What is your next car purchase? revisited...

[ocnblu]

If I had unlimited funds and a two car garage, I still wouldn't mind having one of these last Monte Carlo SSs, in Laser Blue with black leather, sunroof, and polished rims. Still sad to see them go, even with wrong wheel drive.

Sixty4, I know for a fact that Datsun speaks to you. :AH-HA_wink:

And Mini Coopers are still super cool.

[Flybrian]

I sure wouldn't mind this...

Its really hard to find a GS with low-mileage.

[AAS]

Well... my little brother (16 and-a-half years old) will be driving an '07 VW GTI for another 39 moths (it's a lease)! The little snot still sucks at driving stick, so I drove it home for him today. The car is really cool... it drives well, the seats are "sporty," and they really did get rid of the turbo lag! All-in-all, it's a good bang-for-the-buck considering all the standard equipment you get with the "base" GTI.

[caddycruiser]

Well... my little brother (16 and-a-half years old) will be driving an '07 VW GTI for another 39 moths (it's a lease)! The little snot still sucks at driving stick, so I drove it home for him today. The car is really cool... it drives well, the seats are "sporty," and they really did get rid of the turbo lag! All-in-all, it's a good bang-for-the-buck considering all the standard equipment you get with the "base" GTI.

I have to say, I love those, and nearly everything about them...but I REALLY can't imagine a young kid getting one with a stick, when they aren't yet knowledgeable of one. That's asking for big trouble, especially with a lease--you do your learning on an old stick car, not something brand new. Hopefully he's a quick learner, and doesn't kill too much clutch or otherwise.

Then again, my dad has an older uncle who buys a new small pickup every 5 or so years, and always a stick, but he STILL can't drive one for the life of him.

[Sixty8panther]

WMJ: The Matador is a perfect case of a super cool weird car that

would be much better if it had a sexy hardtop greenhouse instead

of that chunky B-pillar with a tiny rear side window.

Yeah... I'll spill the beans on my new car soon.

[capriceman]

is it in your sig? 68 looks like another datsun.

[AAS]

I have to say, I love those, and nearly everything about them...but I REALLY can't imagine a young kid getting one with a stick, when they aren't yet knowledgeable of one. That's asking for big trouble, especially with a lease--you do your learning on an old stick car, not something brand new. Hopefully he's a quick learner, and doesn't kill too much clutch or otherwise.

Then again, my dad has an older uncle who buys a new small pickup every 5 or so years, and always a stick, but he STILL can't drive one for the life of him.

Luckily, he understands it will take him time to learn, and we have an "old" (2001) Beetle for him to learn on. Best of all... we got the "extra coverage" that will take care of a worn clutch etc.

Edit: I do totally agree that the GTI 6M is too much car for a novice stick driver... hell, a novice driver... The only reason we got the car now, as opposed to months from now, is that my dad liked the lease terms (and he's been itching to get a new car).

Anyway, like I mentioned, my brother loves the car and doesn't want to f-it up. So... he's in no rush to start driving it. Meanwhile, I might get to drive it around on the weekends :AH-HA_wink:

Edited February 20, 2007 by AAS

[Satty]

My next car purchase should be coming shortly, and it will save about two and a half feet of garage space. :AH-HA_wink:

Edited November 14, 2008 by Satty

[Robert Hall]

Waiting and seeing how the economy and job market goes over the next 18 months...it wouldn't be prudent to buy anything right now, IMHO.

[frogger]

Waiting and seeing how the economy and job market goes over the next 18 months...it wouldn't be prudent to buy anything right now, IMHO.

True, it feels like things could get a lot worse in the next 3 months as more companies will have to downsize or shut down altogether due to lack of business and high fixed costs.

[daves87rs]

Waiting and seeing how the economy and job market goes over the next 18 months...it wouldn't be prudent to buy anything right now, IMHO.

Agreed.

With a little bit of money, I'm sure my cars will hang in there....

[vonVeezelsnider]

Our next purchase is still looking far off in 2010 or so and it will be (at this point) either another W-Impala, an Orlando (if by the grace of god it comes here), or an Equinox.

[Intrepidation]

Our next purchase will almost certainly be a fully loaded 300M. We've been thinking about going with another LH, a choice between Intrepid or 300M, but after spending a good amount of seat time in one it's been decided that a 300M will be the next car to join the fleet.

Beyond that, the next car will hopefully be a new one, albeit down the road a few years. A Challenger and/or a Camaro are on the short list. I want a Hurst Challenger.

I'd also like a classic car too.

Besides that, the fleet will remain the same, with various upgrades to the cars as money allows.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Dodgefan

[gm4life]

Next car is prolly going to be a 1998-1999 Bonneville SSE (L36 with Torque Stars and LOW MILES) or more likely everyday a 2000-2002 Pontiac Firebird Coupe/T-Top with the L36 no LS1 *the car is for my son during the week and I am not paying insurance on an LS1* with factory 16' chrome wheels I could be happy with a stick or an automatic. I do want low miles and clean, no rust non-smoker and something in my 6-8K price range.

My son upon graduation in a few years if he lands a decent job will have a new Camaro (saves me from buying one) he will prolly do a stripper LS with a stick or a loaded LT2 RS with a stick or a stripper 1SS with the automatic. (He would do the V8 with an auto because of AFM and all.)

For me a G8 is possible and if they do DI in the 3.6 that would be perfect although the GT is calling me. I would love a GXP but I won't spend that much money unless it is a Cadilac someday like a DTS or STS. The other thing I will have my eye on is the new Malibu but I will see. Although a G6 with the 2.4L and six speed has some appeal as well. I am betting my next new-new car will come around in prolly 6-8 years seeing that I have to get kids through college.

In the spring or summer I plan to have an SSE or a 'Bird but after that I will be done with car for at least 4 or 5 years I am almost positive. The fleet will be pretty well set. As for my son he has to have a new Camaro and that will happen before I buy something new I bet. I will have to wait and see. I do keep my cars along time I had my GP for 17 years!

For the reccord my SLE is never leaving my family. I will either keep it or my son for a yes, a classic. If its needs to be restored someday my son loves that car and he will do it. That is the last year for Bonneville and the hardest trim to find by far. I am guessing less than 3,000 left the factory in SLE trim.

Edited November 14, 2008 by gm4life

[Satty]

Ok, so the other day my better half went out to lunch with a co-worker, they took her Mini Cooper convertible. Jill fell in love with the car immediately, and loved it even more when she got to drive it back. It was an auto, I assume it wasn't an S, since she said it didn't feel really fast. The more we discussed it, the more it became apparent that she had developed an infatuation. We've got some emails and phone calls out, so we'll see what comes of it.

[Sixty8panther]

Hahha.... it's fun to revisit old threads sometimes.

MYSELF 21 months ago:

And here's how I hope it looks in about a year:

-1930s Rat Rod

-1959 Buick LeSabre

-1977 Chevrolet Nova (250, 3-speed)

-1996 Chevy Impala SS (G/F)

Since Marcia and me completely disolved our relationship

about that same time as that post, evne though it was

really "over" in summer of 2006, she still has the Infiniti

Q45, it was never replaced by a '96 B-body.

I have however since then owned two B-bodys, one LT1

powered Roadmaster Estate that came and went in 2007,

and my current daily driver 1992 RoadmOnster sedan.

I'm still working on a pre-war car and have gotten much

less picky. Any pre-war car would make me happy, it

does not have to be GM, might even consider a Ford or

UK/German made car if it was pre-1939.

On the plus side I have my 1959 Buick, and though it is

still not roadworthy and the motor is hamf appart I did

manage to drive the car 7500 miles last year.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Sixty8panther

[Intrepidation]

Satty, sounds like a new Mini is in your future...wish my girlfriend didn't hate them so much.

Edited November 14, 2008 by Dodgefan

[Satty]

I had one dealer give me an exceptional trade-in amount for the Prius, sight unseen, so thats a plus. The negative is that nobody seems to be coming up with something close to what she'd want. A yellow Cooper (though she'd be willing to get an S if it came set up the way she wants) with a stick, premium package, comfort plus package and cold weather package is apparently too much to ask.

[Intrepidation]

I had one dealer give me an exceptional trade-in amount for the Prius, sight unseen, so thats a plus. The negative is that nobody seems to be coming up with something close to what she'd want. A yellow Cooper (though she'd be willing to get an S if it came set up the way she wants) with a stick, premium package, comfort plus package and cold weather package is apparently too much to ask.

Can it special order it that way?

[Satty]

Yeah, we'll probably have to, its going to take a while to get here if we do.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Feb 7 2007,

Well, when the first thread started, I stated I was wanting to trade-in my '04 Malibu LT sedan for either an AURA or Lucerne, and in the middle of November I went with the AURA XE (XE was the wife's choice, I wanted the XR). That is being leased, so I know at some point in 2009 (Pull-Ahead programs baby!) I'll be in the market for its replacement. It's too far away to even start guessing, but not too far away for dreaming - so far I'd say the G8 is a contender, but also a Sierra SLE Z71 4wd Crew Cab too (I sat in one, equipped 98% how I want it, at the Philly Auto Show last week). Now next summer (August '08) our Envoy lease is up - so far the wife is interested in one of the Lambdas (Acadia is leading, Outlook isn't too far behind; however, I think the Enclave will be out of our price range and I'm not all that crazy for it as much as the other two) or quite possibly the all-new 2008 Saturn VUE (I'm liking the Redline). It has to be a family vehicle, and it has to offer 4WD/AWD as an option (my wife works 32 miles away from our home). So I don't think a car will be replacing the Envoy, nor my choice of the 2008 Sierra SLE Z71 4wd Crew Cab, but who knows!

Well let's take a look at what has happened since I wrote my comment above 21 months ago...

The Envoy did go away this summer (June, a little earlier than August) and unexpectedly it was for a car - Pontiac G6 V6 Sedan. With the wife's 32-mile one way commute and the inflated gas prices this spring/summer, we decided a much more fuel-efficient car would be the better choice (and more affordable one too, as the Enclave she wanted was out of our price range). The VUE was on her list, but with her commute we figured it would be a gas hog, requiring a fill-up twice a week. She's still happy with the G6, but she's starting to find little "ft and finish" issues that I have to get the dealership to resolve. She likes the 3.5l V6, and at the time she did drive the 2.4l Ecotec 4-cyl and decided against it... but now she's thinking it would have been a better decision to go 4-cyl (I still say she made the right choice).

Unfortunately for me, 2009 doesn't look like it's the best year to have to make a new vehicle purchase in. My '07 AURA XE GMAC SmartLease is up one year from now, and I'm very saddened by the fact I won't be able to get the GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab Z71 that I've had my heart set on for the longest of times (unstable gas prices combined with financial issues/large amout of debt means feeding both a large monthly payment and a large gas tank are out of the question). I'm not happy with the GMC Canyon - this time it will be a 5 or 6 year committment (finance vs. leasing) - so I want to get something I'm going to like for a long time. The Pontiac G8 is still on the list, and it's pretty much the only car I could be completely happy owning (I want the GT, but if the 3.6 DI V6 is offered on late-build '09s, I could be happy with a non-GT G8). I will consider the VUE and Torrent, and more importantly, if I like the new '10 GMC Terrain and it will be available around the time my lease expires (Nov '09), I'd add that to the list. Of course an Outlook XR and possibly an Acadia SLE/SLT1 could be on the list, but that would be going much higher than I think is possible. An SUV/crossover is the first choice for me (assuming a full-size Sierra is definitely out of the question and unless GM overhauls the Canyon for 2010), followed by a large-size car (G8, maybe the Lucerne).

[GMTruckGuy74]

Oh, and I've also recently started considering buying a GM Certified pre-owned vehicle if it means I can get what I really want/like and still be a good deal. Not 100% happy with that yet, but we'll see what the economy is like 10-12 months from now before I rule anything out.

[A Horse With No Name]

Waiting and seeing how the economy and job market goes over the next 18 months...it wouldn't be prudent to buy anything right now, IMHO.

Bingo. If things stabilize, I still want...one of the following.

GTI, Cooper S, Solstice...

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Waiting and seeing how the economy and job market goes over the next 18 months...it wouldn't be prudent to buy anything right now, IMHO.

Bingo. If things stabilize, I still want...one of the following.

GTI, Cooper S, Solstice...

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Our next purchase will almost certainly be a fully loaded 300M. We've been thinking about going with another LH, a choice between Intrepid or 300M, but after spending a good amount of seat time in one it's been decided that a 300M will be the next car to join the fleet.

Beyond that, the next car will hopefully be a new one, albeit down the road a few years. A Challenger and/or a Camaro are on the short list. I want a Hurst Challenger.

I'd also like a classic car too.

Besides that, the fleet will remain the same, with various upgrades to the cars as money allows.

I thought that this would be a great car for you...

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

I had one dealer give me an exceptional trade-in amount for the Prius, sight unseen, so thats a plus. The negative is that nobody seems to be coming up with something close to what she'd want. A yellow Cooper (though she'd be willing to get an S if it came set up the way she wants) with a stick, premium package, comfort plus package and cold weather package is apparently too much to ask.

My wife and I test drove that EXACT car at our local Mini dealer, three days before we bought our newer Miata back in the spring.

I still want a cooper, and the Yellow color on the newer ones is great with the black top.

Perhaps an S without the LSD or the sport suspension?

It also looks good in red.

Chris

[Satty]

I saw a black over yellow one a year or so ago and loved the color combo. Red is a bit cliche for the car. Black with a white roof looks good, too.

[Sixty8panther]

All I know is the new Clubman is Fisher-Pricey like a Toyopet FJ.

[Satty]

Someone at work has a red Clubman with a black roof and rear trim. I dont like it. I could possibly get behind black/silver/silver or BRG/silver/silver, but thats moot because she doesn't like the Clubman.

[Robert Hall]

Saw a Clubman in traffic yesterday, first one I'd seen in person...interesting variation of the Mini..

[Satty]

The Cooper and Cooper S are fantastic values, even when you add some options. The convertible and Clubman can get crazy expensive if you want some of the cool stuff.

[gm4life]

The Coopers are neat little cars. For the same money I'd rather have a used GTO or G8 GT tho... If I wanted fun to drive that is.

[Satty]

I prefer cars that dont weigh twice what the should.

[gm4life]

Well look at my fleet none of them are small. LOL Honestly I prefer cars that aren't the size of a cracker-jack box either. That is why I own two fullsizers and an SUV. Hopefully my next will be live real axle V6 powered pony car aka Firebird.

Edited November 15, 2008 by gm4life

[Satty]

Screw the MINI, I want this 2CV.

Edited November 15, 2008 by Satty

[Sixty8panther]

I prefer cars that dont weigh twice what the should.

Talk to me about that after a 3500lbs. BMW 328 kombi

hits you head-on at 50mph. If I had been driving one

of my $h!box B-bodys or one of the other "HEAVY"

American cars rather than my 2700lbs. Datsun I might

(WOULD!) have saved myself months of pain & physical

therapy last winter/spring.

[Sixty8panther]

Screw the MINI, I want this 2CV.

I can not believe that a car that crap-tastic existed

(in production form) into the early 1970s outside the

Communist controlled countries where evolution and

progress were repressed and demonized.

The 2CV stopped being relevant in the 1950s... but

the French in their infinite wisdom made it until 1990

even though it lacked even basic features even a

minimalist nutcase like me, a VW Beetle loving, pre

war car obsessed fruitcake, considers a must.

On the flip side, I can appreciate the 2CV for its

place in Automotive history and Although excessive,

it's spartan qualities are to be commended. Too bad

here in the USA the government will not allow us to

buy anything without a dozen airbags & 700 pounds

of computerized big-brother.

[A Horse With No Name]

Screw the MINI, I want this 2CV.

Get one of each, they are small.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

Talk to me about that after a 3500lbs. BMW 328 kombi

hits you head-on at 50mph. If I had been driving one

of my $h!box B-bodys or one of the other "HEAVY"

American cars rather than my 2700lbs. Datsun I might

(WOULD!) have saved myself months of pain & physical

therapy last winter/spring.

That damned Datsun held up pretty well for what it was.

Chris

Edited November 16, 2008 by 66Stang

[Satty]

Get one of each, they are small.

Chris

If I parked them both sideways, I could carry them in the back of the LeSabre.

[A Horse With No Name]

Well look at my fleet none of them are small. LOL Honestly I prefer cars that aren't the size of a cracker-jack box either. That is why I own two fullsizers and an SUV. Hopefully my next will be live real axle V6 powered pony car aka Firebird.

To me, the GTO, Firebird, Your Pontiacs, and the MINI are all cool. I am just scared out of my skull right now at having the choice of Accord Vs. Camry in about 8 years if things don't get any better.

GTO's, both old and new, are pure automotive sex on wheels for me.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

If I parked them both sideways, I could carry them in the back of the LeSabre.

Or the trunk of 68's B-59.

Seriously, though, I love your wagon too. Think of it this way...Cars are like a woman's breasts...a man should sample several sizes to be properly happy.

Chris

[Satty]

Breasts...topless...targa...911....An air-cooled 911 Targa would look great in my garage

[A Horse With No Name]

You and I think wayyy to much alike. Back when I had my 66 Fastback, I had a cash offer on the Fastback at the same time a really clean (silver, 1976, low mile) 911 Targa came up for sale.

But getting back to cars, go for the Cooper S. I have a real feeling that I will be buying one when the economy picks up a little bit.

Chris

[A Horse With No Name]

...but rather than a 911 Targa, I'd rather have this.

http://www.mat.fi/n_index.php?nav=gallery_...llycar&g=13

Chris

[Satty]

If it were up to me, the Cooper would have been bought months ago instead of the Prius, but that idea never gained traction. Now that she does want one, its impossible to find something close and it will take forever to get one ordered.

[A Horse With No Name]

...but worth the wait. The Cooper is a car you will want to own for years, unlike the Prius I think.

Suprised they didn't "deduct' for all of the liberal bumper stickers on the Prius when you offered it in trade.

Chris

Edited November 16, 2008 by 66Stang

[Satty]

A 308 would be nice, but this Morgan would make for a sweet ride, or a very interesting autocrosser.

[Satty]

Suprised they didn't "deduct' for all of the liberal bumper stickers on the Prius when you offered it in trade.

As I said, sight unseen. I'm going to peel all that crap off soon enough.

Speaking of Ferraris, I'm looking at 456s on eBay right now. I find that eBay is like wikipedia, I start looking at one thing, then three hours later I've made my way through 17 other things and am now looking at unrelated stuff.

[A Horse With No Name]

It would indeed, although everyone I've ever talked to that has owned a British car has tried to talk me out of buying one.

Lined up a nice TR-4 that I was thinking about, as well as an MGB-GT...and then spent an hour over breakfast with a couple of members in my local Miata club who basically talked me out of it.

Guy still has the B-GT, and the TR-4 is still there, as is a vintage spitfire, and I found a good fairly inexpensive Healy 3000 the other day...life is just too short.

I think if I get a vintage car, though, it will be a well preserved original 240Z.

Chris