Hooniverse Asks- What Car Doesn’t Interest You When New, But Fills You With Want When Used?
Just like Tarzan, the NAIAS, this week is in full swing, and the last two Hooniverse Asks have been about yet to be released cars that debuted at the Detroit iron orgy. This raised the hackles of a couple of Hoons, who will go nameless, but since they did find it incredulous that Hooniverse might deem something still under warranty discussion-worthy, I thought it best to switch things up and go old school with today’s question. Lest you consider that a capitulation, rest assured they will be receiving a burning bag of poo on their doorstep in due time.
I kid.
Actually, all the bitching and moaning did bring up an interesting conundrum, which is, what cars are completely unpalatable when dealer fresh, but seem okay once the new wears off? For me, that’s the M5. Buying BMW’s hottest mid-sizer with nothing on the clock and a huge price tag on the window is about as appealing to me as getting my ass waxed, and I think it makes about as much sense. Depreciation on BMWs – especially the pricier models – could be a new thrill ride at Six Flags – the terrifying wallet drop! – making people who plunk down the dealer dowery objects of either derision, or pity. But wait a few years and suddenly what was an $80K you’re dreamin’ machine is now a $12,000 hootenanny in which it really doesn’t matter whether you use Mobil 1 any more, or how many times you fart in its fancy pants upholstery.
That’s one car I think – much like certain wines and Diane Lane – that just gets better (and balls-cheaper) with age. Sure, some people like a car that’s both factory tight and un-befouled by others, but I say, embrace the befouling, if not the befouler, you’ll be happier and richer for doing so. Should you concur, what are some cars that you think don’t pass muster when new, but suddenly are desirable when they’ve got a little used on them?
Image source: [CarFab]
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Pretty much any car whose MSRP is above 33,000USD. Above that point, it is like, "what did I just pay for?!"
You took the words right out of my mouth…M5. The F10 M5 is amazing…but I would give a kidney and a half for an E39!
Anyone need a kidney for and E39 M5?
How's your liver? Mine is pretty shot.
There are two on the grille!
…why am I in a bathtub full of ice?
Seriously though; aside from a Corvette, what else could you get for $8,000 to $16,000 with a V8, suspension for either track or road, tons of aftermarket support, row-your-own transmission and prestige? Granted, there are always problems with a 10 year old luxury car, but if you are buying a car for it's hooning ability and not a DD, then you either work on your own fleet as a labor of love or you have money coming out of your ears.
"Aside from a Corvette, what else could you get for $8,000 to $16,000 with a V8, suspension for either track or road, tons of aftermarket support, row-your-own transmission and prestige?"
<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxafeoD15s1r7fhpwo2_400.png">
…although that "prestige" thing might be a bit tricky…
<img src="http://images.craigslist.org/5G85Mf5Ja3m33La3J7c17a3ebe05d193418a5.jpg">
V8-powered S4, 6MT. Unfortunately rather douchey looking.
<img src="http://images.craigslist.org/5G85Fe5J23G53Fd3Ibc1359ae83ab9c441dab.jpg">
'67 Mustang with a build 302, T5, 3.73:1 rearend and disc brakes for $9000.
Throw a few more grand in suspension bits from my friends at OpenTracker racing, and you'll have a surprisingly competent vehicle.
Touché…
I do like your taste in vehicles (namely the Mustang) but are we departing from the INTENT (sorry, how to italicize?) of the article?
Anyone (well…some people) could build an open frame into something fun to hoon, but rather finding something that you could buy used just about anywhere, register it and drive it in the same day. I will not pretend to know the value of customized '67 Mustangs around the country or Interwebs, but I do know that at the time of this posting on cars.com there are 38 E39 (and 3 E34) M5s for $20,000 or less with manual transmissions for sale.
Also worth considering: 540 or 545s with MTs are in that price range. Probably a bit less ridiculous cost of ownership.
The e39 M5 is totally a right answer to today's question, I even sort of said so myself about 50 comments down.
I tend to jump on any opportunity to vicariously shop for awesome cars, that's all.
Word up on the 540/545…
I just love talking about cars I cannot currently afford (house time) with other gearheads.
Any Ford Lightnings still around? http://www.theautolog.com/uploads/imafireman641/1…
I just so happen to own one sir
mine's got a bunch of fun stuff added as well, 150hp of giggle gas, 2800 stall, traction bars, and I tune it all on my laptop 
she's muh bay bay
An '04
Holden MonaroPontiac GTO trades prestige for lower maintenance costs. Since your criteria didn't exclude sky high repair bills, you could also get a 928.Instead of prestige it is heritage.
If you have no prestige, it is always heritage.
05-06 though, that's when they got the LS2.
Yeah, but it also pushes the price north of 16k for a low mileage example.
I need a kidney for an E39 M5. I'd love to have an M5 but just can't commit to giving up a kidney, yours would simplify things immensely. When can I expect it to arrive?
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/eFb6e.jpg" alt="" title="Hosted by imgur.com" />
I'm constantly tempted to disguise my identity and take one of these for a test drive from the dealership. But seeing as there are many, many of these being gently used by secretaries and aestheticians, there is much befouling left to be had from the used market.
This is usually more successful in cars with packages, or less options. Cars like the M5 mentioned, the larger sedans or most ones with a larger price tag (and depreciation curve) have a wider range of options making very difficult to find the one with what you want.
Miatas do depreciate hard though. At least in the states. When I worked for a dealership, you could find 1-2 year old Miatas at auction with sub 20,000 miles for around 12-13k.
A new GT model runs just under $42k Canuck Bucks. I just found a 2009 with 7,200 km (4,500 miles) for $30k, and a 2007 GT with 20,000 km (12,000 miles) for $23k. You're knocking on the door of 50% of new value by the time your lease is up.
7 series… Especially this one…
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.p…
$35,000 in 82, $7000 today. Maybe not as steep as the $100,000+ 7 series you can get for ~$20,000 now, but they don't have a stick.
I will have you know that the burning bag of poo on my front doorstep left a black stain on the screen door and a brown smudge on the concrete.
Rob, I love you.
Oh, to the question at hand. I'd go with two other Teutonic manufacturers, as they seem to be the low hanging fruit here. First, we have an AWD honey:
<img width="500" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Blue_Audi_RS6_C5_sedan_fl.jpg">
A C5 RS6 sedan (wish it was a wagon) can be had with 55,000 miles on the clock for a hair over $30,000 now. Considering it started life closer to $100k, that's not too shabby.
And one of my guilty pleasures, the R63 AMG.
<img width="500" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/08/105077706a3000.jpg">
At $88,000 new, they are now (5 years later) below $50,000 with low miles. And 500 hp.
I very much want one of these. Diesel or AMG — it does not matter.
If I want a car, I want it new or used. If it's not worth my attention with a little 'want' when new, I'm not into it unless it's dirt cheap. ($100 Kia Rio maybe)
I fell into the "OMG! That's cheap for a/an ______." There are good reasons some cars depreciate like hell… that they can only be repaired by one tech who studied for 1000 years and is made of parts made of alloys only available from the center of the sun.
That said- there are cars I lust for new, but has the sudden stink of skank when out of warranty.
Edit: Added car that tempted me… S-Type R. Same color as the image.
It was only $17k with less than 40k miles. 400hp. The V6 S-Type I'd bought my wife* came apart. Literally… Still, I was tempted to buy it and only drive it once every few months. Just to look at and rub on. That'd be a shame.
<img src="http://www.thecartorialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/jaguar_s-type_r_angle_front.jpg" width="600">
*ex – not because of the car though
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/aston-badge.jpg">
http://www.cars.com/for-sale/used/aston-martin/_/…
<a href="http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Trucks-/6001/i.html?rt=nc&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=aston+martin&_catref=1&_dmpt=US_Cars_Trucks&_sc=1&_sop=2&_sticky=1&_trksid=p4506.c0.m301” target=”_blank”>http://motors.shop.ebay.com/Cars-Trucks-/6001/i.html?rt=nc&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=aston+martin&_catref=1&_dmpt=US_Cars_Trucks&_sc=1&_sop=2&_sticky=1&_trksid=p4506.c0.m301
Dude, there is a '82 Lagonda with only 44k miles for only $35k in Santa Clara, CA!
They're just starting to depreciate into "fun second car" territory — down from what was clearly more of a "HOW MUCH for that giant pile of ordinary?" range.
<img src="http://www.tvhistory.tv/2002_Thunderbird.JPG" width="512">
You just have to put on an old lady wig, preferably a blue one.
Ha! My elderly aunt drives one of these. Same color. Still, I find the T-Bird very appealing. I even told her "nice car" which is high praise from me.
Cannot tell if trolling…. or super serious…..
Not trolling, but only moderately serious.
I recommend it, as my answer is basically the same:
<img src="http://hooniverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/l_1024_768_0996FA6F-1BE7-4059-A48E-0F82B61BF79D.jpeg" width="500">
$70,000 for either? Fuck no. But at used-car prices, they're pretty damn nice to drive, particularly with a few mild upgrades.
Kudos to you. I was too afraid to admit liking this one myself…
I'm going to go with "Anything that isn't sold in North America." Let's go with the Alfa 156 today, because this year it counts.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Alfa_156_grey.jpg/250px-Alfa_156_grey.jpg">
New, I can't buy them, so who cares? Fifteen years old, I can, at least in theory, so they become much more interesting.
I think this works well for any car with the highest trim level and most endowed power train.
When new, you pay a hefty premium for a few extra horse power and various gadgets.
After a few years, that big premium just disappears as things like maintenance and use / abuse set the price.
So yes cars like the M5 or various AMG products get better with age, provided they are taken care of. I would be a bit more reluctant to pickup a used Subaru STI or a Shelby Mustang as the potential for abuse is higher.
Honestly, if you're buying new cars for any reason aside from getting the EXACT color/options package that you want, you're doing it wrong. Depreciation is a bitch, especially on european luxury cars. I once bought a 2004 Jaguar Vanden Plas for $10,500 (last year)… it had the original window sticker in it: $81,000.
With any luck, I'll finally get somebody to buy my dad's 2004 Mercedes S55 AMG today. Agreed-upon sale price is $19,500…. original window sticker in 2004? Just over $130,000.
Neither of the aforementioned cars had over 100k miles, and both had/have never been in any accidents and have full service documentation available.
What would I buy used but not new (aside from every car I've ever bought or will ever buy)? Any generation M3, E39 M5. I need another B5 S4. That damn thing bewitched me and I wish I'd never sold it (couldn't afford the maintenance, sadly.)
The S55 is so cheap now that there is a dude in the area who uses it as a cab. I use him on airport runs and he charges the same as the Crown Vics and hybrids.
Wow… that is insane. The maintenance on my dad's has been an absolute nightmare, and 2004-2005 are supposedly the more 'reliable' years of the W220.
I asked the driver/owner, and he said the maintenance has not been that bad (without going into details). I'm just giddy that I'm riding in an S55 to the airport.
This…
<img src="http://photos.ecarlist.com/2L/TA/Jr/sA/eJ/40/d5/U5/6q/Y1/og_640.jpg" width''400'="">
Is still SO tempting, but it's also $50+K, so pass. MSRP, $105K. 10K miles on it. I haz the lust…
The '06 Super V8 models were/are down to the low-to-mid 20's, but I couldn't find one in D/FW before I wrote the W124 off.
Want. That generation XJ is one of the most beautiful sedans that Jaguar's made in a good while. The new one is pretty damn ugly in comparison.
I'm with you 100%.
This car, I've driven an '05 Super V8, is truly freakin' amazing.
They're actually rather reliable, too.
I need a lottery ticket…preferably, a winning one, 'cause I'd buy this car tomorrow if I had the means.
Ditto. I bought an '04 Vanden Plas about a year and half ago (which I unfortunately don't have anymore) with the full service records from new. Seriously the only thing the guy had replaced (aside from wear items, obviously) was one airbag sensor that was covered under warranty. That's 88,000 miles of nearly perfectly trouble-free service. From a Jaguar.
I have driven the XJR (which is basically the short wheelbase Super V8) many, many, many times, and it gives me the want. A lot.
It still ranks up there in my top-ten favourite cars I've driven.
I don't like spending a lot of money for a car. That includes initial acquisition cost, for sure, but also expected maintenance costs. At some point certain Hoon-worthy cars will depreciate to an affordable price, but also be approaching an age where expensive and inaccessible items stop functioning. If there is a long enough projected span between buying the car and having to fork over big bucks for parts and labor or special tools, the car gets my consideration.
Right now the one that's sreaming loudest for my attention is a 90's Bentley Turbo R. Twenty years ago, this car was knocking on the door of a $200K MSRP; threehundredish ponies and fivehundredish torques surrounded by luxury appointments. Today you can find one with less than 60K on the odometer for $15-25 kilobucks, well maintained and with excellent interior and paint. the question is, how long could I drive it like a twenty thousand dollar car without maintaining it like the two hundred thousand dollar car it once was?
I spoke to a Turbo RL owner recently. He drives it once a week. He estimates that maintenance/repair run him $3,000 a year.
That's good to know. Any idea what items make up the bulk of the budget? Also, is this a guy who turns his own wrenches, or is the bill 3 grand because he buys Bentley brand repackaged Mobil 1 then pays the dealership another 200 bucks for the labor to drain and refill?
He takes it to an independent Bentley/Rolls specialist in the area. He avoids the dealership.
He suggests joining the local Bentley/Rolls club to find a decent car. I can give you the name of the shop if you're in the SF Bay Area.
The term is overused, but his RL Turbo was mega.
Thanks. I'm not in that area, though. I do know where there is an independent Rolls/Bentley shop but haven't gone over there yet because I'm not yet ready to buy and I don't want them to think of me as a guy who wastes their time.
how long could I drive it like a twenty thousand dollar car without maintaining it like the two hundred thousand dollar car it once was?
This is the downfall of older, very luxurious rides, unfortunately. I love me borderline beater luxo cars, but they can be difficult to find in worthwhile condition.
People see they can score an S-class/7-series/supercharged XJ or even Turbo R, major lust there, for "Civic money", then cannot afford to keep them up, so these cars tend to lead a rather neglected life for a good while.
You find the occasional gem, but it's occasional.
I turn my own wrenches, as much as possible, however, my garage lacks a lift, and I have to go to work regularly.
The downside of the Turbo R is you'll spend much time at the fuel station… This is the main reason I passed on a '95 S600 with reasonable miles on it, ± 145K, because I could not justify the 13 MPG the V12 was likely to return in my hands. Making it downright difficult was asking price was $3,300, or something like that.
I know someone who was working on a BMW 850 his customer got for $1500. I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but ultimately they decided the cost to get it running reliably was more than the car was worth. It sat in the corner of his shop covered with boxes for more than a year before the shop shut down. I don't know where the car ended up, but probably a junkyard.
I'm kind of hoping that the Turbo R has enough GM-sourced parts that maintenance will be reasonable if I turn my own wrenches. I realize that probably isn't the case, but I'll enjoy that fantasy while I can.
13 MPG doesn't scare me. My Eldorado was averaging 10-12 when I had it as a daily driver and the six pack Challenger and tri-power Vette got about 8 if I drove sanely or 6 if I drove using all three carbs. My commute is fairly short, so it doesn't add up to a lot of gallons.
I think we've been over my ultimate temptation…
One of these: http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/rolls_…
With one of these: http://hotrodparts.com/rollsbentleyparts/gm-ls3-4…
I thought you got the branded bag of poo for hitting 100p?
The last gen Fusion, and the new Aston looking Fusion are going to be tops on my list when I look for a slightly enjoyed car. Also any Mazda 3 hatch. I'm watching the Caddy wagon, Challenger, and 2 door Wrangler prices closely too.
Funny that the JK is dropping in price much faster than the beloved 4.0's that came before it.
weird huh? Must be the minivan motor.
It doesn't help that they are sandwiched between the 4.0 TJ's and the new Pentastar V6's.
I'm going to go with a personal favorite, the Jeep. Applicable to any vehicle designed to go off road but ends up at the mall. I want it just nice enough to care about but not nice enough to worry about.
<img src="http://images02.olx.com/ui/1/71/67/8056467_1.jpg" width="400">
This is why I'm keeping an eye on H2 prices for the next 5 years.
At some point, they're going to get cheap enough to justify yanking the drivetrain out and dropping it under my Wagoneer.
400hp 6.2L, 6AT, 4:1 Transfer Case, E-Locker 9.5" 14 bolt?
Yes, please.
Good call. One of the reasons why I bought a 2001 Cherokee last year was because it was a) affordable b) won't drain my wallet c) will maintain it's current value pretty well.
"…affordable…"
Heh-heh-heh, all my other Jeep friends are broke… and happy.
Just an observation.
Just Empty Every Pocket. About the first thing I was told by another Jeep guy when I got my Wrangler was a list of likely problems and "It's a Jeep. Something's broke."
He was right. And I'm still happy.
EDIT: I am replying to Mr. Car of the Year MGB, a verifiable expert on "It's a $MAKE. Something's broke."
I guess it depends on the Jeep. I have an XJ with the 4.0L. Pretty reliable. Is there stuff wrong with it? Yep. The rear wiper switch doesn't work, the passengers can't operate their windows, and the suspension is getting tired. I have put money into it fixing some other, bigger, issues.
I haven't spent a lot on lift (I might), racks, bumpers, winch, etc. etc. etc. That's when it gets really expensive.
Oh, don't get me wrong. The 4.0 is a bullet proof lump of iron, and I love mine more than is socially acceptable. It's reliable in the sense of "shouldn't leave you stranded anywhere, ever". However, my electronics have gremlins running rampant (nothing I can't happily live with, but they're there). There are also innumerable threads of "how reliable is your Jeep" followed by pages of "well, except for …, yeah, it's been solid" answers. They are some of the best vehicles Chrysler has ever made, but Chrysler still made them…
Also, 2001 you say? What head casting do you have? The casting number is embossed above the #4 cylinder exhaust port just outside the valve cover. If it's an 0331, pull the valve cover and check to see if it says 'TUPY' anywhere (I believe they put that stamp between the #3 and #4 cylinders). If you've got a TUPY head, you're good. If you have a pre-TUPY 0331, get your oil analyzed religiously. Those heads love to crack between the #3 and #4 cylinder. It will go into your oil, eat away at your main bearings, and the truck will run like a boss up until it spins a bearing.
(Sorry, pet peeve, I'm in the middle of fixing this exact problem on my Jeep. Also, this is my "except for my 0331 head cracking, yeah, it's been solid.")
Sometimes things get a little rough on the way to the mall.
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EaE5pQxSVKo/Tw3hNIeejHI/AAAAAAAAASQ/QziK4BI0S7I/h301/Off%2BRoad%2B09-05-11%2B005.jpg" width=500>
The mall of AWESOME!
<img src="http://www.stssportsedan.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/Cadillac-STS-Outlook.jpg">
Now bear with me. RWD, 306 hp DI DOHC V6 that gets 27+ mpg, a back seat that can take 3 car seats, or my business contacts, and melts into the scenery on the highway for an off lease example with ~30k miles going for $20k.
So 50 more horsepower than a G8 of the same price and I get leather, nav and other things thrown in with it.
Sure it's not a sports car, but it makes for a wonderful Minivan alternative.
My Mazda RX-8 was $42k CAD new but I got one with 27k km for $13k. The only problem with buying used is it's red. But getting one of the best-handling cars of the previous decade for that money made it a screaming deal. So yeah, was not interested in getting a new one.
All of them. These days, the only vehicles I want to buy are at least 25 years old. Currently trying to make room in my life and garage for a 1972 S-class sedan with the 4.5, offered to me by a friend for the grand sum of $0. Hasn't been started in 16 years.
Didn't you recently finish your basement? How hard could it be to install a garage door in front of a living or dining room?
A few years back my gearhead landlord bought a 40s Ford pickup that'd been sitting in a neighbor's barn since 1955 when it got T-boned right at the driver's rear wheel, which destroyed the back end of the truck. From the cab forward everything was fine. He bought it after accidentally finding another with a good bed and straight frame.
First thing he did was tear down an rebuild the engine. He called me over when it was done for it's first startup in 50 years. Both of us standing there with fire extinguishers, the engine on a homemade running stand with no exhaust pipes, he hit the switch and the old flathead came to life on the second crank, roaring like a resurrected demon and shooting flames out all eight exhaust ports.
You know what? That was one of the greatest moments of my life. Found out in that moment that I love cool engines even more than I love cars. Seeing something long dormant wake up like that is. . . almost magic.
Anyway, good luck with the bit of awesomeness you've acquired, and be sure to film the first startup.
Enjoy this bit of external-push-rod magic.
[youtube LoEnnUKSgPY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoEnnUKSgPY youtube]
It's actually a difficult question. Used luxury cars are tempting but if they are cheap and used enough for me to afford then they usually have needs that are expensive to attend to. So, I will make an odd choice here that has the potential to be practical and was pricey when new: The original Honda Insight. While it may not be the most interesting thing to drive it does have a lot of potential to save me money after a proper sorting. The cool thing is that they also have an active enthusiast community that knows how to fix, upgrade and run them for relatively cheap.
Why would I not go for something like the M5? Well, I make less than $25k a year and drive 30k miles a year so I have to be realistic about what I can afford to run and buy parts for. If it isn't common in the U pull it yard, isn't extremely fuel efficient or doesn't have an extensive warranty then likely all I am buying is yard art-and I already have plenty of that. Plus, I don't buy any car or truck that I don't realistically think I can mostly service myself until the day it dies. I can't afford to pay a mechanic and so I do about 95% of the work my vehicles need ( I even do my own welding and paint and body work!). This may seem to exclude the Insight but most of it is made up of systems I can get used and it is simple enough that I could learn it (hopefully without electrocuting myself in the process). The late model luxury/sports cars and sedans though use far more extensive electronics systems with loads of little modules that can be really expensive to repair or replace. They represent too much risk for me to ever consider buing them until they are at least 15 years old.
Really, european cars that are over ten years old are good for nothing but hoovering money out of your wallet. I was burned once, and spent about what I paid for the car in repairs and maintenance in the two years I owned one. There's a good reason why they depreciate so much.
Seems like a lot of you guys are getting it backwards. There's a reason luxobarges get cheap: they get expensive. I mean, I want a used e39 M5, but only because they're not making them used anymore. And they're awesome.
But really, the best used buy is something super common. Think Mustang or a pickup. They sell so many, that they're basically a commodity, and a 1-3 year old example is basically a new car with a big big discount. Such was my WRXagon.
Precisely. Plymouth made 269,062 of these as four-door sedans alone:
<img src="http://www.washington.edu/news/archive/images/20091015_pid52704_aid52703_harrell33_w400.jpg" width="350">
Cheer up. Here it's 30 years.
Right now it's those $12-15,000 GTOs that keep me looking at the List that is Craig's. In 4 years it'll be Chargers and 300s. One owner, dealer-maintained and 400 horsepower for under $20,000. I also think that Camaros and Challengers will be cheap when the current batch of mid-life makeovers run their course, but I just can't see out of the damn things.
2007 E63 AMG Wagon. There's one on Ebay with bidding currently at $25.5K. That's awful close to affordable territory!
<img src="http://topicars.tk/images/mercedes_benz_e63_wagon/mercedes_benz_e63_wagon_3.jpg" width="400">
Image source: topicars.tk
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/03-2011-cadillac-cts-v-wagon-opt.jpg" width="500">
Please.
I saw one this weekend at the auto show (Hampton Roads at the classy Virginia Beach Convention Center, no fancy international here). The wife sat in it, liked it, but no way can I see paying north of $60K. So please come down to more like $15K, is that too much to ask?
I suspect these will be rare enough that they'll always be too expensive.
Crap.
Keep checking your used car listings. The non-CTS-V wagons are depreciating wayyyyy down… there's always hope…
Because I want one too. Red, tan interior, with all the trimmings.
Hmmmm. I may have to check on that. I like the CTS-V, but they are nice looking wagons, and since it is the wife's car and she may not go for the manual (I am working on it, she knows how, but is not a fan), a regular wagon could fit the bill.
986 Boxster, come on down!
The first gen ones flooded the market, and now can be had for $10k. Of course, since there is a high amount of part sharing with the 996 you can go the route of finding one of the unfortunate Boxsters with a 'sploded engine and a rebuilt 996 3.4L engine. Then you will have a Boxster that'll out handle and out accelerate contemporary 911s for $15k or less.
It's no coincidence that used BMW values begin to plunge after four years. That's when the free maintenance ends.
In my area, you can get a certified 2008 Corvette for not much more than $30K.
<img src="http://dereksemmler.com/images/ford_pi.jpg">
Any muscle car. If I bought one new, I'd have to live through the '70s.
I suppose that's true of anything made before 1995 though*.
—
I think it's very healthy of all of you to be able to separate 'want' from 'financial inadvisability' like that. I can't do it, I want a new XFR just as much as I want an X305 XJ12. Well, slightly less because the new one doesn't have a V12, but it's comparable and doesn't have anything to do with how much I can afford either.
*There's a Hooniverse Asks; I think we've already done 'what car do you want from your birth year', how about 'what car do you want from the year you turned 16?'. (NSX!)
Corvettes in general. They are often bought as second cars or toys. It is easy to find a <25k mile example for less than half of MSRP, it might be 5 years old or so. The upkeep costs are probably less than half of the German and Italian competition. Also, Corvettes have a relatively high minimum depreciation. Usually any Corvette that runs is worth $5k, unlike say a BMW 7 series that bottoms out at $1,500 or so. I know in 1998, after I graduated college, had a decent job, was single, and decided to live at home and have a nice car my choices came down to a new 1LE Z-28 Camaro or for the same money I could get a 1994 Corvette with 9k miles. I got the Vette and put about 125k miles on it in about 5 years.
I wouldn't have considered one of these new. They were overpriced Fords with potentially dodgy electrics and no resale value.
Used, they're an unusually well appointed (for the price) wagon with decent performance and AWD.
<img src="http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/2008-jaguar-x-type-wagon-new-photo-317934-s-cd-gallery.jpg" />