Need opinions on a new(used) car.

[mcrews]

those tdi are one heck of a car!

[vskid3]

I had an '04 GTO 6 speed. Very fun car that could get pretty good mileage while cruising. However, getting one specifically for the fuel economy would be a bad idea in my opinion. You would have to be very disciplined and deaf to keep from opening the throttle a little more than necessary every time you accelerate. The best mileage mod would be a terrible sounding exhaust system. However, if you want one for the nice interior and big V8, with the possibility of mileage just a bonus to you, I would recommend it.
I sold mine because I got married and my wife wasn't comfortable driving it (the power and manual tranny), I could see it becoming a very big money pit, and gas isn't getting any cheaper. While they're pretty reliable, the GTO specific parts can be pricey.

[UltArc]

What is the progress? Any decisions made or plans?

[ksa8907]

Resurrection!!

Well, i did not buy a car this spring as i had hoped. My fiance was having some health issues, took her to the hospital on Jan 4th and came home with a healthy baby boy. Talk about a surprise!

Fast forward to now. I might possibly be getting a rather permanent internship (ill know by the end of next week), so i *could* be on the hunt for a new car, however, now it needs to be kid friendly. Preferably 4 door though a coupe is fine, MUST have a rear bench, id prefer to put the carseat in a center seat, so no 2+2 seating.

I'm thinking of the cadillac cts manual. ideally the 3.6/6speed. other options would be bmw 3series or...? need some ideas here, seems my choices are limited.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

Resurrection!!

Well, i did not buy a car this spring as i had hoped. My fiance was having some health issues, took her to the hospital on Jan 4th and came home with a healthy baby boy. Talk about a surprise!

Fast forward to now. I might possibly be getting a rather permanent internship (ill know by the end of next week), so i *could* be on the hunt for a new car, however, now it needs to be kid friendly. Preferably 4 door though a coupe is fine, MUST have a rear bench, id prefer to put the carseat in a center seat, so no 2+2 seating.

I'm thinking of the cadillac cts manual. ideally the 3.6/6speed. other options would be bmw 3series or...? need some ideas here, seems my choices are limited.

I will ponder this. I'm sure others will chip in soon. My first thoughts are used- Pontiac G8, new- Buick Regal Turbo. Both are fun, have standard transmissions, nice, fairly powerful, and can be ecomodded to be better with fuel- or just driven more efficiently.

Although, I can not comment on reliability. GM has been improving over the years, but I only know these vehicles from ignorant car reviews and personal experience, so I only know the positive aspects :/

Do you have an idea on price range? Any specifics you want, FR, FF, standard/auto, so on? Does new mean new to you or a brand new vehicle?

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

Resurrection!!

I'm thinking of the cadillac cts manual. ideally the 3.6/6speed. other options would be bmw 3series or...? need some ideas here, seems my choices are limited.

I still don't understand this thread, build a box ask for stuff outside the box then???

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

I still don't understand this thread, build a box ask for stuff outside the box then???

I am confused by this. What do you mean? This resurrection matches a lot with the original request. He originally wanted a standard, FR/AWD, under 10 000 USD. I imagine now that price has gone up, but otherwise it seems the same...

Originally Posted by ksa8907

Resurrection!!

Well, i did not buy a car this spring as i had hoped. My fiance was having some health issues, took her to the hospital on Jan 4th and came home with a healthy baby boy. Talk about a surprise!

Fast forward to now. I might possibly be getting a rather permanent internship (ill know by the end of next week), so i *could* be on the hunt for a new car, however, now it needs to be kid friendly. Preferably 4 door though a coupe is fine, MUST have a rear bench, id prefer to put the carseat in a center seat, so no 2+2 seating.

I'm thinking of the cadillac cts manual. ideally the 3.6/6speed. other options would be bmw 3series or...? need some ideas here, seems my choices are limited.

I searched everywhere in the US, on autotrader, and found a few things. Since it's auto trader, I upped it by 10% of your original number, as usually autotrader has an exaggerated price.

Cars for Sale: 2003 Cadillac CTS 3.2 in Englewood, CO 80113: Sedan Details - 339778770 - AutoTrader.com

2003 CTS, 3.2 Standard, 88k on it.

Cars for Sale: 2004 BMW 330Ci w/ Sport Package in Miami, FL 33186: Coupe Details - 328674825 - AutoTrader.com

2004 BMW 330Ci standard, 91k on it.

Cars for Sale: 2006 Cadillac CTS 3.6 in Akron, OH 44303: Sedan Details - 343433217 - AutoTrader.com

2006 CTS 3.6, standard, 79.3k on it

All are 11k, this was a anywhere search for new/used, all BMW, Pontiac, and Cadillac with standard transmissions 11k or under search.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of options.

Find Your Car: Listings Near Cleveland, OH 44129 - AutoTrader.com

Here is a comparison. Your vehicle seems better. I know a standard will help it out, fuel economy, but two of these NEED premium to achieve that. My findings with my vehicle, is that city mileage (with efficient driving and light mods) can be what highway mileage is claimed. Add more extreme mods and EOC, and it goes up, but for these guys, it seems like you would be better off with your current vehicle. Also, the BMW will be pricey to repair. I imagine Caddy's can be, but being mostly domestic and being so similar to the other GM line vehicles, I imagine it wouldn't be as bad.

Compare Side-by-Side

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

[QUOTE=ksa8907;366515]

I'm thinking of the cadillac cts manual. ideally the 3.6/6speed. other options would be bmw 3series or...? need some ideas here, seems my choices are limited.

Last time I saw a Caddy with a stickshift, it had a Diesel swap performed in Uruguay

Might be easier to find either a Bimmer or a Mercedes with a stickshift. BTW have you never considered a Crown Vic? Altough I'd probably never get one, since I'm a Chevy guy, I wouldn't disconsider that because of the body-on-frame being a good base for improvements. A Chrysler 300C or a Dodge Avenger might not be bad too...

[wobombat]

Here are some good models to look into:

Mazda Miata
Ford mustang (99-04)
Mitsubishi elcipse (00-now)
Chevy Camaro ( to 02)
Subaru WRX
Honda Del sol (93-96)
Mazda RX-8 (03-12)
Toyota Celica (to 06)
Honda S2000 (99-09)
Toyota MR2 (to 07)
Honda Civic Si

And an insight engine swap would be awesome. It'd give you lots of power and good fuel economy at the same time due to the excellent aero.

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by wobombat

Here are some good models to look into:

Mazda Miata
Ford mustang (99-04)
Mitsubishi elcipse (00-now)
Chevy Camaro ( to 02)
Subaru WRX
Honda Del sol (93-96)
Mazda RX-8 (03-12)
Toyota Celica (to 06)
Honda S2000 (99-09)
Toyota MR2 (to 07)
Honda Civic Si

And an insight engine swap would be awesome. It'd give you lots of power and good fuel economy at the same time due to the excellent aero.

In the first post he mentions he wants a FR, or AWD. And then he just mentioned it needs to be child friendly...back seat, seats five. So the Impreza is the only one that would fit, unless he a four seat max is okay, which would allow the Mustang or Camaro- but those don't seem too friendly. Mustang Dave has pulled some impressive numbers, but his is an 05-09.

ksa should be hearing soon on the position, and hopefully will have more info for us.