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[Zen_Arcade]

I'm someone who doesn't remotely care about driving, so I wasn't looking to spend a lot of money when buying a car. I got a new Nissan Sentra for about $18,000 and I don't have one complaint about it. I've had it for over six years now and it's never needed anything but regular maintenance.

It's definitely not flashy or fun, but it's affordable and reliable.

 

[TheCochese]

I say this as someone who bought a Toyota Camry 5 years old and now 2 years later the value has really dropped. Hard to imagine if I had bought it new and now it was worth a fraction of what I had paid.

The trucks I am looking at are only about $5k less than new, without incentives, and have 60k miles on them or more. It's absurd.

 

[FinKL]

So much this, high car payments f'd me over when it came to buying a house. Spend as little as you can on car payments.

I think this is the answer you are looking for OP. It's good to want nice things but think for the future. As far as brands, Toyota has been my go to, drove a Corolla all HS and College then move to a SCION xB which has been super reliable.

 

[Golgo 13]

I'm an automotive sales professional -- tell me the 3 most important things to you in a car, and what features you had in your old car you want to carry over -- and what you don't want anymore, and we'll go from there.

And no, I won't charge you a commission

 

[Mayyhem]

I'm very close to leasing a 2017 Honda Civic Touring (top trim) in Canada. I take the train to work so I want something for non-work driving/weekends/evenings.

They are loaded with features even in the basic trims and look super slick as well.

 

[Your Entertainer]

I'm an automotive sales professional -- tell me the 3 most important things to you in a car, and what features you had in your old car you want to carry over -- and what you don't want anymore, and we'll go from there.

And no, I won't charge you a commission

Can I play?

1. Reliability
2. Fuel economy
3. Interior quality

Really wanting Apple car play or at least Bluetooth. Tech in general is nice. Eyeing a recent corollas or 2016+ civics. Civic is pushing my price though... Curious about going w a slightly older luxury sedan however. Coming from a mid 00s Accord.

 

[ZackieChan]

Wait, so a Miata is cool, but a Jeep isn't? I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Used VW manual Golf/Jetta/Tiguan/GTI/CC with the 2.0 turbo.

I got a 2010 Tiguan 1.5 years ago with 55k miles for $10,000 even.

Then get an apr tune. You'll be grinning. 270hp or so and 300+ lbs of torque.

If you want something brand new I'd look at a Chevy Cruze manual potentially and do a flash on it. Or yeah a civic or a focus as well.

 

[Golgo 13]

Can I play?

1. Reliability
2. Fuel economy
3. Interior quality

Really wanting Apple car play or at least Bluetooth. Tech in general is nice. Eyeing a recent corollas or 2016+ civics. Civic is pushing my price though... Curious about going w a slightly older luxury sedan however. Coming from a mid 00s Accord.

Purchase or lease? How long do you plan on keeping your car? What's your budget?

 

[giga]

I'm an automotive sales professional -- tell me the 3 most important things to you in a car, and what features you had in your old car you want to carry over -- and what you don't want anymore, and we'll go from there.

And no, I won't charge you a commission

1. Low maintenance / Reliable
2. Modern tech like a rearview camera and iPhone USB support
3. Acceleration / Handling

Own for 5-7 years. Prefer purchasing, but not ruling out leases. ~30K.

 

[pompidu]

Only buy new if they have 0% interest, if not only, buy a car with cash.

 

[Your Entertainer]

Purchase or lease? How long do you plan on keeping your car? What's your budget?

I can purchase but would lease if I had a good rate. Around $15k is budget but could stretch a bit. I will keep for 3-4 years at least.

 

[Tigress]

dont buy a jeep

they think they people now

Don't buy any Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge in general.

And I disagree with the person who said cars especially sporty cars get boring fast. I still love my car after 7 or 8 years of having it (a Toyota Celica). But I admit I've always been a car fanatic to some extent or another (sometimes I'm not as big on them but always have loved them).

I vote BRZ/FRS (I think the FRS is the Toyota version... same car, one is Subaru and one is Toyota). You probably can find one decently cheap and at least from when I test drove one seems like it would be a very fun car (long as you don't need to carry much people or stuff ). I admit I'm biased cause it's kinda like Toyota's replacement for what the Celica was aimed at (but it's more fun, rear wheel drive for the win. Though I like the looks of my Celica better). And probably can find one in gearshift cause the market for that car still has many who prefer gearshift (unlike my husband who wants another Audi and most people buying those are wanting automatic).

It's pretty much what will replace my Celica when my Celica stops being reliable (the way it's going that is going to be a while. It's 14 years now and still has had no problems in the 7 years I've had it). Basically I love my Celica but at this point the model is getting really old (the newest one you can find is a 2005 and those are really rare.. most were made/sold between 2000-2002). And after test driving a FRS I really want one of those (I may like the looks of my car but that car is definitely more sporty/fun and that makes up for it). Unless I get a much much better job and then I want a Porsche (I had an old '73 911. My favorite car I ever owned and I swore if I could afford it again I'd get another Porsche). But as for reliable car that is fun and affordable when you can't afford much, my car has been awesome.

 

[Golgo 13]

I can purchase but would lease if I had a good rate. Around $15k is budget but could stretch a bit. I will keep for 3-4 years at least.

2016 (certified pre-owned) Honda Civic sounds like a good car for you but it's certainly "stretching your budget". Also, reliability with Honda has taken a downturn in the last 5-10 years, but it's still superior to American brands for the most part.

Ultimately, Lexus and Toyota reliability can't be beat, with Lexus being the industry leader in every study done on reliability in the last decade. If you're patient and willing to do research, I'd look for a slightly older model Lexus IS, or ES 350 if you need more room for passengers. Make sure it has a clean Carfax with complete maintenance records, and maybe around 60k miles. The real key to getting a good deal is patience and research. They're out there.

 

[Stinkles]

OP if you want to have fun for less than 30 grand, your best choice:

Picture taken from average sedan going much faster.

;-)

 

[Tigress]

I'm an automotive sales professional -- tell me the 3 most important things to you in a car, and what features you had in your old car you want to carry over -- and what you don't want anymore, and we'll go from there.

And no, I won't charge you a commission

I wanna play too.

Most important:
1. Fun to drive/handling (I love the tight steering of my car)
2. Looks
3. Reliability (I can't afford an unreliable car)

Want to carry over:
1. The tight steering of it (it has good power assist, you really can feel the road).
2. Reliability (7 years and the only thing that broke is a A/C relay).
3. Looks (I have to like the looks of my car. Shallow I know but I would have a hard time getting over a car I thought was ugly. It would have to be super super super fun to do that. I'm pretty sure no car in my budget would meet that requirement of fun enough to get over looks).

Sadly the two things I don't want to carry over one is due to the same looks/design I like, huge blind spots (do not drive by the side of a Celica... their blind spots are huge on the sides). And horrible car for the rain (handles like shit in the rain. Partly due to tires but I'm pretty sure some of it is the car. Not to mention I can never find the right windshield wiper speed, either too fast and it starts squeeking or not fast enough).

 

[opticalmace]

Since you want to buy a house you need to set a goal. You want to have X amount by this date. Assuming you've budgeted for all the other stuff like bills and debts, you can spend whatever makes you happy.

This is a good idea, I hadn't thought of it like that (particularly in conjunction with Soka's post below).

So basically you want something fun for 12-14k, but you're willing to spend 20-30k?

Yeah, when you put it like that, it seems pretty silly. I think I'm just going to set a cap of maybe 14k (or less) and call it a day. Once we've bought a house we can look into something nicer.

Have you looked into a MT Mazda 3?

I haven't driven one but I have heard quite good things. I will definitely take one for a drive. Also, the used ones are reasonably priced.

You need to not do anything until you make a budget and a timeline. How can anyone honestly give you good advice when your range is $12-30k and you're ambiguously talking about saving for a house? I apologise if I am coming off as rude, but man, you've gotta figure out a concrete plan about a home before you commit to any car purchase.

It's not rude, and I appreciate you saying it. I think this is part of the difficulty at the moment. I'm moving for work (2-3 year commitment) into a city where we simply cannot afford buying (silicon valley). Depending on where we go afterward we might be looking to buy shortly thereafter (I have about $45k for a downpayment right now). Writing this out makes me not want to spend more than I have to, at least until we have purchased a house. So no, definitely not rude--helpful.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[n0razi]

My rule of thumb is to only buy what I can afford cash... usually around 20k for me

 

[Night Angel]

I wouldn't spend any more than 1/3rd of your annual salary (gross). That way you will still have plenty of money for other things.

 

[Forerunner]

I bought my Ford Fiesta brand new in 2010. It was around 15k and I have been driving it ever since. Great little car, it gets around 40 mpg and it's fun to drive. I also never had a single issue with it. I only have around 40k miles on it. My next car will probaly be a Focus. Pretty similar to a Fiesta, but larger and more powerful.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Consider something made 2013 or 2014 that is Certified Pre-owned. CPO costs a bit more than regular used but comes with a manufacturer's warranty.

 

[titiklabingapat]

The total for my car payment + insurance + electricity for my leased electric car is about 1/4 of my rent/utilities. About 1/16 of my yearly income.

Cars are a money pit regardless of what you buy/lease. It's just a matter of what you think is more important to you, instant gratification now or a more long term goal later. Personally, I'd say save up for the house down payment first until you reach about half your goal and then if you got extra, give yourself a reward with a newish car that has good maintenance value. You get the long term goal and some instant gratification and you feel like you're not depriving yourself.

 

[opticalmace]

You could get a $5k Miata (or buy your friend's car maybe), but I say save for the house. Cars get boring, and sporty cars get old fast especially if you drive in a hilly area, traffic jams, or are dwarfed by trucks. Until you get the house you will always have that lingering regret spending $30k on a car, even though that is around the average price for a new vehicle.

Re: the bolded, you're absolutely correct. Yeah, screw that.

Whatever you buy OP, make sure that you pay cash for it and don't go into debt.
If you ignore this then make sure you'll be able to pay it off in 3 years or less.
Also, make sure not to spend more then 40% of your annual salary on a car... the value only goes down and you don't want a lot of your money tied up in it.
Also definitely don't buy a new car... let someone else pay for that depreciation hit. Buy something 3-5 years old where the biggest depreciation hit has already happened.
Hope this helps you OP.

This is what I was thinking. I think I will try to get a car ~4 years old that is certified pre owned.

dont buy a jeep

they think they people now

lol. I think I'm missing a meme here but still.

I think this is the answer you are looking for OP. It's good to want nice things but think for the future. As far as brands, Toyota has been my go to, drove a Corolla all HS and College then move to a SCION xB which has been super reliable.

You're right. I don't want to dosh away many thousands when we intend on buying a house in 3-4 years.

I'm an automotive sales professional -- tell me the 3 most important things to you in a car, and what features you had in your old car you want to carry over -- and what you don't want anymore, and we'll go from there.

And no, I won't charge you a commission

Cool, thanks! I would say the three most important things right now would be...
1. Reliability
2. Cheap cost to own/repair
3. Fun handling/peppy motor (though not necessarily fast)
(4. Interior volume!! I love playing Tetris.)

I love how much crap I can fit into the Matrix, hence why I was looking at the Fit (though it's a bit smaller). Feature wise, I'd say 4 doors (or even better, a hatchback), stability control, cruise control and heated seats (if possible). I think I'm going to try to keep it under 14k if possible, thanks!

 

[Ovid]

Don't buy any Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge in general.

And I disagree with the person who said cars especially sporty cars get boring fast. I still love my car after 7 or 8 years of having it (a Toyota Celica). But I admit I've always been a car fanatic to some extent or another (sometimes I'm not as big on them but always have loved them).

I vote BRZ/FRS (I think the FRS is the Toyota version... same car, one is Subaru and one is Toyota). You probably can find one decently cheap and at least from when I test drove one seems like it would be a very fun car (long as you don't need to carry much people or stuff ). I admit I'm biased cause it's kinda like Toyota's replacement for what the Celica was aimed at (but it's more fun, rear wheel drive for the win. Though I like the looks of my Celica better). And probably can find one in gearshift cause the market for that car still has many who prefer gearshift (unlike my husband who wants another Audi and most people buying those are wanting automatic).

It's pretty much what will replace my Celica when my Celica stops being reliable (the way it's going that is going to be a while. It's 14 years now and still has had no problems in the 7 years I've had it). Basically I love my Celica but at this point the model is getting really old (the newest one you can find is a 2005 and those are really rare.. most were made/sold between 2000-2002). And after test driving a FRS I really want one of those (I may like the looks of my car but that car is definitely more sporty/fun and that makes up for it). Unless I get a much much better job and then I want a Porsche (I had an old '73 911. My favorite car I ever owned and I swore if I could afford it again I'd get another Porsche). But as for reliable car that is fun and affordable when you can't afford much, my car has been awesome.

GT or GTS?

 

[Stinkles]

Re: the bolded, you're absolutely correct. Yeah, screw that.


This is what I was thinking. I think I will try to get a car ~4 years old that is certified pre owned.


lol. I think I'm missing a meme here but still.


You're right. I don't want to dosh away many thousands when we intend on buying a house in 3-4 years.


Cool, thanks! I would say the three most important things right now would be...
1. Reliability
2. Cheap cost to own/repair
3. Fun handling/peppy motor (though not necessarily fast)
(4. Interior volume!! I love playing Tetris.)

I love how much crap I can fit into the Matrix, hence why I was looking at the Fit (though it's a bit smaller). Feature wise, I'd say 4 doors (or even better, a hatchback), stability control, cruise control and heated seats (if possible). I think I'm going to try to keep it under 14k if possible, thanks!

As you already suspect - the Fit is a tardis. I bought a 65 inch tv and all I had to do was drop the back seats.

 

[Timeaisis]

I'm in a similar situation, and I'm thinking a 2-4 year old Honda Accord. Seems to be running around $15-20k.

 

[Pachinko]

Have enough money saved to pay for atleast 20% of the cars price up front to ensure the lowest possible interest rate. Do not let a dealership rope you into more than 4 years of monthly /biweekly payments , do not pay more than 4.5% interest (honestly , aim for 0%).

From there , find out what your overall monthly budget is (food/rent/etc) and see what's left - now half that number - whatever it might be , it needs to be enough to cover 100$ of car savings (money you keep hold of to pay for oil changes , general maintenance) , full car insurance and gasoline for that month AND your car payment.

So , you mention 30,000 is your maximum - that means you'll want a 6000$ down payment , this will leave you with 24,000$ in financing which , split over 48 months means a 500$ monthly payment with no interest. I can only assume your other expenses beyond that so I'll just assume the probable maximum monthly car related expenses are 1000$ (500 payment+250 insurance+150 gasoline+100 maintenance).

So the real question after that - are you making 3000$ take home a month ? If you are , buying a 30k vehicle should be within your budget. The problem there comes with having much less access to potential savings if you plan to buy a home later. You may have to wait until the car is paid for.

Also if you can avoid it , don't buy a brand new car , buy a lease return or something a year or 2 old. If you do buy a new car , I'd recommend having a 35% down payment instead of 20% just to account for the instant depreciation in value when you drive it off the lot.

If I sound like I'm scare mongering here , just know I come from a place of debt incurred because I bought a car I didn't really need and couldn't afford. Spent 35k , got an absurd 5/7 year loan with 8% interest. When I finally finished paying for it I ended up 11k in debt from everything I did outside of paying for that car. 3 years later and I still owe 7500$. It doesn't sound like much now but had I listened to my own advice here some 10 years ago , I'd have no debt right now and might instead have 10-20k in savings for something big like a condo. I was a foolish young dumbass.

Honestly OP , you gut instinct of buying a 13,000$ hatchback ? It might be boring but I'm assuming it's also affordable. Don't buy a "mid life crisis" car in your 20's or 30's. Wait until your 50's.

 

[UpUpDownDown]

Regardless, get something you love to be in.

It'll make you less angry about being stuck in traffic. Seriously

 

[m_shortpants]

The 2017 Civic Si is coming out in a month.

Reliable, fun, cheap.

 

[Magus1234]

I got the 16 civic, thing is a beast. Couldn't ask for a better car tbh.

 

[NESpowerhouse]

get an ae86 or 240sx

lmao good luck with that.

I like me some good old-fashioned dorifto as much as the next guy, but those cars are crazy hard to get.

EDIT: At least the 86 is.

 

[XGRaViSmOrSX]

Until I'm loaded, I'm probably never buying anything other than Honda vehicles.

Shit, even if I was to ever be loaded I'd still buy Honda vehicles. They would just be imports and higher end models though.

 

[cyber_ninja]

Have you looked into a MT Mazda 3?

We have two of them and love them a lot. One has 80000 and another one has 50000 miles with 0 problems.

 

[Phox]

No more than 7k

 

[Jest Chillin]

Give a Mazda 3 a drive. It's been the most fun to drive car I've ever driven, dependable, and not too expensive while still having a premium look.

 

[Golgo 13]

Re: the bolded, you're absolutely correct. Yeah, screw that.


This is what I was thinking. I think I will try to get a car ~4 years old that is certified pre owned.


lol. I think I'm missing a meme here but still.


You're right. I don't want to dosh away many thousands when we intend on buying a house in 3-4 years.


Cool, thanks! I would say the three most important things right now would be...
1. Reliability
2. Cheap cost to own/repair
3. Fun handling/peppy motor (though not necessarily fast)
(4. Interior volume!! I love playing Tetris.)

I love how much crap I can fit into the Matrix, hence why I was looking at the Fit (though it's a bit smaller). Feature wise, I'd say 4 doors (or even better, a hatchback), stability control, cruise control and heated seats (if possible). I think I'm going to try to keep it under 14k if possible, thanks!

The Mazda line of cars may be good for you -- they're generally fun to drive, above average reliability, and are reasonably priced. I've seen a 2014 Mazda 6 with 20k miles go for around 16k. Fun to drive and reliable narrows the scope quite a bit. Something like a 2013 Audi A4 is a fantastic car that's fun to drive, but again, you'd be stretching your budget. Audi has good reliability (it does vary by model, so be careful) but are unfortunately expensive to fix if something does go wrong.

Are you planning to finance, or pay upfront? If you're financing, a large variable in cost will have to do with your interest rate, which is highly dependent on your credit score/history. Anything above a 700 score with a good auto-loan history (never late for instance) will help you quite a bit and open up your options.

 

[ZOONAMI]

Re: the bolded, you're absolutely correct. Yeah, screw that.


This is what I was thinking. I think I will try to get a car ~4 years old that is certified pre owned.


lol. I think I'm missing a meme here but still.


You're right. I don't want to dosh away many thousands when we intend on buying a house in 3-4 years.


Cool, thanks! I would say the three most important things right now would be...
1. Reliability
2. Cheap cost to own/repair
3. Fun handling/peppy motor (though not necessarily fast)
(4. Interior volume!! I love playing Tetris.)

I love how much crap I can fit into the Matrix, hence why I was looking at the Fit (though it's a bit smaller). Feature wise, I'd say 4 doors (or even better, a hatchback), stability control, cruise control and heated seats (if possible). I think I'm going to try to keep it under 14k if possible, thanks!

I would be looking at a used Mazda 3 hatch with the 2.5 engine, or a used VW Golf with 2.5 or 2.0 turbo or Tiguan with the 2.0 turbo (the only option it has).

Tiguan is very unique as it's on of the very few SUVs with a manual. Built on the golf platform but is just a bit taller and has more cargo space and a bigger back seat. Very fun to drive especially if you do an APR tune. Generally cheaper than a used golf with comparable miles as well at least for the manual version. The auto versions most of them are 4wd and that drives a premium.

VW generally very reliable and parts aren't bad at all on them. You are going to want to find an independent VW mechanic though vs going to the dealer. Mazda probably generally a bit cheaper though maintenance wise.

Both Mazda and VW's 2.5 engine are pretty much bullet proof. If you go with something with a turbo eventually you will have to replace the turbo, but likely not until well past 100k miles so it's sort of a 1x replacement part for the life of the car. Probably runs about $1500-2000 including labor. If you don't drive super hard all the time though my guess is you won't need to replace the turbo at all before selling it and moving on to something else.

 

[norm9]

I have a 2011 Fit. My sis bought a sport version of the current year Fit and boy am I jealous. Getting sleeker every year. Not too expensive either.

 

[immortald3ath]

Like many have already said, Newer civic or Mazda 3 are really good choices. Fun, reliable, and very nice interiors. I stick to Japanese brands when going for reliability.

3-4 year old Accord is pretty decent if you're looking into used market. Bought a 2013 Accord for wife last week with 58k miles for $15k. $13k before fees/taxes. Drives very good and very nice interior.

 

[Teletraan1]

I used to buy new cars but after I got hit and run in a parking lot, had my decals ripped off, ran into by a herd of deer charging across the road and left with a fucked up dented and scratched car that was a few months old I gave up. Now I just buy cheap cars for 4-7k, let someone else depreciate them. I just do the normal maintenance on them.and when they become too expensive to fix I get a new one. Some old fart with a huge buick rams into you in a parking lot and then takes off because they can't even drive who cares. A lot less stress.

 

[Goro Majima]

If you like fun cars in the low 20s:

Camaro and Mustang are both there with a six speed with the four cylinder turbo. They're super common so it's easy to find a deal. Used are even cheaper. Old body used Mustangs and Camaros are easily available with the V8, low miles, and a stick in the low 20s.

VW GTI as mentioned. Lots of driving mags recommend just getting the cheap one with the iconic cloth seats and can be had new in the low 20s. Used in the upper 10s I think?

Used V6 accord with a stick. I don't know where you live and if you can find one of these white whales but a used one with like 40k miles will be under 20k.

Fiesta ST is always highly recommended in enthusiast circles and is super cheap

Subaru WRX maybe? Prices for these can be kinda weird but the non-STI models are reasonable

Older 370zs can be had for near 20k. It's basically the same car for nearly a decade (or more depending how you view the 350z)

Edit: after reading your second post - VW GTI with cloth seats is the way to go. Even Jeremy Clarkson said it's the car he'd recommend to most anyone.

 

[tbhysgb]

2014 5 speed focus.

Can be had around 9k w decent miles

 

[ZOONAMI]

If you like fun cars in the low 20s:

Camaro and Mustang are both there with a six speed with the four cylinder turbo. They're super common so it's easy to find a deal. Used are even cheaper. Old body used Mustangs and Camaros are easily available with the V8, low miles, and a stick in the low 20s.

VW GTI as mentioned. Lots of driving mags recommend just getting the cheap one with the iconic cloth seats and can be had new in the low 20s. Used in the upper 10s I think?

Used V6 accord with a stick. I don't know where you live and if you can find one of these white whales but a used one with like 40k miles will be under 20k.

Fiesta ST is always highly recommended in enthusiast circles and is super cheap

Subaru WRX maybe? Prices for these can be kinda weird but the non-STI models are reasonable

Older 370zs can be had for near 20k. It's basically the same car for nearly a decade (or more depending how you view the 350z)

Edit: after reading your second post - VW GTI with cloth seats is the way to go. Even Jeremy Clarkson said it's the car he'd recommend to most anyone.

For OPs use case I don't think he really needs the GTI if he wants to save some $. Golf with the TSI would be great, or a Tiguan. Or I think the 2.5 Mazda 3 hatch is pretty much perfect given maintenance cost concerns. VWs aren't terribly expensive to get work done but I'd imagine somewhat more than a Mazda 3. A Mazda 3 used with a 2.5 though I bet is more expensive than a used VW with a 2.5 or 2.0 turbo though. Also I will say mpg on a VW isn't amazing, I get like 350-400 miles combined City/highway with a 2.0 turbo Tiguan (17 gallon tank). So 23mpg combined, although that's actually pretty good for a combined #. On a road trip I can go 500+ miles no problem. Also that's with premium gas, Mazda I would imagine is happy with 87.

The 2.5 Mazda I wouldn't think is dramatically better than the 2.5 VW or 2.0 turbo VW mpg wise.

And I would think the 2.0 Mazda 3 is rather uninspiring.

 

[adamy]

lmao good luck with that.

I like me some good old-fashioned dorifto as much as the next guy, but those cars are crazy hard to get.

EDIT: At least the 86 is.

lies

on that note: WTB ae86 (los angeles county)

 

[quickwhips]

I have spent about 4000 per car for my wife and I. Got 2009s' with alot of the bells and whistles except for backup cameras.

 

[ZOONAMI]

I have spent about 4000 per car for my wife and I. Got 2009s' with alot of the bells and whistles except for backup cameras.

How many miles? Jesus 4k for an 09 car is a very good deal, pretty much any make/model.

 

[Dinokill]

I bought a brand new 2017 Mustang v6 for 22k. It's fun as hell for a daily driver! Tell me another car with 300hp for that price!

There is also a ton of aftermarket stuff for it(performance and cosmetic wise) to never get bored.

 

[ZOONAMI]

I bought a brand new 2017 Mustang v6 for 22k. It's fun as hell for a daily driver! Tell me another car with 300hp for that price!

There is also a ton of aftermarket stuff for it(performance and cosmetic wise) to never get bored.

You got a hell of a deal. Nearly impossible to find a V6 stang for that brand new.

VW GTI and then a $600 tune will pretty much get you there.

Case in point, older mustang but still 305hp.

https://youtu.be/u02BozEdieE

I can whip a stang in a Tiguan with an APR tune stage 1 but it might just be they aren't really taking me seriously because it's such a sleeper lol. Rev at a light, they seem to get the picture, but I'm gone lol. I'm right at about a 5.5 0-60 as best which pretty much is a match for a stang.

 

[Gray Matter]

Can't believe this is a freaking civic. Starts at ~23k.

This is the one I'm saving up to get sometime next year. Just gotta learn how to drive manual.

 

[Vanillalite]

OP just get a Honda or Toyota that best fits your budget and don't worry about the thrill of driving at this stage in your life. Also you need to draw out a real plan and budget for yourself.

I hate how you have to dig into the deepest trim on cars in order to get led headlights. Is there a good car out there for under 20k that has led headlights / drl included?

Most cares have regular headlights as LED. I'm just not sure about the DRL as most people don't use those if they aren't automatically on.

I think most all Hondas and Toyotas are LED for the main headlights though.