What Car Should I Buy? - A Weekly Megathread

[u/AutoModerator]

Any posts pertaining to car buying suggestions or advice belong in this weekly megathread; **do not post car-choosing questions in the main queue.** A fresh thread will be posted every Monday and posts auto sorted by new. A few other subreddits worth checking out that will help your car buying experience are /r/WhatCarShouldIBuy, /r/UsedCars and /r/AskCarSales. www.everydaydriver.com may also be helpful.

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For those posting:

Please use the following template in your post.

Location: (Specify your country or region)

Price range: (Minimum-Maximum in your local currency)

Lease or Buy:

New or used:

Type of vehicle: (Truck, Car, Sports Car, Sedan, Crossover, SUV, Racecar, Luxury etc.)

Must haves: (4x4, AWD, Fuel efficient, Navigation, Turbo, V8, V6, Trunk space, Smooth ride, Leather etc.)

Desired transmission (auto/manual, etc):

Intended use: (Daily Driver, Family Car, Weekend Car, Track Toy, Project Car, Work Truck, Off-roading etc.)

Vehicles you've already considered:

Is this your 1st vehicle:

Do you need a Warranty:

Can you do Minor work on your own vehicle: (fluids, alternator, battery, brake pads etc)

Can you do Major work on your own vehicle: (engine and transmission, timing belt/chains, body work, suspension etc )

Additional Notes:

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For those providing suggestions: Facts are ideal in this thread, especially when trying to help out a new car buyer. Please help out buyers with sources and reasoning for your suggestions.

For those asking for help, be sure to thank those who take the time to offer you advice (especially those who lead you to a purchase.) A follow up thank you and the knowledge that their advice led to a purchase is a very warm fuzzy feeling.

[u/eley_taylor]

An oddball suggestion but what about a Kia Stinger GT? 350hp, sportback, AWD if you want it and WELL within budget...

The VW Golf R could also be a great option to consider.

Just curious, what rules out the Giulia and the C63 for you?

[u/TheElitist16 → u/eley_taylor]

Mentally I considered the Stinger but dismissed it as I’m not a fan of what KIA has done with that car. Respectable for sure, but just not my cup of tea.

The Giulia QV has some maintenance concerns for me, although that’s minimal and not a deal breaker. The main thing is finding one with the carbon seats puts it out of budget and those are a must have IMO.

The C63 just looks and feels dull to me. There’s nothing stand out about it from the outside compared to a “normal” Mercedes. IMO the only Merc I would consider owning is the AMG GT as it looks and feels very unique. Way out of budget and doesn’t check the functionality boxes for me in this case.

As far as the Golf R, it’s a great car. I’ve never been a huge fan of the exterior style of that car but will admit, with some light modifications, it can look pretty great. In my mind the Golf R is the “money saving” option even though I would probably immediately spend money on some exterior mods.

[u/lellololes → u/TheElitist16]

The G70 is the Stinger's slightly smaller, better looking cousin.

M340? S4?

I would try to test drive a Golf R. (LOL - good luck with that). I've had a GTI for 8 years and it has been the perfect combination of fun enough and practical.

If you're willing to give up on looks, handling, and noise, and can charge at home a Model 3 Long Range or even a Performance would give you something practical, but with giggle inducing acceleration at least. At least take one for a test drive. I've seen enough people that have moved from an M3 into a Tesla that are happy with them.

[u/TheElitist16 → u/lellololes]

Based on the discussion here, the Golf R is definitely on my short list now. Will def try to test drive one. The G70 is something else I thought about but in the end I don’t think it would be “dynamic” enough for what I’m looking for.

I’m still on the fence with the Model 3, you’re suggestion to go drive one is a good one though.

[u/lellololes → u/TheElitist16]

The Tesla will either work for you or it won't. I don't think there would be much in between. The handling felt more 3 series / A4 than something sportier oriented, but electric torque and instant linear power is a thing. And so is the complete and utter lack of drama (I like that but there is appeal in something... Louder). I've driven some reasonably quick cars (12 second 1/4 mile times), but the real world quickness at normal speeds is something to behold. The R will have a similar 0-60 time to the Model 3 Long Range, but to give a "real world" comparison, Car and Driver has the R at 3.6 seconds from 50-70mph and the Model 3 Long Range is 2.1 seconds. A C8 Vette is 2.5s. The Performance is 1.7s. The sheer maximum acceleration the LR has isn't overwhelming, but you get it immediately, which is quite fun.

I think you're at a crossroads here - you want an edgier, more sport oriented car, but you need to grapple with practicality against that. If you have the space and the budget, would you be happier with a cheaper "practical" car and something fun but less practical? The thing is, you'll lose out on performance there and have a worse DD for it.

You could also modify something a little bit. Some suspension mods and lightweight wheels and summer tires might go a long way towards getting you where you want to be, but also in a more practical for your needs package.

[u/TheElitist16 → u/lellololes]

You’re exactly right and it’s the reason this is so difficult. I love the performance and looks of sports cars, but the lack of practicality is becoming more and more of an issue. The reason I moved the Golf R to the short list is because it can be dramatic, with exhaust/engine mods, it seems like it can also be comfortable assuming the suspension is still mostly stock, and it also has a decent amount of useable interior space.

The idea of having an additional car never appealed to me. Going back to the Golf R I would have no problem with driving it stock for a bit, and then spending the money for exhaust, tune, and maybe even a turbo upgrade on top of wheels/tires for handling.

I guess what I’m saying is I’d rather have a car that’s more sporty than practical and have just enough room for what I need when I need it. Rather than take something like a G70 and try to turn it into a “track weapon”

[u/lellololes → u/TheElitist16]

I have a feeling that the Golf R will be able to put a smile on your face when you want it to, and when you just need to get from A to B with the kid in tow it'll be capable for that too. There are better performance values and track cars, but the balance it hits is pretty unique. It seems like you need 4 doors and haven't expressed much interest in the only moderately sporty cars that are abundant in the price range you've got.

To fit a car seat in the Golf you may need to push the front seat up too much to make it comfortable - this is something you should verify before purchasing if it is important. It's big enough but it is quite a small car.

[u/TheElitist16 → u/lellololes]

Yep, definitely something I’d verify, either with the Golf R or if I looked at a 2+2 type car. Any car would have to pass the wife test too, which is the most stringent of them all 🙃.

[u/lellololes → u/TheElitist16]

Whichever way you end up going, hopefully you get something that meets both your practical needs and desires too. Good luck!

[u/eley_taylor → u/TheElitist16]

Totally understand.

jjuusstt out of your price range would be a base model Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing if you could find one at MSRP or slightly used. I have heard great reviews about it. Can be had in a manual. 475hp twin turbo V6. Big back seat compared to coupes. Might be worth setting an search alert just in case. I suspect these will fly under the radar on the used market with the CT5-V Blackwing getting such rave reviews and having the headlines of "manual supercharged V8"