Looking to buy a new daily driver, suggestions.

I

imported_RedlineIRL

New member
I am looking to buy a new daily driver, since my current daily is getting worn out and I hate the car. Its a 2006 Chevy Malibu, no frills, slow as a turtle 2.2 4 cylinder, cd player that doesn't work, and the front suspension is totally gone (bad wobbling at certain speeds). So instead of buying another junk econobox, I'd like to get something a little more luxurious, powerful, and overall a better riding car.



I have been wanting to get a 3rd generation Acura TL, since I really like the style of them. Its been kind of hard finding decent ones with 80K miles or less for under $15K. I know that the 2nd gen TLs had transmission problems, a guy I used to work with had a TL type S and the trans blew in his. I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the 3rd gen TLs and knows if the same transmission problems carried over to them. Is there anything specifically I should look for when shopping the 3rd generation of TLs?



What other kind of luxury vehiciles could I get for under $15K with less than 80K miles, that are reliable and could be worked without a dealer visit? Please no Audi or VW reccomendations, I know how much those cars are a PITA to work on.
 
Luxury cars are usually pretty costly and labor intensive to repair. Not too sure about Acura's. I know Chad (Rasky) has one.



What are your basic requirements for this car?

Would you consider an American car?



What are your thoughts on a E-Class MB or a 3 Series BMW?
 
I find BMW's very easy to work on - I've owned 9 of them, ranging from 1987 to 2004 model years. They definitely need more work than Japanese cars, and parts are more expensive than domestic cars. They're also massively more enjoyable to drive.



Japanese brands (Toyota/Lexus, Acura/Honda, Infiniti/Nissan) will be very reliable, but are a huge pain to work on IME. If you want reliability and peace of mind, I would just assume you'll have to take a Japanese car to the dealership every once in a while, but it'll be rare enough to make it preferable over the german or domestic alternatives.



Unless you're over 6' 4" tall, I'd strongly recommend the 2006 Lexus GS300. What a bullet-proof car, luxury of lexus with a sporty edge to it. If you expand your budget a tiny bit, get the following year which grew to the more powerful GS350.



I personally own a 2002 BMW M5 right now. It's sheer joy to drive, but I know I need to have a solid $1-2k set aside for worst-case maintenance issues, like their VANOS systems and MAFS. For me, totally worth it, because I love to drive. It's great having a slightly older sedan with 400hp V8 under the hood that can take just about anyone, with all the luxuries a guy could want.



Depends on your priorities. Perhaps rate the relative importance of the following on a scale of 1-10: Acceleration ; Handling ; Reliability ; Ease DIY Maintenance ; Comfort ; Luxury Amenities ; Fuel Economy
 
While for many on here detailing is their passion and the car is secondary, for me it is the opposite. The cars are my passion and detailing is secondary, therefore I agree with Ahheck01 about putting up with some additional cost for the fun to drive factor. I think you can you find some great deals in the E90 3 series BMW's (2007-2009) or also don't discount the later years of the E46 3 Series (2005-2006) in your price range and mileage requirements. Very fun and rewarding to drive. Regular maintenance items like brakes, belts, oil changes, filters, plugs, etc. are easy DIY projects or can be done by any shop. Online parts are much cheaper than stealership prices. You can also find good deals on the 5 series if you want bigger. An often forgot about vehicle is the BMW X3. Just sold my wife's 2007 that we had for 4 years great. Great vehicle fun to drive for an SUV and unbelievably reliable (at least our experience).



The choices from Honda and Toyota are very reliable but truthfully the cost of repairs is equal to the BMW's IMO.



I agree that ranking your priorities is important. Determine what is important to you then look for the vehicle that best meets those needs. This is fun part to me...looking for the next vehicle.
 
bet993 said:
The choices from Honda and Toyota are very reliable but truthfully the cost of repairs is equal to the BMW's IMO.
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And nowhere near as fun to drive. Especially in the case of Toyotas. eg. If I were ever to get in trouble with the law, forget jailtime. Sentencing me to live out my daily life having to drive a Toyota (corolla/camry, etc.) would be punishment enough. Ughhh...
 
David Fermani said:
Luxury cars are usually pretty costly and labor intensive to repair. Not too sure about Acura's. I know Chad (Rasky) has one.



What are your basic requirements for this car?

Would you consider an American car?



What are your thoughts on a E-Class MB or a 3 Series BMW?
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Yeah, I have heard luxury brands such as BWM, Mercedes, and Audi can be expensive to repair. So that is why I kept them off my list. I figured that with Acura being a luxury division of Honda, it would have the same Honda reliability.



I don't have any real requirments other than it being reliable, have 4 doors, and be equipped with an automatic. I'd really prefer leather, satellite radio (with navigation if possible), and have a at least 200 HP. I don't need something with performance car acceleration and handling, I have a weekend car for that. Just something that looks sporty, rides nice, and has decent acceleration.



I'd have no problem with an American brand, as long as its a GM or Ford. All I have ever owned is GM vehicles, but GM doesn't really have much in my price range for what I am looking for, newer model Cadillac CTS and Pontiac G8s are still fetching good money. I do like the new Ford Fusions a lot, but they aren't going to be $15K or less anytime soon. The previous generation Fusions are nice too, but they are still holding their value well also, unless you go with a base model with nothing on it an the base 4 cylinder engine.



I definitely don't want a BWM (never been a fan of them) or an Audi, everyone I know that owned them said that they were a pain in the butt to work on. And when they had to take it in for work, the costs were outrageous. I am pretty knowledgeable about working on cars, but I don't want a car that requires a lot of constant maintenace and service. I wouldn't mind an E series, but I am concerned of the high maintenace and cost of parts.



Inzane said:
And nowhere near as fun to drive. Especially in the case of Toyotas. eg. If I were ever to get in trouble with the law, forget jailtime. Sentencing me to live out my daily life having to drive a Toyota (corolla/camry, etc.) would be punishment enough. Ughhh...
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A Toyota is absolutely out of the question. While their cars may be reliable, they are about the most bland and boring vehicles out there IMO
 
RedlineIRL said:
...I don't have any real requirments other than it being reliable, have 4 doors, and be equipped with an automatic. I'd really prefer leather, satellite radio (with navigation if possible), and have a at least 200 HP. I don't need something with performance car acceleration and handling, I have a weekend car for that. Just something that looks sporty, rides nice, and has decent acceleration.



I'd have no problem with an American brand, as long as its a GM or Ford...
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I don't suppose my beloved Crown Vics would interest you...big, comfortable, and reliable as sunrise. *VERY* easy to DIY the repairs and maintenance too. I love mine for everything from grocery-getting/dog-hauling to AutoX. Love 'em so much I hardly ever drive the Audis (and remember, I have an S8!).
 
Accumulator said:
I don't suppose my beloved Crown Vics would interest you...big, comfortable, and reliable as sunrise. *VERY* easy to DIY the repairs and maintenance too. I love mine for everything from grocery-getting/dog-hauling to AutoX. Love 'em so much I hardly ever drive the Audis (and remember, I have an S8!).
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Sorry, but not a chance. :) I am looking for more of a sporty sedan.


 


 


No TL owners here on Autopia? I'd like to hear from you all on what are some of the common problems with the second gens, and what I should be aware of when shopping for a used one
 
RedlineIRL said:
Sorry, but not a chance...[of a Crown Vic]..  :) I am looking for more of a sporty sedan.


 
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OK, I understand what you mean.  But, heh heh, my older Crown Vic (the beater dog-hauling one) has beaten cars like a C5 'vette at AutoX  ;)  The timeslips say it's pretty sporty B)
 
You can get the 08 and 09 Fusion's (and Milan's) in that price range. I would look at the Mazda 6. TL's and GS's can be had for that money as well but will be harder to find meeting all your criteria.
 
Oh, the second gen TL's where by far the most problem ridden. Third generation where much more reliable. If I where looking it would be a 06-08. But, finding one that matches all your criteria for your price range will be a practical impossibility as you have found out!  
 
Buy the car I own right now, a Pontiac G8 GT. Looks fantastic, engine is based off an LS3, the transmission is used in trucks so its durable, gets over 30mpg on the highway and can really get out of its own way. Seriously though I was looking for a car that fit a couple requirements: Fun to drive, Looks good, Practical, and being able to live with it for the next several years. Sure Pontiac is defunct, but any GM dealership will service them, mechanical parts are plenty (Chevy caprice, Holden commodore) and the cost really is not that bad. Im convinced the back seat of this vehicle is the most comfortable you will ever sit in, the headrest back there feels like a massive down pillow, and the space back there is enough for a friend who is 6'5". I have gotten so many compliments on the car, many people think its way more expensive than it really is. I paid just over 26k for mine with 38k on the odometer a year and a half ago, but I was impatient so I overpaid. You should be able to find a nice one for around the budget you have set.
 
Some alternatives:


 


Mazda Speed6


Impala SS


Ford SHO


Subaru Legacy GT


Dodge Charger RT


Infinti G37/G35


Mercury Marauder
 
Irkie500- Those cars were never really appreciated, bet you're getting a lot out of yours for the $.


 


M-D- Hey, nice to see the Marauder on your list!  I'd still rather have my Crown Vics, but that's just me and the general idea of Ford's Panther platform being on the list is great IMO.


 


Which Impala SS are you thining about...I'm hoping the '94-'96 ones (again, I preferred the 9C1 Caprice, specifically the '95, but well...you know, that's just me).


 


Either of those would be a practical, and inexpensive, car that would still have some fun-factor.  And they'd survive serious accidents better than a lot of vehicles too.
 
My experience is, if you can fix your own cars - a BMW is a pretty safe bet. I've had BMWs for almost 10 years now, and never have had to go to the dealer or a shop for a repair. Maybe I'm a little more experienced than most, because I used to fix cars for a living, but BMW cars for me are quite reliable and fairly easy to work on.

Another concern is rust. If you plan on keeping the car for the long haul, I feel German cars will rust less than Japanese cars if properly maintained. Maybe they use better metal or rustproofing - dunno.

BMW parts really are not that expensive. It's the dealer's labor that will kill you. There is a wide variety of aftermarket parts available for the common models and a lot of rebuilt parts as well.

Another thing I've noticed about BMW is when you take something apart, it just goes back together originally as designed. Stuff seems to be flimsy on Japanese cars and you never know what will snap or break. Just my experience.

Also, my M Roadster has been the most reliable car I've owned. Almost 50k without a single issue. Not one check engine light or any other idiot light or electrical issue. Nothing.
 
Accumulator said:
Irkie500- Those cars were never really appreciated, bet you're getting a lot out of yours for the $.


 


M-D- Hey, nice to see the Marauder on your list!  I'd still rather have my Crown Vics, but that's just me and the general idea of Ford's Panther platform being on the list is great IMO.


 


Which Impala SS are you thining about...I'm hoping the '94-'96 ones (again, I preferred the 9C1 Caprice, specifically the '95, but well...you know, that's just me).


 


Either of those would be a practical, and inexpensive, car that would still have some fun-factor.  And they'd survive serious accidents better than a lot of vehicles too.
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I use to have a 99 p71 with CAI, tune, borla exhaust and edelbrock shocks. What an awesome daily driver it was, you mentioned the Vic already and I figured the Marauder was more sporty looking than a Vic.


 


I was referring to the 06-13 SS, as the Op wanted a sporty type sedan. While I do love the 94-96, I was basing my recommendation on the Op's requirments.


 


I currently have a modded 10 Shelby GT500, 13 Dodge Charger RT Black Top edition  and a 13 Dodge Durango RT Black Top edtion and am happy to say none have had any issues or problems.
 
M-D- Heh heh, yeah....the MM is a bit *too* sporty looking for Yours Truly!


 


Ah, I hadn't thought of the newer Impalas!


 


That's a great assortment of vehicles you have there!  Who tuned the Shelby?
 
Accumulator said:
M-D- Heh heh, yeah....the MM is a bit *too* sporty looking for Yours Truly!


 


Ah, I hadn't thought of the newer Impalas!


 


That's a great assortment of vehicles you have there!  Who tuned the Shelby?
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Jim Larocca tuned my Shelby.
 
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