Post: #1

This is for all of you car guys out there.

What are some of your favorite cars you've driven?
What would be your choice of a car in the under $50k range?
Where are some nice drives you would recommend?

I'll start.

The latest nice car I've driven is a Porsche 911. It was stick, thank god, and remembering how fast I was going on the 2nd or 3rd gear in the middle of some streets in Hollywood still brings butterflies to my stomach. That car is a beast. I think highly of the BMW 3 series (as it's the only model BMW I've spent a lot of time with) and think it's a capable and fun car to drive.

I have always been into the Acura NSX, but I've never had the luxury of driving one. I think it's one of the nicest cars of its time, and for the price you can get one used now (around $20k) I think it's something I would like to convince a friend to get (and let me drive).

For under $50k, I would say I'd either get a pre-owned BMW M3, or an NSX, although the NSX's look is just a tad-outdated for me now.

Some of the nicest drives I've been on:
1) Most Beautiful: Driving up the PCH (that's Pacific Coast Highway for you non-West Coast folk) to San Francisco.
2) Most fun: The Ortega Highway (goes from San Juan Capistrano in OC to Lake Elsinore/Temecula). It's a really fun and windy road.

Post: #2

M3 V8 and stop in at the River Inn in Big Sur for some chili fries. Bad azz mutha!

Post: #3

i love the m3 and 330/335 coupes. i've never been a big porsche fan - i always found their ride a little too rough. the bmw's are in my opinion the perfect blend between performance and luxury.

Post: #4

For looks, I like the Jaguar XK, the Audi A5 and the Infiniti G35 (not the G37). The Mercedes E Class coupe looks pretty good too.







The NSX is pretty damn sweet though, I'd have a hard time picking the others over it. Supposedly the most reliable exotic car ever built. Nissan's GTR aka Godzilla is pretty sick too - it looks like a 350Z from the front in pics, but it's massive in person.

Post: #5

Might be over your price requirement but I'm fond of the Jaguar XF:



I also like the Audi R8.

As for drives, one of my fav drives ever is on Hwy 23 between Thousand Oaks and Malibu. It's about a 30 minute drive of pure hairpin twists and turns with spectacular canyon and ocean views. And also nearby that is short but gorgeous drive through Hidden Valley in Ventura County. Within the city itself, going from the 405 west on Sunset Blvd to PCH 1 is an awesome drive on a nice day. I'll add Palos Verdes Drive to the list of nice drives within city limits too. For long distance, the PCH 1 to SF is great, but also highway 395 heading toward Mammoth. The view the whole way is a solid wall of snow-capped towering Sierras. I also did an amazing drive once over the coastal range between Santa Cruz and the central valley. Can't remember the name of the highway, but it was really scenic.

Post: #6

This is one of the most underrated vehicles sold on American shores in recent years: the Pontiac G8. Pics are of the GT model, which is the best great value (there was a slower V6 and a much faster but VERY RARE GXP model that had a Corvette engine). If you are an Australian, then this will look very familiar to you since it this is actually a Holden Commodore SS:




The Commodore is common in Australia (a best-seller for decades running), but the G8 is pretty rare in the USA.

The GT model can be had now used for right around $22-24,000 (much less if you're willing to tolerate a car with 50-60k on the clock). It retailed at around $29,000 new. Performance is almost EXACTLY on par with a same year BMW 550i(which retailed for over twice that price). The thing was the best value on the market, and easily one of the best overall vehicles in its class. This is my dream car, and it will be my first whip when I finally get out into the working world and look to secure some wheels. If you can find one, I recommend it highly.

Aussies are spoiled and they don't even know it. This thing was just a run-of-the-mill, bland family/police/taxi car over there, and yet it was vastly superior to much of what we had in the states.

Post: #7

Love the 911, was the car I always wanted growing up, got it, drove the hell out of it and then decided instead of trading into a newer model I'd start spending my money a little more wisely than on a depreciating asset. If I had the spare coin to throw away it'd be the car I'd get back into or the Audi r8. Under 50k, I'd get into an Audi a5, never dug the mercs or beamers, not that theres anything wrong with them but in Vancouver they're a dime a dozen Audis are becoming more common but not quite at that level yet at least here. Feeling the itch to get into a SUV tho, too much shit to lug around for a car and really digging the Range Rover sports, even their new baby Rover looks alright and it's under 50k.

Post: #8

(11-15-2011 12:01 AM)mikeymike Wrote:  Love the 911, was the car I always wanted growing up, got it, drove the hell out of it and then decided instead of trading into a newer model I'd start spending my money a little more wisely than on a depreciating asset. If I had the spare coin to throw away it'd be the car I'd get back into or the Audi r8. Under 50k, I'd get into an Audi a5, never dug the mercs or beamers, not that theres anything wrong with them but in Vancouver they're a dime a dozen Audis are becoming more common but not quite at that level yet at least here. Feeling the itch to get into a SUV tho, too much shit to lug around for a car and really digging the Range Rover sports, even their new baby Rover looks alright and it's under 50k.

i love the looks of the RR Sports, but i've heard they are very high maintenance

Post: #9

(11-15-2011 12:05 AM)Brian Wrote:  

(11-15-2011 12:01 AM)mikeymike Wrote:  Love the 911, was the car I always wanted growing up, got it, drove the hell out of it and then decided instead of trading into a newer model I'd start spending my money a little more wisely than on a depreciating asset. If I had the spare coin to throw away it'd be the car I'd get back into or the Audi r8. Under 50k, I'd get into an Audi a5, never dug the mercs or beamers, not that theres anything wrong with them but in Vancouver they're a dime a dozen Audis are becoming more common but not quite at that level yet at least here. Feeling the itch to get into a SUV tho, too much shit to lug around for a car and really digging the Range Rover sports, even their new baby Rover looks alright and it's under 50k.

i love the looks of the RR Sports, but i've heard they are very high maintenance

I've heard the same thing but buy new get the warranty and ship it out before it gives you any headaches, only way to go with Rovers of any sort. I've had buddies who would get older ones to 4 by in and anytime those things needed parts it was a small fortune, not a vehicle to get without warranty from the sounds of it, let it be someone elses headache.

Post: #10

(11-14-2011 11:59 PM)Athlone McGinnis Wrote:  




This is one of the most underrated vehicles sold on American shores in recent years: the Pontiac G8. Pics are of the GT model, which is the best great value (there was a slower V6 and a much faster but VERY RARE GXP model that had a Corvette engine). If you are an Australian, then this will look very familiar to you since it this is actually a Holden Commodore SS:




The Commodore is common in Australia (a best-seller for decades running), but the G8 is pretty rare in the USA.

The GT model can be had now used for right around $22-24,000 (much less if you're willing to tolerate a car with 50-60k on the clock). It retailed at around $29,000 new. Performance is almost EXACTLY on par with a same year BMW 550i(which retailed for over twice that price). The thing was the best value on the market, and easily one of the best overall vehicles in its class. This is my dream car, and it will be my first whip when I finally get out into the working world and look to secure some wheels. If you can find one, I recommend it highly.

Aussies are spoiled and they don't even know it. This thing was just a run-of-the-mill, bland family/police/taxi car over there, and yet it was vastly superior to much of what we had in the states.

best value schmalue, it's ugly. It looks like the family/police/taxi car they Aussies thought it was lol

Post: #11

My list of 3 favourite cars goes over 1000k each.

Koenigsegg agera (and the rest of them, i love them all)
SSC Aero
Bugatti Veyron

Post: #12

I'm going to get a 2011 V6 Mustang Premium Convertible soon myself (leather, etc), its a very fun car to drive and is a good price. The 2011 engines are considerably better than the 2010's and below. In the V6 for example, the 2010 has 210hp and the 2011 has 305hp and gets better mileage too. The V8s have similar improvements. The 2011 Mustangs have been getting top marks from car reviewers everywhere. The Mustang is about much of a man car as you can get.

The 2011 Mustang GT (V8 engine) actually performs as well as the 2011 BMW M3. I would seriously look into one. You can then upgrade the parts with all the money you save and make it really awesome.

Look at this shootout done by motortrend:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/coup...ewall.html

Post: #13

(11-15-2011 12:12 AM)mikeymike Wrote:  best value schmalue, it's ugly. It looks like the family/police/taxi car they Aussies thought it was lol

Ugly? That's new. I've heard it called bland/boring by some, but ugly?

Well, I guess someone has to hate it.

Post: #14

This has been my favorite car for the past 8 years.


Maserati Quattroporte

Post: #15

you can pick up those Maserati Quattroporte's pretty cheap now if you get one from 06ish and they all have low mileage

Post: #16

Porsche: 911 and Cayman S
Audi: A4, A5, A6
BMW: 335i and M3
Maserati QP
Mercedes: E63
Alpha Romeo 8C
Ferrari 458
Lamborghini Aventador

The last two cars definitely have high douchebag factor, but I would love to be able to afford to own one.

Post: #17

(11-15-2011 11:52 AM)Menace Wrote:  Porsche: 911 and Cayman S
Audi: A4, A5, A6
BMW: 335i and M3
Maserati QP
Mercedes: E63
Alpha Romeo 8C
Ferrari 458
Lamborghini Aventador

The last two cars definitely have high douchebag factor, but I would love to be able to afford to own one.

a friend of a friend got a new Ferrari, have no idea the model, spoiled ass fat rich kid who switches out of high end vehicles every year, he took me for a ride and the passenger seat was full of mcdonalds wrappers so you can undouche it up you just have to make no effort on personal appearance lol Ferraris and Lambos just seem impractical unless you've got more bank than you know what to do with, least with a porsche whatever you can make it a daily ride, those you feel like you gotta garage most of the time and take out when the weather perfect but they're unbelievable vehicles.

Post: #18

If you guys had $200-300k to spend on a new toy, would you rather get a L-39 Albatros or a really nice Ferrari or whatever else supercar?

Post: #19

Reminds me of the joke about what's better, a $250K house or a Ferrari? Answer: Ferarri. You can eat, sleep, and fuck in a Ferrari, but you can't drive a house.

Post: #20

(11-15-2011 01:24 PM)Menace Wrote:  Reminds me of the joke about what's better, a $250K house or a Ferrari? Answer: Ferarri. You can eat, sleep, and fuck in a Ferrari, but you can't drive a house.

But you can't fly a Ferrari!

Post: #21

I think you have to go plane just for the novelty of having one but if I was gonna do a plane I would want one that was big enough that I could take a few people in at a time for trips and that I could bang chicks in, might run you a little more than a ferrari tho lol.

So what about a luxury aircraft vs a yacht?

Post: #22

I like SUVs. Sorry, mother nature.
I love big cars.

Post: #23

(11-15-2011 01:39 PM)mikeymike Wrote:  So what about a luxury aircraft vs a yacht?

That's a tough one.

A yacht allows you to have a consistent living situation while you're living in different location, whereas a nice private jet will get you wherever you want to go whenever you want to go.

I think it depends on whether you like to take things nice and easy, or fast and hardcore.

Now that I think about it, living on a nice big yacht and traveling around the world sounds really nice, but only if I've got a good entourage of young hot russian babes to take along with me, or some good friends. Otherwise, the jet is the way to go.

Post: #24

How many of you guys been on cruises, or passenger ferries? I personally dislike boats since they're so slow personally and find them fairly boring in general. At best it's like being stuck on a small hotel, unless you get to go to secluded islands and what not. Aircraft also eat fuel like nothing. A 1 hour round trip on a 4 seater propeller airplane can cost $100 in gas easy. And then you have the fucking constant maintenance and pre-flight inspection and post flight lockup can add 30 minutes to your travel time easy. It's like driving with a 20mpg car, time compressed. Also you can get stuck in a small airport for a day or two because some douche with a learjet sucked all the gas out of the automated gas pump and there is none left. You have to use special aviation gas too, so you can't get a taxi and buy some gas and jerry cans from the local gas station.

As the saying goes, if it floats, flies or fucks, it's better to rent. I'd much rather just use something like an international on demand air taxi, or something like SeaPort Airlines where you can just check your baggage and board the plane 15 minutes before departure.

Elon Musk, who uses his jet to commute between texas, SF, and LA spends around $36k a month alone on jet costs.
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2010...o-savings/

Post: #25

Guys, I am a professional test driver. If you have any questions or want car advice, I've driven 99% of what's out there.