What would you buy?

[d0rk]

I may be getting a job soon which will pay me rather well. If I do I am thinking about getting a new car. I really love VW Jetta's but I dont like the 2005 models and thats the only thing I've really liked. If you could get a new car under $40,000 what would you buy?

[sgtfuzzbubble011]

This, or this, or maybe one of these. There's a bunch more I'd look into as well, but it's late right now.

[k_rock923]

one of those huge dodge rams

[ScorLibran]

In that price range I'd buy this one.

[MaTTFURY]

try ford

[gaekwad2]

Originally posted by ScorLibran
In that price range I'd buy this one.

seconded (being in europe I'd go for the 320d though, almost as fast but 50% more mpg)

[Evil Lu]

A series 2 Landrover and spend the change on a decent computer and HUGE monitor and a shopping spree and a flight to America.

[matt_69]

i don't live in america, and not sure on price conversion, but if you could import a car, get this one - Holden Monaro CV8. one of the best australian sports cars in my opinion.

[Vie]

Skoda Fabia hatchback, save the rest to cover insurance and fule costs.


Maby a new computer as well.

[Atmo]

Originally posted by matt_69
i don't live in america, and not sure on price conversion, but if you could import a car, get this one - Holden Monaro CV8. one of the best australian sports cars in my opinion.

They're exported and sold in the states as the Pontiac GTO.

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by MaTTFURY
try ford

How Mr_007 of you.

[ShyShy]

Originally posted by Atmo
They're exported and sold in the states as the Pontiac GTO.

Holden has a much sexier emblem.

@d0rk: If you've got that much money budgeted, I do suggest looking at a GM car, as the sale is still kicking for awhile. And like Mrs Squid said, get something a little cheaper and then use the rest of the money on other things

I was so excited to get my brand new car, 2001 Cavalier, unitl I found it tough to keep up payments and insurance as I had to switch to a lower paying job. Find a car that you can pay off as quickly as possible.

[d0rk]

Thanks for the ideas so far, keep them coming.

I like the Holden a lot more than the Pontiac version. I didn't really think about a BMW thanks scor

As far as saving the rest for other stuff. Not needed. My salary a year will be $80,000. The $40,000 is just the car budget.

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by d0rk
My salary a year will be $80,000.

Need a wife?
I'm pretty hot in a bikini

[General Geoff]

$40,000 for a brand new car? probably either a GTO or base-model BMW 5-series.

If it were my money I'd look for a 2001-2003 BMW M5 with higher-than-average miles for $40k, or maybe an M3. Or a Mercedes E55/S55 AMG.

The S55 and M5 retail for ~$80,000 new, but depreciate substantially (like all cars) within a few years. Much nicer car for a lot less money than if you bought brand new.

[d0rk]

Originally posted by ElChevelle
Need a wife?
I'm pretty hot in a bikini

I need to get the job first but yes I do

/edit

and the starting pay is $80,000. If I am there for about 5 to 10 years it should be $125,000 I can't imagine being 25 years old and making $125k a year.

How much of that 125,000 will be taxes?

[d0rk]

10,000-15,000 I would guess.

WOW that's cheap taxes over there! I guess it would be 50,000 or maybe even more here in The Netherlands.

[edit]
BTW you could go for a Volvo V70 R, it has 250 hp and reaches 250 km/h. That's a superb car.
You can get one new for $39,950, so I've seen somewhere on the net.
[/edit]

[Vie]

http://www.skoda.co.uk/skoda3g/conte...rb/superb.aspx

Half the price your looking for for the top spec, + import charges of corse, but you wont look back from owning a Skoda.

[psyfive]

I want this car and its only ~$22000

[sgtfuzzbubble011]

This, this, or this perhaps? I'd have to agree with Shy.

This would be one of my first choices if I were looking to get a new vehicle. I know you said that you're looking for a car, but this would be a good alternative. Personally, I'd get one similar to this picture (base model work truck with either the 4.3l V-6 or even the 4.8l V-8, automatic transmission, regular cab, and short bed). Not really big, but still a full size truck that you can haul things with and still get decent gas milage in. Plus, it costs less than half of your car budget.

[BMWboy]

id go for a certified pre-owned BMW M3, the warrenty they give you is better than they give a new car, and the Manual transmission M3 is a very nice car, and should be trouble free. some of them had an issue with the engine connecting rod bearings, but if its a CPO car it would either have to be unaffected by that or had its bearings replaced. from what i have heard, dont get a car with SMG, they hadnt quite gotten all the bugs out of it yet. i just checked the website and i see 9 CPO M3s in the US for under $40k, with anything from 20k to 51k miles on it. My dad has a CPO '97 740il, he got it with 44,000 miles and is up to 250,000 miles with no major issues, and the car has never left him stranded.

and the M3 is faster than most every car out there, has room for 4 people, a useful trunk, and it returns better gas mileage than a V6 Ford Taurus.

[ElChevelle]

Originally posted by sgtfuzzbubble99
I'd have to agree with Shy.

Of course you would.

Chevys rule!!!

[sandb937]

one of these for sure with out a doubt.

any if I may ask what kind of work do you do that you are making that kind of money? I think i might be in the wrong business!!!

[Print]

Chrysler 300! Affordable and classy (they start at about $25,000). I'd go with SRT8.

Sure you won't end up buying this car, but test drive it anyway, it's the shit.

A Chrysler is a better idea than a second-hand BMW.
BMWs tend to get ugly quickly after a few years. Something is wrong with their design. Everytime a new type comes out, the older type suddenly looks very old. The quality of BMWs is fine of course, but an older M3 or M5 is not a good choice because of the looks. If you buy a BMW, buy a new one, and remember you will have to buy the new type as soon as it comes out.

As Blueprint said, you should go for a more classy and better designed car, like a Chrysler 300. A Volvo S60 R or V70 R is both classy and sportive. I would go for the Volvo. They're safe and well built too.

If you make $125,000, a classy car matters, so don't pick a japanese car or a Volkswagen, but something like a Chrysler 300, a Volvo or maybe a Mercedes Benz instead.

[NJK]

no rust, easy to re-paint, if you hit anything easy to repair.

[Atmo]

Originally posted by sandb937
one of these for sure with out a doubt.[Image]

That would probably be near the top of my list too, if i was looking for a new car.

My next car will possibly be a '98-99 WRX hatch (as it'll hold more audio gear than the sedan).

[Kieran Walker]

I'm a big fan of the WRX sedan. If I had the money, I'd certainly look into getting one.

I'm afraid I don't know what car to recommend here--I'm struggling to pay off my $15,000 ZX2. >_>

[ScorLibran]

Originally posted by General Geoff
$40,000 for a brand new car? probably either a GTO or base-model BMW 5-series.

If it were my money I'd look for a 2001-2003 BMW M5 with higher-than-average miles for $40k, or maybe an M3. Or a Mercedes E55/S55 AMG.

The S55 and M5 retail for ~$80,000 new, but depreciate substantially (like all cars) within a few years. Much nicer car for a lot less money than if you bought brand new.

The base price of the 2005 525i is $41,800, and BMW dealers don't have to haggle. So unless there's flexibility in the $40,000 limit, a 330i sedan would be the top choice.

I'd avoid Mercedes...Chrysler's quality control influence is taking its toll on the brand in the past few years, and I've heard from inside the Daimler-Benz division that they're considering cutting prices to meet lower customer expectations and to maintain revenue. True you could get a several-year-old S55 in the $40,000-range as their resale value drops faster than BMW and other brands, but I just think there are better options for the money.

Regarding quality problems, I've also noticed BMW having some issues lately. My 530i has had a series of little, frequent, annoying problems like a lamp control module failing, a turn signal lamp connection failing, a door moisture barrier failing, etc. Nothing major, but not what I want from a $50,000+ car.

So after doing extensive research over the past few weeks and eliminating Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus and Acura, I've been looking seriously at the new Infiniti M45. I can get a loaded 2006 M45 Sport for around $60,000, and it's looking like it would meet my needs a little bit better than a $70,000 545i would (not to mention save me some money).

So on that note, I'd recommend to d0rk to have a look at the Infiniti G35 Sedan (base price $31,610, loaded and delivered for just under $40,000) or the G35 Coupe (base price $33,360, loaded and delivered for just over $40,000). These are in his price range, and if it were my price range I'd be looking closely at them myself.

[MegaRock]

I buy all my cars at auctions. They are used but no more than an average one year old car might be and instead of paying tens of thousands of dollars I normally don't pay over 1,800 for a car that books at ten times that price or more.

If I had $40,000 I would buy ten of these auction cars and take the other 30,000 to Vegas. I'll be driving them long after those that spend $40,000 on one car will.

[ScorLibran]

Definitely some great deals at auctions, but you get no viable warranty. That's a deal-breaker for me when we're talking about a late-model car with a myriad of expensive-to-repair electrical and computer systems, but that's not the case for everyone.

You also get no free maintenance plans at an auction as you can with many new luxury car purchases...not a deal-breaker if it's not available, but a considerable way to save money if it is. For instance tune-ups on my car cost $600. I'd have to pay this out-of-pocket if I bought from an auction. I wouldn't pay a dime with a full maintenance plan.

"Project cars" are the best thing to buy at auction... no warranty expected (you'd invalidate it anyway, most likely). But for a luxury daily-driver, where reliability and support are critical, I'd avoid auctions.

[BMWboy]

Originally posted by ScorLibran
The base price of the 2005 525i is $41,800, and BMW dealers don't have to haggle. So unless there's flexibility in the $40,000 limit, a 330i sedan would be the top choice.

I'd avoid Mercedes...Chrysler's quality control influence is taking its toll on the brand in the past few years, and I've heard from inside the Daimler-Benz division that they're considering cutting prices to meet lower customer expectations and to maintain revenue. True you could get a several-year-old S55 in the $40,000-range as their resale value drops faster than BMW and other brands, but I just think there are better options for the money.

Regarding quality problems, I've also noticed BMW having some issues lately. My 530i has had a series of little, frequent, annoying problems like a lamp control module failing, a turn signal lamp connection failing, a door moisture barrier failing, etc. Nothing major, but not what I want from a $50,000+ car.

So after doing extensive research over the past few weeks and eliminating Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi, Jaguar, Lexus and Acura, I've been looking seriously at the new Infiniti M45. I can get a loaded 2006 M45 Sport for around $60,000, and it's looking like it would meet my needs a little bit better than a $70,000 545i would (not to mention save me some money).

So on that note, I'd recommend to d0rk to have a look at the Infiniti G35 Sedan (base price $31,610, loaded and delivered for just under $40,000) or the G35 Coupe (base price $33,360, loaded and delivered for just over $40,000). These are in his price range, and if it were my price range I'd be looking closely at them myself.

your local dealer must be a jackass, the dealer by me has 4 545i's 1 at 66k, 2 at 64k and 1 at 61k. find an honest dealer and you'll get a better price.

[ScorLibran]

Originally posted by BMWboy
your local dealer must be a jackass, the dealer by me has 4 545i's 1 at 66k, 2 at 64k and 1 at 61k. find an honest dealer and you'll get a better price.

Those prices aren't from my local dealers...I used the BMW NA website to build the car in various configurations. I've built versions in all those price areas, as well as one over $70,000.

I never do my initial research at local dealers because they're naturally biased. I gather info from the auto maker's website and from independents until I feel properly armed, then I go to dealers. And believe me, when I visit the BMW dealer to talk about the 545i I'm going to be holding the Infiniti M45 Sport and the Jaguar S-Type R over their heads.

[sandb937]

but d0rk seriously what kind of market are you working in? Job field wise, what kind of work do you do?














sill think I am in the wrong industry!!!

[MidnightViper88]

Yeah, d0rk...What kind of car are you looking for? Something sporty like a Subaru WRX or Ford Mustang? Luxurious like a Chrysler 300C or Audi A4? Truck like a Ford F-150 or Dodge Ram?

Performance an issue? Or luxury? Does it have to get good gas milage? 2 or 4 doors? RWD? FWD? AWD?

Just be a little more specific, and I could point you in a good direction...

[d0rk]

Great ideas everyone . The only thing im really looking for is a quality vehicle that will last me a long time and have minimum problems. I've priced out a BMW M3 and the Infiniti G35 coupe. Those are my top 2 choices at the moment.

Sorry for not posting sooner but I just moved to a new place over the past few days. -If- I get the job I would be a train conducter.

[sgtfuzzbubble011]

Sweet.

Hey, could you swipe me a set of those air horns that they put on train engines? I'd love to have a set of those for my S10.

[MidnightViper88]

Originally posted by d0rk
Great ideas everyone . The only thing im really looking for is a quality vehicle that will last me a long time and have minimum problems. I've priced out a BMW M3 and the Infiniti G35 coupe. Those are my top 2 choices at the moment.

How you'll ever get past buying a car between those two decisions will be a rough ride...

Personally, I would buy the Infiniti G35 Coupe...The BMW M3 is a nice car though; Strong chassis, responsive steering, peppy engine...The Infiniti is the same car in driving essential, with the BMW having a higher driver's experience...

Only reason why I would get the Infiniti is because compared to the BMW, it would be more practical in the reliability run...Should your G35 lightly fail on you mechanically, it wouldn't be as expensive to pay for the repair costs as opposed to the M3...

I have an uncle has a 2003 G35 Coupe, so I'll try to ask him how he's been going through with the car (Maintenance costs, any recalls, etc.)