New (for me) car ideas

[ErictheRed]

Alright MLP, I'm not a huge car guy so help me with models to look for. I'm almost 38 years old, professional, work in Santa Cruz but commute to San Jose 5 days of the week. I'm looking for a reasonably good commuter, but I'm also single (divorced 5 years ago) so I'd like a somewhat sporty, classy vehicle that I can take a date out with--no Prius. And since I'm driving Highway 17 so much (not sitting in traffic) I'd like a car that's at least a little fun to drive.

When I moved here from Hawaii I shipped my beautiful truck, but after two years I've come to realize that I just don't need it; here's my CL ad just so you can see what I'm coming from: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/cto/5698251087.html.

In the last two years I don't think that I've ever had more than 1 passenger in my truck! So until I settle down and have kids, I want a coupe. It doesn't have to be a powerful car but I definitely want a manual transmission. I'm looking to buy used to put some money in my pocket (truck is paid off), something 2010-2014ish, anywhere from $15k to $25k depending on year, make, model, etc. I figure I can get about $28-29k for private party (or around $26-27k from a dealer it seems).

I ride motorcycles when I want to get out and tear up the pavement, I'm not looking for a muscle car or sports car. I'm not that into hatchbacks but would maybe consider a Volkswagen GTI; at least then I could fit an amp and 2x12 in the back. Right now I have my eye mostly on the Honda Accord V6 Coupe EX-L (the highest trim with leather interior, etc) as closest to what I want without spending too much. I'm a writer and teacher, certainly not rich, so while I don't need a budget car I need to stay within my budget. I also want to make sure that it'll be a reliable car down the road and a good decision to trade the truck for, which has given me absolutely 0 problems or maintenance costs beyond changing the oil and tires, etc.

Let's hear your ideas!

Edit: I'm also 6' 3" so it has to fit me ergonomically, which some smaller cars will not.

 

[Minte]

A Bugatti Veyron

 

[WaywerdSon]

Look at a Mazda 3. Nice cars, have a little bit of an edge to them and def fun to drive! Car and Driver 10Best winner for 2016, so its got real cred from sports car guys

https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/mazda3-hatchback

 

[ErictheRed]

A Bugatti Veyron

Incredibly helpful.

 

[WhiteEpiLP]

Incredibly helpful.

You'll have to forgive Minte, different tax bracket

Almost any new mid sized coupe with a v6 will be quick and fun to drive. Id start researching on cost of ownership and overall quality rating by actual owners.

 

[Standard]

I'm a big Ford fan, love my '12 Fusion v6, reasonably cheap even when fully loaded, handles fairly well, smooth, comfortable, reliable, American so repairs are cheap.

Other than that, I dunno, a used BMW or Audi if you want to look fancy and spend a lot more than you need to.

 

[Dilemma]

I'm probably not gonna be much help since this isn't my particular market. But whatever you end up buying PLEASE make it a coupe. <flamesuiton> Four doors suck.

 

[SWeAT hOg]

Look at a Mazda 3. Nice cars, have a little bit of an edge to them and def fun to drive! Car and Driver 10Best winner for 2016, so its got real cred from sports car guys

https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/mazda3-hatchback

+1000. We love our new Mazda 3. This is our third Mazda and they have all been superb.

 

[ErictheRed]

You'll have to forgive Minte, different tax bracket

We all get it, everyone knows he's rich. But comments like his aren't helpful and haven't been funny since middle school, so I don't see the point. Boredom? Braggadocio? I guess we've all been there at one time or another. Maybe he's warming up to post a picture of a new car or jet; I wait with bated breath.

Thanks for the other ideas guys, keep them coming! There really are so many options to choose from that it's hard to narrow things down. The Mazda 3 is one that I hadn't thought about at all. I'll do some research, but are ones from a few years ago also thought highly of?

I'd rather not buy a new car; when I took a Physics of Energy course as part of my M.S. I did some analysis of the cost of driving. I don't have the data anymore (it was ancillary to the actual course), but it seemed that the sweet spot was to buy about 4-5 years old. At that point the vehicle has depreciated significantly but large maintenance costs are still a long ways off. That was about 10-11 years ago though, and things may have changed somewhat. Still, I don't want to get in the trap of continuing to buy new, I want to make a somewhat economical decision and put that saved money elsewhere, such as towards retirement or buying a home.

 

[Tone deaf]

Mercedes Benz CLK 350 2008 - 2012 coupe or convertible. You can find a mint one with low miles in that price range. The one problem is the standard. MB doesn't do a lot of standard, unless you count paddles or tip-tronic. You might be able to find an SLK with a stick, if you get lucky.

 

[Minte]

We all get it, everyone knows he's rich. But comments like his aren't helpful and haven't been funny since middle school, so I don't see the point. Boredom? Braggadocio? I guess we've all been there at one time or another. Maybe he's warming up to post a picture of a new car or jet; I wait with bated breath.

Thanks for the other ideas guys, keep them coming! There really are so many options to choose from that it's hard to narrow things down. The Mazda 3 is one that I hadn't thought about at all. I'll do some research, but are ones from a few years ago also thought highly of?

I'd rather not buy a new car; when I took a Physics of Energy course as part of my M.S. I did some analysis of the cost of driving. I don't have the data anymore (it was ancillary to the actual course), but it seemed that the sweet spot was to buy about 4-5 years old. At that point the vehicle has depreciated significantly but large maintenance costs are still a long ways off. That was about 10-11 years ago though, and things may have changed somewhat. Still, I don't want to get in the trap of continuing to buy new, I want to make a somewhat economical decision and put that saved money elsewhere, such as towards retirement or buying a home.

Relax Nancy, You aren't going to take any advice from anyone here. No one ever does.

With an MS, you should be smart enough to figure out on your own what car you need and can afford.

 

[sk8rat]

height will probably be the biggest hurdle trying to finding something fun. look into headroom/legroom specs online. gti's have a lot of headroom.

since you want something with a manual trans and a coupe I would look into the brz or frs. same car different logo. they are not speed demons but look cool, and can be bought used (2014-2015) for around $20k. 2.0l 4 cylinder, six speed.

 

[sk8rat]

Relax Nancy, You aren't going to take any advice from anyone here. No one ever does.

With an MS, you should be smart enough to figure out on your own what car you need and can afford.

 

[SWeAT hOg]

Relax Nancy, You aren't going to take any advice from anyone here. No one ever does.

With an MS, you should be smart enough to figure out on your own what car you need and can afford.

What's the point in being snarky here? You don't know anything about the OP.

 

[ErictheRed]

I am taking suggestions to heart in this thread. The Mazda M3 for instance has a lot of the features that made me take a look at the GTI, with better pricing and (to me) styling.

As I said, I know little about cars, especially because I've always needed a 4WD truck in the past. Another reason to want to buy used is that I'm not sure how long I'll be in the area or whether I'll have kids (I'd like to settle down) in a few years, and my needs might change. I don't want to take too much of a hit if I go to sell this car three years down the road, as I'm doing with the truck.

I don't know why these threads so often turn into popcorn-munching material. Minte seems knowledgeable about cars, and I'd have welcomed an actual contribution from anyone.

Anyhow I'll check back later, and I do appreciate conscientious suggestions.

 

[bilbarstow]

Contact the local BMW club. Members change cars a lot. And often they will know of a deal in one that has been well cared for by an enthusiast. Plus, many of them (more than the gen pop ratio) will be manual or DCT. 3 series are a blast to drive, even in the lower trim and performance models. 5 Series cars are bigger / more lux, but still have the handling feel to be fun. And lots of good fiver's available. Harder to find and also more expensive, a Six coupe would be exactly what you are looking for.

Plus, there's a gazillion BMWs in the Bay Area.

 

[Dilemma]

The German offerings give me pause. I owned an SL500 myself a few years back and while it was bulletproof, I've heard horror stories about maintenance costs.

 

[Minte]

What's the point in being snarky here? You don't know anything about the OP.

Ask him, read his comment. He had plenty of snark to say.

 

[sk8rat]

What's the point in being snarky here? You don't know anything about the OP.

you mean aside from the o.p.s expose on himself in hopes of getting to date mintes daughter?
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367826

 

[foxtrot]

+ another vote for looking into a Mazda 3!

I have a 2009 (pre-new model) hatch and love it! They are great! Not the fastest but they have exceptional handling (the 6s i've driven feel pretty mushy by comparison). Newer ones with skyactive should have great mpg too. I'm 6'2" and a half basically and fit in it fine.

A CX5 would be nice too if you want something a bit bigger.