mid life crisis car

[GoCougs]

Jesus; no kidding - V6 Mustang?!

[veeman]

Well, good for you for wanting a manual now.  But your wife is right--a 40 year old shouldn't drive a Scion.  I'm not even 30 and I wouldn't drive one.  They're trying too hard.  I'd go for the Subaru just on that--but like you, I don't like the spoiler on the BRZ. 

I think a V6 Mustang 6 speed with a decent options set is a great option.  Fast, handles well (though not on the level of the Ferberizer, of course), more comfortable, way better looking than the Ferberizer, and with a more accommodating rear seat.  Though it's not a V8, Mustangs are plain cool.  And the new V6 has its own coolness around it, being a V6 that can match the old V8 in a straight line drag and outhandle it.  It speaks clearly, but doesn't yell. 

Porsches aren't that heavy.  A 996 only weighs 200-300 pounds more than an FR-S (and a 997 not much heavier than a 996), a 987 Boxster only about 200.  I'm not a big believer in weight equaling safety, but if you are, the Porsches are still lightweights compared to the average car out there. 

Wow, the v6 mustang with manual does 0 - 60 in 5.6 seconds.  Damn.  It does look cool too.  Even adding the recaro seats, suspension upgrades, and 19 in summer tires keeps the price still way under 30 thousand.  I have to test drive it.

I'll keep you posted.

[veeman]

If you want a car to drive and not one that is going to be a lot of time and out of pocket expense, get the FRS.

The wife will be pissed you bought a sports car, she'll never let it go if it's in the shop getting $100's dropped on it(porsche) every few months. In your case you have to play the practicality angle a bit.

extremely true

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I agree on the V6 mustang, it might actually be the only other thing I'd consider seriously in your specific position.

They look nice, and with the money you want to spend they can be optioned up nicely. They are plenty quick and probably offer more room in the rear and more cargo area. The greater practicality would please the wife and I imagine she will find the mustang "cool" where as the scion is "childish".

Might be the winner right there, if you like it.

[veeman]

Your crash safety concerns are silly since all cars must pass the same crash tests, but if you want a tank then get a Camaro.  It also has the added bonus of gun slit windows and the visibility of a tank. 

No getting away from F = ma.  That's why the smart for two car gets destroyed by the mb c-class, e-class, and s-class in youtube crash videos.  Nothing inherently unsafe about it's structure.  It's just so damn light.  That's why boxing, wrestling, MMA, are all weight based divisions.  More mass means more force. 

For me it's just probability.  Driving around a semitruck for crash safety sake is too extreme.  But being a bit weary of driving a tiny car regularly is reasonable.  Is the FR-S that tiny.  It's pretty small man.  I don't know. 

http://money.msn.com/auto-insurance/article.aspx?post=1af69585-95ac-4810-a04d-d3d8c74ba923 

[Onslaught]

I think we need to redefine what a midlife crisis car is.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I just checked out a V6 stang.

I built a v6 premium with v6 performance package(wheels, sway bars, etc) and added the recaro seat option. Just a tick over 30(30,180), If you find something similar on a lot and have some negotiation skills this should be a 27-28K car.

Interesting option for sure.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I think we need to redefine what a midlife crisis car is.

Well, obviously it's different things to different people.

veeman is looking to buy a fun, impractical car for his personal enjoyment. Sounds like it fits to me.

[GoCougs]

I think we need to redefine what a midlife crisis car is.

No kidding!

[mzziaz]

I wouldn't get a new Mustang before seeing what the '15 will look like. The current model might age quickly.


I'd rather get a used 5.0, if going the Mustang route.

[SJ_GTI]

I'd rather get a used 5.0, if going the Mustang route.

x2

Would definitely be looking at used V8 models over new V6 models, but different strokes for different folks.

[SVT666]

I'd rather get a used 5.0, if going the Mustang route.

Exactly.  Why anyone would pass up the best sounding V8 on the market is beyond me.

[r0tor]

Not sure how easily kids would fit in the back seat of a BRZ/FRS.

About as easy as in a miata

[FlatBlackCaddy]

So any updates on the process or has the wife put the kibosh on the whole thing.

[veeman]

So any updates on the process or has the wife put the kibosh on the whole thing.

scheduled a test drive of a manual v6 mustang for Saturday morning. 

wife has come around as long as I "first" do some things on her honeydo list, i.e. get a landscaper because our yard and bushes look terrible and do some other things around the house).  I'm always hesitant on the landscaping because to me that's a total moneysink as low cut weeds look the same to me as low cut grass.  They're both green, one is just more heterogeneous in color :). 

It seems to me the big advantage of the V8 mustang is the way the engine sounds since I'm not going to be tracking it.  Its obviously faster but the V6 is definitely not slow.  I don't know if the trade off in used vs new is worth it for engine sound alone.  Gas mileage is noticeably worse too and a factor since my commute to work is 1 hour each way. 

it's going to be new FR-S vs new V6 Mustang vs possibly used GT Mustang.

[Raza]

The more I hear about your situation, the more the V6 Mustang sounds like a really good fit.  Almost bought one myself before getting the Z4.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

The more I hear about your situation, the more the V6 Mustang sounds like a really good fit.  Almost bought one myself before getting the Z4.

Yup, I really don't see why the USED v8 is even on the table. Other than maybe the pressure of buying the "real" mustang, even on a subconscious level. Since speed and track ability are not high on the list of priorities(if even present on said list) it really isn't worth the tradeoff of buying used.

Not when the V6 will deliver pretty much all the same things he'd get out of a used V8 car, and in some cases more(better FE, better shape, more warranty, etc).

[Rich]

Yup, I really don't see why the USED v8 is even on the table. Other than maybe the pressure of buying the "real" mustang, even on a subconscious level. Since speed and track ability are not high on the list of priorities(if even present on said list) it really isn't worth the tradeoff of buying used.

Not when the V6 will deliver pretty much all the same things he'd get out of a used V8 car, and in some cases more(better FE, better shape, more warranty, etc).

The sound.  Ohhhhhh that sound...

Hnnggg

[hotrodalex]

Yup, V6 provides plenty of quickness in real driving and I'd rather have the new car in this situation.

[Onslaught]

Buy a new V8 one then.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Buy a new V8 one then.

Why buy a stripped V8 when you can get a well optioned V6. You or I would maybe settle for less equipment to get the V8 but veeman isn't looking solely at performance.

[Vinsanity]

Dodge Challenger R/T?

I don't know where you live, but I found this one kind of in my area:


http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=338862973

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Dodge Challenger R/T?

He's having a "mid life crisis", he didn't have a labotomy.

[cawimmer430]

What about a 1974 Do... 

[Raza]

Ford Ranger!

[FlatBlackCaddy]

Ford Ranger!

When did we stop using dodge monaco for the turd smiley, I need to be informed about these things.

[Laconian]

It's not Dodge Monaco, it's Ford Ranger.

[Madman]

Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger
Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger Ford Ranger

[565]

I like the FR-S better than the BRZ because I don't want to pay an extra thousand or two, I don't like rear spoilers, and the Scion concept of no haggle pricing I find appealing from a moral point of view.  Why should there be different prices for different customers?   

I honestly felt the same way when I was looking into them a while back, the Scion was cheaper, supposedly more neutral, and honestly the BRZ didn't offer anything better in my opinion.  I drove the FRS first, and felt it was okay.  Then I test drove the BRZ later, and despite them being basically the same car, I really did feel the small differences that everyone was talking about.  The steering was heavier, and weighted better. The suspension was a bit more buttoned down and planted.  The BRZ just felt sportier and better damped.

Then there was the price.  In the NE, and it was during the fall into winter period, they couldn't give away BRZ's if they tried.  Scion was absolutely not coming down on their pure pricing, but several Subaru dealers were selling the BRZ at what they claimed was below invoice (I'm sure they still made a profit),  but anyway it came to about $25,0xx for a Premium, including the destination charge, which came out to be about 1300 off MRSP, which was approximately $150 cheaper than the Scion, and the Limited was about $26,1xx, which honestly made them killer deals. Right now, the 2013 BRZ are being replaced by the new model year (which is apparently no different).  Now would be the time to go in to try to get some aggressive deals. Subaru's ability to slash prices really reverses the price advantage of the Scion.

[Onslaught]

I would think that one benefit of buying the BRZ over the FR-S would be possible warranty work. As someone who worked in a dealership for over 16 years I can tell you that mechanics who work at a dealer do so because they like/know how to work on that one brand and only that one brand. The Mazda guys never wanted to work on other brands and HATED the cars like the last B trucks because it was nothing but a damn Ford with a Mazda badge on it's ass. So if you have a recall or mechanical problem with the BRZ you know that the person working on it is a Subaru guy.


Not that it be a big deal or a deal breaker. But I know I'd rather have a Subaru guy working on my Subaru rather then a Toyota guy.