Recently I wrecked my beloved SC300, so I am in the market for a new car. MAX $$ at this point is $12,000. I am looking for something < 100k miles, 4 doors and manual transmission. Cars I am NOT interested in owning include Subaru Impreza (styling is not to my taste) nor Legacy, Nissan Sentra. Other than that, please help with suggestions!

Some cars I am currently researching:

1999 BMW 328iS 5-speed 68,000 miles (this is a 2 door, and really one of the only 2 door I will consider) for $11000 OBO

2003 Mazda 6S 5-speed 70,000 miles, $11,500.

1997 BMW 540i 6-speed 87,000 miles, $12,000

2000 Audi A6 2.7T Quattro 6-speed 66,000 miles $8,100 ...sounds like an INCREDIBLE deal, and low and behold I'm having trouble contacting the seller.

Any other suggestions that fit the bill are more than welcome, RWD/AWD preferred, but FWD is ok too if it's the right car as in the case with the Mazda6. 2 door suggestions also welcome, but not really interested in the coupe world much..

:eek2:What! Raj glad you are ok man. When did this happen?? From your selection of cars, I would select the 99 328 Bimmer. Most fun and reliable of the bunch. Good luck buddy.

Can u find a manual Infiniti I30? I am sure it will meat your price, its 4 doors, great engine, good interior. Its very rare to find.

The Audi is going to be an electrical nightmare. I just came from a shop a couple weeks ago with one sitting inside. Its a fab car outside that.

You will also need tons of maintenance money for the 540. Ownership costs skyrocket as the car gets older.

What about a 2002 IS 300 manual? How are their prices?

The 328 sounds like a good deal to me.

IS is better choice if you are lucky to find one with manual under 12K...

:eek2:What! Raj glad you are ok man. When did this happen?? From your selection of cars, I would select the 99 328 Bimmer. Most fun and reliable of the bunch. Good luck buddy.

Thanks Sean, yeah I am fine and unhurt. The car took a beating and its totalled..happened a week ago tonight. Only bright spot is that insurance is paying me a whopping $8500 for it; I wasn't expecting more than $6k. I am also leaning towards the 328 at this point, I need to make contact with the seller and verify that it's still for sale.

Can u find a manual Infiniti I30? I am sure it will meat your price, its 4 doors, great engine, good interior. Its very rare to find.

The Audi is going to be an electrical nightmare. I just came from a shop a couple weeks ago with one sitting inside. Its a fab car outside that.

You will also need tons of maintenance money for the 540. Ownership costs skyrocket as the car gets older.

What about a 2002 IS 300 manual? How are their prices?

The 328 sounds like a good deal to me.

The only Infiniti 5-speeds I can find are G20s, underpowered econobox no doubt, but from what I hear ZERO fun to drive.

The closest IS300 to my budget is already out of it, at $14,500 for a 2002 with 80,000 miles. A good deal no doubt, but kills my budget. I do need insurance also so we can't overlook that.

The 540i I really like. It's perfect for what I am looking for however I also fear the increasing maintenence costs.

Thanks for the advice on the Audi, I know they have the electrical bugs like the other German makes, but I didn't know that it was that bad. But for $8100, if it's legit, it sounds like a great deal to me. Maybe that's why its priced so low, it could be a nightmare already.


For now, my first course of action here is to contact both owners of the 328iS and the Mazda6S. The pics of the Mazda look very CLEAN (minus the chrome side mirrors :uh: ) so I will definitely be looking into that car.

Well the Audi was a scam, Mr. Jong took the car to the UK but can't get it registered, so his friend is selling for him!! Wire the money after the car ships! WORD! :thumbup:

i say go for the 3 series. and if that doesnt work out, get the 5 series, but u might need a little extra money incase anything goes wrong

What the **** is wrong with an '03 Accord Stick?!?! Its better than a Mazda6 in every category including looks imo. Out of the original options its the most reliable(IS is out of price range) and will have = if not better FE.

well the ****ing Accord I can't find one in any decent condition in my area really that are 5-speed. Also, I have to disagree that the Accord looks are better than the Mazda6, certainly not. also, the 2.4L 4 cyl is a little underpowered for me, and the V6 is only available in the coupe which I find ugly. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep my eye peeled if I find one in my area in a color other than green that fits my budget.

I have added a car on the bottom of my list tho...2002 Nissan Maxima 6-speed with 53,000 miles for just under $12,000...it's there, but towards the bottom more of a last resort

Can u find a manual Infiniti I30? I am sure it will meat your price, its 4 doors, great engine, good interior. Its very rare to find.

The Audi is going to be an electrical nightmare. I just came from a shop a couple weeks ago with one sitting inside. Its a fab car outside that.

You will also need tons of maintenance money for the 540. Ownership costs skyrocket as the car gets older.

What about a 2002 IS 300 manual? How are their prices?

The 328 sounds like a good deal to me.

Good suggestions, but I30 manuals and 2002 IS manuals, indeed, will be hard to find. 2002 was the first year for the IS manual and dealers didn't order many.
The Nissan Maxima was the same car, mechanically, as the I30, but with a somewhat less-plush interior....and manual-shift Maximas may be a little easier to find.

I agree with 1SICK about staying away from older Audis, despite the Quattro AWD advantages....too unreliable.

For $12,000 or so, you can also look at a 2-3 year lease on a lot of nice brand-new cars (too many to list here) ....and some manufacturers even have leases on used ones as well. Take the check you got (or will get) for your totalled SC and use it as a down payment...that will drop your monthly lease payments some.

The Infiniti I30/Maxima twins ride and drive like NYC dollar cabs.:thumbdn: Too many of those cars in NYC as well. Brooklyn is Maxima/I30 capitol. Drive those twins and the 328 Bimmer and get back to us with your findings.

well the ****ing Accord I can't find one in any decent condition in my area really that are 5-speed. Also, I have to disagree that the Accord looks are better than the Mazda6, certainly not. also, the 2.4L 4 cyl is a little underpowered for me, and the V6 is only available in the coupe which I find ugly. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll keep my eye peeled if I find one in my area in a color other than green that fits my budget.

I have added a car on the bottom of my list tho...2002 Nissan Maxima 6-speed with 53,000 miles for just under $12,000...it's there, but towards the bottom more of a last resort

:p:D sweet:thumbup:

hmmm how about a Mercury Montego for a little more $? U can get an '05 for around $14-$15k. They come std. w/ HIDS, very comfortable seats, TOP safety ratings w/ side airbags, SUV-like visibility w/ high seating position, LED taillights. Its based on the Volvo S80 platform. NO stick though.. and certainly not the best in the handling dept. lol. They look ok to me.. the Ford Five-Hundred prob. looks a little better haha. Oh and get a warranty w/ it as well as they are only avg. in reliability. Or u could get an '06 Milan(platform based on ur beloved Mazda 6) and probably not need the warranty(past the basic manufacturer warranty).

find a stick maxima, they are great fun and come with the VQ engines!

For $12,000 or so, you can also look at a 2-3 year lease on a lot of nice brand-new cars (too many to list here) ....and some manufacturers even have leases on used ones as well. Take the check you got (or will get) for your totalled SC and use it as a down payment...that will drop your monthly lease payments some.
This sounds like a better option. Brand new car, no problems, many different options, and you can choose what you want (color, trim, options, etc). Might want to check this option out.

what about an eclipse gst or gsx?

This sounds like a better option. Brand new car, no problems, many different options, and you can choose what you want (color, trim, options, etc). Might want to check this option out.

Yup it is great if he generally only keeps his cars for a few years and does under 12-15k miles/ year. Me personally I do ~ 25k miles/ year so i would never lease.

I second the 02-03 Maximas. Very nice car, powerful, and fun to whip around with the 6-speed. Has a decent aftermarket as well.

i vote for the is300 - just look harder for one under 12k.

well it will be older but how about an es with the m/t.. they are cheap to buy. ut really hard to find, just an idea. if that doesnt work out, how about an audi a4? and maybe a mb c class? im not sure if that came with a m/t though