill you tank. Biodiesel is great but somewhat unrealistic for people in the city who can't set up a small refinery in their living room.
i had an 86 4WD tercel for years, but i received word today that a piece of one of my pistons shattered off and now i am engineless. someone sell me a car
special deal for you my friend.....come see my friend....
Just kidding, listen I hear you, whilst I cannot take peanuts for my car, it's available if you are truly interested. (email me if you wish to discuss further).
As for the Scion (how do you really pronouce that damn name) it seems rather "box-ey" much like the honda element that's out there rollin' around those California highways.
I've been thinking about that prius as well. I have it from some insider information (a friend of the family that works for Honda) that their hybird is a piece of work (he meant to say SHIT). He actually even suggested going with the Toyota since they have definitely refined and vested time in the design and development of that prius!
actually saab is owned and operated by gmc now, they were never owned by ford. ford does own lotus though. swedish womens swim team in bikini's...come free with every saab
i stand corrected...nevertheless...they aren't trully sweedish anymore. The only trully sweedish built or manufactured saab is the wagon (any model that is a wagon). And let me add some of those wagons are pretty sweet (bi-turbo, 300+ hp).
Is it true about the the bikini-ed girls?? If so, Im gettin' me a saab!!!
My vote goes for the M3. Nothing beats them for the cash, as you know. S4's are nice, too, but too understated for a performance car, imo. For that cash, look at a used Porsche 996. You can find some mint ones for around $40k with under 20k in miles. Not practical, but damn nice!
One thing to consider is the new 3 series will be out soon and they look soooo much nicer! A new M3 is years away, most likely, but I am sure the 330 or whatever the top model is would still be pretty sweet (the current 330 still goes 0-60 in 6.4, if you care ;-) ).
thanks mbr. i definitely agree with you. i have been eyeing the m3 and have considered a used porche 911, the 1996 turbo 3.6. (visit www.cars.com for latest used pricing). i also have looked at the bmw 330ci and would love to check out the 2005 version. i never thought that the m3 would not be revamped and probably would be aesthetically behind when the new 3 series come out. here's a thought tho, i always wanted to be different, so my friends and i have talked about a used lotus esprit, the pre-v8 twin turbo. what do you think?
hey calatrava and mbr...can you please spare around 1200$ for repairs on my 97 eclipse if youve got some cash left after the m3 and the turbo???
please
Ruf does Porsche right... (I got this thing for driving fast)
I realize this might be out of your/my/our price range... but this thing is just RAD. (in black or silver that is)
RUF Rturbo
Top speed: max. 350 km/h with long gearing (that is 217 mph)!
0 - 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds (0 - 62mph)!
Engine:
Water-cooled Flat-six
Crank shaft supported in eight bearings
Two electrohydrolically adjustable overhead camshafts
Four valves per cylinder
Water-cooled with three water coolers as well as a water-oil heat exchanger
Dry sump lubrication with separate oil tank
Electronic Bosch fuel-injection
Two KKK exhaust-driven turbochargers with integrated bypass valve and two computer-controlled stainless steel catalytic converters
Bore x stroke 100,0 mm x 76,4 mm
Oil capacity: 12 litres including filter
Water capacity: 20 litres
Fuel: 98 ROZ unleaded (super plus)
Transmission:
All-wheel-drive (rear-wheel-drive at extra cost)
Six-speed gearbox
Chassis:
RUF sports suspension
RUF alloy rims, front: 8,5'' x 19''
with 225/35 ZR 19 tires
RUF alloy rims, rear: 11,0'' x 19''
with 305/25 ZR 19 tires
RUF 5-spoke aluminium multi-piece rims, front: 8,5'' x 18'' offset 50, 225/40 ZR 18 tires
RUF 5-spoke aluminium multi-piece rims, rear: 11,5'' x 18'' offset 45, 295/30 ZR 18 tires
Brakes:
Vented discs front and rear with ABS
Disc diameter front: 330 mm
Disc diameter rear: 330 mm
Ceramic brakes (at extra cost)
Don't worry, most of those were off my watch list!
If you are spending around $40k, go with the M3 or save money and get a 330.
If you are spending more than that, get the Porsche. I like the C4S or C2S as they have the flaired fenders and rims of the Turbo, which make them look a hell of a lot better.
Lotus Esprit: Love 'em, but you are asking for trouble! Especially with that tiny 4 banger!! Granted, they are fast, but they have no torque, and the componentry is not reliable (like transmissions and electrical systems). It's an old car, great looking with a sexy interior (look at the anniver. special a decade ago- really nice interior!), but it's only a weekend toy.
Porsche's are simple, reliable, and time proven, plus you can get parts and service anywhere. One of the best resale values, too.
One car that's a steal that most overlook is the Jaguar XJR. It's a risky proposition, honestly, as the dealers I've spoken with say 'yeah, it's reliable if the owner doesn't beat the crap out of it!', meaning that first times owners can afford to trash a $80k car. But the performance is superb (look around for old comparison with the M5, 500E).
They are big, but they are as fast or faster than the 996s and M3s, and that's pretty amazing! So if you like them, you won't find a better deal as the resale is horrible!!
Sorry, but that Scion is one butt-ugly, limp-dicked, sorry-ass lookin' - perhaps hyped-up tryin'-to-be-80s soccer mom-tree-huggin' - stooppid-lookin' vehicle....OOF
you have to have the rice-rocket mentality and go all out with the scion... allow for the scion to get its pimp on and you'll know what javier is talking about... fool.
BOTS you drive a dream why would you mess up and buy an Elise
My Recommendation would be for a MINI S-cooper
Efficient and has that "I'm an architect - aren't I cool" vibe to it
Plus with the s-cooper not many things will be blowing past you on the highways
mbr, i guess the elise would be a better choice since it is also a four banger, but alot less weight than the esprit. an even better choice would be the lotus exige according to BOTS' post, but alas, the exige is not available in the states. i'll let you know!
"BOTS you drive a dream why would you mess up and buy an Elise"
Yeh you have a point, however it is the new Exige and not the Elise.
Also the SMART has good sustainability credentials. i can whip the shit our of the 700cc engine and still get 60+ miles to the gallon. In fact the harder you drive it the better the economy (something to do with optimum running temperatures). This is a good thing when petrol here costs about 90 pence a litre.
vw tdi
sure not quite as nice a ride as an audi or bmw.. but as fuel prices continue to climb you'll still be able to cruise - either use bio-diesel or they are easy to convert to to use vegtable oil.. i got 52 mpg my last tank and i'm loving it. solid car with some nice gadgets.. could use bigger cupholders though.
hmmm...i thought we used the formerly british system. i read on the news a couple years ago it was renamed the American System...do you mean to tell me that the british made a new measurement system after we beat them at the revolutionary war?
What to drive or what not to...
I graduated two years ago and landed a corporate job making a semi decent living (10+ yrs. experience). It's time to trade in my heap for a hip new car. The devil in me would love to pick up a BMW M3 or an Audi S4 but my logical environmentally conscious side pushes me towards the Toyota Prius or the Honda Civic Hybrid. What kind of a car would you recommend if you were in my position? What do you drive?
don't be one of those 'it's hip to be electric' wankers...
get a diesel VW Passat and run it on biodiesel and/or straight vegetable oil.
Unless you want to carry around a bottle of canola oil everywhere you go you'll need to accept the fact that gas stations are the easies place to fill you tank. Biodiesel is great but somewhat unrealistic for people in the city who can't set up a small refinery in their living room.
I drive a 04 Toyota Prius and I love it. At first I was skeptical. My fiancé and I purchase the car together almost two year ago. She did lean on me a bit. I wanted something more sporty. It's perfect for us. It gets' 47+ miles to the gallon consistently. Hybrid technology is great and is clearly going to be the future. They've made significant improvements to the 05 model as well. We liked it better than the Hybrid Civic for a few reasons. Mostly there are more design consideration to the interior that we liked. The touch screed display, the low profile transition, they just spent more time refining the Prius interior. The Lexus RX and Ford Escape are coming out with hybrid editions that both use the Toyota hybrid system as well. If I had a family or needed to haul more stuff places I'd look at those too. All in all the car has never been great.
Go with a new VW Passat, they're great and not too pricey. They are basically an Audi A4, same engine, same platform.
Don't get a Toyota or Honda, they are so plain. Get some style.
Beemer M3 coupe
i had an 86 4WD tercel for years, but i received word today that a piece of one of my pistons shattered off and now i am engineless. someone sell me a car
hey le bossman, u wanna VW jetta? I gots one for sale! 97 VW with only 44K miles on it
well, yeah, but the whole reason for driving a 20 year old car is that's all i can afford
special deal for you my friend.....come see my friend....
Just kidding, listen I hear you, whilst I cannot take peanuts for my car, it's available if you are truly interested. (email me if you wish to discuss further).
As for the Scion (how do you really pronouce that damn name) it seems rather "box-ey" much like the honda element that's out there rollin' around those California highways.
I've been thinking about that prius as well. I have it from some insider information (a friend of the family that works for Honda) that their hybird is a piece of work (he meant to say SHIT). He actually even suggested going with the Toyota since they have definitely refined and vested time in the design and development of that prius!
my $.02 cents
vw = shit
buy a g35 coupe. Looks sick, sounds sicker
thats aight squirrelly thanks for the offer...you don't have to put on that plaid car salesman sportcoat for me, save it for the ladies
bmw k1200s
h2 with 26's
get a hydrogen fueled car
bmw makes some and hummer does too...
man how did you know le bossman. Plaid car salesman sportcoat still hangin' in my closet....you must be psychic.
it is all about the saab 9-3 ... i love the swedish
good call post-neo....but you know that they are owned and manufactured by ford now, right??
Ford = suck ass car!!
actually saab is owned and operated by gmc now, they were never owned by ford. ford does own lotus though. swedish womens swim team in bikini's...come free with every saab
i stand corrected...nevertheless...they aren't trully sweedish anymore. The only trully sweedish built or manufactured saab is the wagon (any model that is a wagon). And let me add some of those wagons are pretty sweet (bi-turbo, 300+ hp).
Is it true about the the bikini-ed girls?? If so, Im gettin' me a saab!!!
I PICKED UP THE NEW 04 MAZDA 3 THIS SPRING
HOT CAR, BEST IN CLASS, ALREADY PICKED UP TWO TICKETS WITH IT..HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"buy a g35 coupe"
how much are they?
My vote goes for the M3. Nothing beats them for the cash, as you know. S4's are nice, too, but too understated for a performance car, imo. For that cash, look at a used Porsche 996. You can find some mint ones for around $40k with under 20k in miles. Not practical, but damn nice!
One thing to consider is the new 3 series will be out soon and they look soooo much nicer! A new M3 is years away, most likely, but I am sure the 330 or whatever the top model is would still be pretty sweet (the current 330 still goes 0-60 in 6.4, if you care ;-) ).
thanks mbr. i definitely agree with you. i have been eyeing the m3 and have considered a used porche 911, the 1996 turbo 3.6. (visit www.cars.com for latest used pricing). i also have looked at the bmw 330ci and would love to check out the 2005 version. i never thought that the m3 would not be revamped and probably would be aesthetically behind when the new 3 series come out. here's a thought tho, i always wanted to be different, so my friends and i have talked about a used lotus esprit, the pre-v8 twin turbo. what do you think?
hey calatrava and mbr...can you please spare around 1200$ for repairs on my 97 eclipse if youve got some cash left after the m3 and the turbo???
please
Ruf does Porsche right... (I got this thing for driving fast)
I realize this might be out of your/my/our price range... but this thing is just RAD. (in black or silver that is)
RUF Rturbo
Top speed: max. 350 km/h with long gearing (that is 217 mph)!
0 - 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds (0 - 62mph)!
Engine:
Water-cooled Flat-six
Crank shaft supported in eight bearings
Two electrohydrolically adjustable overhead camshafts
Four valves per cylinder
Water-cooled with three water coolers as well as a water-oil heat exchanger
Dry sump lubrication with separate oil tank
Electronic Bosch fuel-injection
Two KKK exhaust-driven turbochargers with integrated bypass valve and two computer-controlled stainless steel catalytic converters
Bore x stroke 100,0 mm x 76,4 mm
Oil capacity: 12 litres including filter
Water capacity: 20 litres
Fuel: 98 ROZ unleaded (super plus)
Transmission:
All-wheel-drive (rear-wheel-drive at extra cost)
Six-speed gearbox
Chassis:
RUF sports suspension
RUF alloy rims, front: 8,5'' x 19''
with 225/35 ZR 19 tires
RUF alloy rims, rear: 11,0'' x 19''
with 305/25 ZR 19 tires
RUF 5-spoke aluminium multi-piece rims, front: 8,5'' x 18'' offset 50, 225/40 ZR 18 tires
RUF 5-spoke aluminium multi-piece rims, rear: 11,5'' x 18'' offset 45, 295/30 ZR 18 tires
Brakes:
Vented discs front and rear with ABS
Disc diameter front: 330 mm
Disc diameter rear: 330 mm
Ceramic brakes (at extra cost)
Porsche02
M3
M3 02
Porsche04
Porsche05
Porsche06
Damn, I hate this no edit business!
C4S
Brumos
Here ya go! ;-)
Don't worry, most of those were off my watch list!
If you are spending around $40k, go with the M3 or save money and get a 330.
If you are spending more than that, get the Porsche. I like the C4S or C2S as they have the flaired fenders and rims of the Turbo, which make them look a hell of a lot better.
Lotus Esprit: Love 'em, but you are asking for trouble! Especially with that tiny 4 banger!! Granted, they are fast, but they have no torque, and the componentry is not reliable (like transmissions and electrical systems). It's an old car, great looking with a sexy interior (look at the anniver. special a decade ago- really nice interior!), but it's only a weekend toy.
Porsche's are simple, reliable, and time proven, plus you can get parts and service anywhere. One of the best resale values, too.
One car that's a steal that most overlook is the Jaguar XJR. It's a risky proposition, honestly, as the dealers I've spoken with say 'yeah, it's reliable if the owner doesn't beat the crap out of it!', meaning that first times owners can afford to trash a $80k car. But the performance is superb (look around for old comparison with the M5, 500E).
XJR
They are big, but they are as fast or faster than the 996s and M3s, and that's pretty amazing! So if you like them, you won't find a better deal as the resale is horrible!!
Good luck. I'd love to hear what you go with!!
If you're going to get a Lotus, get a new Elise. One of the best handling cars of all time. Has a Toyota engine.
New Saab is actually a Subuaru.
Also, a used Acura NSX can be found with low miles in the mid $20k's.
BMW's are too soft anymore, now that Chris Bangle has ruined what was once a beautiful car.
Sorry, but that Scion is one butt-ugly, limp-dicked, sorry-ass lookin' - perhaps hyped-up tryin'-to-be-80s soccer mom-tree-huggin' - stooppid-lookin' vehicle....OOF
you have to have the rice-rocket mentality and go all out with the scion... allow for the scion to get its pimp on and you'll know what javier is talking about... fool.
FOOL? Well, I guess I now understand the design mentality of THIS group - so sorry to interfere!
hybrid cars will save the environment. not green/sustainable architecture.
unfortunately, that's not the case, "CREAm" ...buildings consume a lot more energy than cars do.
yeah but it would be funny if it were so. ho ho ho.
YIKES
i like the extremes... give me the new m5 or the prius
I drive one of these
http://www.carpages.co.uk/smart/smart_roadster_review_part_1_07_02_04.asp?switched=on&echo=1020834398
I’m saving for one of these
http://www.auto123.com/en/info/news/previews,view,Lotus.spy?artid=22077&pg=1
also to be available in America.
this is all you need to know
http://www.musclecarplanet.com/History/71HemiConv.jpg
i'm of the opinion that this is all you need to know
www.tercel4wd.com
just kidding children bye bye
BOTS you drive a dream why would you mess up and buy an Elise
My Recommendation would be for a MINI S-cooper
Efficient and has that "I'm an architect - aren't I cool" vibe to it
Plus with the s-cooper not many things will be blowing past you on the highways
if money is no object, then i'd go with this
http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/images/photo_gallery/ph_gt_popup_7.jpg
http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/images/photo_gallery/ph_gt_popup_9.jpg
http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/images/photo_gallery/ph_gt_popup_10.jpg
http://www.fordvehicles.com/fordgt/index.asp?bhcp=1
mbr, i guess the elise would be a better choice since it is also a four banger, but alot less weight than the esprit. an even better choice would be the lotus exige according to BOTS' post, but alas, the exige is not available in the states. i'll let you know!
"BOTS you drive a dream why would you mess up and buy an Elise"
Yeh you have a point, however it is the new Exige and not the Elise.
Also the SMART has good sustainability credentials. i can whip the shit our of the 700cc engine and still get 60+ miles to the gallon. In fact the harder you drive it the better the economy (something to do with optimum running temperatures). This is a good thing when petrol here costs about 90 pence a litre.
Can someone work that out for dollars / gallon?
there you go again BOTS, screwing things up with your canadian measurement system
vw tdi
sure not quite as nice a ride as an audi or bmw.. but as fuel prices continue to climb you'll still be able to cruise - either use bio-diesel or they are easy to convert to to use vegtable oil.. i got 52 mpg my last tank and i'm loving it. solid car with some nice gadgets.. could use bigger cupholders though.
le bossman
Canadian? I thought it was the French
The calculation should be no problem for USA neighbours then…
Of course, remember that the US gallon is not the same as a British gallon (1 U.S. gallon = 0.833 British Imperial gallon).
While we are on the subject of standard units check the Metric vs. Imperial topic.
hmmm...i thought we used the formerly british system. i read on the news a couple years ago it was renamed the American System...do you mean to tell me that the british made a new measurement system after we beat them at the revolutionary war?
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.