what car should I get thread #34824236482

[71DubBugBug]

Yep, 2.5 MkVs are actually quite peppy, at least when it comes to around-town low-end torque. Get one with a manual trans and you'll probably enjoy driving it, although you may miss the turbo rush of your 2.0t.

yep, and they sound great with an exhaust, and can get quicker with a chip and intake

[one swell foop]

If you're going with a VW stay away from naturally aspirated if you want to go faster. I mean, you will go faster with mods, but HP gained per dollar spent on mods is a lot lower than with a forced induction engines. Forced induction and high displacement engines give you much more out of mods and tuning that 4-6 cylinder N/A engines. Trust me, been there, done that, never going back unless I have a weekend car to have fun in (or unless it's an M3)

[sandiegan]

Compared to what, though? An S2K or ITR, sure. But at around 3200lb they are not that big.

Despite similar weight, 5th gen Prelude is leagues more agile (I had a '98 for five years). The Accord handles like just that -- a 2000's era bloated family sedan, with a lot of power.

[Ross1013]

Despite similar weight, 5th gen Prelude is leagues more agile (I had a '98 for five years). The Accord handles like just that -- a 2000's era bloated family sedan, with a lot of power.

Hmm. I don't feel that way, but maybe that's because the car is my 'other car'. If it were my daily driver I might notice the extra weight more, but as it is now, whenever I get in the Accord I cherish the longer WB and extra room.

[NoXenons]

Better off with a CL-S 6 speed. LSD + factory xenons.

And that gen Accord can never look this good..

[zhenya00]

^^^ That does not look good!! ^^^ Then again, neither does the Honda...

Don't know exactly where you are in upstate NY, but in general, this is one of the worst areas in the country for salt. They just use an enormous amount of it on the roads so any car driven in winter here will have rust everywhere. I wouldn't touch an older Mazda around here - 5 year old ones are known to have rusted through fender wells. I also don't drive anything remotely special through the winter here. Even a single winter will mark the car for life.

How about a Volvo C30? They are probably a little bit out of your price range, but they are unique, available with a manual and a T5 motor, are good in the snow, and Volvo's rust less than almost any other brand.

[DerSpiegel]

My vote would be for a 1st gen TSX 6-speed manual.

[Armour]

$13k should get a great example of this:



If you can find one.

Yeah, if you're looking at 8th gen si's may as well check these out as well. Look for the 05-06 facelifted versions with the K20Z1, slight power bump from the K20A2 in the 02-04 and IMO better looking. I've had mine for about 6 months with no issues and purchased with 108xxx. A pic of my jade green 2005.

I average 24-26 mpg driving 50/50 city/hwy. It really does lack torque down low though, but the sound at 6K makes up for that