Daily Driver HELP!

[striker525]

I'm looking for a daily driver and can't figure out what I should get as a daily driver. Should I go with something more gas efficient since gas these days are through the roof? Not sure what to get at the moment, but a car that serves as a good daily (new or used, it doesn't matter).

Just wanted to get other opinions on how to take this route. In the process of selling both my cars to get one (NSX and Element SC).

 

[stormrider]

Striker, we never met but I am a big big fan of your NSX, huge in fact. I am sad that you have to sell your car. If I am in the market for another NSX, I will buy yours in a heart beat. Good luck with everything!! Hope you come back one of these days. I did, 3 time!:tongue:

 

[sahtt]

I think I am about to pick up a 2008+ G35/G37. You can swing a 2009 G37S (6spd, sport suspension) sedan for ~$20k if you are patient. It won't be extremely low miles but it won't be high either (30-50k). Fantastic value for a ~$45k car that is luxurious, fairly fun to drive, true 6spd, reliable for its class, and looks decent. Gas mileage is 22-24 50/50 city/highway. Timing chain so besides wear and tear items it doesn't require much.

Local credit union is offering 1.3% on 30 month used car loans (credit score >800). By paying with my good credit card (1-2% rebate on everything + 20% bonus if used for travel) it will be an interest free loan. I've never financed a car before but would much rather keep the 15k in my bank account and let the credit union essentially pay the financing costs. It would be stupid to pay cash.

 

[RYU]

budget? i'm guessing you also need something family friendly?

 

[Hapa88]

I think I am about to pick up a 2008+ G35/G37. You can swing a 2009 G37S (6spd, sport suspension) sedan for ~$20k if you are patient. It won't be extremely low miles but it won't be high either (30-50k). Fantastic value for a ~$45k car that is luxurious, fairly fun to drive, true 6spd, reliable for its class, and looks decent. Gas mileage is 22-24 50/50 city/highway. Timing chain so besides wear and tear items it doesn't require much.

If gas mileage is a main concern the G35/G37/ 350Z/370Z is probably one of the worst choices you can make IMHO.

Gas mileage is listed as 17 city, 25 hwy and 19 combined for the 6spd. Every single friend or family member that had a G35 or G37 complained about the poor gas mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2012_Infiniti_G37.shtml

Do want something fun? Do you have a price range? What's your criteria? My wife has a 2007 IS250 which gets better gas mileage, but then again it has no power.

 

[Ric]

If the purpose is to save money and not care about look, get a used last generation civic and call it a day.

Also agree with the used IS250 comment. It looks better than the civic.

 

[RYU]

2013 Prius?

 

[HIJACKER]

Striker, we never met but I am a big big fan of your NSX, huge in fact. I am sad that you have to sell your car. If I am in the market for another NSX, I will buy yours in a heart beat. Good luck with everything!! Hope you come back one of these days. I did, 3 time!:tongue:

Psst...
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166819

 

[davidf]

Psst...
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166819

And it's decently priced too considering whats on it.

 

[nsxot1c]

Keep your NSX. And the Element

 

[sahtt]

If gas mileage is a main concern the G35/G37/ 350Z/370Z is probably one of the worst choices you can make IMHO.

Gas mileage is listed as 17 city, 25 hwy and 19 combined for the 6spd. Every single friend or family member that had a G35 or G37 complained about the poor gas mileage.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2012_Infiniti_G37.shtml

Do want something fun? Do you have a price range? What's your criteria? My wife has a 2007 IS250 which gets better gas mileage, but then again it has no power.

It is certainly no civic (my current DD) but you can't have your cake and it eat it too. 330hp, 280tq, 0-60 in the low/mid 5's, 13's in the quarter mile, and fits 5 people comfortably isn't going to get 30+mpg. I commute on my motorcycle an average of 2.5 times a week and it's only 4 miles each way; gas mileage is not a huge concern for me personally although I know it is for many if not most.

 

[Jimbo]

I really love my Subaru BRZ. It's a great daily driver that is still very sporty and gets great mileage too. I am sure the Scion FR-S would be the same thing. The fun-to-drive quotient is off the scale. It's like a Lotus Elise coupe.

-Jim

 

[excellon]

It is certainly no civic (my current DD) but you can't have your cake and it eat it too. 330hp, 280tq, 0-60 in the low/mid 5's, 13's in the quarter mile, and fits 5 people comfortably isn't going to get 30+mpg. I commute on my motorcycle an average of 2.5 times a week and it's only 4 miles each way; gas mileage is not a huge concern for me personally although I know it is for many if not most.

I actually bought my wife an used 2008 G37S coupe last year. It's an extremely fun car to drive (the coupe only seats 4 - the rear middle is not a seat). But the gas mileage is horrendous. She doesn't do much/if any highway driving, so she's barely getting 16-17 mpg. I'm thinking of getting her a small vehicle (Fiat 500, Smart ForTwo, CR-Z) for her to use to the gym and groceries because simply because this car chugs gas. One full tank barely squeezes out 200 miles.

I can understand that you can't have your cake and eat it too; however, m3s with better stats than the G are getting better gas mileages. Even a nice 335i.

 

[jcbadcura]

Psst...
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166819

Nooooooooooooooooo!

My evil-twin-popup-headlight-much cooler-looking-close-to-similar-version of my car......

Surely you can find a way to keep it!?!?

 

[jonas1jp]

I just went to a 2007 Audi RS4 for a DD. I've never had so much fun driving to work. I would HIGHLY recommend it. Yeah, gas mileage is 20 at best, but really who cares when you've got 420 HP under the hood?

 

[sahtt]

I actually bought my wife an used 2008 G37S coupe last year. It's an extremely fun car to drive (the coupe only seats 4 - the rear middle is not a seat). But the gas mileage is horrendous. She doesn't do much/if any highway driving, so she's barely getting 16-17 mpg. I'm thinking of getting her a small vehicle (Fiat 500, Smart ForTwo, CR-Z) for her to use to the gym and groceries because simply because this car chugs gas. One full tank barely squeezes out 200 miles.

I can understand that you can't have your cake and eat it too; however, m3s with better stats than the G are getting better gas mileages. Even a nice 335i.

16-17mpg, especially with premium gas, is a tough pill to swallow. I usually go off fuelly.com as it is very reliable in my experience as long as sufficient miles are tracked. The g37, 335i, and TL have sufficient miles tracked that I think it provides a reasonable estimate of fuel consumption. They are all within about 1mpg of each other (21 combined) with the TL having a slight edge over the 335i and the 335i having a slight edge over the g37. I chalk that up to power levels. *I noticed that only applies to sedans; the coupes seem to consistently achieve 2-2.5 mpg worse than the sedan. Perhaps due to the extra ~200lbs? This only applies to the 2007-2010 models; I don't know how much has changed with the near brand new ones. I think the TL is much more efficient for 2012.

I've run the numbers and between 300hp+ luxury cars it doesn't make economic sense to be too picky. But between 20mpg premium and 30mpg regular, it may well equate to an extra $1,000+ a year in your pocket if you drive enough (using 3.5$ vs 3.9$ and 15k miles a year it is a $1,200 a year difference). For me personally I expect it to be closer to 6-8k miles annually and 22-24mpg w/ premium vs 30mpg regular (current DD civic). My RC51 takes premium and only gets 28mpg! Worse than my 3000lbs civic! It does have 30 more hp than the civic though

 

[NSX-ey]

If you're not opposed to a hatch, a used Audi A3 seems to be a nice, reasonable, pretty inexpensive choice. Probably wouldn't have to sell the NSX, either.

If you're determined to sell it, though, A5s get great mpg and are verrry nice.

 

[TURBO2GO]

I'm looking for a daily driver and can't figure out what I should get as a daily driver. Should I go with something more gas efficient since gas these days are through the roof? Not sure what to get at the moment, but a car that serves as a good daily (new or used, it doesn't matter).

Just wanted to get other opinions on how to take this route. In the process of selling both my cars to get one (NSX and Element SC).

So little info here. What's your budget? Where do you live? Hot or cold? How many miles a year do you drive? Need back seats? 4 doors? Give us more info man! :wink:

 

[hlakhani]

+1 more for an FRS/BRZ.

I'd also suggest a golf TDI if gas mileage is a factor. The price of diesel has dropped below premium, at least in CA, and 50 MPG is never a bad thing. It's also a pretty practical car in terms of space, and drives well to boot.

 

[RYU]

+1 more for an FRS/BRZ.

I'd also suggest a golf TDI if gas mileage is a factor. The price of diesel has dropped below premium, at least in CA, and 50 MPG is never a bad thing. It's also a pretty practical car in terms of space, and drives well to boot.

Diesel is totally underrated in my book. I was in the market for a 2010-2011 335d because the engine's got the torque of a tractor but the mpg of a civic. The Golf TDi is a great choice as well.

 

[nsxtasy]

So little info here. What's your budget? Where do you live? Hot or cold? How many miles a year do you drive? Need back seats? 4 doors? Give us more info man! :wink:

That's exactly what I was thinking. There are hundreds of car models on the market, and there are so many different ways to narrow them down. How many people do you need to hold? How much stuff do you need to carry around? Any special requirements - room for dog crates, extra headroom because you're supertall, adjustable pedals because you're supershort, etc? Can you afford to spend $5K, or $50K? Those are just a few of the ways to narrow things down.

And I recommend doing the math on those gas prices, to see whether the price of gas matters enough for you to change the car you buy. For example, let's say you drive 15K miles per year and gas is $4 a gallon (just to pick some round numbers). A car that gets 20 miles per gallon means you'll spend $3K per year on gas; make it 30 mpg and you'll spend $2K a year on gas. Is that difference (in this case, $1K per year) worth going out and spending a whole lot of money for a new or used car? Is it worth changing the cars in your life and possibly reducing the enjoyment or utility you get from them? Maybe the answer is yes, maybe no. Do the math for whatever numbers apply to your situation, and then decide whether or not it matters enough to sell two cars and buy a different one.

 

[NoMiEzVR4]

i would just buy a civic or corolla and call it a day.

the best dd i have had was a honda crx. i got 55 mpg on the highway and it was too much fun to drive. sold it with 231k miles on it 2 years ago and its still running.