Car Advice

Off Topic
1

Hello T-Nation people, I’m in the process of researching to get a new car (used car, but new for me). I thought I’d get people’s thoughts and/or suggestions about what would be a good choice.

I currently have a 2000 Maxima that I’ve been happy with since I got it in '03. The problem is that it has rust issues that I should have addressed early on, but didn’t. It also has a group of other problems, but those are all fixable. I’ve talked to enough people to know that there’s no way to get rid of the rust without it coming back at this point.

My top choice is a '09 Charger. I’ve just always liked them since they came back out several years ago.

If not a Charger, I’m also looking at the possiblity of a 4-door G37. I’m not sure if I’ll fit well in it, though (6’4", I barely fit comfortably in my Maxima with the seat all the way back).

The appeal of the G37 is that it IS a lot of the things I wanted to do with my Maxima before realizing the rust would be too much (I wanted to drop in a G35 engine and sports transmission and also convert it to 4 wheel drive, which a g37X has already).

I’m also not against a newer Maxima, either.

Like I said earlier, I’m just trying to get peoples’ thoughts and suggestions. I’m somewhat of a car guy, but not hardcore into it or anything so there’s a lot I don’t know. I’m also pretty opinionated about a lot of cars (example: I will not get a Mercedes, Kia, Hyundai, or Ford of any kind; the only Toyota I’d consider is an Avalon, Accord for Honda, as well).

I’m looking for something no older than an '08, but preferably newer and want to spend around $15 or $16, but could go a little higher if I can find a good deal. A sedan I can fit in that looks good and isn’t wimpy. My current Max gets about 20 mpg. I know that number’s low, I’m not sure why, it has 2 bad cats so that may have something to do with it. It could also be because the car has over 200,000 miles on it (the engine has about 130,000 or so).

2

What’s magic about 08? The G37 is a solid choice. I’d also look at whatever year/miles Lexus GS that fits in the price range if you want a reliable used luxury sedan. They are bullet proof and a very, very nice ride. If you aren’t afraid of some maintenance costs and want something fun, you could get a fairly low miles '04-07 Audi S4 with a V-8 shoehorned into it in that price range.

3

Infiniti G is a good choice, and X2 with the lexus GS.

4

I’m 6`4", 260 lbs and every Infiniti I’ve ever been in has felt way too small and cramped. Great looking cars but really not made for larger people.

Pre-owned Lexus can be a good call. If well maintained, they tend to stay on the road for a very long time.

Take a look at some pre-owned Honda Accords as well. The 2013 model was the best iteration by far.

5

Have you sat in the Charger? You are probably too tall for the roof height. I am only five ten and if I were much taller I would not be able to see stop lights without leaning over when at the light.

I actually got a ticket in my wifes old Magnum for running a red I couldn’t see. I was at a light and when the car in front of me and the one next to him took off I followed, thinking the light had turned green. I didn’t realized they had both purposely run it.

When I explained to the cop he said he could see with the low roofline where that could be a problem and suggested I take it up with dodge.

6

My girlfriend has a Charger and the girlfriend before her also had a Charger (weird huh?), but I fit fine in them at 6’4". BUT that could be because I’ve evolved a permanent ghetto lean when I’m driving from years of shoehorning myself into cars that are too small. I think the Charger is a good choice but that’s 100% based on personal opinion, I don’t have any actual facts to back it up ha

7

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
What’s magic about 08? The G37 is a solid choice. I’d also look at whatever year/miles Lexus GS that fits in the price range if you want a reliable used luxury sedan. They are bullet proof and a very, very nice ride. If you aren’t afraid of some maintenance costs and want something fun, you could get a fairly low miles '04-07 Audi S4 with a V-8 shoehorned into it in that price range. [/quote]

[quote]Aggv wrote:
Infiniti G is a good choice, and X2 with the lexus GS. [/quote]

'08 is really just the limit I set just because I don’t want to get a car that is very old.

I’m actually surprised that a GS didn’t come to mind, because I have always liked those, too. I’m trying to avoid maintenance costs. Which was another reason I was posting things online to get people’s experiences with V8 Chargers in that department.

8

[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:
I’m 6`4", 260 lbs and every Infiniti I’ve ever been in has felt way too small and cramped. Great looking cars but really not made for larger people.

Pre-owned Lexus can be a good call. If well maintained, they tend to stay on the road for a very long time.

Take a look at some pre-owned Honda Accords as well. The 2013 model was the best iteration by far.[/quote]

That’s what I was afraid of with the Infiniti. I sat in a co-worker’s new-model Altima and it didn’t seem that bad, but I don’t know if that’s a good comparison to a G37 (sedan) or not. I’m your same height and 20 pounds lighter so that is a concern.

9

[quote]Testy1 wrote:
Have you sat in the Charger? You are probably too tall for the roof height. I am only five ten and if I were much taller I would not be able to see stop lights without leaning over when at the light.

I actually got a ticket in my wifes old Magnum for running a red I couldn’t see. I was at a light and when the car in front of me and the one next to him took off I followed, thinking the light had turned green. I didn’t realized they had both purposely run it.

When I explained to the cop he said he could see with the low roofline where that could be a problem and suggested I take it up with dodge.[/quote]

Haha, take it up with Dodge. That sounds exactly like something a cop would say straight out of a movie.

I haven’t test-driven any of them, yet, I’ll probably attempt some test drives in a few weeks or so. But that could end up being a problem for that choice.

10

[quote]Melvin Smiley wrote:
My girlfriend has a Charger and the girlfriend before her also had a Charger (weird huh?), but I fit fine in them at 6’4". BUT that could be because I’ve evolved a permanent ghetto lean when I’m driving from years of shoehorning myself into cars that are too small. I think the Charger is a good choice but that’s 100% based on personal opinion, I don’t have any actual facts to back it up ha[/quote]

Haha, those are my sentiments, too. I just think they’re awesome and so many people around here have one it’s like always in my face. I just have some worries when it comes to gas mileage and the cost to fix things over time compared to some other possibilities.

I’d go for a Pontiac G8, too, but I’m pretty sure it would end up being more expensive.

11

Thanks for the input, guys. Good food for thought.

12

I’ve seen the Lexus GS mentioned above and thought this thread might be of some interest.

The link above is a thread on clublexus.com about height and headroom in the 2006-2011 GS (third generation GS)

If you need some help navigating or searching on that site (clublexus) just let me know. I’m a moderator there.

13

[quote]TDub301 wrote:

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
What’s magic about 08? The G37 is a solid choice. I’d also look at whatever year/miles Lexus GS that fits in the price range if you want a reliable used luxury sedan. They are bullet proof and a very, very nice ride. If you aren’t afraid of some maintenance costs and want something fun, you could get a fairly low miles '04-07 Audi S4 with a V-8 shoehorned into it in that price range. [/quote]

[quote]Aggv wrote:
Infiniti G is a good choice, and X2 with the lexus GS. [/quote]

'08 is really just the limit I set just because I don’t want to get a car that is very old.

I’m actually surprised that a GS didn’t come to mind, because I have always liked those, too. I’m trying to avoid maintenance costs. Which was another reason I was posting things online to get people’s experiences with V8 Chargers in that department.[/quote]

The trick to buying a used luxury sedan is patience and a willingness to travel, if necessary, and then snapping up the perfect car when you find it. There are always a few older low-mile gems out there that sit in a garage most of the time and look like they just came off the showroom floor if you really look for them. I like to find cars that are somebody’s third car or an old person’s car who just doesn’t drive that much. And then there are lots and lots of cars that are just so-so or even beat up. The premium you pay for a car that is a gem is small compared to the value you get out of a car in perfect condition that has depreciated solely because of time. You can really get a great car like a GS for the price of, for example, a newer Accord, that is in even better condition than the newer Accord if you play your cards right.

14

The lex GS’s are super nice. What about an IS? IDK if they’d be too small for you, but they’re still pretty damn nice. I think the IS would be more of a ‘drivers car’ if you consider yourself a car guy.

I would also look into the Acura TL. I had an '05 (in 06) and I fucking LOVED that car. I think the next car I’ll be getting will either be a TL-S or an S2000.

15

[quote]TDub301 wrote:

[quote]Melvin Smiley wrote:
My girlfriend has a Charger and the girlfriend before her also had a Charger (weird huh?), but I fit fine in them at 6’4". BUT that could be because I’ve evolved a permanent ghetto lean when I’m driving from years of shoehorning myself into cars that are too small. I think the Charger is a good choice but that’s 100% based on personal opinion, I don’t have any actual facts to back it up ha[/quote]

Haha, those are my sentiments, too. I just think they’re awesome and so many people around here have one it’s like always in my face. I just have some worries when it comes to gas mileage and the cost to fix things over time compared to some other possibilities.

I’d go for a Pontiac G8, too, but I’m pretty sure it would end up being more expensive.[/quote]

It is a great looking car imo and fun to drive. As far as gas mileage it is not great but not awful either if you get the six cylinder. They are not as easy to find since most have the hemi but there is plenty of power in the six and you won’t pay up the ass for insurance.

16

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
The lex GS’s are super nice. What about an IS? IDK if they’d be too small for you, but they’re still pretty damn nice. I think the IS would be more of a ‘drivers car’ if you consider yourself a car guy.

I would also look into the Acura TL. I had an '05 (in 06) and I fucking LOVED that car. I think the next car I’ll be getting will either be a TL-S or an S2000. [/quote]

I’m 6’2 and 240 and could barely squeeze myself into the S2K. I had to contort myself to get in the car. Not a chance anyone with decent size can make that work…

17

[quote]Testy1 wrote:

[quote]TDub301 wrote:

[quote]Melvin Smiley wrote:
My girlfriend has a Charger and the girlfriend before her also had a Charger (weird huh?), but I fit fine in them at 6’4". BUT that could be because I’ve evolved a permanent ghetto lean when I’m driving from years of shoehorning myself into cars that are too small. I think the Charger is a good choice but that’s 100% based on personal opinion, I don’t have any actual facts to back it up ha[/quote]

Haha, those are my sentiments, too. I just think they’re awesome and so many people around here have one it’s like always in my face. I just have some worries when it comes to gas mileage and the cost to fix things over time compared to some other possibilities.

I’d go for a Pontiac G8, too, but I’m pretty sure it would end up being more expensive.[/quote]

It is a great looking car imo and fun to drive. As far as gas mileage it is not great but not awful either if you get the six cylinder. They are not as easy to find since most have the hemi but there is plenty of power in the six and you won’t pay up the ass for insurance.
[/quote]

Yeah, one girl had the 5.7 Hemi and got mid-upper teens (IF you can keep your foot out of it). Other has the V6 and gets low-mid 20s, doesn’t have as much power but does fine for daily driving.

18

[quote]Seize wrote:
I’ve seen the Lexus GS mentioned above and thought this thread might be of some interest.

The link above is a thread on clublexus.com about height and headroom in the 2006-2011 GS (third generation GS)

If you need some help navigating or searching on that site (clublexus) just let me know. I’m a moderator there.[/quote]

Good look, Seize, I’ll be sure to check that thread out. I went to Maxima.org and started basically the same thread to get their thoughts over there (from Maxima lovers’ perspective) and plan to do the same in threads for all the choices I’ve mentioned, so this will save me some time.

19

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:

[quote]TDub301 wrote:

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
What’s magic about 08? The G37 is a solid choice. I’d also look at whatever year/miles Lexus GS that fits in the price range if you want a reliable used luxury sedan. They are bullet proof and a very, very nice ride. If you aren’t afraid of some maintenance costs and want something fun, you could get a fairly low miles '04-07 Audi S4 with a V-8 shoehorned into it in that price range. [/quote]

[quote]Aggv wrote:
Infiniti G is a good choice, and X2 with the lexus GS. [/quote]

'08 is really just the limit I set just because I don’t want to get a car that is very old.

I’m actually surprised that a GS didn’t come to mind, because I have always liked those, too. I’m trying to avoid maintenance costs. Which was another reason I was posting things online to get people’s experiences with V8 Chargers in that department.[/quote]

The trick to buying a used luxury sedan is patience and a willingness to travel, if necessary, and then snapping up the perfect car when you find it. There are always a few older low-mile gems out there that sit in a garage most of the time and look like they just came off the showroom floor if you really look for them. I like to find cars that are somebody’s third car or an old person’s car who just doesn’t drive that much. And then there are lots and lots of cars that are just so-so or even beat up. The premium you pay for a car that is a gem is small compared to the value you get out of a car in perfect condition that has depreciated solely because of time. You can really get a great car like a GS for the price of, for example, a newer Accord, that is in even better condition than the newer Accord if you play your cards right.
[/quote]

Ya, I hear you. What would be a good place to look for a car like that? That would basically be private sellers, right?

Like maybe autotrader or cars.com? I have spent a little time on those sites (not recently, but a couple months ago) and did see some that could potentially be gems. I’m willing to travel, not necessarily like across the country, but to neighboring states or maybe the next one over.

The one issue is that my car feels like it’s going to need a visit to the mechanic again, soon, so time may not be on my side unless I want to cover a nice little mechanic bill before getting rid of it.

20

[quote]rrjc5488 wrote:
The lex GS’s are super nice. What about an IS? IDK if they’d be too small for you, but they’re still pretty damn nice. I think the IS would be more of a ‘drivers car’ if you consider yourself a car guy.

I would also look into the Acura TL. I had an '05 (in 06) and I fucking LOVED that car. I think the next car I’ll be getting will either be a TL-S or an S2000. [/quote]

My ex-roommate’s now current wife has an IS. It was nice, but it was a bit on the small side. I didn’t necessarily have to squeeze into it, or anything, but it was a tad bit cramped.

I’m not a Toyota or Honda guy, but Lexus and Acuras are ok in my book, I had some Acuras in the back of my mind, too, but of the luxury brands, Acura probably would take a backseat to any already mentioned or a BMW. But I would still definitely look into prices and mileage. I have had some friends with Acuras who liked them a lot, too.