In my 20s with money for unrealistic fun! What car should I buy?
Ashwin is in his 20s and has some disposable income to spend on an interesting car that can handle road trips and track days alike. It doesn’t have to be very realistic, but he wants it to be somewhat believable. With a budget of up to $25,000, what car should he buy?
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Here is the situation:
I’m a 20-year-old who finally has the disposable income to make financially irresponsible decisions. My current car is a Mk6 GTI which has done 160 km of love and is covered by my girlfriend for my daily commute (I work from home). I want to buy a car that I can start participating in HPDE events and track the day, but also won’t drain my wallet. I also do road trips about once or twice a month from DC to NC or Chicago. I’ve been trying to take down an AP2 S2000 but the prices of those have skyrocketed. While I don’t mind the classic, reliability is a concern so a newer model wouldn’t be a bad idea. I’m looking to spend up to $25k
Quick info:
Budget: Up to $25,000
Daily driver: Classify
Location: Washington DC
Would like: Fun, easy to follow, reliable
Do not want: High maintenance cost
Expert 1: Tom McParland – It’s not clear anymore
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Ashwin, you are a younger dude looking for a fun ride without that pesky need for practicality, and the S2000 market is too challenging. My friend, you need the cliche answer of automotive cliche answers: a Mazda Miata. It’s suitable for track days and road trips as long as you pack light, and nothing in this price bracket will touch the Mazda in terms of durability.
The only real hiccup is you need to search far and wide for an example with reasonable miles at a reasonable price. Here’s a Grand Touring RF with all the amenities for $26,000. But Unfortunately, this one is automatic, so you might want to buy one with three pedals. If you don’t need a lot of fancy options, a brand new Miata starts at around $28,000and you’ll get more powerful engines that have been in the ND generation for a few years. I’ve met Mazda dealers willing to order new Miatas without a review, so if you’re patient, it might be worth the wait.
Expert 2: Bob Sorokanich – The answer is always C6
Ashwin, you live in America’s capital, and so I implore you: Do it for America. Your situation is ideal for a Corvette. In fact, your situation calls for a Corvette.
Your budget puts you right in the middle between C5 and C6, and honestly, either would be great. Any generation of the Corvette will be a perfectly pleasant highway cruiser, while still floundering newer and more expensive machines at track or autocross. A nice hardtop’The Vette will be roomy enough for you and your partner to be on the road in complete comfort, and the hatchback’s trunk will give you plenty of space for weekend-worthy luggage.
This is a beautiful 2005 C6 in New York State with a guidebook and just over 62,000 miles, for exactly one dollar less than your budget limit. If you want to save a few dollars on maintenance (or mods), yes really tons of C5 available in the low $20,000 rangeand most of them show less than 50,000 miles. I personally prefer the styling of the C6 – I think it’s the prettiest of all Corvettes – but you really can’t go wrong either way. your neighbors, Corvette guy noted Joe Bidenwill approve.
Expert 3: Lawrence Hodge – Get Daft
I want to apologize. I know you said you don’t want high maintenance cost. But as car enthusiasts (which I assume you are), sometimes you just have to do something crazy and fun to be able to enjoy yourself. Of course within reason. So my suggestion is orderis 2009 Mercedes SLK 55 AMG.
You can not If you want to follow it, crash it with something like this: a 355-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission and behind-wheel. It’s an AMG, of course it’s also fast, with the ability to hit Under 60 mph five seconds, all day long. While I won’t make sure that some maintenance on this can be expensive, it’s a small trade-off look at the example i found for you. This all-new starts at over $66,000. But I found a clean 13 year old example for exactly $25,000. What’s better is that whoever has this hasn’t driven it much, because it has just under 86,000 miles up there.
Therefore, do yourself a favor. REMOVEcredit this, don’t think too much about the cost (if you can afford it) and take it seriously fun.
Expert 4: Andy Kalmowitz – Get The car that everyone drives
Ashwin, my man. You know a lot of things of joy? An inline-6 engine with 330 hp. You know what’s not fun? Reliability. It’s boring. It is predictable. Who needs it? Not me, and neither do you. That is why the car is perfect for what you are looking for in the E85 BMW Z4M convertible.
Just look at it. It’s gorgeous. This generation of Z4 has aged therefore Good, and i’m not biased. You get the engine and transmission from the E46 M3 combined with a beautiful convertible body. It’s a Miata with balls, and a Corvette C6 with a graceful look.
This special car I’ve found for you is a peach in your price range. Black on black on black no accident. That’s a rarity in a classic BMW M like this. All in all, it looks pretty well taken care of. It even has a stupid pop-up navigation screen that you will never use! Best of all, it fits your budget. That means you’ll have money left over when it makes your bed on a busy highway.
You’re looking for something fun, Ashwin. Look no further than the BMW Z4M E85. It can get you stuck on the side of the road sometimes, but you’ll be smiling to your ears every second before that happens.
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