What's a good car for around $10,000 or more? (2 Viewers)

[DaddyK]

bs pontiacs are ugly

 

[transcendent]

my point stands

 

[gna]

so are crappy 4 cylinder 3 series BMW's.

 

[Exeter]

Civic Type R's are not legal in NSW......

Also they go for 20k at least in VIC.

That guys friend knows shit all...

yes they are legal. all you have to do is pay a bit of tax, pass emissions and roadworthy tests and your good to go.

now who knows shit all

 

[synthesized]

i can answer this seriously and honestly cos ive just been looking for the same thing. and since you sound like your open to anything, and also your on your P's so having a fast jap car WILL get you unnescessary attention from the police, i would recommend:

holden calibra turbo 4x4 - awesomely fast (0-100km/h in low 6's as standard), with awd, looks bloody brilliant, and has full euro luxury as standard (leather, sunroof, etc etc), a true WRX eater. BUT they were originally sold as cheap and shoddy cars and as such WILL cost you a lot to maintain.

peugeot 306 s16 - VERY fast non-turbo hatchback (0-100km/h in mid 8's), has rallycar-like handling, looks very nice, well built so its unlikely to ever need repairs if maintained.

peugeot 405 mi16 - its fast for a big car and has typical peugeot handling ie better than BMW handling (at least the bmw's that were built in the same year ).

anyway thats a few good ones if your sick of hearing about jap crap.

 

[Pace_T]

i can answer this seriously and honestly cos ive just been looking for the same thing. and since you sound like your open to anything, and also your on your P's so having a fast jap car WILL get you unnescessary attention from the police, i would recommend:

holden calibra turbo 4x4 - awesomely fast (0-100km/h in low 6's as standard), with awd, looks bloody brilliant, and has full euro luxury as standard (leather, sunroof, etc etc), a true WRX eater. BUT they were originally sold as cheap and shoddy cars and as such WILL cost you a lot to maintain.

peugeot 306 s16 - VERY fast non-turbo hatchback (0-100km/h in mid 8's), has rallycar-like handling, looks very nice, well built so its unlikely to ever need repairs if maintained.

peugeot 405 mi16 - its fast for a big car and has typical peugeot handling ie better than BMW handling (at least the bmw's that were built in the same year ).

anyway thats a few good ones if your sick of hearing about jap crap.

even for non turbo mid 8 for 0-100 IS SLOW

and u can't compare the handling to a bmw. anyone who has experience with bmw would know an e36 bmw has better handling than an e46 bmw and e36 bmws start from early 90s to late 90's whereas e46s were made in '98 to '05 or something like that. so ur theory of better steering directly relates to the year it was made is wrong


but over all i reckon ur advice is pretty good. especialy about the part where u comment on jap crap
cheers

 

[synthesized]

anyone who has experience with bmw would know an e36 bmw has better handling than an e46 bmw and e36 bmws start from early 90s to late 90's whereas e46s were made in '98 to '05 or something like that. so ur theory of better steering directly relates to the year it was made is wrong

i did not know that. i guess what i meant was 'cheaper bmws'

 

[synthesized]

also am i the only one who doesnt understand what that guy's sig means? ---> vtec 'kicks in' when the car starts moving right?............................

 

[petar13]

holden calibra turbo 4x4 - awesomely fast (0-100km/h in low 6's as standard), with awd, looks bloody brilliant, and has full euro luxury as standard (leather, sunroof, etc etc), a true WRX eater. BUT they were originally sold as cheap and shoddy cars and as such WILL cost you a lot to maintain.

peugeot 306 s16 - VERY fast non-turbo hatchback (0-100km/h in mid 8's), has rallycar-like handling, looks very nice, well built so its unlikely to ever need repairs if maintained.

peugeot 405 mi16 - its fast for a big car and has typical peugeot handling ie better than BMW handling (at least the bmw's that were built in the same year ).

Just a couple of clarifications, here.

An important thing to mention is that the Calibras have EXTREMELY unreliable transfer boxes, requiring replacement in the many thousands. You have to replace all of the tyres at the same time, or the difference in tread puts too much of a strain on the box. So yeah - you said high maintenance (and you were right!), but I don't think it's even worth it in the first place, unless it sports a new transfer box. Not to mention, the thing has a turbo, which puts it out of reach of most young drivers.

Re: the Mi16 (I own one). It is not at all a big car, weighing in at 1100kgs. And it is especially gutless below 4000k. It has an extremely peaky engine, requiring very high revs for good performance. And even at that level, 0-100 is high 8's. Which is beaten by many BMWs in its time. The handling is very good, however as a FWD with torsion beams, it is surpassed by the E36, which has the z axle setup. Also - these cars have extremely low interior plastics quality. Mine is rattly as hell, and I've resorted to tearing everything apart, and gluing it all together. In short - one worth getting would be above $10k.

Both Peugeots are good around corners, but straightline is not their forte. Anyways, the 205GTi, is as fast, if not faster than the S16 - and definitely cheaper. This car also has low quality interior plastics.

This aside, I also agree with the Jap crap sentiment.

 

[synthesized]

do you have a series 1 or series 2 mi16? i went and checked out a series 2 a few weeks back and the interior seemed quite nice i thought. for a 13 year old car anyway.

 

[transcendent]

what's wrong with an Astra or Barina if you're not interested in Japanese cars?

 

[synthesized]

they are shit. thats why.

 

[synthesized]

also another good one for around $10k is a volks golf VR6. though i personally dont like the look of them much and golfs to me (even the mk5 GTI) have always been womens/old farts cars :mad1:

 

[petar13]

Mines an S1. The rattles only come out in driving though. S2 has improved plastics quality, nevertheless the problem persists all the way upto the 406s. Although the S2 engine has a slightly fatter torque curve down below, it loses breath uptop. Personally, I think the exchange is not worth it.
A Mi16 worth getting would be around 12-13k. Pristine condition, one owner, never thrashed, always looked after, and parked undercover (no UV-inspired plastic rattles). Now, don't get me wrong - I think the car looks great, and goes well - but I got mine for $2900. I wouldn't spend around or in excess of $10k on a Pug. A manual BMW 535i - maybe. Here's a few shots for those who have no idea what a Mi16 looks like.



Transcendent, I think the old Astra and Barinas are both superb. High quality german engineering and construction. The new ones, however have turned me off everything badged Holden (there's nothing else worth attention in said brand anyways). They let themselves down (especially with the Daewoos), and I think it will be reflected in poor sales.

I think there's two Volvos worth a look. The 740 HP Turbo (in manual) and the Volvo 940. The 940 is nice, for those who like an automatic. It's cheap, safe, RWD, economic, and I reckon - good looking. The 740 can be a real beast, if you tinker with the boost, or lop on a 16v head. (740 in red, 940 in grey). There's also the 850 (in FWD) - which can be picked up for a bit more than $10k. Nice car.



There's so much more - Mercedes 300E, Alfa 75, Audi 80 Quattro, Saab 9000, BMW E30/E36, BMW E34/E28, etc... I like old Euro.

 

[transcendent]

that boxy 740 looks nice. i meant old used Astra and Barinas, pre-Korean. how's the Astra City? previous model with the striped tail lights? i mentioned the two small Holdens for those who don't want a Japanese car.

 

[icraig88]

just go with the vs commodore/calais with 3.8L ecotec (most economical 3.8L out of the commodores/calais') n look sexy as when put on say 19s n slammed even without a bodykit... can find a real nice one completely standard for 3,000... but thats just my opinion...

 

[DaddyK]

Get a nissan pulsar N14 SSS. 2ltr SR20, plenty of power, fun to drive, safe and easy for a new P plater.

 

[Ktulu-Spiral]

Get a nissan pulsar N14 SSS. 2ltr SR20, plenty of power, fun to drive, safe and easy for a new P plater.

I'm with you on this one. Any car with the SR20 motor is a fairly safe bet. I'd personally go for the Nissan S13 Silvia. I think they look much nicer than the Pulsar SSS.

 

[bizadfar]

E36 318i arn't good. 4cyl engine really struggles. I was going to get a 320i, but came to the conclusion they are equally as crap as the 318i. 320i is "okay" with 1994+ model.

At least save up a bit more and go for an E36 323i or 328i. Both M52 engines.

If you go ahead with an E36, get the vanos engines, standard in 1993+ models. Next step is atleast M52 engine block for good economy, power, torque balance. (323i, 328i, 1994+ 320i)

 

[petar13]

Next step is atleast M52 engine block for good economy, power, torque balance. (323i, 328i, 1994+ 320i)

The M52 alloy block was prone to corrosion when running bad fuel, like the Nikasil & Alusil issue in the large M60 V8 of the same time. Although Aussie fuel is not as notorious as US for quality, it's worth getting a compression check, to make sure.