Can /o/ help me with a predicament?
I'm fairly certain I'm in need of a new vehicle.
My situation:
>Mid 20s young professional. Unmarried. 0 kids. Full-time job.
>Own a 2001 Chevy S-10 4.3L V6 RWD. Completely Paid off.
>S-10 is becoming increasingly unreliable with constant downtime, money and repairs.
>Live in Metro-Detroit, MI. Weather's nice now but...winter is coming.
>Got stuck several times in snow last winter in the S-10.
>47 mile daily commute to and from work.
>Basically no reliable options in case of inclement weather.
Money:
>$3000 in my savings account. Monthly average income of $5,416 before taxes.
>Rent. $900 /mo with utilities
>Student loans. $200 /mo
>Financing a new 2014 Ninja 300 SE. $130 /mo
I'm going to be honest here and admit that in a perfect world I'd like to buy (finance) a new vehicle. Preferably something half-way reliable in bad weather, around $27k or less, while still being a driving enthusiast's car. Looking at VW's GTI, Ford's Focus ST, Subaru's WRX. I have an X-plan Ford discount through my work so Im leaning towards the ST.
My Dad works for Chrysler and suggest I lease a vehicle using his employee discount. Says I can lease an AWD Charger for $190 / mo or AWD 300 for $230 for 2 years @ 10k miles / year. I consider this throwing money away but it is the cheapest option with the most reliability due to the dealer warranty for the duration of lease.
Then there's the used market. Craigslist, Autotrader, eBay with a lot more selection.
What does /o/ recommend I do/buy/lease?
>>14072864
civic and shut the fuck up
>too small
accord
>>14072870
New, used? SI?
>>14072881
if you need a DD buy a slightly used one and save your money for a miata/mustang/whatever, thats what I would do
Don't lease shit. Buy something cpo. get extended coverage. Let someone take the initial depreciation, drive until tired of it then sell on private market for your next down. Cheapest cost per mile ownership of you're not a hands on kind of guy.
>>14072881
Depends on your budget. It's hard to go wrong with a Civic, other than buying one you can't afford. This coming grudgingly from a guy who really isn't fond of Honda in general but has to admit Civics are damn good.
>>14072864
I love my ST but at only 270whp it has significant problems putting power down. If I so much as think about boosting my tires break free. I'm on the stock all seasons which aren't bad but from all accounts, others with better tires and more HP have the same issues. Look for something AWD or RWD.
The new engine in the WRX is godly or you can get an ecoboost mustang, which has another amazing engine in it. Don't buy FWD, mate. You will regret it the moment you start adding power.
>>14072906
>>14072929
Thanks. I never really gave a civic a thought. Bound to be tons of them in the area. Anything I should look out for in buying a used one?
>>14072927
Agreed. I only see leasing as an expensive rental. CPO would be a decent option. I can do basic upkeep / maintenance but not much else.
>>14072935
As much as I'd love to add something extra to a vehicle, Im not much of a tuner. I don't have the knowledge. Just want a fun bone stock DD.
>>14072864
Since you posted actual relevant financial info I won't call you an idiot but you are looking at cars costing double what you can afford.
Don't be dumb, 15k or under.
>>14072976
Is there a reason for the 15k/under figure? Genuinely curious.
>>14072961
You don't have to be a tuner
>Buy Accessport
>Hire a recommended tuner
>Learn the ins and outs of your car
>replace parts but by bit as you recognize the bottle necks
>You now have a significantly faster and fun DD
You will get the mod bug and then you will curse your FWD. Thankfully, the Focus ST is one of the better FWD cars right now. A couple of engine mounts can sort out some of the wheel hop and help you put power down better but you can never fully beat physics where weight goes to the back during acceleration and the front lifts.
I went from RWD to AWD to FWD and greatly prefer AWD. RWD is great and FWD is for someone who doesn't think it will matter at first but then realizes it matters a whole fucking lot.
My next car is definitely going to be a Mustang or Camaro.
>>14072864
>>$3000 in my savings account. Monthly average income of $5,416 before taxes.
I like how your savings isn't even an entire month of your monthly income if I were you would I would be more worried about my fiances and buy the cheapest shit box I could get.
>>14072997
I just started my first "big boy" job a couple of months ago. Hence the piss-poor savings.
The reason for the posting is I already own a shit-box. I'm trying not to over-complicate things by adding another shit-box into the equation.
I'm actually going to pick up my '15 FoST tomorrow morning. They're TONS of fun to drive but I can't compare it to the GTI as I haven't driven one. Not a huge fan of how VW's look.
I didn't get a WRX due to how much more insurance is and I really don't need AWD. Also newer WRX's don't come in hatch backs which is horse shit.
Either way I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the options when looking at a GTI, WRX, or FoST. If you don't mind a smaller car the Fiesta STs are supposed to be completely bonkers as a daily driver so you could also consider one of those.
>>14072991
The S-10 and the Charger RT I leased a couple of years ago are all Ive ever driven. So, nothing but RWD cars my entire life.
People are always telling me that FWD vehicles are more steady in the snow which is the only reason I'm even considering it.
>>14073051
I gave the FiST some thought, considering the rave reviews it's gotten, but wrote it off due to the size.
I have a girlfriend and occasionally some friends traveling with me and it wouldn't be much fun on longer trips.
>>14072864
Look for a used, low miles mazdaspeed 6.
>big and comfortable
>safe
>good mileage when driven softly
>fast when driven hard
>sounds sexy
>breddy gud aftermarket
>AWD
You should be able to find one in great condition for 15k.
>>14072935
What year is your ST? Have you replaced the rear motor mount? The ones that came with the 13-14s were complete shit.
>>14073083
Thanks, that's a great suggestion. And fits >>14072990 's budget constraints.
>>14073051
Did you get PB? I got mine in white because I thought it looked sharp as hell but I wish I got a dark color like PB or TB. Whatever plans you have first, make sure to get an intercooler ASAP.
Here's the stock intercooler shooting all the way up to +60 ambient. It was already 20 degrees above ambient from the get go.
740 Volvo with the 2.3 litre NA, manual for maximum reliability. Will be slow as shit though, go for 2.3 Turbo manuals for maximum reliability with some fast, but on the downside it may be harder to find in the US
>>14073094
And an aftermarket one, only 8 degree rise on a hot day
>>14073088
15, I replaced all motor mounts. It pulls like a freight train but it could pull better if it wasn't constantly ripping the tires from the ground.
>>14073090
I own a 2006. If you have any questions, hit me.
>>14072881
used Si. preferably 2006-2011.
>>14073094
I did get Performance Blue. Had to hunt around for one but glad I did. Didn't realize the stock intercooler was so shit lol. I'm not really sure how much I'll mod it as the original plan was to pay it off and save up for a Datsun S30 as my fun car. I used to have one and really miss it.
>>14073115
Are you the original owner by chance?
Anything I should look out for in a used speed6?
>>14073136
It's awful, your car will start to pull timing any time you got WOT because the heat in your cylinders is so high.
>>14073141
I bought it used at 58k miles. Previous owner was a shop owner who rebuilt it after some guy blew the motor on it at 33k miles. He dropped a 2010 Mazdaspeed3 motor (same exact engine) into it. Look for rust. It's fairly common. There's some weird places it will develop, like on the bottoms of the doors. Test drive the car before you buy. Take it wide open throttle to test for stutter. This is a common (and easily fixable) problem with these cars. Caused by improperly gapped spark plugs usually. Make sure it holds boost and vacuum, as with any turbo car. Check for play on the rear diff, the stock bushings are weak as fuck and will take a shit if the owner drove the car hard for extended periods of time (i.e. on a track). I can't think of anything else. Mine is the GT so it has leather, heated front seats, power sunroof, etc
https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/5285277106.html
Possibly something like this. Thoughts?
>>14073171
Keep in mind that the Speed3 is FWD. Only the Speed6 is AWD. If that doesn't matter to you then so be it.
>>14073169
>>14073180
Thanks for the detailed info. I saved it in a document so I can check it later. It sounds like the sort of car that will tick all my boxes.
There don't seem to be many if any Speed6s listed in the area as of right now unfortunately but Ill keep my eyes peeled.
>>14073192
I drove 400 miles for one car I wanted and 370 for another. If you want a car that isn't some mass produced econobox, you gotta hunt for it.
>>14073192
I wouldn't look at the Speed 3 or 6 OP.
Reason being is that they are known for blowing engine mounts and destroying the motor.
>>14073180
https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/cto/5347741977.html
Here's one that's local but the mileage is a tad high
>>14073171
Supposedly Speed3's are the torque steer kings. Not to say this is necessarily bad just wanted to let you know.
>>14073202
I imagine that's why a few of the postings say they need new motors. Ill keep that in mind, thanks.
>>14073211
He's not lying, they are. If you want an example, watch the Speed3 vs Focus ST compare (I think it's motor trend?) on YouTube. They do a torque steer test.
>>14073211
I got the luxury of driving my friends Speed3. He loves the fuck out of his car (and it's a nice car) but it feels like it's constantly trying to murder you. It's not by any means uncontrollable unless you have noodles for arms but apparently some people do. If you know to expect it, it's nothing. Don't be a pussy.
>>14073213
MS3's are notorious for randomly blowing engines at highway speeds. People have figured out what it is but there's no fix for it. Also, MS3's consume oil like fucking crazy.
>>14073211
>>14073214
Never had to fight the steering wheel. Sounds almost fun. I imagine it would be an annoyance after a while
>>14073236
>I imagine it would be an annoyance after a while
Not really, the annoyance is knowing you have 350whp and can't break 12's because nogrip
>>14073229
>People have figured out what it is
What is it? The mounts?
>>14073236
>>14073214
Here's the video with the comparison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OISFrU4I_7s&feature=youtu.be&t=4m37s
>>14073256
Fucking shit ass 4chan. Torque steer comparison starts at 4:37
>>14073253
low speed pre-igntion, nothing short of rebuilding the engine with stronger pistons will sort it out. Every MS3 is a rolling time bomb. A good tuner who knows enough about the platform can try to minimize it but there's an inherent flaw in the engine that causes it.
http://stratifiedauto.com/blog/low-speed-pre-ignition-in-the-mazdaspeed-disi-and-ford-ecoboost-motors/
>>14073256
This is only if you let Jesus take the wheel. You don't even notice it after a while of owning the car.
