NEW or USED? Let's Come Together To Help Our Car Snob Friend Out!

Long time listener, first time caller.  I find myself in the yuppie’s dilemma – $18k to spend and infinite possibilities.

Some background: I’ve always loved a great ride and I’ve been promiscuous….my last five cars have been a 1991 535i, a Nissan 200SX, Mazda Millenia, 1997 740il, and I currently drive a 2008 Subaru WRX under lease ($260 a month with $0 down, about the only time a lease has ever made sense to me).  When the lease is up, so is the jig.  I’m a newly minted lawyer at a large law firm making way more money than I should at 27, and my wife’s a nurse doing just the same.  We want to keep the purchase under $20K and I’ve seriously toyed with everything from a 2011 Sonata to a Z3 to 530xi to an A8 and everything in between.

The 2007+ g35s are a great car, but seems uninspired.  My dream is a later-model 545i with around 75k miles, but I just can’t bear to think of the maintenance costs.  That’s the reason we ditched our two previous Bimmers, but no matter how I rationalize, I just keep going German…love the smell, the look, the composure at freeway speeds. So help me out!  What should a yuppie drive?  Some prerequisites we’ve now settled on: manual tranny, 4 doors, take it to 150k without too much out of pocket. Don’t even suggest a Lexus!

Sarcastic1 - 7/29/2010 9:53:44 PM

0 Boost

Funny, I'm in this situation right now. As a car snob, my idea model is an A4 or 3-series XI. More than likely, I'll go with a WRX. Finding a used Germ with around 80,000 for sub-20 isn't difficult at all! The WRX will probably have less than 50,000

Agent001 - 7/29/2010 9:57:11 PM

+3 Boost

2011 Hyundai Sonata new. 21k, MP3, XM, BT and easy 27/35 mpg. Just bought one for 001JR. GREAT car. Should be consumer car of the year hands down.

001

Agent001 - 7/29/2010 10:01:06 PM

0 Boost

Sorry, didn't see it had to be manual.

BMW 128 strippie.

$21,785 average auction price as of today

Selling price: 21,000 Mileage: 10,304

001

Agent00R - 7/29/2010 10:02:48 PM

0 Boost

@Agent001

Agreed on '11 Hyundai Sonata.

Been seeing a TON of youths driving them around. Great car for a n00b driver.

bmwdrvr - 7/29/2010 11:28:06 PM

+5 Boost

lol these are always the worse luxury car buyers the ones that have a smug sense of accomplishment for buying a German car with a ton of miles that will be problematic in a very short time just to "say" they drive one jokes....lol just buy a used C class it seems to fit

Joe_Limon - 7/30/2010 12:13:31 AM

+2 Boost

S class Mercedes with 149,000 miles on it. I'm pretty sure you won't have any issues till it gets to 150,000 :P

Joe_Limon - 7/30/2010 12:14:03 AM

0 Boost

scratch that... manual... go ahead with a 7series bmw then.

uaw_lax - 7/30/2010 12:40:36 AM

+2 Boost

The problem is wanting to invest money in a old car that's worn out in the first place so you can be a fraud and feel that you have made it an in reality would have been better off buying a normal car in the first place. Then again this is America sheeple have to look the part and spend or at least look like the spent more than they can offered to satisfy there shear stupidity

Joe_Limon - 7/30/2010 12:55:15 AM

+1 Boost

A good counter argument would be as follows.

Why on earth would you buy a new car? The break in period of cars can cause just as many issues as having an older used car. Plus the hit you take in resale is huge the moment you drive it off the lot. Buying a $50,000 used car and selling it 5 years later you might get $35,000-$40,000 back for it depending on lots of factors... but a new car... could drop as low as $25,000 after 5 years.

All and all, if you buy used, you can end up getting a nicer/better optioned car for less, and resale will hurt you less, depending on the miles, it might even be more reliable.

0to60 - 7/30/2010 9:16:28 AM

+1 Boost

Joe, solution, get a car that only a couple years old thats still under the factory warranty.

uaw_lax - 7/30/2010 9:44:01 AM

+1 Boost

Joe_Limon I know what you mean 90% of my vehicle purchases have been about one to two years old for the same reasons you just mentioned. I can also tell you nothing in this world smells better or is more prestigious than the cancer causing smell of a new car.

uaw_lax - 7/30/2010 9:45:55 AM

0 Boost

Im sure the story is made up but I played along any way.

0to60 - 7/30/2010 3:42:53 PM

0 Boost

maybe those high @$$ student loans are kicking his butt! and it could have taken him a little longer...

als723 - 7/30/2010 2:49:08 AM

0 Boost

05-06 Audi S4
06 BMW 530i
05-06 Subaru WRX STi
2006 G35 Sedan 6MT

I think those are your only decent options for fast sedans... Lancers have shotty resale and reliability, the C55 is only an Automatic... you're totally out on the IS300s, and everything else is out of your budget...

I'd probably go with either the Subaru or the G35 tbh, as far as most likely getting to 150,000 miles...

Agent00R - 7/30/2010 8:08:27 AM

+1 Boost

@JB007

Whoa, calm down there JB...

Shredmo - 7/30/2010 10:12:30 AM

0 Boost

Most of the cars suggested save the Hyundai have high insurance costs. Money is clearly an issue here, so that should be a factor as well as $ to maintain the vehicle. A used Legacy GT is probably the best bang for the $ considering this. My second choice would be a GTI 4 door. Unfortunately, there is a lack of snob appeal in both choices.

_43LE - 7/30/2010 11:43:04 AM

+1 Boost

"manual tranny, 4 doors, take it to 150k without too much out of pocket"

2006 Acura TL 6 speed.

Although it's FWD and doesn't have snob appeal, it fits the criteria, and it's quite fun to drive.

or, as suggested above:

Subaru Legacy GT manual.

If you go the luxury route, you'll be paying more for service and parts.

Terry989 - 7/30/2010 12:30:20 PM

0 Boost

You'll have to search hard to find a manual, but a 2006/2007 Mercedes C230 Sport would be a great choice. Careful shopping will net you one at ~$18K leaving money in the bank for routine maintenance. Once out of warranty, just never, never use the dealer. Do your wallet a favor and find a good local independent.

M35MT - 7/30/2010 1:05:42 PM

0 Boost

A 2007 Mazdaspeed3 could be picked up with low miles for under 20k. Since I drove one for a year I can tell you that it won't disapoint, hits everything on your checklist (except being German) yet it is a bit juvenile.

Looks like a 3 series or GTI is what you want.

MorePower - 7/30/2010 11:00:18 PM

+1 Boost

Wait a few months for the 2010 WRX's to come out and get an 09' WRX. It has more power, you're use to the steering and they firmed up the ride(though not firm enough).

The Sonata or Kia equivalent are not bad choices either. If you don't mind fwd, look at a slightly used Acura TSX with the manual. It should fit well with your job, allow you to visit clients and not be embarrassed to park it at across the street from the court building or the office park where the mediation/arbitration/adr is taking place.

rumnyc - 8/1/2010 5:20:42 AM

+1 Boost

2005 330ix with less than 50k miles. Should be around 20k.

csraiders - 8/2/2010 7:17:29 PM

+1 Boost

In most cases it is better to buy a little bit older car than a brand new one. Engines are designed now a days to last 200k plus miles most of which the car wil never actually see. It is like buying a cheap house, investing some sweat and turning a nice profit into it. The same thing is with cars. Do a little tune up work and body repair and you have an almost brand new car for half the price. I know you get body panels and collision repair panels for almost any car at wwww.fixmyrust.com. I have ordered from there and the cool thing is is they charge actual shipping. Part of the fun is fixing up an older car and personalizing it to be your own. With new technology, it is easier for the regular guy to do the body work in his own garage.