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[op_ivy]

my 5.0 finally crapped out the other day, and i'm all of a sudden int he market for a new, but used, car.

i got roughly 6,000 to spend, what are some suggestions? i want a car thats fun to drive, decent preformance and style. not a big fan of american muscle (done that), maybe european?

where are some great places to check online? i've gone through autotrader, cars.com, and ebay...

some decent ones i've come across:
'95 mitsu eclipse gsx -$5700- 90k miles, manual, leather, aftermarket exhaust, turbo timer, body kit

'98 jetta glx -$7000- 63k, manual, leather, sun roof

'95 gti vr6 -$5500- 128k, sun roof, great sound system

'96 audi a6 -$6495- 133k, quattro, leather, moon roof

any comments on these? i'm digging the gti vr6, but they are hard to find, and i've heard some bad things about the 95s. any comments about that or the others? any additional ones i should check out?

 

[LaneMeyer]

as a car enthusiest:

-the GSX is an amazing car. a buddy had one with a 20G turbo (the largest for that motor) and it was putting out 400whp. riding in it felt like it was literally tearing up the pavement with all 4 wheels. with that said, it died shortly after and ive never heard of it running to this day.

-im actually a VW enthusiest (just sold my modded 01 GTI VR) and VWs are interesting beasts. dont expect them to be as reliable as a honda/toyota and parts/labor are $$$, but theyre soulfull cars and they stick with you. as for the jetta, the VR is a safe engine. the 2.0 is just about bulletproof (just add oil, water, and gas), but the VR is no slouch with proper maintainence. if you dont plan on modding it (other than intake, exhaust, chip) it should do you right.

-as for the 95 VRs, theyre actually one of the most desired 3rd generations due to their engine management being OBDI which makes them easier to tune over OBDII. theyre also the lightest of all the models. the VR came out in around 92 in the corrado so it wasnt the first year for the engine, but it was the first year in the GTI, and in the 3rd generations.

-audis can be extremely problematic in the earlier models. the major problems with volkswagens and audis overall is their electricals. theyre usually mechincally sound, but its the little things that break over time and add up. id probably opt for a later model audi (98+) if you were to go that route.

also dont rule out honda. theyve got some affordable cars that are bulletproof and a ton of quality aftermarket parts.

if you really are into VWs, go to www.vwvortex.com and check out their forums. thats all the info youll ever need.

 

[rs7k]

I haven't tried the other cars you mentioned, but the GTI VR6 is the most fun I've ever had with a car.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Rule of thumb: European cars have shit reliability and cost too much to fix/maintain. I wouldn't get ANY of those cars if I were you, especially with all of them having such high milage.

Avoid like a plague.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

For 6k you can almost never go wrong with a civic.


+1 to AlphaSnake's post.

 

[Heezzi]

My 99 Accord EX Sedan cost $6,000.

 

[AntoneM]

what about "American Muscle" that was first made in Europe... Ford Contour SVT

looks hot, has good price/performance, cheap maintenance, and it's in your price range

 

[fart]

stay away from the dsm (eclipse)

 

[op_ivy]

Rule of thumb: European cars have shit reliability and cost too much to fix/maintain. I wouldn't get ANY of those cars if I were you, especially with all of them having such high milage.

Avoid like a plague.

i heard the same thing about my ford, and that worked out very well, despite a salvaged title as well

 

[bionic77]

Rule of thumb: European cars have shit reliability and cost too much to fix/maintain. I wouldn't get ANY of those cars if I were you, especially with all of them having such high milage.

Avoid like a plague.

Bah, german cars rock the casba. And I never had any reliability issues with mine, granted they are expensive to repair, but they are worth the cost.