Cool, and thanks for the offer..I'll have to google the "DSG" because I haven't heard of that particular transmission before. I'm primarily interested in this auction.

I love the idea of being able to cruise down the 401 in an all-wheel drive car with a six speed tranny!

Didn't Ford just lose about 12 billion dollars last year? That's got to work out to a boatload of money per car produced...

So by not buying a Ford, you're actually saving them lots of money !!!!

Randy

I just bought this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonbauer/398897520/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonbauer/400221531/in/photostream/

Lot's of bang for the buck. I think it has all of the grace and pedigree of a Lotus Elise (well, I may be exaggerating a bit) but with more function.

No one mentioned that the MX-5 is now available with that power retractable hard top. It's great, but the car is hard to find...

- Jon

I intend my next car to be a used Mercedes 4Matic E class wagon. I think its the best built car on the road, but definitely not terribly "fun" to drive (though they handle very well and have adequate power).

You'd be amazed at how much car you can get for $25-30k in the used E-Class market right now, as the body was just recently updated.

The D "diesel" tempts me, but isn't available in a 4Matic wagon. The D can do almost 700 miles per tank.

If I decide to go purely for comfortable, reliable transportation at the least possible cost, I'll get a used Crown Victoria. These are designed for fleet use and are *extremely* rugged. Check ebay for the prices on 2 year old Crowns (or Mercury Marquis) with all the options. Its an absurd amount of car for the money. Not fun to drive by any means, but quiet, comfortable, and fairly powerful. The adjustable pedals are awesome.

I don't believe in car payments. If I don't want to throw down the cash for the E, I'll get the Crown. I highly recommend paying cash for less car, but I understand that is regarded as an absurd idea these days.

Now I can't resist staying out of the conversation; TigerJimmy sparked my memory.

There are some great overlooked used cars out there. 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII is a damn BEAST (Mustang cobra engine) with all the luxury trimmings, a modding community, and decent gas mileage. Pay no more than $7000 for a quality car. $3k for initial maintenance and extras, and your other $20k for yourself.

For more luxury (and convertible), look for a used Benz CL under $40k. The CL is the first Benz to get the newest technology, looks hot, and is exclusive (around me, anyway). Or get a CLK and keep $10k from your budget.

TigerJimmy, you are a smart man. My used W210 E320 4matic wagon has given me 10k miles quite nicely. It will learn to be responsive if you demand it. Just watch for the known problems (pm me for details).

Redrum, tanstaafl, and other wagon lovers, you're right on as well!

Music, you could be a contract automotive personal shopper with your clear thinking. Good work.

Ok, well after a couple of test drives, I have changed my mind about a lot of what's important to me. Apparently my tastes are growing up (a little).

-Apparently size does matter- for whatever reason the smaller cars just don't appeal to me, nor do 4 doors. The 4 doors don't feel sporty enough, and the roadsters feel too small. The G35 size coup is exactly on target.

-Comfort and "nice little doodads" are a lot more important to me than I thought. I guess I'm just a sucker for buttons and gadgets, but driving that Infiniti got me addicted.

-I am completely over wanting a Mustang. Not just because of the Ford credit thing, but I just realize I want something different from a car than sexy and fun. Obviously I would have said differently two weeks ago.

Bottom line, I think I can probably get a used "Luxury" car pretty well equipped for under 30K if I look hard enough and I will be happy and comfortable with both the car and the payment. I'm going to probably take a few months without a car payment before I take the plunge, but in the mean time I'm going to see what else is out there. There have been a lot of suggestions in this thread, but my focus is now a little more narrow and my goals are different. So I'm humbly going to ask again, but this time here is what I want:

A nice, comfortable car that I can get used for under 30K, is slightly sporty (meaning 2 doors, not 4), is really comfortable, isn't too small (the size of the G35 is perfect), and is well made an will last. Obviously a great sound system is a must (including a way to install an Aux in), and while doodads and gadgets are not strictly important, the certainly can sweeten the deal

Roadsters, wagons, 4 door sedans, and SUVs are all out. Just not what I'm looking for right now.

Are all of the BMW 3 series cars smaller, or do they make some more along the lines of the G35? I'd think that looking at used Audi's might be the way to go; are the models that music mentioned comparable to the G35?

It might seem like I've settled on the G35- truth is I sort of have. After having driven one I basically fell in love. I haven't driven the Audi's or looked at used BMWs yet, though, and I might like one of those even better. Besides, two weeks ago I was settled on getting a brand new Mustang, which I now know would've been a mistake. I'm also not sure I'll be able to find exactly the car I want used, so it'll be helpful to have more options. Thanks for all the help so far- this is an awesome forum.

All 3-series BMWs are the same size. The next size up is the 5-series, and they're liable to be too big for you. Also, I don't think that they come as coupes.

Speaking of which, I don't really understand why you're so opposed to 4 doors. Is it that the styling isn't sporty enough or that you think those two extra hinges somehow compromise the car's performance? Actually, you can get a G35 sedan (the "sport" package) that has more power than the G35 coupe.

Cool, Lexus makes good cars. I'd recommend them, though I've never been in a G35. My parents have always had a company car, and their last two have been the LS430. Fantastic cars.

The Mini is definitely not what you're looking for if your after a slightly larger car now, but I still recommend test driving one. They're simply a hell of a lot of fun to drive. It's like a long free ride at the go kart tracks.

Lexus != Infiniti

Lexus is the Toyota luxury marque. Infiniti is Nissan's. And, while we're at it, Acura is Honda's.

Okay, that's fair. When I hear "sporty" in reference to cars, I think performance, not looks. But as long as we understand what you mean, there's no problem with preferring a car based on looks.

I'd suggest you go over to Edmunds or Yahoo Cars and do some comparisons. I plugged in midsize coupes and very few cars come up. Even fewer when you remove the ones that are over $50k. Basically, you're left with the G35, the Mustang, the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, the Pontiac G6, and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo (yuck!).

You might want to check out a new Camry. They changed the styling this year. I think it looks pretty neat, but I've not been in one.

There are other coupes available in the same general size range, but the G35 is just big enough to be classified as a midsize instead of a compact.

Although it doesn't meet your 2-door standard, definitely check out the Acura TL. I don't think you'd be disappointed. One of my buddies has one with pretty much all the options and it's a pretty nice ride.

Ariel Atom is so 2004. Ariel Atom 2, Chevy Cobalt SS engine, eats Hondas for breakfast. According to some magazine I read at the barber. Now THAT'S a car on my must-buy list.

My top choices for a two door would definitely be between the BMW 3 series and a Porshe 911, or a Porsche Cayman S.