Thinkin of savin for a new car...

[luciusad2004]

as the title states, I think I want to start saving for a new car. I currently drive a 91 probe that i got because i was sorta pressured in to getting a new car by my parents and it was all I could afford. I love the lil thing to death but I just don't know what sort of future i have with it and It's just not in the best shape.

I think i want to look for a mid to late 90's Import. I want a 4 banger w/ decent gas mileage and a decent amount of aftermarket support. Anyone have any ideas? As much as I would love a rear wheel drive car I don't think it would be practical for me in the snow , so i guess it has to be either front wheel drive or All Wheel drive. I also prefer smaller vehicles.

I like Japanese cars but Id give a Euro a shot to. Not sure how many people around here are in to Imports but i figured I would throw it out there. If I ask on one of my car forums I'm going to get a more biased answer since most car sites are make and/or model specific. Plus i figured you guys like modding computers maybe you like modding your car's too.

I was thinking about an Imprezza if i could find a decent one that i can afford.

This wouldn't be for a year or so anyway unless i suddenly run in to a ton of money for no reason.

Thanks for any input, feel free to discuss your hearts out, just don't turn it in to a flame war.

[NightrainSrt4]

The imprezza's are nice but can be expensive to find one in good condition, and without a million miles on them.

DSM's can be found cheap nowadays and can pull some serious numbers with a quick 6-bolt swapped 4g63. Used am parts can be found real cheap sometimes as when people build then part out they get jack nothing compared to what they put into it. I miss my old one, but once the build finished I sold it, as MA roads would have killed it. Has AWD models as you were looking for.

There are plenty of options, just have to have an open mind, and keep an eye out in your area.

[SXRguyinMA]

I agree on the impreza. a buddy of mine has a couple of them, both with am turbos and done up motors, etc, a blast to drive. ones a 96 and the other a 97 or 98 I believe. the am is quite extensive when it comes to them, but like nightrain said, they can be hard to find either cheap or with low miles...you may have to pick one. spoend more, get lower mileage or spend less and get higher mileage

[luciusad2004]

The imprezza's are nice but can be expensive to find one in good condition, and without a million miles on them.

DSM's can be found cheap nowadays and can pull some serious numbers with a quick 6-bolt swapped 4g63. Used am parts can be found real cheap sometimes as when people build then part out they get jack nothing compared to what they put into it. I miss my old one, but once the build finished I sold it, as MA roads would have killed it. Has AWD models as you were looking for.

There are plenty of options, just have to have an open mind, and keep an eye out in your area.

Ah, I didn't think of that. Now that I think about it, my buddy payed a few grand for his and while, it seems to be in mostly good shape its def not in the best shape.

When you say DSM your reffering to a Talon or Elcipse? I never really thought of that, I would give it a shot but it would be a matter of finding one around here in good shape. It would also be hard to find one that's not already "tuned." Whenever I see them cruising they are always pretty beat up.

I agree on the impreza. a buddy of mine has a couple of them, both with am turbos and done up motors, etc, a blast to drive. ones a 96 and the other a 97 or 98 I believe. the am is quite extensive when it comes to them, but like nightrain said, they can be hard to find either cheap or with low miles...you may have to pick one. spoend more, get lower mileage or spend less and get higher mileage

Thats what drew me to the impreza, my buddy has one and it seems like the AM support is great

I guess the main thing I'm going to be looking for is a mostly clean body, and that it runs well. It doesn't need to run perfect but id like to not have to do a ton of work to get it running nice.

PA eats cars during the winter which is why i was thinking of saving for a mid to late nineties car. Even newer would be nice but i doubt I could afford it. I'm not ruling anything out but i don't think I would easily find any older cars in PA w/out lots of rust.

Thanks for the Input guys.

[Omega]

adw dsm turbo, same engine as an evo and way cheaper. hell yeah

also, since parts for the mitsu 4g63 are cheap since there's so many of them (evos) and since evo engine parts are newer (read: better engineered) and still 4g63 parts, they will bolt right up to the old 4g63.

that means, in english, "cheap bolt-on power".

not like the awd dsm turbos lacked it to begin with -- 205hp stock


maybe not so much a fast car but most subies are good calls, pretty reliable and they have good powerplants. if i was looking for an awd winter car, i'd probably get an old forester or awd legacy.

[Twigsoffury]

you can pick up a Mazda RX-7 in good to great condition with reasonable miles for around 20-25 thousand.

You'd Lol If you drove one.

[Bopher]

I drove a little Ford Escort ZX2. Not to expensive, cheap on gas and tough as nails. Mine was a 98 and when the wife and I moved out this way we loaded the truck, backseat and an escargo on the top. Even fully loaded it still got pretty decent gas mileage and was still able to hit 90 to pass truck without even hesitating. Man I miss that little car. Plus the bolt-on market has gotten pretty good for them and its cheap too if you want to do any of that stuff.

[Omega]

you can pick up a Mazda RX-7 in good to great condition with reasonable miles for around 20-25 thousand.

You'd Lol If you drove one.

Reliability? Just kidding!

I know a guy who has a 3-rotor RX7. For the year and I half I first knew him, I never saw the car because it was always broken. He drove his BMW instead.

I saw said guy, completely randomly at the local junkyard today. It's been four years since I seen him last. I first heard about this car Five and a half years ago. I finally saw it... today.

It's pretty sweet but reliabile it's not, and RWD + snow = bad (unless you're masterful at powerslides and enjoy going everywhere sideways).


Hell, if he said RWD would be fine, I'd just say "Volvo 244/245. /thread" and be done with it. Designed to cope with Sweden's winters, mine has never not started and it's got 254k on it. that's miles, btw.

[luciusad2004]

Reliability? Just kidding!

I know a guy who has a 3-rotor RX7. For the year and I half I first knew him, I never saw the car because it was always broken. He drove his BMW instead.

I saw said guy, completely randomly at the local junkyard today. It's been four years since I seen him last. I first heard about this car Five and a half years ago. I finally saw it... today.

It's pretty sweet but reliabile it's not, and RWD + snow = bad (unless you're masterful at powerslides and enjoy going everywhere sideways).


Hell, if he said RWD would be fine, I'd just say "Volvo 244/245. /thread" and be done with it. Designed to cope with Sweden's winters, mine has never not started and it's got 254k on it. that's miles, btw.

Thats pretty much what i was thinking lol. Trust me, If i could get a nice RX-7 and didn't have to worry about drivin it in snow, I would. But as it stands I don't think I would get a RWD car up my parents driveway. I would love to drive RWD, but Winter is whats holding me back. Sideways would be fun but sideways in to the concrete barrier between the two sides of a highway would not. (Almost did it goofin around in my probe in the snow.)

Plus from what I understand RX-7 gas mileage is in the same range as a large SUV. 15-17mpg or something silly like that. At least thats what I read online, I would love to be wrong on that one.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

The only problem with DSMs is that they have the structural integrity of a bran muffin. If you treat 'em like an economy car, you'll be fine. Racing, prepare to replace some parts.

Since you listed aftermarket support, I'm gonna steer you away from the Civic, as most folks would think you were a supreme feminine hygiene product. How about a Protege?