Time to get my first car

[sk.]

Im going to turn 20 years old in May and I finally saved up enough money to get a semi decent car so i think. I have ten grand saved up and im looking for a 1998 - 2000 car that has decent power. So im thinking 2000 Nissan Maxima but im also thinking about Toyota Camry LE, Nissan Altima. The last two cars dont have that much power but are more economical i guess.

Im open to suggestions, but i wont buy a car that has 100k+ miles or is from the 80's. The car cant have more then 70k miles.

What you guys think.

[Kompressor]

Maxima V6. Camry and Altima's are solid but not as much fun.

[Scorp965]

Audi 1.8t, Ford Contour SVT, or a SHO for $10K

[mannin32]

Contour SVT would be sweet, VW GTI 1.8t

[krogerBMW]

Originally posted by mannin32
Contour SVT would be sweet, VW GTI 1.8t

My roommated had a SVT... loved it but it was in the shop constantly and finally the dealership bought it back because it went through 2 engines.

I say go for a 1.8t VW

[sk.]

I am a college student so I need a "reliable" car and from the stories i read Audi and Volkswagen arent that reliable. Specially if the car has 60k+ miles.

[origyns973]

VW GTI's from 99+ that aren't made in mexico are really good, very reliable. Just make sure when checking the VIN its not from Mexico and you should be good.

[MP3Guy]

I definitely reccomend a 1998 Audi 1.8Tqm... you should be able to get one for 10k, and as long as you follow regular maintanance and some conservative modding it'll be a reliable car which is way more fun than a Camry or Altima...

[Scorp965]

I am looking at Contour SVT's and early model SHO's ('95 & down) for use as a college beater, not much else can be had with decent power in the sub-$10K market.

Audi's can also be nice and there is a larger aftermarket for the 1.8t than the contour SVT. The SHO is another story, although you may not be partial to such an old car. After 1995 SHO's became a considerably different car (in a bad way)...

[sk.]

I read many reviews on the Audi A4 1.8t Volkswagen 1.8t and they are mixed. Some prias the car as one of the best and some say they spent more time in the shop then driving the car. And i cant take that chance since i am a college student and money is a issue.

So I will most likely get a 2000 Maxima, I just hope i can get the SE model. Thanks for all the help guys.

[Scorp965]

maxima =

[calystar]

not to jack your thread, but i'm in a similar situation...

need a car, got 10k cash, want something reliable with low miles (30k or so would be nice)... my parents also want it to be relatively new, auto, safe, foreign (no american cars, pref european), low maintenance, low insurance... i'm looking more for a compact vehicle (not as big as camry and maxima)... but i also want it to look nice and youthful (i used to drive a volvo 960 boat!)

what do you guys think would be the best bet with that criteria?

any ideas would be great! thanks!

[Scorp965]

early SHO's have a yamaha motor...

$10K buys you a salvage-titled M3 or a SVT contour... I am looking for a $10K beater, from the info I have picked up I am leaning towards *gasp* a Ford...

The SVT contour is going to have low insurance (its a contour), it has 4-doors, sounds nice & looks half decent, has ~230 hp, available manual (svt only option), front air bags (less insurance), and they can be had cheaply ($8K lets you pick & choose the svt contour market).

[Dan-needabimma]

Spend some time on www.autotrader.com you can buy alot of car for $10k.

[sk.]

alright guys im down to 2000 Maxima GXE/SE or 2000 Volkswagen Passat 1.8t/ V6.

Both cars are around 10 grand with around 60-70k miles on it.

Which car you think is better to get? Now keep in mind im a college student, so which car is cheaper to maintain.