I am expecting a windfall, an inheritance soon. I need a car because my Ford Exploder is experiencing some definite end-of-life symptoms. I've owned many a car in my long life, but my fave has always been the Grand Tourer, or GT for short. What I mean by this is: Rear-wheel drive, two-door coupe, powerful and comfortable. The best one I ever owned to-date was a Lexus SC400. I want to get a used-but-not-abused one. Anyone have any advice?? BMW? (said to be maintenance-intensive) Mercedes? (maybe) Another Lexus?? (I like this idea, but the SC430 is a bit weird.)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2015 06:54PM by rationalist01.

I think you should buy what makes you happy.

What makes me happy is my rear wheel drive, two door coupe, that is both powerful and comfortable. Which happens to be a Dodge Challenger with the 6.4L engine.

But they make different cars to suit all kinds of tastes. So you should just get what you like.

Now that the celestial kingdom is off the table, the Challenger is our long term goal for happiness.

You might ask your mechanic for advice about how often various types of brands/models are in the shop and about how much you can expect to spend per year on repairs.

I live and die by the three pointed star.

The E class is the best value for the money IMO.

My last E went over 331,000 with just the usual maintenance.

I have an S at the moment, really would rather have the E.

The coupe is a beauty, but it's closer in structure to a C, they borrowed a lot from the C for the coupe and cabriolet.

The E350 sedan is just well built. They were designed and engineered to serve as taxis is the Middle East, so will stand up to a bit of use.

Consumer Reports sells a book which contains all their unbiased reviews along with statistics showing the reliability of various components for each vehicle. The data is derived from the experiences of tens of thousands of readers. Its a good place to start.

I own a 2013 Toyota Prius that I bought new. It has averaged 50 miles per gallon over 30,000 miles of driving, so gasoline costs have been low. If the cost of gasoline ever gets to $5 a gallon (or more) then the good gas mileage will be more important.

I have considered a Prius, actually. My favorite comedian Bill Burr owns a Prius. He also owns a classic truck of some sort to offset the gayness factor of a Prius. (JK, there's nothing gay about a Prius.)

2014 Prius owner here. Can't. Be. Beat.

I just sold my BMW with 300,000 miles on it. I have another BMW and a Toyota 4Runner. The one I sold was honestly the least expensive car, maintenance-wise, I've ever owned.

If you want a great touring car, look for a used 2-door BMW (sometimes but not always indicated by the C affix after the model number) with an inline 6. A good example of this would be a 2006 - 2010 BMW 630i; it's got a bulletproof engine with great power and great handling. I've got the 4-door version (530i) and it's been relatively problem-free and has 210,000 miles on it.

If you really want to take things up a notch and if the 2-door requirement is not a hard one, you could try a BMW M5. These *are* maintenance intensive, but fantastic cars to drive.

if it has tits or wheels it will give you trouble.

Dave, that was very cynical of you, lad.

biker wisdom

He's right. I've got tits and I'll cut a bitch.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
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> if it has tits or wheels it will give you trouble.

Does that include man boobs?

You can always ask for a warranty if buying a used car.

I wish I could afford a Tesla Model S.

I wish I could afford a Tesla Roadster

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
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> I wish I could afford a Tesla Roadster


I'm over 6' tall...I tried. Can't fit in a Tesla Roadster.

We have to know some other facts, for instance I had a BMW which I loved. The few things that we had to replace on it was very expensive, because it's German made/shipped items so makes sense. But it really was a good, good car. The problem was that we lived in NM which is a lot of freeway mileage driving when I would go back to AZ to visit family. So extreme mileage, high speed, hotter temperatures probably would of done a number on a car which is more built for city, tighter turns, more stop/starts than say one built for autobahn. So a high rollover truck for hills, sharp turns, etc... would not be great for say the rolling hills of Kentucky but are great for flat prairie states for hauling hay and whatever.

My newest vehicle is my '08 Chevy 2500HD and our main ride is an '06 GMC Envoy Denali SUV. It has been a great. Just now starting to show it's age with 160K miles on it. We tend to do a lot of research before we buy, then look for the best deal on the best example of the vehicle we want, buy it, maintain it meticulously and then drive it until it's used up....like 300,000+ miles worth of used up...and then we go shopping again. We are the car salesman's worst nightmare...but we get the most value and service from our vehicles.

Ron Burr

2015 Mini Cooper "S" Coupe crew checking in

http://images.thecarconnection.com/hug/2012-mini-cooper-s-coupe_100364704_h.jpg

I just saw a re-run of the Top Gear episode where they named the Lexus SC430 the "worst car in the world, all things considered". Maybe give that one a pass.

How about an Audi A5 (or the hopped up S5)? All-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive, but great cars.

Have fun.

The SC430 is usually panned for being ugly, heavy and not having sports-car handling. Used ones with a good service record are likely to be very dependable, though. I personally don't see the ugly.. It's just different. I think Top Gear was way too harsh on it! It's a trade-off, and I still think German cars are much more maintenance sensitive than Japanese cars. The UZFE V8 is one of the best engines ever made. The shortcomings of the SC430 are real, though. It's more luxury than sport.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/2015 04:18PM by rationalist01.

I've seen a couple of recommendations in this thread for the Toyota Prius. I bought one new in 2006 and have 115,000 mi on it and it's been great. No mechanical problems and great gas mileage (which for me is usually 46 mpg, not 50, but glad others are getting that). Because of the torque of electric motors, it also has surprising acceleration which makes driving around town pretty nice.

That being said, after driving that car for nearly a decade, I'm ready for something different. I'm looking seriously at a used Mercedes for my next car. I foresee the possibility of my son needing a car this fall, in which case, I may end up giving the Prius to him and making the switch.

If you're in the market for a used car, I've bought a couple cars from Carmax and prefer them over a traditional dealer. It's possible to get better prices either through private party or if you're good at haggling/negotiating with a dealer, but I think the savings to aggravation ratio is small/not worth it.

Prefer buying a car with a warranty. Saves worry about paying out of pocket for repairs.

New car warranties are the best since they cover everything bumper to bumper.

So whatever you go for, go for new.

Then scale it to preference, taste, and economy for your budget.

Currently I'm leasing a Volvo, that works well in wintery driving climates. When I retire I plan to downscale the car to something more economical because I won't be needing all wheel drive where I'm moving to.

Volvo offers full maintenance on new vehicles for the first several years or up to 40,000 miles, whichever occurs first. I like the peace of mind that warranty brings. By the time the maintenance &/or new vehicle warranty expires, I'll be turning in the lease anyway.

You can also do nothing. Understood that your current vehicle is down at the bow and listing to starboard but if you can hang in with it another year there may be some nicer options out there.

I agree with Levi about Mercedes-Benz but their models are changing this fall, and next year BMW has some changes in store. There are all kinds of improvements due out, so waiting another cycle may be worth it. (I know; it will always change...)

This suggestion doubles back to earlier advice to buy what you want. If it's not out there, don't buy it.

I test drove the new Mercedes,suv a couple weeks ago. I wasn't too impressed. I did buy a c300 though.

My son is a foreign car auto tech. His suggestion for the type of vehicle you're looking for is a Subaru. He recommends them every time. In his opinion They're the most reliable, and if they need repairs they're one of the easiest to work on. That adds up to less money spent by you. He owns two new Forresters. My daughter also has a Forrester. She loves it. My stepson just bought one for his wife. She's only had it about a month, but so far she likes it a lot.

Thanks for all the advice! I'm still cogitating about what car I want. Today I was looking a Mercedes C230 Kompressor coupe. I drove one a few years ago and really liked it. These are "compact luxury cars," with turbocharged 4-banger engines. I'll have to do some research about the dependability factor, though.

I love the 230 Kompressor, used to have one. But as someone who has owned over 75 cars and driven hundreds, there is only one solution for a daily driver. Buy a Subaru.

They are all wheel drive except the BRZ(which is a front engine RWD), inexpensive to maintain, and can be as aggressive(STI - 300 HP) or as practical(Forester - wagon) as you want.

I have driven model that had over 750,000 miles on them.

And it fits. turbocharged 4 banger, can get luxury options, and low maintenance costs.

But no one ever thinks of them...

... until that opposed piston engine fails catastrophically.

...fails dramatically at 400,000 mi. I am ok with that.

80% of all Subaru's ever made are still roadworthy.

And that is saying something for a company that used to produce the "justy" and the "loyale"

:)

and the subaru 360 .