Need opinions: Thinking about a new DD? - Northern California Ford Owners

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Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

So I am thinking about getting a new daily driver, & want to see what some of your opinions are. The car has to be V8, RWD/AWD, & manual trans, in the $18K-$24k price range. Of course if I get 1 of these cars, it means the Mach will have to go bye bye, but I will still have the Notch, so I won't be stangless. Just need a car that is more practical, comfortable, & something I can take on long trips... I absolutely love my Mach, but I am sick of making payments on a car that I only drive 8 or so days a month, & its not very comfortable or practical. I have never thought about getting rid of the Mach until lately. Although keeping it would be the cheapest & easiest option, but I just feel I need a car I can hop in & drive without worries of scraping, bumpy rides, or worrying about putting too many miles on it....

Anyhow, here are the cars I am thinking of. I'm not going for the fastset car, since my Notch will end up being the track warrior, so keep in mind, I want a relatively fast car, but comfortable, roomy, & reliable...

04-05 Cadillac CTS V= 400hp LS6, T56 six spd. This 1 would probably be the best value, is cheaper maintanance wise, & would most likely be the fastest.

2004-2005 Audi S4 sedan=340hp DOHC 4.2L V8, AWD, 6 spd manual. I love the sleeper-ish looks, the interior is sexy, & the suspension is top notch. This would be the slowest though.

2000-2003 BMW M5=394hp DOHC 4.9L V8, 6 speed. This would be my favorite, but the maintanance & reliability scares me...

What do you guys think??? Keep the Mach???

If I do end up keeping the Mach 1, it will most likely get the IRS rear that I have been thinking about since I think this is the only thing that will make it a more enjoyable street cruiser....

Thoughts???

[ November 28, 2009, 11:07 PM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by WildFire532FB (Member # 1482) on :

Keep the Mach, all those cars suck.

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by WildFire532FB:
Keep the Mach, all those cars suck.

Suck??? Hmmmm, they might not look as mean as the Mach, but they are far superior in every category except drag racing.

Thanks for the honest opinion though....

Posted by losbadgts (Member # 4394) on :

it's not a stick shift but I would take a e55 anyday.

Posted by fasthatch (Member # 7277) on :

quote:
Originally posted by EPIK:

quote:
Originally posted by WildFire532FB:
Keep the Mach, all those cars suck.
Suck??? Hmmmm, they might not look as mean as the Mach, but they are far superior in every category except drag racing.

Thanks for the honest opinion though....

get the cts there sweet

Posted by 93ReefBlue5.0 (Member # 5780) on :

keep the mach and do an IRS swap. or get the cts-v and sell me the mach...lol

Posted by BULLITTMAN (Member # 8468) on :

My first suggestion was going to be the new Taurus SHO, but you want a V-8...so what about the Pontiac G8, I'm sure you could find a great deal on one of those...

Posted by slowback67 (Member # 6348) on :

I'd do the IRS swap..... All those cars you want, if something breaks on them.... They would cost even more to fix. Just my
.02

Posted by jordan_0806 (Member # 5888) on :

out of those 3 cars, you're best bet would be the CTS-V....the Audi would be hard to find in that price range without having some high mileage on it and even normal maintenance would be scary as well as any repairs it may need.....

the Bimmer is in the same category as the Audi...unless you could possibly get an 00-01 but they were known to have some electrical issues and also if you had any repairs at all, price would be scary high....

I'd stick with the CTS-V, you can find a good deal on them between $18-21K and more than likely a nice clean, decently low mileage one

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

Thanks for the opinions fellas. I was lookin into the G8, but its very hard to find a 6 speed, plus they are still bank. All of those cars would be more expensive to fix than the Mach, but a CTS V just has a regulor ol' pushrod LSX, so it cant be that bad maintanance wise?

I love my Mach, & it would be hard to part with it since it is the stang that I have had the longest & I put A LOT into it... Who knows??? If I do, it will go back to almost 100% STOCK, & everything that will fit on the coupe will get transfered over....

You know I will most likely keep the Mach since I owe WAY TOO MUCH, & they aren't worth Sh#t anymore, but I have been thinking about this A LOT lately.

[ November 28, 2009, 11:30 PM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by fasthatch (Member # 7277) on :

quote:
Originally posted by losbadgts:
it's not a stick shift but I would take a e55 anyday.

e55 suck balls way too many problems

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by jordan_0806:
out of those 3 cars, you're best bet would be the CTS-V....the Audi would be hard to find in that price range without having some high mileage on it and even normal maintenance would be scary as well as any repairs it may need.....

the Bimmer is in the same category as the Audi...unless you could possibly get an 00-01 but they were known to have some electrical issues and also if you had any repairs at all, price would be scary high....

I'd stick with the CTS-V, you can find a good deal on them between $18-21K and more than likely a nice clean, decently low mileage one

You are right about the CTS V, I have been checking them out the last few days & I have seen some stupid deals... Granted, most werent in Cali, but it shows what type of deals you could find....

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=267027059&dealer_id=64498173&car_year=2004&rdm=1259469341564&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&model=CTS&make3=&systime=&make2=BMW &highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=2000&engine=8%20Cylinder&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=500&marketZipError=false&m odel2=M5&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&sownerid=611493&first_record=26&make=CAD&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=pr iceDESC&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=95829&advanced=y&end_year=2005&pager.offset=25&transmission=Manual&doors=&max_price=&cardist=374&standar d=false

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=268725318&dealer_id=64609433&car_year=2004&rdm=1259469341564&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&model=CTS&make3=&systime=&make2=BMW &highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=2000&engine=8%20Cylinder&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=500&marketZipError=false&m odel2=M5&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&sownerid=611493&first_record=26&make=CAD&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=&drive=&default_sort=pr iceDESC&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=95829&advanced=y&end_year=2005&pager.offset=25&transmission=Manual&doors=&max_price=&cardist=442&standar d=false

[ November 28, 2009, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by 5.0-srt-4 (Member # 5864) on :

hey epik, ive gone through what your going through, you know that as anal as we are the new dd you get,youll be super protective over it too lol good luck i like the ctsv

Posted by adower (Member # 5955) on :

Would you consider a truck? Why not try to pickup a nice F250 diesel or something?

Posted by WildFire532FB (Member # 1482) on :

quote:
Originally posted by slowback67:
I'd do the IRS swap..... All those cars you want, if something breaks on them.... They would cost even more to fix. Just my
.02

and that's why they suck.

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by adower:
Would you consider a truck? Why not try to pickup a nice F250 diesel or something?

I want something fun to drive, & Im not really a 4X4 guy, but the 1 truck I have been thinking about is a 2 tone supercharged harley F150, although I DO NOT want a black car.

[ November 29, 2009, 12:04 AM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by 5.0-srt-4:
hey epik, ive gone through what your going through, you know that as anal as we are the new dd you get,youll be super protective over it too lol good luck i like the ctsv

I will definitely be anal about it. If I do get another car, it will be garaged & black or dark colored paint will NOT be an option.

Posted by its50 (Member # 4069) on :

i been thinking of getting rid of my mach 1 as well for something more roomy.i prolly wouldnt be getting another car unless it was old school muscle or pushrod anyways.im kinda board with my car cant really do much to it.the money i would spend to get it the way i would like it i could buy another car.good luck though..get the cad-o-lac.there is a guy around my way with a black one.it has long tubes and it is cammed up for sure.that thing sounds like a animal at the zoo that they havent fed in about a month.lol real nice car though

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by its50:
i been thinking of getting rid of my mach 1 as well for something more roomy.i prolly wouldnt be getting another car unless it was old school muscle or pushrod anyways.im kinda board with my car cant really do much to it.the money i would spend to get it the way i would like it i could buy another car.good luck though..get the cad-o-lac.there is a guy around my way with a black one.it has long tubes and it is cammed up for sure.that thing sounds like a animal at the zoo that they havent fed in about a month.lol real nice car though

I'm not bored or tired of the Mach at all, the car still satisfies me in every way except ride comfort. I just feel like I need something more roomy & comfy. Since I would never finance a typical sedan or family car like a camry or accord, might as well get something that performs good too...

Posted by Jessie P (Member # 7073) on :

Dustin for a V8 look into the SRT-8 chargers or 300c. You could usually find a nice low mileaged used one for around what your looking to spend. I have driven both and they are very comfortable. You being a tall guy they fit you just fine. Only down fall the the 300 however I don't think they come in manual. I know the Chargers do.

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jessie P:
Dustin for a V8 look into the SRT-8 chargers or 300c. You could usually find a nice low mileaged used one for around what your looking to spend. I have driven both and they are very comfortable. You being a tall guy they fit you just fine. Only down fall the the 300 however I don't think they come in manual. I know the Chargers do.

None of the SRT 8 sedans are available with a manual trans from what I have seen. Only the Challenger came with the 6 speed manual. Those cars are cool, but they are too common, I want something a bit more rare.

Posted by Jessie P (Member # 7073) on :

That's going to be hard to achieve bro. For what your looking to pay I'm sure you could find a used CTS-V. BMW's are nice but costly, along with Benz. Maybe try finding a Lexus? I hear those are pretty decent bang for the buck. They do make a manual in the Charger I drove them to the body shop a few times. Weird colors though one was like a purple and the other was like a bright baby blue lol. Colors I didn't care for.

Posted by Jessie P (Member # 7073) on :

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1486119178.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1484695828.html

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jessie P:
That's going to be hard to achieve bro. For what your looking to pay I'm sure you could find a used CTS-V. BMW's are nice but costly, along with Benz. Maybe try finding a Lexus? I hear those are pretty decent bang for the buck. They do make a manual in the Charger I drove them to the body shop a few times. Weird colors though one was like a purple and the other was like a bright baby blue lol. Colors I didn't care for.

I have seen CTS V's with under 65k going for $17k, & cars with under 30k going for $22k. CTS-V is one of the best bang for the buck cars on the market right now, as long as you don't plan on selling 1 a couple of years after buying because they aren't holding much value. I have researched the SRT 8 charger's, but can't find anything about a manual trans from the factory? I doubt I will buy an M5, but I have seen some 2000-2002's with 50k-75k going from $18k-$23k. An M5 would be bad@$$, but it would be too much of a risk. I haven't really heard much bad stuff about the Audi S4, but I don't know anyone who owns 1, just what I research on the net...

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jessie P:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1486119178.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1484695828.html

M3's are nice, but they are 2 door's, & I don't do verts....

Posted by 50 Deep (Member # 6216) on :

buy my 94 hyundai excel

Posted by 1sic50 (Member # 6684) on :

Don't sell the mach Epik [Eek!]

do the IRS swap and be happy bro. but if you do get one of the other cars I would get the Audi those car are sweet my boy wife has one we just got from L.A. drove down in it they are fast and have a nice ride!!!!!! BUT KEEP THE MACH [Big Grin]

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by 50 Deep:
buy my 94 hyundai excel

Throw in the pops ol skool Jag, & it might be a deal... LOL...

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by 1sic50:
Don't sell the mach Epik do the IRS swap and be happy bro. but if you do get one of the other cars I would get the Audi those car are sweet my boy wife has one we just got from L.A. drove down in it they are fast and have a nice ride!!!!!! BUT KEEP THE MACH

I will most likely keep the Mach, because if I do get 1 of those other cars, I will essentially be starting all over with a new loan since I won't have much to put down, & I will have some negative equity. In this economy, it would be a dumb decision, BUT I would love to have 1 of those Audi's... I have never been in 1, but I love the way they look, the interior is sexy, suspension is top notch,& they seem like they would scoot pretty good. Did it really seem fast?

Anyway, I need to find me an 03 Cobra owner who wants to trade for an SRA with 4.10's... Know anybody?

[ November 29, 2009, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by 4.6 EATIN GM'S (Member # 1633) on :

what about a trail blazer ss? 400hp ls2 rwd or awd and you can find them from $15-$22,000

Posted by MikeD. (Member # 8060) on :

For me a toss up between the Audi and the CTS. It would have to be an Rs4 for the Audi though.

Posted by fasthatch (Member # 7277) on :

i good used Audi is going to cost big bucks to fix anything on it.just maintenance is big bucks like if needs a timing belt replaced the whole front grill bumper rad need to be removed an there a pain in the ass to change

Posted by Mach103 (Member # 746) on :

Yo Dustin its Mario.... take it from me a previous Mach 1 owner. Hands down get a CTS-V if you want call Sean from brentwood and ask him for a ride one day in his V and i bet it will change your mind. I never said i was going to sell my Mach 1 and i did to get something more comfotable and faster and now i own a Trailblazer SS..... Theres always something better out there and i would say the CTS-V would be your best bet. Im happy with the decision i made i just wish i had a 5 spd or a 6 spd....

Posted by N8 (Member # 6048) on :

YOu cannot go wrong with that Caddi. It gets my vote hands down. I actually didnt even look at the other cars you were thinking about..lol

Posted by 925GT50 (Member # 2683) on :

Go with the CTS V, I seen the new 2010 just the other day at the auto show in s.f and its sick. my cousin is getting one next year.

Posted by SAMACH1 (Member # 7042) on :

Come on bro...are you serious? LOL drive the MACH and beat on it, put miles on it, then when the motor ever gets hurt/tired put a twin-screw with forged internals on it.....END OF STORY [patriot]

Posted by STREETFIGHTER50 (Member # 2973) on :

Of the 3 I'd get a CTS-V. Best value for sure. M5 & Audi are sick too! Always liked them, but maintenence would definitely be cheaper for you with the Caddy & I'd probably rather tear into the LS2 motor than the others as well.

Posted by 88DroptopGT (Member # 2535) on :

quote:
Originally posted by EPIK:

quote:
Originally posted by Jessie P:
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1486119178.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/ctd/1484695828.html
M3's are nice, but they are 2 door's, & I don't do verts....

Yeah my buddies '01 black M3 was really nice performance/comfort wise. Then he got electrical problems. It would just die in the middle of the road sometimes.

For a $35k+ car it was pretty bad. He nearly lemon'd it.

I think M3/M5's are great brand new but when you put 50-75k+ miles on it the maintenance really kills you. That's why the auto mags love them. They only have them for a year or two with minimal problems they don't have to front $5k for a timing chain and valve adjustment two years later.

Posted by venomous99 (Member # 1917) on :

if i were in the market for a nice classy daily driver in that price range, id look at japanese over euros cuz the maintenance cost on euros can be ridiculous and working on them might be a pain in the ass.
my choices would be:

2005-07 infiniti m35 - 303hp, bad ass styling

2005-up lexus gs350 -decent power but great gas mileage

youd have to bump your budget to around 25k for the lexus gs but what's another 5k to spend? [Wink]

[ November 29, 2009, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: venomous99 ]

Posted by bottled95GT?? (Member # 1772) on :

quote:
Originally posted by fasthatch:

quote:
Originally posted by EPIK:

quote:
Originally posted by WildFire532FB:
Keep the Mach, all those cars suck.
Suck??? Hmmmm, they might not look as mean as the Mach, but they are far superior in every category except drag racing.

Thanks for the honest opinion though....
get the cts there sweet

yea i watched one blow its rearend at sac raceway 2 weeks back lol

Posted by 510svt (Member # 8705) on :

Keep the mach1 that things sick.

Posted by SheerSliver03 (Member # 6589) on :

i saw epik driving around elk grove the other day and that mach was sick. but dont buy any audi pre-2005. i would go with a 370z if you could find one cheap 13.4 (1/4mile) 20+mpg.....just not a v8

Posted by EPIK (Member # 7481) on :

quote:
Originally posted by 4.6 EATIN GM'S:
what about a trail blazer ss? 400hp ls2 rwd or awd and you can find them from $15-$22,000

I have thought about those, but the gas mileage is horrible, & they are only available with an auto. They are bad@$$ though IMO...

quote:
Originally posted by MikeD.:
For me a toss up between the Audi and the CTS. It would have to be an Rs4 for the Audi though.

RS4's are sick as hell, but are STUPID expensive...

quote:
Originally posted by SAMACH1:
Come on bro...are you serious? LOL drive the MACH and beat on it, put miles on it, then when the motor ever gets hurt/tired put a twin-screw with forged internals on it.....END OF STORY

LOL... I knew you would post this LOL... I'm not scared to put miles on the car, or beat on it, I just need a better ride quality to make me want to drive it more often...

quote:
Originally posted by fasthatch:
i good used Audi is going to cost big bucks to fix anything on it.just maintenance is big bucks like if needs a timing belt replaced the whole front grill bumper rad need to be removed an there a pain in the ass to change

I figured maintanence would be a pain on anything German, I have pretty much ruled those options out now...

quote:
Originally posted by Mach103:
Yo Dustin its Mario.... take it from me a previous Mach 1 owner. Hands down get a CTS-V if you want call Sean from brentwood and ask him for a ride one day in his V and i bet it will change your mind. I never said i was going to sell my Mach 1 and i did to get something more comfotable and faster and now i own a Trailblazer SS..... Theres always something better out there and i would say the CTS-V would be your best bet. Im happy with the decision i made i just wish i had a 5 spd or a 6 spd....

Wasup Mario. I think a CTS V would be my 1st choice now, but If I did get 1, I wouldn't want to heavily mod it, just a few bolt ons, suspension, & wheels. Wouldn't want to defeat the purpose of having a comfy DD. I didn't know Sean had a V? What does he have done to it?

quote:
Originally posted by STREETFIGHTER50:
Of the 3 I'd get a CTS-V. Best value for sure. M5 & Audi are sick too! Always liked them, but maintenence would definitely be cheaper for you with the Caddy & I'd probably rather tear into the LS2 motor than the others as well.

Yup the CTS V is the best value on the market right now for a potential buyer looking for a high performance sedan....

quote:
Originally posted by 88DroptopGT:

quote:
Originally posted by venomous99:
if i were in the market for a nice classy daily driver in that price range, id look at japanese over euros cuz the maintenance cost on euros can be ridiculous and working on them might be a pain in the ass.
my choices would be:

2005-07 infiniti m35 - 303hp, bad ass styling

2005-up lexus gs350 -decent power but great gas mileage

youd have to bump your budget to around 25k for the lexus gs but what's another 5k to spend?

Those cars are very nice, especially the Infiniti, but they just don't seem like they would be fun to drive. Comfy yes, but not fun. They do look sick though. Neither come with a manual though, or do they?

quote:
Originally posted by 510svt:
Keep the mach1 that things sick.

quote:
Originally posted by SheerSliver03:
i saw epik driving around elk grove the other day and that mach was sick. but dont buy any audi pre-2005. i would go with a 370z if you could find one cheap 13.4 (1/4mile) 20+mpg.....just not a v8

Thanks guys.... Where did you see me driving, & what car were you in?

& thanks everyone for your input. After giving it A LOT of thought today, I don't think I am gonna be in such a rush to get rid of the Mach. I still love the car, & with a few changes it will make for a nice comfy cruiser, while still being fast enough to be fun.... Trading it in, or selling it for any of the cars I mentioned would just put me back to square 1 with car payments, & it wouldn' be the smartest decision. The prices on CTS-V's will continue to go down, so no need to be in a rush at this time... Now all I need to do is find that IRS rear from an 03/04 Cobra I have been looking for, swap it in the Mach, & be done with it....

[ November 29, 2009, 10:45 PM: Message edited by: EPIK ]

Posted by East Bay 50 (Member # 8081) on :

get the caddy Dustin!

Posted by solbrothers (Member # 7524) on :

would not get a german car. electrical nightmares

Posted by Sco Cuddie (Member # 6757) on :

Get the M5. I've been drink a BMW around as my DD for a couple months now. Car is very comfortable. And knowing how well you take care of cars - a german car shouldn't be that hard for you to maintain.

Posted by essasin (Member # 4741) on :

I'd get the M5 but I know what you mean about the maintenance and reliability. We had an 03 x5 and random things started to break over the years. The rear actuator broke twice, the defrost button got stuck, random buttons in the car started to malfunction, the navi unit would go haywire from time to time and restart itself, random hard starts, the ac would sometimes top blowing cold air, and that's the short list. But it was still one hell of an suv to drive, looked awesome inside and out, and made very good power. 8 years later that suv looks modern.

I may have been an unlucky one but the problems that I encountered where something other bmw owners faced as I researched the problems online. I never ran into major mechanical problems or had the car break down on me but I did get tired of fixing random crap (that was a bit pricey to fix) and got a Toyota Tacoma.

Posted by 88DroptopGT (Member # 2535) on :

I'd just put an S-trim on that Mach and call it a day!

Posted by six 5.0 (Member # 3153) on :

i know its not manual..... But its BAD ASS.

Posted by 89bluenotch (Member # 7454) on :

^^^^^ i went for a ride in a vortech powered srt8 like 575hp Awd it was fun

Posted by SheerSliver03 (Member # 6589) on :

on the corner of calvine and elk grove florin. i noticed the fr500s first, then that it was a red mach and i then saw the plate.

Posted by 87droptop50 (Member # 7185) on :

quote:
Originally posted by six 5.0:
i know its not manual..... But its BAD ASS.

I wish I kinda woulda waited . I coulda gotten a jeep for the same price I paid for my f150

Posted by STREETFIGHTER50 (Member # 2973) on :

Yeah good keep the mach! U put way too much into it already to just go n get rid of it so soon. Its a one of a kind Mach & super clean! Get that IRS in there n be happy Dustin [Smile]

Posted by Blind (Member # 3052) on :

quote:
Originally posted by EPIK:

quote:
Originally posted by adower:
Would you consider a truck? Why not try to pickup a nice F250 diesel or something?
I want something fun to drive, & Im not really a 4X4 guy, but the 1 truck I have been thinking about is a 2 tone supercharged harley F150, although I DO NOT want a black car.

do it, I fucking love my dark shadow grey one [Wink]

even though "it's a truck" it easily out handles stock and mildly setup mustangs, but mine does have the hotchkis suspension kit on it [Wink]

kind of crazy to haul ass around corners in a 5klb truck with less body roll than most cars...

Posted by 50Reasons (Member # 6452) on :

Take out those damn rear upper control arms Out! and you'll be happy with the ride again ,it's a 30 min job [burnout]

[ December 02, 2009, 05:15 AM: Message edited by: 50Reasons ]

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