Cars for under $30k US

psh · Jul 10, 2003, 12:44 PM

This is my first time starting a new topic on this forum so please bear with me.
Sometime before the end of this year I hope to be buying a new car

. I have roughly $30k US to spend on whatever car I decide to get. I've stuck primarily to new cars because I plan to keep the car for many years to come. After a great deal of research and consideration I'm leaning toward getting a Nissan 350z. The other cars I had in consideration were the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Ford Mustang Mach 1. Granted all of these cars will drive very differently; my primary area of focus was on how much power I get for the money I put into it.

I'm looking for a car that can be worked on and trully show an improvement in performance and speed. I am a US resident so there will be restrictions as far as emissions tests. Ultimately the final deciding factor will be the actual test drive :P , but I would appreciate your opinions on the matter. Feel free to suggest any other cars besides the 4 I listed above, but keep in mind that nicer used cars often carry many miles with them

.

Speed$Freak · Jul 10, 2003, 2:58 PM

Hi, welcome!

Get the Dodge Neon SRT-4. It has a V-4 DOHC 2.4L turbocharged with 15psi. It is the fastest car under $20,000. It go 0-60 in 5.7 sec and the top speed is 153mph.

psh · Jul 10, 2003, 4:09 PM

I have an upper limit of $30,000. Even the 350z, which is the slowest of the bunch, can do 0-60 in 5.5 sec. I believe the STi is the fastest out of all the cars I listed.

Speed$Freak · Jul 10, 2003, 4:41 PM

I just thought if you bought the srt-4 you could have $10,000 for mods. But if you dont want to, get the STi. It has AWD

psh · Jul 10, 2003, 5:06 PM

The car's being paid for by my father and he set that upper limit. I'm not sure if he would allow me to spend the difference of the money on car mods. I do plan on modifying the car, but very gradually.

As for the AWD aspect of the STi and the Evo, the prospects are very enticing, but from what I've read the car will loose more power at the wheels. I'm looking for a head turner, something that will catch people's attentions, which is why I picked the Z. I believe the Z possesses a great deal of potential; we are just beginning to see what forced induction can really do in the Z.

Speed$Freak · Jul 10, 2003, 6:35 PM

The SRT-4 catches peoples eyes. They all do. For losing power at the wheels is easy to fix. All you do is buy dog-bone-motor mounts. The Z is very hard to mod since its pritty new. It's up to you. The SRT-4 has a SWEEEEEET sounding dual exhuast witch EVERY one I know loves the sound! It also has the seats from the Viper

Its up to you.

psh · Jul 10, 2003, 10:34 PM

Greddy's in the process of tuning their TT system for the Z. Stillen is working on a supercharger and there are a few others who are working on superchargers as well. NISMO is also working on parts for the new Z; they've already released the S-Tuned parts. They say they are working on R-tuned parts and finally Z-tuned parts.

Personally I prefer the looks of the Z over any of the other cars mentioned, especially after veilside mods. The other cars can be spotted on the road everywhere around here, which makes them a common sight. In other words they rarely turn heads.

RiceBoy · Jul 11, 2003, 1:03 AM

Psh is right...the veilside mods will look hella good on a Z car...

If you're in school.....

Coupe(s): CL, 3-Series coupe, G35, RX-8, C-Class coupe, or any other 2+2 in your list (you'll need the 2+2 for school; it's more functional)

Sport Sedan(s) (if you want one): TL, TSX, A4, 3-Series (sedan), G35 (sedan), I35, X-Type, IS, C-Class (sedan), Maxima, or a 9-3

If you're just getting a ride and don't give a crap about functionality.....

Coupe(s): Z car or a Crossfire

McLaren F1 LM · Jul 11, 2003, 3:28 AM

i wuold get the Honda Civic Type-R very nice and nice enterior.

or i saw that you could get a used jag cabriolet 1997 but if you want a new car i would go with the civic type-r

Speed$Freak · Jul 11, 2003, 4:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren F1 LM

i wuold get the Honda Civic Type-R very nice and nice enterior.

or i saw that you could get a used jag cabriolet 1997 but if you want a new car i would go with the civic type-r

Handa sucks!! Type-R

give me a break!! A saturn SL2 can beat one of those! I did it. I kicked his ass

Raith83 · Jul 12, 2003, 11:58 PM

Well, I would definitly go for a Mazda RX-8. The N/A RENESIS rotary engine is punching out 250 hp and 159 lbft of torque . That's with no turbos, which will definitly be produced, making it even more potent and buzzy. With a 6-speed tranny, it's not to be taken lightly. Though It does weigh in under 3k pounds, has a very tight body design, and the engine is set down nice and low for the best handling for the money. Fuel economy is more than reasonable. I find it very sleek and sporty looking. How many people can say they have Rotary power?

(Hm, I'll leave the Si bashing alone,it's been beaten to death already)

FR500 · Jul 13, 2003, 1:52 AM

[quote="Speed$Freak"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren F1 LM

A saturn SL2 can beat one of those! I did it. I kicked his ass

Sorry but for example ION is damned boring, and as for SUVs VUE really sucks, that V6 behaves like an l4, that SL2 looks better, sure but i guess a Second gen Eclipse AWD will kick your ass

Evo_power · Jul 14, 2003, 12:28 AM

What you need to realize is that hes got 30K to spend, dont waste it on some shitty Honda or The SRT-4, I'd say for the EVO 8, dont get the Subaru, you wont be happy with it, and the Z is a nice car, but you will only have 2 seats, and thats it. The Evo has room for 4, and its faster! And its cooler! And its got AWD!

psh · Jul 17, 2003, 9:33 PM

I'm fine with just a 2-seater. Rather than looking for a practical car I'm looking for whatever will drive the best. The Evo sounds reasonable, however, I believe there is a limit to how much power an inline-4 engine can pump out. Although 30k is all I have to spend on the car to begin with I eventually hope to apply various mods and upgrades (forced induction). I realise the stock Evo is faster than the stock Z, but I believe the Z possesses incredible potential.

On a personal note, I prefere the appearance of the Z over the Evo, but that's just my opinion.

Evo_power · Jul 18, 2003, 2:08 AM

With a few tweaks and mods you can easily get the Evo to over 400 horsepower, but Hey, if you want the Sporty pick up chicks look, go for the Z, and not only that, get the convertable Z, its awesome. I'm sure you could boost up its horsepower too.

Jul 10, 2003, 12:44 PM	#1
psh Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 162	Cars for under $30k US This is my first time starting a new topic on this forum so please bear with me. Sometime before the end of this year I hope to be buying a new car . I have roughly $30k US to spend on whatever car I decide to get. I've stuck primarily to new cars because I plan to keep the car for many years to come. After a great deal of research and consideration I'm leaning toward getting a Nissan 350z. The other cars I had in consideration were the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII, the Subaru Impreza WRX STi and the Ford Mustang Mach 1. Granted all of these cars will drive very differently; my primary area of focus was on how much power I get for the money I put into it. I'm looking for a car that can be worked on and trully show an improvement in performance and speed. I am a US resident so there will be restrictions as far as emissions tests. Ultimately the final deciding factor will be the actual test drive :P , but I would appreciate your opinions on the matter. Feel free to suggest any other cars besides the 4 I listed above, but keep in mind that nicer used cars often carry many miles with them .

Jul 10, 2003, 2:58 PM	#2
Speed$Freak Junior Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: S Cali, USA Posts: 39	Hi, welcome! Get the Dodge Neon SRT-4. It has a V-4 DOHC 2.4L turbocharged with 15psi. It is the fastest car under $20,000. It go 0-60 in 5.7 sec and the top speed is 153mph. __________________ Admin of SaturnRush.com(Click on image vv) [url=http://invisionfree.com/forums/SaturnRush/index.php?act=idx][img]http://66.207.142.98/nx/hosted/saturnrush.JPG[/img][/url]

Jul 10, 2003, 4:41 PM	#4
Speed$Freak Junior Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: S Cali, USA Posts: 39	I just thought if you bought the srt-4 you could have $10,000 for mods. But if you dont want to, get the STi. It has AWD __________________ Admin of SaturnRush.com(Click on image vv) [url=http://invisionfree.com/forums/SaturnRush/index.php?act=idx][img]http://66.207.142.98/nx/hosted/saturnrush.JPG[/img][/url]

Jul 10, 2003, 6:35 PM	#6
Speed$Freak Junior Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: S Cali, USA Posts: 39	The SRT-4 catches peoples eyes. They all do. For losing power at the wheels is easy to fix. All you do is buy dog-bone-motor mounts. The Z is very hard to mod since its pritty new. It's up to you. The SRT-4 has a SWEEEEEET sounding dual exhuast witch EVERY one I know loves the sound! It also has the seats from the Viper Its up to you. __________________ Admin of SaturnRush.com(Click on image vv) [url=http://invisionfree.com/forums/SaturnRush/index.php?act=idx][img]http://66.207.142.98/nx/hosted/saturnrush.JPG[/img][/url]

Jul 11, 2003, 1:03 AM	#8
RiceBoy Experienced Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: SLO, CA Posts: 724	Psh is right...the veilside mods will look hella good on a Z car... If you're in school..... Coupe(s): CL, 3-Series coupe, G35, RX-8, C-Class coupe, or any other 2+2 in your list (you'll need the 2+2 for school; it's more functional) Sport Sedan(s) (if you want one): TL, TSX, A4, 3-Series (sedan), G35 (sedan), I35, X-Type, IS, C-Class (sedan), Maxima, or a 9-3 If you're just getting a ride and don't give a crap about functionality..... Coupe(s): Z car or a Crossfire __________________ My Fast thinks that ricers...are for the weak

Jul 10, 2003, 4:09 PM	#3
psh Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 162	I have an upper limit of $30,000. Even the 350z, which is the slowest of the bunch, can do 0-60 in 5.5 sec. I believe the STi is the fastest out of all the cars I listed.

Jul 10, 2003, 5:06 PM	#5
psh Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 162	The car's being paid for by my father and he set that upper limit. I'm not sure if he would allow me to spend the difference of the money on car mods. I do plan on modifying the car, but very gradually. As for the AWD aspect of the STi and the Evo, the prospects are very enticing, but from what I've read the car will loose more power at the wheels. I'm looking for a head turner, something that will catch people's attentions, which is why I picked the Z. I believe the Z possesses a great deal of potential; we are just beginning to see what forced induction can really do in the Z.

Jul 10, 2003, 10:34 PM	#7
psh Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 162	Greddy's in the process of tuning their TT system for the Z. Stillen is working on a supercharger and there are a few others who are working on superchargers as well. NISMO is also working on parts for the new Z; they've already released the S-Tuned parts. They say they are working on R-tuned parts and finally Z-tuned parts. Personally I prefer the looks of the Z over any of the other cars mentioned, especially after veilside mods. The other cars can be spotted on the road everywhere around here, which makes them a common sight. In other words they rarely turn heads.

Jul 11, 2003, 3:28 AM	#9
McLaren F1 LM Experienced Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Toronto,Canada Posts: 554	i wuold get the Honda Civic Type-R very nice and nice enterior. or i saw that you could get a used jag cabriolet 1997 but if you want a new car i would go with the civic type-r

Jul 12, 2003, 11:58 PM	#11
Raith83 Tokyo Xtreme Racer 4 life Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Toledo / Ohio / U.S.A. Posts: 1,667	Well, I would definitly go for a Mazda RX-8. The N/A RENESIS rotary engine is punching out 250 hp and 159 lbft of torque . That's with no turbos, which will definitly be produced, making it even more potent and buzzy. With a 6-speed tranny, it's not to be taken lightly. Though It does weigh in under 3k pounds, has a very tight body design, and the engine is set down nice and low for the best handling for the money. Fuel economy is more than reasonable. I find it very sleek and sporty looking. How many people can say they have Rotary power? (Hm, I'll leave the Si bashing alone,it's been beaten to death already) __________________ [color=green]"I don't break the rules, I bend them......alot"[/color]

Jul 14, 2003, 12:28 AM	#13
Evo_power Johnny Suave DeathMachine Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oregon Awesomeness: Infinite Posts: 23,157	What you need to realize is that hes got 30K to spend, dont waste it on some shitty Honda or The SRT-4, I'd say for the EVO 8, dont get the Subaru, you wont be happy with it, and the Z is a nice car, but you will only have 2 seats, and thats it. The Evo has room for 4, and its faster! And its cooler! And its got AWD!

Jul 17, 2003, 9:33 PM	#14
psh Poster Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Norwood, MA Posts: 162	I'm fine with just a 2-seater. Rather than looking for a practical car I'm looking for whatever will drive the best. The Evo sounds reasonable, however, I believe there is a limit to how much power an inline-4 engine can pump out. Although 30k is all I have to spend on the car to begin with I eventually hope to apply various mods and upgrades (forced induction). I realise the stock Evo is faster than the stock Z, but I believe the Z possesses incredible potential. On a personal note, I prefere the appearance of the Z over the Evo, but that's just my opinion.

Jul 18, 2003, 2:08 AM	#15
Evo_power Johnny Suave DeathMachine Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Oregon Awesomeness: Infinite Posts: 23,157	With a few tweaks and mods you can easily get the Evo to over 400 horsepower, but Hey, if you want the Sporty pick up chicks look, go for the Z, and not only that, get the convertable Z, its awesome. I'm sure you could boost up its horsepower too.

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