30K To Spend On A Car, What Would You Buy?

[Stuno1]

When i eventually move away from the F i will have up to 30 to spend on a replacement. Now the better half is driving i can look for something fun. Like you all (i assume) i am always looking for the next car.

I have a similar thread on here elsewhere but i have done more digging and am still stuck...I dont want a newer F as I would like a different car. Criteria:

- 4 seats and it MUST be able to hold a 3-4 year old comfortably

- 3 doors wont be an issue

- Must be more exciting to drive than the F so a sports car style of drive

- Must be no more than 30k

- Must be no more than 6 years old

- Must be no more than45k miles on the clock

- Must equal the f to 60MPH

- Must be automatic

I have been doing a lot of digging and have ruled out the following cars:

- XXR back seats wont fit anything let alone a small person

- Evora door sills are VERY wide and getting in and out looks very awkward. Also a bit basic.

- M4, dont like it!

- Aston DB9. Would need to be garaged and the garage s for my bike. Also too old

- Maserati granturismo, Reliability concerns

- C63, donmt like it!

- GTR. I cant get over the basic interior and lack of class in the interior design. Also geard it is VERY noisy inside and VERY stiff to drive in.

Posibilities:

- RS5, genuine contender at the moment. Seems to tick all the boxes

- 911 is roughly 6-8 k over my budget but I may see past that when I drive one

Any ideas?

I think the F is the best all around car available today for performance, depreciation, spec, quality of build, fun, practicality so any replacement will fail in some odf those areas but we have to move on at some time.

Stu

[rayaans]

What about a Jaguar XF-R? Just adding things to the mix :P It ssuch a sleeper vehicle akin to the ISF and 0.1s slower to 60. Somehow I dont think you'll notice that!

What about C63 Coupe? not the saloon

Im struggling to find a decent spec RS5 for £30k with less than 45k on the clock though :/

[Stuno1]

Xfr won't offer the driving characteristics I am after. Did consider them. Just don't like mercs but it is worth researching. Currently the rs5's are £35 ish but in 2 years will easily be 30k and under 6 years old and mileage I am after I imagine. Look really good as well imo.

Stu

[wendle]

my 3 year old RC-F with aproximatly 10k on the clock, but not till 2018, lol

or what about my 450h f sport, probably not quick enough for you though.

[stevet]

M3, M5

The Maserati's with the proper auto (not duo select) are supposed to be very reliable.

[Glenn1981]

For me it would be a GTR above anything else if I was in your position and had 2 cars, a fun one and a kid hauler.

Nothing else would do.

The only reason I bought the F was because the GTR was not practical for a one car family. Plus ownership costs are daylight robbery. When we get a 4x4 I will get one though.

RS5 was an idea and I like the 4wd, but although they are meant to be, they dont feel fast or special enough for me, although I do like them. Prefer the RS Avant variants or the RS7 personally.

Would a Panamera Turbo S be £30k by then? Love those!

Outside of the box option, what about the new Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge that is coming out, that may be £30k by then. GTR Engine and running gear with refine ment and luxury. God knows what it is going to be like though......

[Stuno1]

For me it would be a GTR above anything else if I was in your position and had 2 cars, a fun one and a kid hauler.

Nothing else would do.

The only reason I bought the F was because the GTR was not practical for a one car family. Plus ownership costs are daylight robbery. When we get a 4x4 I will get one though.

RS5 was an idea and I like the 4wd, but although they are meant to be, they dont feel fast or special enough for me, although I do like them. Prefer the RS Avant variants or the RS7 personally.

Would a Panamera Turbo S be £30k by then? Love those!

Outside of the box option, what about the new Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge that is coming out, that may be £30k by then. GTR Engine and running gear with refine ment and luxury. God knows what it is going to be like though......

Infiniti will definitely be on the list to test drive if it hits the price point. It may well offer similar driving experience to the F and in fact may be similar in many ways but i would definitely test one. GTR just doesn't do it for me at all. I think it will age badly in terms of its shape and it just isn’t luxury enough. It remind me of an evo. Cheap super car performance but maintenance and issues a plenty!

I will have fun testing the cars in any case when the time comes but it is strange that there are so few sports car options when you get down to it and produce a short list.

M3, M5

The Maserati's with the proper auto (not duo select) are supposed to be very reliable.

Dont like M3's at all and read a lot of bad things about the M5, also wont offer a more sporty drive than the F.

[noby76]

think you might need to decide if you want a Sports Car or a high performance Car.

GTR, LFA, Evora, MX-5, S2000, Subaru BRZ, BMW Z models, 370Z, Toyota GT86, 911 are out and out sports cars...2 doors, less luxurious, harsh ride, able to throw around corners and apexes, low sound proofing so engine can be smelled and heard..even ones with as low as 160bhp to their name like the MX-5's are said by car mags/reviewrs to be very exciting and rewarding to drive. Due to being a sports car, bhp is not so relevant instead its more driver involvement and enjoyment.

your likes of IS-F, Maserati, Audi RS5/6, C63, M3/M5, XKR/XF-R fall into the luxury high performance category they are not out and out sports cars and although fast with good handling and huge bhp figures, might not really give that driving enjoyment like what say a 911, BMW Z, S2000, Evora or GT86 has to offer to the driver.. luxury performance cars adds practicality and luxury whilst giving the driver a taste of sports car experience but not 100% of it. which explains why you yearning for that driver excitement/involvement. although you have over 400bhp at your right foots disposal.

a 911 will give you that driver involvement and excitement but might not be luxurious and pampering when compared to say the RS5 Audi. as ones aim is to be a sports car and the other a performance car with a touch of luxury and practicality.

and example of a sports car / luxury performance car comparison will be the new BMW M5/ RS6 Avant and GTR Nissan. similar power, similar weight, delimited will all do 200+mph but the GTR will be fun to drive, will easily be toss-able around corners and will easily out drag and out run those two in a straight line or race track..

so worth deciding if you want a sports car or a luxury performance car. as a sports cars aim is to give driving enjoyment and excitement and the other gives some taste of sports car experience not 100% whilst adding practicality and luxury.

will make it easy for you. 9 1 1 :winky:

but i personally with 30K to spend will be a GTR for track days and S2000 for the streets. takes a lot to beat a GTR round a race track and takes a lot to keep up with a screaming 9000rpm light weight 2 litre round winding streets .i recon 30K budget can buy me those two cars.

[Stuno1]

think you might need to decide if you want a Sports Car or a high performance Car.

GTR, LFA, Evora, MX-5, S2000, Subaru BRZ, BMW Z models, 370Z, Toyota GT86, 911 are out and out sports cars...2 doors, less luxurious, harsh ride, able to throw around corners and apexes, low sound proofing so engine can be smelled and heard..even ones with as low as 160bhp to their name like the MX-5's are said by car mags/reviewrs to be very exciting and rewarding to drive. Due to being a sports car, bhp is not so relevant instead its more driver involvement and enjoyment.

your likes of IS-F, Maserati, Audi RS5/6, C63, M3/M5, XKR/XF-R fall into the luxury high performance category they are not out and out sports cars and although fast with good handling and huge bhp figures, might not really give that driving enjoyment like what say a 911, BMW Z, S2000, Evora or GT86 has to offer to the driver.. luxury performance cars adds practicality and luxury whilst giving the driver a taste of sports car experience but not 100% of it. which explains why you yearning for that driver excitement/involvement. although you have over 400bhp at your right foots disposal.

a 911 will give you that driver involvement and excitement but might not be luxurious and pampering when compared to say the RS5 Audi. as ones aim is to be a sports car and the other a performance car with a touch of luxury and practicality.

and example of a sports car / luxury performance car comparison will be the new BMW M5/ RS6 Avant and GTR Nissan. similar power, similar weight, delimited will all do 200+mph but the GTR will be fun to drive, will easily be toss-able around corners and will easily out drag and out run those two in a straight line or race track..

so worth deciding if you want a sports car or a luxury performance car. as a sports cars aim is to give driving enjoyment and excitement and the other gives some taste of sports car experience not 100% whilst adding practicality and luxury.

will make it easy for you. 9 1 1 :winky:

but i personally with 30K to spend will be a GTR for track days and S2000 for the streets. takes a lot to beat a GTR round a race track and takes a lot to keep up with a screaming 9000rpm light weight 2 litre round winding streets .i recon 30K budget can buy me those two cars.

You would think there would be more of a market for my criteria. The 911 seems the only choice unless the RCF is in my range come swap time. The 911 offers the driving experience, Usable rear seats (for children, a useable boot space, level of comfort i would be after as a minimum. I just seem to be trying so hard to find any alternative and i don’t quite know why.

[noby76]

You would think there would be more of a market for my criteria. The 911 seems the only choice unless the RCF is in my range come swap time. The 911 offers the driving experience, Usable rear seats (for children, a useable boot space, level of comfort i would be after as a minimum. I just seem to be trying so hard to find any alternative and i don’t quite know why.

Yeh i agree apart from Porsche..there a not a lot of sub 4 - 4.5 secs to 60 and 170+mph automatic sports cars out there for taking without resulting to Exotics like Ferrari's or Lambo's and the likes unless you are willing to modify a not soo powerful one to meet the performance criteria you need.

but if it doesn't necessarily need to do 4 - 4.5 secs to 60mph or at least 170mph and be a dual clutch automatic then there are plenty Sports cars out there for the taking.

thing one needs to have in mind is 0-60mph or top speed figures are only important when one is at the right place(German Autobhan) where there is enough open clear road to hit them top speeds and right time(at the traffic lights) for a quick shoot out against another car. apart from these two scenarious, 0-60 and anything over 155mph is not so important when it actually comes to a drivers car for the streets or track. and this is evident in cars like the MX-5's, Integra R, GT86's and S2000's where they dont do 4.5secs to 60 mph and make no more than 250bhp in stock form but are all hailed to be exiting street/track cars to drive and in most cases punch above their weight in terms or real life performance against powerful cars which makes them even more exciting and entertaining since the driver has to put in the work in order to reap the benefits. i think its more about how the car makes the driver feel than brute performance figures. but saying that there are the 911's, the GTR's, Lotus's, TVR's on the other scale which are ridiculously fast and exciting and scary at the same time as some reviewers put it lol.

i think you looking for something to put you on the edge whilst driving and even though i personally haven't driven one i recon you wont go wrong with the 911. the RS5 is fast but i recon it wont give you that blood rushing feeling..worth test driving all the options tho then you can decide.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

With £30k I'd buy the best ISF I could find lol

[Stuno1]

Noby - this is true re power but on the motorway I still want overtaking ability. Porker looks to be the best of all worlds.

[stevet]

It's a pity they don't sell the IS350 here, a recent review from Lexus Enthusiast clocked it quicker round Virginia racetrack than a 2008 ISF.

[North west beast]

With £30k I'd buy the best ISF I could find lol

Me too

[noby76]

Noby - this is true re power but on the motorway I still want overtaking ability. Porker looks to be the best of all worlds.

when it comes to overtaking ability i think we could all attest it boils down to the car in front which one is trying to over take and at which speed and gear the overtaking is about to take place.. although say a 911 Carera S sits lower and lighter than an IS-F, the 911 will not accelerate any faster in an overtaking manoeuvre if it happens between 50 to 75mph as they both achive it in 2.4 - 2.8 seconds in fact the IS-F has been tested to achieve 4.5 seconds from 50-70mph in 5th gear compared to the Carrera S's 5.9 secs in 5th when trying an overtake manoeuvre. even a 335d BMW is quicker(4.7 secs) in 5th gear between 50-70mph compared to say a Carrera S overtaking at the same speeds in 5th. so will all depend on the car in front one is trying to overtake.. but the Porshe looks to fit the bill perfectly in terms of what you kinda looking for ..

[noby76]

It's a pity they don't sell the IS350 here, a recent review from Lexus Enthusiast clocked it quicker round Virginia racetrack than a 2008 ISF.

Yeh i most guys in the US have even recorded quicker lap times in an IS350 comapred to an M3 of around the same year.. driver input has a lot to do with this but i recon the IS350 is not far off in terms of real life performance compared to the IS-F..

[North west beast]

Noby - this is true re power but on the motorway I still want overtaking ability. Porker looks to be the best of all worlds.

when it comes to overtaking ability i think we could all attest it boils down to the car in front which one is trying to over take and at which speed and gear the overtaking is about to take place.. although say a 911 Carera S sits lower and lighter than an IS-F, the 911 will not accelerate any faster in an overtaking manoeuvre if it happens between 50 to 75mph as they both achive it in 2.4 - 2.8 seconds in fact the IS-F has been tested to achieve 4.5 seconds from 50-70mph in 5th gear compared to the Carrera S's 5.9 secs in 5th when trying an overtake manoeuvre. even a 335d BMW is quicker(4.7 secs) in 5th gear between 50-70mph compared to say a Carrera S overtaking at the same speeds in 5th. so will all depend on the car in front one is trying to overtake.. but the Porshe looks to fit the bill perfectly in terms of what you kinda looking for ..

Lol u certainly do your research mate ,some say train spotter or plane spotter ,hmm your defo car spotter lol

[Corrado]

Stu, hope to be in the same situation as you in the medium term. Mrs has just started learning to drive and for me the only option is a 997 gen 2 911 or a 991 911. My heart is telling me to get a 993 though :)

[Corrado]

Oh and by the way in an auto in gear times are not that important. I despatched a 335d with ease one night earlier this week pulling onto a deserted motorway.

[Stuno1]

Stu, hope to be in the same situation as you in the medium term. Mrs has just started learning to drive and for me the only option is a 997 gen 2 911 or a 991 911. My heart is telling me to get a 993 though :)

Does seem the only real option. Practical enough for weekends, sporty drive and an experience to drive, luxurious enough and iconic as well. 997 s looks like the winner as it stands but will see what happens in 2 years.

[Corrado]

Agreed Stu. Lots of time to decide :)

[noby76]

.

Lol u certainly do your research mate ,some say train spotter or plane spotter ,hmm your defo car spotter lo

...

[jetskidia]

There is a brand new 4 door 5.0 ltr V8 super saloon that you could have for approx £33k

There is a slight catch though????

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/build-your-hyundai/index.aspx?vehicle=genesis&year=2015

[Stuno1]

They are certainly coming up in the world but.... No

[jetskidia]

They are certainly coming up in the world but.... No

I remember people saying that exact comment about Japanese bikes and cars............................ Lol