Rudel73

Ok i'm lookin for a new car in the 10-18k price range...

I just want a car that's pretty fast for the price and can turn a few heads if some work was done to it ya know? I'm sick of driving around my stupid SUV i want a car that can MOVE!!

I was lookin at the chevy cobalt but the only model that i really liked was the SS Supercharged and i think its out of my pricerange...

Anyway, any opinions would greatly be welcomed!

desal75

Mazda 3 might be worth a look. I'm not sure if you can get into a Nissan Sentra SE-R for under 18 but that would probably be a decent choice too. One of the higher trim Focus or Honda Civic. I test drove a Kia Spectra5 and it wasn't too bad. Not as quick as I would have liked but handled beautifully.

Come to think of it I would take a long look at a Toyota Corolla XRS. You get the engine from the Celica GT-S with about ten less horsepower. Probably not a bad deal.

__________________
The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

Tech

gotta be new, huh?...

here are what i would consider MY options on that money...

since you can ALWAYS talk the dealer down some, i'll say under $20k instead of 18, that will give you more options...

Scion tC - $16k MSRP - 160hp - pretty nice, brand new model from a brand new division, turns a lot of heads (you know you always notice one when you see it) very nice design in my opinion, aftermarket companies will be all over it soon (if not already) i imagine

Nissan Sentra SE-R - $17.6k MSRP - 165hp - also a nice choice, i've considered this car in the past, downside is it's nothing new, it's been out a while... but i always like Nissan

Celica GT - $17.6k MSRP - 140hp - very sporty design, hp might be a little lacking though, and i personally don't like driving the same car as a bunch of high school girls. still a fun car though

Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart - $18.5k MSRP - 162hp - a wonderful lancer for those who can't afford an Evo but don't want to roll around in mom's grocery getter

Civic Si - $19.3k MSRP - 160hp - quick, great handling, good Honda quality, i just personally hate the hatchback (in this case) i miss the old Si's and would wait for the next generation

Volkswagen GTI 1.8T - $19.5K MSRP - 180hp - this would probably be my personal choice, yeah it's on the more expensive end, but you get what you pay for... 180 horsepower, already with a Turbo setup (so easy to upgrade) Volkswagen design quality. love it...

other options that i wouldn't buy (but are still available)...
Focus ZX3 - no hp, nothing special, old design, no zing anymore
Chevy Cobalt - new and exciting now, but soon everyone and their dog will have one and it will be nothing special anymore, the head-turn factor will die in months
Honda Civic - great car, but nothing special
Saturn ION - bleh, no performance, no looks
Hyundai Tiburon - great looks, STILL needs more performance
Mini Cooper - lots of fun, always a head turner, but wouldn't buy it unless it's a Cooper S
Mustang V6 - you will always turn heads with the new mustang, but i couldn't stand not having the GT...
Toyota Camry Solara - nice car, but nothing special
Mitsubishi Eclipse GT - same as the camry, plus the new one is going to be SWEET so i'd hold out.

hope that helps some...

__________________
-Tim-

~I swear sometimes i feel like i'm married to a child.
~You better watch who you're calling a child, Lois, cause if i'm a child than you know what that makes you? a pedophile. and i'll be damned if i'm going to stand here and be lectured by a pervert.

desal75

Those were some other good choices that I missed. I left out the Scion but they are good cars. I have heard the Lancer Ralliart's handle likes pigs though and just kind of understeer all of the time. This can be annoying at 10/10ths driving.

__________________
The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

Willravel

As much as it bothers me to say this, the Honda Civic Si is your best bet. I had a really long conversation with my mechanic the other day about how often he fixes a certian type of car for whatever problems. Don't get a Durango, btw. It seems that the car he sees the least of is Honda, followed by Toyota. If something does go wrong, it's cheap to fix. They're mind boggelingly simple to modify to get real power out of them. They also have what I call the 'rice rockety resale value'. They are very popular and will keep their value becuase there will always be some fast and furious wannabe that will want to dump his taco bell paycheck into the car so it will be faster.

It might also be nice to get something cirtified preowned. It will come with reasonable coverage, and you can let your money get a bit more for you.

Peryn

What size car are you looking at? 4 door (large or small?)?, 2door, compact, convertible?

__________________
Dont cry kid, It's not your fault you suck.

Halx

I am looking in that price range as well, and the only car I seem to be considering is the Civic Si

__________________
You have found this post informative.
-The Administrator
[Don't Feed The Animals]

Lockjaw

You want a car that can move in that price range...don't buy new.
Seriously you can find some used cars only a year or two old that will be in that price range and easily will be fast and you can turn heads.

First suggestion would be see if you can find a used SRT-4. You can easily find one for 18k it'll be a lot faster than anything you can buy new for that price and it will have a ton more potential at that.

Next would be see if you can find a used Mustang GT.
With the 05 GT out the prices on the 99-04 Mustangs have hit rock bottom and you can find an 03-04 GT with under 15k miles for 18k easily.
Again it will be easily faster than any of the other cars you can buy in that price range brand new and again it has a ton more potential.

vbuser

What about the Suzuki Aerio?

That'll turn some heads.

Suzuki's are reliable, and the speedometer is quite nice to look at too.

Rudel73

I went and test drove a Cobalt coupe i dunno i kinda liked it....but its true that it will be very common soon ugh i hate decisions...

and this car has to be new, its going to the first car that i bought and i want a new car! haha yea...

Thanks for all the opinions guys!! Im goin to go rsearch those cars some more

MiSo

you can find a used s2000 for around 18k.

like someone said above, if you want a quick car, buy something used.

look around for a used rx8. it has decent power, and looks super sweet.

---------------------
if buying a new car, i would go with the scion Tc.
not as powerful as some other cars out there, but toyota has top notch reliability.

i drive a 2002 nissan sentra se-r spec v.
Its a nice quick car with lots of torque, but i've had to take it in for service alot.
luckily, i've never paid for service because its always been a warranty item or recall. but having to take it in for service its a downer. although, i gotta admit.. all the times i've taken the car in, i've been treated very nicely.
So two thumbs up to nissan service.
they've never given me any problems even though my car is heavily modified.

but if you do want a spec v, you can pick up a used one for around 10k. and new ones for around 16k if you know how to shop.

Stare At The Sun

Neon SRT4
Lots of HP, but it is infact, a neon.

Scion TC
Good looks, decent power, unique.

Does it HAVE to be new? Cause with 18 grand, you can get a lot of nice used cars...

GetRdone

ya, i think you shouldnt HAVE to have a new car....Hell, for like 14k you can get a decent Toyota Supra twin turbo...sure itll have some miles on it, but the head turn factor is massive, and that car is fast as hell.

__________________
Revere Jena Malone.......this is not a suggestion.

Rudel73

it HAS to be new....my dad refuses to buy "other peoples headaches"

Anyways, i think i've narrowed it down to a Scion tC or a Mazda 3s...

from all the reviews im reading they both seem pretty equal, they will both cost about the same with the VIP discounts my dad gets on the Mazda...The mazda has more headroom which is a plus since i am 6'2 but the scion comes loaded with tons of stuff standard...

No idea!! somoene please help !!

Stare At The Sun

Scion=toyota
Mazda=ford.

Scion it is.

desal75

Both are great cars but to my eye the Scion is much better looking and I think there is an available TRD Supercharger for down the road a little bit

__________________
The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

Lockjaw

Ok important question number two...wll you be doing any performance mods to the vehicle or will you be leaving it stock?

Rudel73

odds are the only performance mods i'll be adding will be a different intake which my buddy does for me and maybe maybe a different exhaust...but nothing really fancy. This car has to last me about 4-5 years, its going to be my college car...

SAM821

I just bought a 2005 Civic Si a month ago, AND I LOVE IT... I am looking to modify it a little bit, nothing crazy, just some minor things like intake, and such...

Overall, this car is quick, very quick... I would recommend it to anyone... it handles well, and it is very quiet. Go for it!

liquidlight

It wasn't new, and granted it was a great deal but a friend of mine just picked up an 2002 Acura RSX for around $13k, and I can tell you from experience that it's an AWESOME ride. The car was pristine even having 87K miles on it, and it's got the components that you can spend a lot of money on mods if you want, or just a little.

__________________
Halfway to hell and picking up speed.

Willravel

I traded in a perfectly good Touareg for my present auto. You might let your dad talk to a good mechanic, that way he can't discount the good advise so easily. Odds are a mechanic will tell you to get something 2-3 years young.
Those cars fill the same automotive niche. Compact, kinda sporty (mostly looks sporty) new. The problem? You want a car that can move. While the tC and 3 have their place, I don't see them beeing decent as far as speed is concerned. As for the head-turn factor, both of those are fairly timid (stock).

Your best bet: Mini Cooper. It seats a tall guy like myself with room to spare, it will turn heads, and it is too fast for it's own good. It is a tiny BMW, and it gets good milage. Unless you're looking to move cargo (or live in it), it'll suit the average collegan's life really well. You mentioned liking superchargers? The stock engine can easily handle the extra psi from a supercharger. Mini Cooper Hatchback MSRP:$16,950.

desal75

Okay, I have some more info. I had to rent a Mazda 3 yesterday because my car is in the shop. Three words BUY THIS CAR! I love the thing. It handles like a friggin go kart. And I mean that in a good way. It even has decent speed. Will it keep up with Vettes and the like? No. But it feels like it will keep up or be quicker than most all other Sport Compacts that are naturally aspirated. The interior layout is a bit odd but the fit and finish is really nice. I am loving this thing. It is pretty darn quick.

To put things in perspective the last car I owned was a WRX.

__________________
The Man in Black fled across the desert and the Gunslinger followed.

wolf

I like the looks of the new Jetta as well, but it may be a bit out of the target price range.

__________________
Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as Gods. Cats have never forgotten this.

shakran

Realistically just about any car will last you 4-5 years unless you wreck it or decide not to get any oil changes. I'd avoid the Cobalt like the plague, though. GM reliability is still garbage - I can't tell you how many 2 and 3 year old Cavaliers my mechanic friend has seen come in with munched transmissions. I'd be looking at Honda or Toyota myself - they're ultra reliable, ultra fuel efficient, and just plain good cars.