Hello OzB,
Looking for a fun car for under 12k - would like to know your recommendations.
Would prefer something newer than 2010 and less than 120k's
I'm not interested in anything VW gti cars personally and I love mx-5's but at 6 foot 5 it's not really an option.
Previously owned an 86 and needs to be more powerful.
Let me know your thoughts.
Edit: Just removed the specific cars mentioned as I don't want this to turn into some debate over french vs Japanese. All thoughts welcome.
Miata is always the answer
Not when your head makes a dent in the roof. Love them to bits. First cars was an NA.
It's very hard to recommend a car. For example, I think WRX is boring as hell but when I say that I may offend some people.
Just go test drive cars you are interested in to make sure you end up buying a car you'll actually enjoy.
you could find a GT86 with high kms for that price, I'v seen some people quick selling their cars on the GT86 Facebook Groups for around 12-13.5k
https://imgur.com/VUEVMu3
How about a Focus/Mondeo XR5 Turbo? Find a good example, they're a great car with a unique sound (5 Cyl motor from Volvo) 166/162kw 320nm stock. 6sp. Manual.
Easily tuneable with a flash - 200kw + 400nm. Service it regularly and you should be fine.
I've had two XR5's. A Focus and a Mondeo- zero mechanical issues other than regular maintenance across 12 years of ownership.
Jump on an owners forum and chat to the folks and see what issues they commonly experience because my experience was pretty much flawless.
Love my Focus XR5, surprised a lot of people even when it just had a stage 1 tune.
2009+ lancer ralliart with the free tune map available online, you can flash it yourself for 250 dollars. gives evo x performance
Which website is that from? I wonder why more people don't do this.
Just get the MX-5 and put up with it being uncomfortable and slow. :D
The NC was bigger than the NA/NB so that might fit you a bit better.
I'm on my third MX-5, love them to bits.
It needs to be an ND for me at this point. Will buy one for the wife in a year and use when sunny.
Firstly, you keep saying you’ve owned cars in the suggestions people are giving (ie clio rs, which is a good choice), and secondly you keep saying more power. You can expect to spend $12k, want something like an 86 and be faster.
The answer is unless you’re going for a WRX Impreza, Xr5/6 turbo or Toyota aurion, good luck finding anything decent and fast at that budget.
You need to up your budget.
The Clio RS is auto only. I've never found any auto to be that 'fun'. Can up the budget if needed. I've owned more than 12 cars in 10 years of driving. NA max-5 was my fav.
Donate some height to me and you can get an mx5 :P
Friend has an megane rs and can confirm it is super fun
I purchased a 2010 Mazda 3 MPS with 110k's on the clock for $12,000 last November. Absolutely love the car, so much fun and awesome value for money. It had mostly high way kms so I was very happy with the purchase. Easy to modify if you're into that. Plenty of power and quite easily a sleeper as not everyone knows how much power the MPS packs. Good on fuel when driving normally and an overall reliable car
That's a bargain! Most seem to be nearing 200k's at that price. MPS is now second on the list.
Yeah I managed to find the right buyer who was just sick of keeping it on the market (I was watching it for 3+ months on carsales). It's in very good condition (I just had to drive 2 hours from Brisbane to go get it). Let them sit on my 12k offer with 6 month rego for a good few days, then they contacted me and said yes I'll accept the offer.
It's a fun car man, you'll love it if you do manage to get one. But plenty of other awesome cars out there for your money as well. The MPS (if you find a good one) can go a long way with your money
Being 6'5 tall is going to restrict your choice and you will have to check head clearance in all the cars you consider. I'm 6'1 with size 9 shoe and find my friends 2019 MX-5 very uncomfortable to get into and the gearbox well is intrusive.
My recommendation would be a Alfa Giulietta QV, Kia Proceed GT with "tech pack", i30 SR, Pulsar SSS, veloster SR turbo.
I think you might find that the other, more sporty cars at that price will be in lesser of condition. If your lucky you can get a 2015 Kia Proceed GT when they came with 7 year warranty (meaning you'd have ~2 years remaining).
Your listing 200HP cars, OP said he already had a 86 and wants more power.
But I think that's the issue, 150-200HP are budget fast cars. As that's all 1.4 turbo- to 2litres can do unless its a lotus/4c or something.
Exactly, 200HP isn't enough for me anymore, need something with close to 200kw or something that can be tuned easily.
With that in mind, you can't go past a XR6 turbo or SV6 commodore, 370Z or imported skyline equivalent in manual. I fear other cars will be beat-up around this price range (unless your lucky and find a gem).
Giulietta QV has the same 1750cc as a 4C and can easily be tuned. They are also cheap. At 12K you're scraping the barrel of any serious performance car. That's where the Barra comes into its own.
I got a 2017 Suzuki Swift. Around $50 for a tank of fuel. Get about 550km out of it. Cheap to run. It's got more of a kick than a Toyota Corolla when taking off at the lights. I've only ever had Toyota. I'll stick with Suzuki fir the next car upgrade. Doesn't feel like a cheap build.
I'd say go for a Nissan 350Z or 370Z. Your budget may not get you one as new as you'd like, but even the oldest 350Z's can be found in great shape and with lots of life left. Just be sure to get one that hasn't been modified.. Cosmetic mods are ok (if thats your thing), but engine, drive train, and other mechanical mods are usually a sign its had a tougher life.
- They're V6, so plenty powerful
- They're not turbo charged (which means simpler/cheaper services and maintenance)
- They look great (my opinion)
Downsides are that it only has 2 seats, and it will use more fuel than a 4 cylinder car. But if its meant to be a fun car then I don't think these matter.
I've had a 2003 350Z for about 6-7 years now. Bought it over a new Toyota 86 for about half the cost. I'm also 6' tall and didn't love the 86 for its short comings.. Looked good, but was a bit of a toy car..
higher kms & older for that price but I think the Porsche Boxster is a great drivers car (have to see if you can fit).
Requirements are pretty unreasonable, best option would be an Opel Astra OPC in my opinion they are hitting 12,000$ on used market and are very powerful.
Nissan 350Z, Fiesta ST, Suzuki Swift Sport, Ford Focus XR5, Civic Type R (2010s) also suit budget but not requirements.
8 cylinder under 120,000km
8 cylinder 2010 or newer
Cars over 133kW/T, 2010 or newer and under 120,000km
You still need to budget for transfers and repairs.
~100kW/T is enough for fun though corners. 126kW/T is around what you are used to with your 86. ~150kW/T can be more than enough to have silly fun up a mountain pass (on a closed road). 200kW/T is around where sports cars start to become fun to accelerate in a straight line for me.
I prefer light and under powered. Keeps me under the speed limit while pushing the car to the limit. Like smarter people have said, no two used cars are the same. Pick something you like then have a look at it with a mechanic buddy (or give the seller $50 to take it to a mechanic in their area that you trust).
If you're willing to stretch the year/KMs a touch, then a WRX is a great option. Very nice car to drive, safe, 4 doors with a usable backseat and boot.
Hard to find and probably won't work height-wise for you but I've always thought it'd be fun to drive around in a Suzuki Mightyboy. If I wasn't bargaining I would've gone for a Jimny since they look pretty cheerful and apparently they're fun to drive.
For the budget and preference of Japanese makes I think OP should be realisticly looking at cars like Mazda 3 SP25, Accord Euro, Mazda 6, maybe an older WRX/turbo Liberty or IS250
I have owned a few of these suggestions. Owned a 370z, Megane RS, Clio RS, Porsche Cayman (pretty much a Boxster), Giulietta QV, ND MX5, NC2 MX5, NA MX5, R34 Skyline GTT, Audi TT Mk1 Quattro, Audi TTS mk2. And lots more.
If you wanted a manual car with power, it would hard to argue with the 370z. Especially since petrol is so cheap. But its just feels very heavy.
Giulietta QV/Audi TT is a good hot hatch back and is more on the side of comfort.
Megane RS is a bit harder then the QV.
Boxster/Cayman is great, just expect to pay lots for insurance.
NC2 MX5 is probably the best car to drive out of all of them. Best engine, best gearbox, perfect size and looks great.
Cars are not fun. Get a sports bike and go to a trackday if you want fun.
Mazda 3
XR8 Falcon, given fuel prices.
You might find some bargains at actions with car rental companies trying to off load there fleet because of the virus
Was in your shoes last year and ultimately went with importing a Toyota Crown from Japan. Can definitely pick up a nice 184 athlete (what I got) or possibly a 204 if you want to try saving a couple more grand while it's being shipped over (what I would go for cause it looks more modern). It's fast, unknown in Australia but all the mechanical parts can be grabbed from a lexus or Camry. So parts are a plenty and pretty cheap. Economical and reliable. Resale value is pretty good as rarity means you only really lose a few grand over the next few years with regular use. As apposed to a Reno which will lose a fair bit more.