Driving Enjoyment for Under 25k

What NEW cars can you think of would be amazing cars that could give you the drive of your life at any given moment under 25k?

So far I have thought of the Mini Cooper S and the Mazda Miata. I love the re-design and the curves of the Miata but long for the usefulness of the Cooper S.

Any other contenders other than these...mind you only NEW.

The '06 Impreza WRX TR ("Tuner Ready") sedan, which stickers at $24,620. The redesigned MX-5 works, too.

how is the wrx tr different from a regular wrx?

i'm sure you could find an '06 mustang hard top gt for under $25k if that was your bag...

or if FWD isn't out of the question
VW GTI either the 1.8t, or the VR6. both easily under $25k
SRT4, it's a neon with balls...


and if you really wanna haggle, MAYBE you could get a 'new' 2005 EVO RS for under $25k. long shot, but maybe?

how is the wrx tr different from a regular wrx?


For the purposes of this thread, it's under twenty-five grand. It also lacks many of the luxurious features of the regular WRX, and has base seats from the old Impreza 2.5 RS. It's designed to be a "clean slate" WRX, made for personal customization.

cant find anything about it, even on subaru.com.

i see a few odd things when i google it, but nothing official... where did ya learn about it?

how is the wrx tr different from a regular wrx?

i'm sure you could find an '06 mustang hard top gt for under $25k if that was your bag...

or if FWD isn't out of the question
VW GTI either the 1.8t, or the VR6. both easily under $25k
SRT4, it's a neon with balls...


and if you really wanna haggle, MAYBE you could get a 'new' 2005 EVO RS for under $25k. long shot, but maybe?


Even the 05's GT's are over 30k where I live, maybe its different for you?

hm, i really dont know. havnt shopped for one, so i dont know what the price on the sticker says...

but still... if you pay sticker price, you've paid too much.

Pontiac Sostice, Cobalt SS, Mustang GT, RSX-S, Civic Si.

Used SVT Focus should be under 25k, decent driving enjoyment, not exactly on par with the newer models however in performance

outside of that.....how about a Sentra Spec V?

I learned about it on www.nasioc.com, and it's also listed on www.edmunds.com.

Pontiac Sostice, Cobalt SS, Mustang GT, RSX-S, Civic Si.

The Solstice w/170hp and 2900 curb weight...why would someone choose that and not choose the Miata w/the same HP and 400 lbs less?

The Cobalt SS did cross my mind. Dont know how it handles but it seems to do pretty well in a straightline.

The Mustang GT IIRC cant really be found for under 25k new.

RSX-S is a very balanced car. I like it.

Are you talking about the new Civic Si? What's the price on it?

The Solstice w/170hp and 2900 curb weight...why would someone choose that and not choose the Miata w/the same HP and 400 lbs less?

The Cobalt SS did cross my mind. Dont know how it handles but it seems to do pretty well in a straightline.

The Mustang GT IIRC cant really be found for under 25k new.

RSX-S is a very balanced car. I like it.

Are you talking about the new Civic Si? What's the price on it?

Read the reviews on the Solstice, it seems as though many of the testers love the feel of the Solstice. The Solstice makes 177hp and 166lb-ft, the Miata makes 170hp and 140lb-ft, performance is nearly identical in the two cars.

The Cobalt SS handles well.

The GT starts at just over 25k, it's possible that you could get one for 25k if haggle them, but it's close enough as it is.

Yes the new Civic Si. I would assume it's under 25k, if it's not it's overpriced IMO.

Neon SRT-4 easy, w/ power like that it would burn all comers beneath 25K, except the Moostang w/ the low price, my dad bought a GT for 1K beneath sticker, which was still thousands above 25K. If you're talking about the 6 cylinder ones, the SRT-4 still wins.

Neon SRT-4 easy

Is the SRT4 reliable, handling on par w/the Mini Cooper S and Miata, and gets good gas mileage?

Pontiac Sostice, Cobalt SS, Mustang GT, RSX-S, Civic Si.

How can a Civic Si give you the drive of your life? It's a Civic! :lol: :banghead:

How can a Civic Si give you the drive of your life? It's a Civic! :lol: :banghead:

The same way a Mini Cooper S or RSX-S can you dolt :banghead: It's got a 197hp engine, 6-speed tranny, LSD, and good handling to boot, what's not to like?

If you really want the truth about this, none of these cars mentioned will give you the ride of your life, with 25 grand you could get a C5 Corvette which makes these cars look like child's play.

if ur allowed to haggle, bring down the $27G Nissan Z. oughta spark a nice flame in ur drive.

As for the civic, i own one and I think its very enjoyable. but only the type of enjoyable that $14Grand will get me. hells yes i'd like a corvette, but *instead* of my civic? ...nah. she's a keeper.

The Solstice w/170hp and 2900 curb weight...why would someone choose that and not choose the Miata w/the same HP and 400 lbs less?

For a few reasons...

1. The Solstice has considerably more low-end torque than the MX-5, so while the Solstice can only match the MX-5's dragstrip numbers, it has it solidly beat in passing power.

2. The Solstice is more stable and easier to drive. While the MX-5 should have a handling advantage when both cars are pushed to their limit, the Solstice's limit is much eaiser to probe. This is due to its much higher curb weight, bigger tires, and predictable all-season rubber.

3. The Solstice is a good deal cheaper than the MX-5. The base price for the MX-5 is just over twenty-three grand, and being an extremely popular Japanese sports car, don't expect to haggle any lower than that. The Solstice, on the other hand, could go for twenty-grand easily, what with GM's rabid discounting and incentives.

i think that GM cars (solstice) are a bit less reliable than japanese cars (miata). also, from what i've heard, the solstice is more of a highway cruise while the miata tends to be more fun to drive.

i'm sorry, did someone say "usefulness of the mini cooper s"?

i think that GM cars (solstice) are a bit less reliable than japanese cars (miata). also, from what i've heard, the solstice is more of a highway cruise while the miata tends to be more fun to drive.

The Solstice is a brand new car, no one knows how reliable it will be.

Well, we know two things...

1. GM cars have been haunted by poor reliability for the last twenty to thirty years, hurting their vehicular sales business considerably.

2. The buzz lately is that American automakers are taking great strides towards improving the reliability of their vehicles, and all eyes are on the new products coming out of Detroit.

3. The Solstice is an all-new car, so we have no idea how reliable it will be. It has the potential to be just as reliable as the new MX-5, if GM puts the effort and money into it.

So basically, if GM wants to save themselves from going under (because at this point, they are alive only because they give discounts and incentives if you do your financing with them), the Solstice better be just as reliable as the MX-5 - and the same goes for the rest of their cars and trucks.

i'm sorry, did someone say "usefulness of the mini cooper s"?


compared to the other cars that are being discussed (solstice, miata etc), i would say that the cooper s has quite a bit of usefulness. it would probably be my first choice. quick, responsive handling, bmw engineering, good looks.
i would put my vote on the mustang gt, but i think that it would be hard to get one for under 25k, but if you could, then that would definitely be my choice.

2. The buzz lately is that American automakers are taking great strides towards improving the reliability of their vehicles, and all eyes are on the new products coming out of Detroit.


Take a look at the JD Power reliability reports, GM brands occupy two of the top five spots, and they're ranked higher than several Japanese brands. In fact the only GM brand ranked below Mazda is Saab. I will say that the Miata is more reliable than other Mazda products though and it is ranked 1st long term in the sporty class, but #2 is the Chevrolet Camaro.JD Power long term reliability study (http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/vds2005089.asp)

the mx-5 has a bigger boot than the mini.
the only thing it gives to the mini is the rear seats which, depending on you, may or may not be useful.

and as it has been mentioned many many times before, the JD power surveys aren't the best guides to cars and their reliability.

and as it has been mentioned many many times before, the JD power surveys aren't the best guides to cars and their reliability.

What is the best then? JD power's surveys come from the owners of the vehicles, it's probably the most objective source for reliability information.

Mazda 6 if possible the turbo...

J.D. Power surveys seem a bit iffy to me. I'm not saying that GM brands aren't reliable (they seem to have really stepped it up lately), but I would hardly say they have topped the Japanese brands in that category.

and as others keep pointing out, there is a distinct lack of parity between the typical types of complaints reported by owners of different brands of cars.
just because there isn't another survey like it out there, doesn't make the only one reliable.

For starters, as to whomever asked if the SRT-4 was a joy to drive in corners, it is. It SERIOUSLY is. Thing handles like it has velcro tires on cutpile carpet.

Heck, the 2003's ran the slalom at 69mph. To put that number in context, the same year Porsche 911GT3 ran through the slalom at 71.6mph and the Lamborghini Gallardo at 66.3mph.

The damned Neon corners. The Neon has ALWAYS been able to corner ever since the old twin cams tore up the SCCA Showroom Stock circuit.

However, if I were buying a new car and had $25,000 to play with, I'd be right down at Axelrod buying up a Pontiac Solstice in a nice deep blue (or maybe that midnight purple that comes on the GTO). That car is just plain gorgeous, and the Ecotec has been pushed enough in the aftermarket that cams, intake, and the rest will easily cure any complaints I have about 170hp not being enough in my roadster.

the srt-4 does the slalom at 69mph? can i get a source of that? that was knowlege i did not know at all...

That car is just plain gorgeous, and the Ecotec has been pushed enough in the aftermarket that cams, intake, and the rest will easily cure any complaints I have about 170hp not being enough in my roadster.

It's not the 170hp exactly that detracts from the Solstice making the Miata superior. It's the weight. It lost in C/D to the Miata in a head to head battle. 2900 lbs is heavy for a roadster who's supposed to compete w/a Miata. For 2900 lbs...I'd rather go w/a S2k at 2800 lbs.

But it's not in the price range...but a slighty used one would be.

the solstice does also have 26lb-ft more torque then the miata... while that wont help the handling (if that's even a real issue), it will possibly match them in acceleration.

their 0-60mph time's are within a tenth of a second (in favor the miata), so in that respect, they really arent far off from each other.

unless you really want to take the car to a track, i dont think the miata has all that much of an advantage over the solstice.

I have driven the new Miata and will drive the Solstice this weekend. I'll let you know what's up.