[chevelle]

Originally Posted by mohit

A brand new Subaru BRZ Limited will fit right into your budget. It satisfies all your criteria but doesn't have the badge appeal of some of the options you mentioned.

I already considered it. But there is a minimum $5k dealer mark up on it and its not as fast as i want it to be. Also its quite small and i won't ever pay a MSRP price let alone a dealer mark-up. So its not in contention.

I also didn't consider genesis coupe because it is dynamically not as sound as a 370z for $2k-$3k less or same price if i go a year old.

[NinadJoshi]

I'd say get some fun rides in the Nissan Z,
Acura TL type S,
Mustang GT,
Dodge Challenger,
Hyundai Genesis R coupe
and the mother of all pocket rockets, a Subaru Impreza WRX Sti...

Not sure if you have decided on the # of doors and drive (rwd, fwd, awd), but all said and done I'd give the WRX a look. Beats the overpriced BMW's and whatnots pants down on performance and price, has 4 doors just in case you need them and rides like a rollercoaster on rails. Unbeatable composition. Only problem is, most used STi's out there are driven hard, so you do not know know what you are buying.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

I'd say get some fun rides in the Nissan Z,
Acura TL type S,
Mustang GT,
Dodge Challenger,
Hyundai Genesis R coupe
and the mother of all pocket rockets, a Subaru Impreza WRX Sti...

Not sure if you have decided on the # of doors and drive (rwd, fwd, awd), but all said and done I'd give the WRX a look. Beats the overpriced BMW's and whatnots pants down on performance and price, has 4 doors just in case you need them and rides like a rollercoaster on rails. Unbeatable composition. Only problem is, most used STi's out there are driven hard, so you do not know know what you are buying.

Of the ones you listed, only Z and STi appeals in the way it rides, handles and provides smile all day.

The Genesis coupe, Challenger and GT are not that fun around twisties. Genesis coupe is right in the middle. Neither a pure sportscar like Z nor a pony car like Camaro or Challenger or GT. I need to test 2013 one though. 2012 was not that much fun.

Challenger and GT are pony cars. While they have a special place in my heart, i am not sure i wanna buy those as my weekend joy rides in twisties.

IIRC STi and Evos come with Sticks only. So it a no go for me as i need auto. And as you mentioned, they will be abused a lot so a good piece is hard to come by. I also didn't like the interior.

2-door, AWD or RWD only. No FWDs. For now, top priority is to test drive cayman, corvette and 370z this weekend. Rest(m3/s5) will be done next week.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by chevelle

I have started researching on a sportscar to replace my aging camry. Possible time frame of buying it is sept/oct. So with 3 months to go, i need all resources i could find.

With a pre-owned budget of $30k +/-$10k, which are the few ones that i should shortlist - new or used?

I am confused as to which to buy. Reasons?

In this budget, i could get
- a brand new camaro/challenger/genesis coupe.
- a pre-owned cayman/corvette.
- a pre-owned m3/370z/s5/rs5.
- a lotus?

Please advise which one should i look for.

My requirements in order mentioned.

- Used for daily drive to work.
- Fun to drive. Obvious since its a sportscar.
- Performance (power/handling) though it may not see a track in near future .
- A little lighter on pocket is appreciated.
- A little fuel efficient would be great.

Have you considered the MX-5? That should tick all your boxes. Plus it's available with an auto.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by aah78

Have you considered the MX-5? That should tick all your boxes. Plus it's available with an auto.

I will give it a try. But its too small. Thanks

[VLOCT]

Hi Chevelle,

If you're honest to yourself, you'll agree that with a $20-$40K budget, there is not one car in your list that'll hold a candle to the CORVETTE. You get supercar performance and handling, that's in many cases superior to Ferrari and Porsche, for that kind of money. The knock on it was always the cheap looking interior. But those days are long gone now. If I were you I would just go test drive a real low mileage Corvette, get the GM Major Guard extended coverage from the internet, its the best warranty of any manufacturer, and start your love affair with a real man's car.

If you're looking at Porsche, please don't even consider anything other than the 911. When you're willing to throw that kind of money around, you want the top of the heap, period. The other models have been compromised for affordability. You don't want to find what those are after putting down you hard earned money.

As a real uncompromising (so far) enthusiast, these are some of the lessons I learned in my long tenure in this wonderful country, from my experience and from listening to other people with similar interest.

You know my vote - Corvette. The only reason I didn't pick one up when I traded in my CTS-V, was my honest evaluation of my needs and realizing that my current Solstice GXP would be perfect for my needs in speed and pleasure, and I could then afford a brand new one.

Cheers friend. Have tons of fun making up your mind.

[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by chevelle

In this budget, i could get
- a brand new camaro/challenger/genesis coupe.
- a pre-owned cayman/corvette.
- a pre-owned m3/370z/s5/rs5.
- a lotus?



- Used for daily drive to work.
- Fun to drive. Obvious since its a sportscar.
- Performance (power/handling) though it may not see a track in near future .
- A little lighter on pocket is appreciated.
- A little fuel efficient would be great.

I think if you don't need the back seats, your should go for the Cayman or Corvette.. You maybe able to get the Cayman certified pre owned for your budget. However going to the 370z may save you some money.. Nothing like the Cayman in driver engagement. Corvette is more brute force, yet handles very well. I feel that the 370z is a little girly though.

[NinadJoshi]

Originally Posted by chevelle

The weirdest requirement which even i can't believe is, it has to be automatic transmission .

I know, i know its sacrilege to think sports car and auto together, but can't help it. It will be a daily driver for my wife and fun for me on weekends. So please advise accordingly.

Duh, ignore my previous posting. An automatic WRX Sti is probably available only on Mars.

I am not quite sure you want to own a Corvette that only drives in "D" ... its like seeing a Chris Gayle century that is without a single sixer...in other words, ridiculous

In any case, keep us posted on your test drives and findings.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by chevelle

IIRC STi and Evos come with Sticks only. So it a no go for me as i need auto. And as you mentioned, they will be abused a lot so a good piece is hard to come by. I also didn't like the interior.

The EVO GSR comes with a manual. The MR comes with a dual-clutch.
The EVOs won't be very easy as a day-to-day driver unless you have very smooth roads.

The Lancer Ralliart comes with a dual-clutch at a cheaper price + easier to live with daily.

[VLOCT]

Chevelle,

Just saw your requirement for the car to be a daily driver for your wife. Well, Corvette probably is not the best choice for that unless, she's not intimidated by that kinda power. Sorry for that advice. Still hope you can get your hands on one though, somehow.

Caymen might be more suitable for that requirement. Take a look at Boxster S also. They're great cars too and probably save you a bundle of cash for some car great sports car experience. I would stay away from the regular Boxster though. But like I said before, you can real good 911s in your budget with low mileage. I would seriously look at them as an option, more than any of the other Porsche models.

Nice to have choices, isn't it.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by VLOCT

Hi Chevelle,

If you're honest to yourself, you'll agree that with a $20-$40K budget, there is not one car in your list that'll hold a candle to the CORVETTE.

If you're looking at Porsche, please don't even consider anything other than the 911. You don't want to find what those are after putting down you hard earned money.

You know my vote - Corvette.

Thanks for your opinion. I love the Corvette and its top of my list.

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

I think if you don't need the back seats, your should go for the Cayman or Corvette.. You maybe able to get the Cayman certified pre owned for your budget. However going to the 370z may save you some money.. Nothing like the Cayman in driver engagement. Corvette is more brute force, yet handles very well. I feel that the 370z is a little girly though.

Yes, back seats are not a priority. Its solely for two of us to enjoy. Others can follow in my G if required.

I have been reading 370z vs cayman reviews a lot. Most are praising 370z for the bar it has raised for half the price of cayman. And that is saying a lot. I am not sure why you feel 370z looks girly because i have hardly seen or heard that. I love its looks though. And with the power it develops, it a natural extension to camry and G i have.

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

Duh, ignore my previous posting. An automatic WRX Sti is probably available only on Mars.

I am not quite sure you want to own a Corvette that only drives in "D" ... its like seeing a Chris Gayle century that is without a single sixer...in other words, ridiculous

In any case, keep us posted on your test drives and findings.

I know, its kinda weird situation to have a corvette and has a auto. But you won't believe, i found plenty of those in my research.

Originally Posted by aah78

The EVO GSR comes with a manual. The MR comes with a dual-clutch.
The EVOs won't be very easy as a day-to-day driver unless you have very smooth roads.

The Lancer Ralliart comes with a dual-clutch at a cheaper price + easier to live with daily.

I am not too found of Mitsubishi as a brand and looks of STi and Evos. Also when i am spending $30k, i do want a better interior to live in. I need something that when i look back it makes me smile.

Honestly, the G manages to do that each day after i park it while camry does that a gas station. I am not sure, if a Lancer/Evo/Sti can, with not-my-kinda look inside out. Also pre-owned are very few and far and most are abused.

Originally Posted by VLOCT

Chevelle,

Just saw your requirement for the car to be a daily driver for your wife. Well, Corvette probably is not the best choice for that unless, she's not intimidated by that kinda power. Sorry for that advice. Still hope you can get your hands on one though, somehow.

Caymen might be more suitable for that requirement. Take a look at Boxster S also. They're great cars too and probably save you a bundle of cash for some car great sports car experience. I would stay away from the regular Boxster though. But like I said before, you can real good 911s in your budget with low mileage. I would seriously look at them as an option, more than any of the other Porsche models.

Nice to have choices, isn't it.

You won't believe this, but she is the one who is more excited about getting a corvette than I am. She loves it and always says, lets get this in yellow or red color. As for the power, i am sure once she gets used to it, she won't have any trouble using it daily. The good thing is her commute is <10 miles combined, so its not much of a trouble. The only concern is the gas it will drink.

Cayman and Boxster S are easy to find and are in my budget. I can't find a single 911 in my budget. All are above $45k atleast unless for 2000-2002 models. I don't have that much of a budget so i will have to give 911 a miss. Otherwise i sure did consider it and hope to find one.

To be honest, with this requirement, the choices are not many than I initially thought. The reason is, most Europeans don't have sports car in this budget and ones they have are not in my budget. I also briefly considered Z4 and SLK, but I can't convince myself to spend so much dough on those two roadsters that pretend to be sportscars. Also i have heard too many stories about how hard they are maintain for long term and that bothers me a lot as i will be keeping this for atleast 5 years.

[maddy42]

Hey Chevelle,

I have a genesis coupe but the 2.0 T. Check my experience here (Trials and Tribulations of a first time buyer - Hyundai Genesis Coupe).

I would look at options with better second row if thats a requirement for you.

Maddy

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by maddy42

Hey Chevelle,

I have a genesis coupe but the 2.0 T. Check my experience here.

I would look at options with better second row if thats a requirement for you.

Maddy

Hi Maddy,

I have followed your thread for quite a while since i was seriously considering a GC. I am going to do a back to back drive of 370z and the 2013 GC 3.8 to see how they stack up. I am pretty excited about this.

Second row is not a priority for me. I have a G for that.

[chevelle]

Small Update Guys, managed to get my hands on a 370z.

It was a touring model. It was a pretty good drive though not too long. Just 5 miles. But it was enough to leave a positive impression. The road had rough patches so i could test the suspension, freeway had two circular exits so i could take the corners at higher speed and see how it handles. I could also test the wind/tire/road noise as half is tar and half of that was concrete roads.

370z
Good things:

- power
- ride and handling
- improved interior quality compared to 350z.
- nice seats and steering


Bad things

- poor rear visibility
- lots of road noise and tire noise from 19s
- no moonroof


Also manage to drove a 2008 G37S Coupe asking $26k.

Good things

- good power. a little less than 370z.
- great handling for a bigger car. drove the same road as 370z.
- interior better than 370z.
- more space (not that i need the extra seats, but its still there)
- very quiet up to 80 mph. no road/wind/tire noise at all.
- visibility a bit better than 370z.
- comfortable seats.
- moonroof included.

Bad things

- I was going at 70 mph and the rpm was 2900. This is a bit more compared to my G35 that has 70 mph at 2700 rpm. I think this would affect the fuel economy. I am not sure if this is common or there is some problem with this car.
- black color will be pain to maintain.

couldn't lay my hands on a cayman and corvette. most dealerships were closed as i went in late. will try it this week.

So now i am confused. I found some 370z 2009-2011 models asking $28k-$30k and found 2008/2009 G37 and G37S asking more or less the same price. Should i get the G37 and add it to garage that already has a G sedan or try something new.

I hope, Cayman and Corvette is the answer to this question.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by chevelle

SBad things

- I was going at 70 mph and the rpm was 2900. This is a bit more compared to my G35 that has 70 mph at 2700 rpm. I think this would affect the fuel economy. I am not sure if this is common or there is some problem with this car.
- black color will be pain to maintain.

So now i am confused. I found some 370z 2009-2011 models asking $28k-$30k and found 2008/2009 G37 and G37S asking more or less the same price. Should i get the G37 and add it to garage that already has a G sedan or try something new.

I hope, Cayman and Corvette is the answer to this question.

Deciding between the 370Z and a G37 pretty much boils down to personal preferences, whether you need the luxuries offered in the Infiniti or the barer and smaller interior of the 370Z.

Rev range doesn't seem out of the ordinary. Were you driving in a "Sport" mode?
Some transmissions are limited to the 2nd highest gear in Sport mode, which could account for the higher range.

A V8 Corvette would rev between 1500-2000 rpm while cruising at 70mph but I don't know how much economical it would be compared to the V6 in the Nissan / Infniti.

It's tough choosing, isn't it .

All the best!