top used cars for ~ $20k??

I'm looking to buy a used car with relatively low miles on it (less than 20K miles).. preferably something with a good amount of power 250-350hp and has to be an overall good looking car

any suggestions? I think for someone being about 2 years out of college $20k would be a good amount to spend.. been searching auto trader n ebay motors for ages but cant freakin make up my mind. appreciate ur input

cheers

 

This sort of fits into your criteria. Trust me when I say it's more fun to drive than most of the sports car rubbish built today and it may be something you want to keep for the rest of your life. Also, with a correct setup you could be on the track in no time.

In 1976, James Hunt broke the sound barrier through Eau Rouge only to retire before the event finished... following the race he had sex with three Belgian nurses at the clubhouse near La Source.
 
James Hunt:
This sort of fits into your criteria. Trust me when I say it's more fun to drive than most of the sports car rubbish built today and it may be something you want to keep for the rest of your life. Also, with a correct setup you could be on the track in no time.

The picture didn't show up..

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 

You can get a 2006 bmw 330i or 330xi sedan, 255hp, same exact car as the current 3series, handles great, plenty fast and looks great, great gas mileage and won't break down if maintain it either.

 
Lak08er34:
You can get a 2006 bmw 330i or 330xi sedan, 255hp, same exact car as the current 3series, handles great, plenty fast and looks great, great gas mileage and won't break down if maintain it either.
great choice man thanks.. how reliable are they in the higher mileage range (40k)? lookin at them right now and really considering it.. i know the 335i is having a lot of issues so this would be a better option
 
noobstar:
Lak08er34:
You can get a 2006 bmw 330i or 330xi sedan, 255hp, same exact car as the current 3series, handles great, plenty fast and looks great, great gas mileage and won't break down if maintain it either.
great choice man thanks.. how reliable are they in the higher mileage range (40k)? lookin at them right now and really considering it.. i know the 335i is having a lot of issues so this would be a better option

the 335 issues you refer to were regarding oil cooling. If you opt for a newer model or get one that has the sport package, this is not a problem.

I have a 335 coupe with JB4 and let me tell you, it is RIDICULOUSLY fast. I have out-draged a 2010 911 GT3 RS and can spin the wheels in third. The car is pushing around 430bhp with only $600 of mods. I've had in since new and have put 40,000 miles on the car and never had a single problem. BMW warranty's are bulletproof even if you do have a problem.

The G37 doesn't hold a candle to the 335 imo, especially when it comes to handling.

 
noobstar:
Lak08er34:
You can get a 2006 bmw 330i or 330xi sedan, 255hp, same exact car as the current 3series, handles great, plenty fast and looks great, great gas mileage and won't break down if maintain it either.
great choice man thanks.. how reliable are they in the higher mileage range (40k)? lookin at them right now and really considering it.. i know the 335i is having a lot of issues so this would be a better option

330 not 335. 335 is going to cost a lot more, and because it is turbo charged it is less reliable then the 330. Trade off is yes the 335 is faster, but the 330 is still a seriously fast car and handles exactly the same as 335. For 20k or under your best option is 330i or 330xi sedans (both very reliable, you can find one with options for 18-20 with 50-60k miles or so) or a 2007 328i or 328xi sedan with basically the same milage as 330. 2006 330 is faster and a better car than a 2007-2008 328 (bigger tires, bigger breaks, bigger engine, better sound system).

 

nevermind didn't see the less than 20k miles. Why do you need less than 20k miles? If that's your criteria and you want 250hp your going to get a shitty mustang which you will crash and then fix and then it will break on you after you fix it because that's simply the agenda of american car manufacturers.

 

I'd also like to add that BHP isn't entirely indicative of performance or speed. There are many other variables in a chassis that could alter the performance (weight, suspension geometry, steering, displacement, layout, wheelbase, etc.) so I wouldn't use a BHP figure as a reference point when purchasing a car. Sports Car A and Sports Car B could have the exact same BHP but accelerate, handle and reach top speeds differently. From my experience, I've found many cases where something with a 200BHP +/- figure would be much more fun to drive than something with a 600BHP + figure. Contrary to what many automotive publications would have the general public believe, BHP and torque don't tell the whole story in performance. It really comes down to what feel your looking for in the car, so make sure you do a lot of testing before you make a purchase.

In 1976, James Hunt broke the sound barrier through Eau Rouge only to retire before the event finished... following the race he had sex with three Belgian nurses at the clubhouse near La Source.
 
James Hunt:
I'd also like to add that BHP isn't entirely indicative of performance or speed. There are many other variables in a chassis that could alter the performance (weight, suspension geometry, steering, displacement, layout, wheelbase, etc.) so I wouldn't use a BHP figure as a reference point when purchasing a car. Sports Car A and Sports Car B could have the exact same BHP but accelerate, handle and reach top speeds differently. From my experience, I've found many cases where something with a 200BHP +/- figure would be much more fun to drive than something with a 600BHP + figure. Contrary to what many automotive publications would have the general public believe, BHP and torque don't tell the whole story in performance. It really comes down to what feel your looking for in the car, so make sure you do a lot of testing before you make a purchase.
well its a lot easier to compare cars based on hp rather than take so many other factors into consideration.. i would still say that looking at each of these different criteria individually, horsepower alone usually has the most impact on acceleration. as for handling, yea you definitely have to look deeper. and i dont plan on reaching top speeds lol dont really have an auto bahn here
 
James Hunt:
I'd also like to add that BHP isn't entirely indicative of performance or speed. There are many other variables in a chassis that could alter the performance (weight, suspension geometry, steering, displacement, layout, wheelbase, etc.) so I wouldn't use a BHP figure as a reference point when purchasing a car. Sports Car A and Sports Car B could have the exact same BHP but accelerate, handle and reach top speeds differently. From my experience, I've found many cases where something with a 200BHP +/- figure would be much more fun to drive than something with a 600BHP + figure. Contrary to what many automotive publications would have the general public believe, BHP and torque don't tell the whole story in performance. It really comes down to what feel your looking for in the car, so make sure you do a lot of testing before you make a purchase.

Absolutely True. Although many consider it to be a "girl's car" I have to say the mazda miata is probably one of the most fun cars I have ever driven. The older ones are kind of gutless but once you get them up to speed they turn so well. Data also shows the miata is one of the most reliable cars ever built too.

 

Mini Cooper S - some people might laugh about this suggestion, but if they do, they have never driven one. I strongly recommend going out and test driving one. It's like a go-kart on steroids. They are also comfortable to drive for taller guys and get decent gas mileage. We have a Mini S and a German performance sedan (think M3/S4), and the Mini is honestly more fun to drive, despite not being as fast.

You can find plenty of low mileage examples for Mini

 
shorttheworld:
its easiest to base cars based on HP alone rather than other factors? what kind of car retard are you lol

TORQUE

GAS MILEAGE

SPACE

ALL WHEEL VS RWD VS FWD

you can have a giant heavy car with 300 HP and a lotus elise with an uber lightweight frame and which will win

gas mileage and space? dude im not gonna have a car seat in the back.. and im looking for a sporty car anyways so i could care less about the mileage. what are u 40?

i think im gonna go with the infiniti g37s... thoughts? since ur the pro here apparently...

 
noobstar:
shorttheworld:
its easiest to base cars based on HP alone rather than other factors? what kind of car retard are you lol

TORQUE

GAS MILEAGE

SPACE

ALL WHEEL VS RWD VS FWD

you can have a giant heavy car with 300 HP and a lotus elise with an uber lightweight frame and which will win

gas mileage and space? dude im not gonna have a car seat in the back.. and im looking for a sporty car anyways so i could care less about the mileage. what are u 40?

i think im gonna go with the infiniti g37s... thoughts? since ur the pro here apparently...

My buddy has one...nice car. His is the convertible though.
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

^ yea i meant there is no way that you get 430hp with only $600 of mods, which you confirmed...and obviously no one's going to run race gas on a daily basis. Realistically and practically you can expect a safe ~360whp out of the setup, which is not shabby at all and like you said ridiculously fast

And since you brought up e90post...you'll find on the site the limitations of the stock turbos in one of the forum sticky's...400+hp for street use is REALLY pushing it. 500hp is in fantasyland

But totally agree with what you are trying to say though...chipped 335i deserves a serious look by anyone looking for a car

 

Seeing how you don't have money to blow, buying used is rolling the dice. To be realistic you should really consider how much you plan to spend on basic maintenance because you never know if the car was push to the limits. Plus I don't know your driving style, you may want to red line it.I pray you can at least change your own brakes and do an oil change. Low profiles, oil changes every 2k,, tranny flush, new gaskets, spark plugs, just basically regular tune ups ad up at the mechanic. You can buy the manual and do it yourself if you have any sort of mechanical aptitude. Think about that before you buy.

Please don't make me talk to you like an asshole...
 
Bravo:
Seeing how you don't have money to blow, buying used is rolling the dice. To be realistic you should really consider how much you plan to spend on basic maintenance because you never know if the car was push to the limits. Plus I don't know your driving style, you may want to red line it.I pray you can at least change your own brakes and do an oil change. Low profiles, oil changes every 2k,, tranny flush, new gaskets, spark plugs, just basically regular tune ups ad up at the mechanic. You can buy the manual and do it yourself if you have any sort of mechanical aptitude. Think about that before you buy.

You and my dad think alike, he hates used cars for all these reasons.

The answer to your question is 1) network 2) get involved 3) beef up your resume 4) repeat -happypantsmcgee WSO is not your personal search function.
 
blackfinancier:
Bravo:
Seeing how you don't have money to blow, buying used is rolling the dice. To be realistic you should really consider how much you plan to spend on basic maintenance because you never know if the car was push to the limits. Plus I don't know your driving style, you may want to red line it.I pray you can at least change your own brakes and do an oil change. Low profiles, oil changes every 2k,, tranny flush, new gaskets, spark plugs, just basically regular tune ups ad up at the mechanic. You can buy the manual and do it yourself if you have any sort of mechanical aptitude. Think about that before you buy.

You and my dad think alike, he hates used cars for all these reasons.

Thats why you go to carmax and not Ray Rays cars and hair care products.
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
 

What cars would you recommend in the UK? I'm looking for something under £25k with less than 30/40k miles on the clock. I just want something fast, loud, good looking and ideally under 5 years old.

So far I'm thinking about Jaguar XK or a BMW 650i. A decent XKR or M6 would probably be outside my budget, but if it's not too far off then I'd be open to stretching a bit.

 

@Lak08er

100% synthetic oil actually will not go bad, shitty filters cause your oil to get dirty. 100% synthetic can last 25k miles. People mainly buy blends that's only good for 7,500-10k and that is even false. BMW told me change mines every 5 but I still do it every 2-3k on my own due to my driving conditions.

Please don't make me talk to you like an asshole...
 

G37s is a pretty sweet ride but when you're dropping that much money on a car you'd expect the engine to spin up smoother...the engine doesn't seem as refined and as silky smooth as the bmw 6's imo.

My buddy has a hyundai genesis v6 and it's a pretty decent car...if you don't mind the hyundai name

Agree with everyone who's pointed to the 3 series if you have some mechanical aptitude or you know a shade tree mechanic that you can trust that will keep maintenance costs low.

If you can wait. the toyobaru ft-86 is supposed to be one bad ass car. 200+hp rwd, light, and ~$25k and not too shabby looking.

 

Then this, (what Sil said). There may also be a Subaru you could get with 4wd if you want to be able to take it light offroad for camping and things like that. Or there may be other makes and models but I'd keep it to something like these-low cost, low maintenance, good mileage. Cars are the worst thing to spend on until you have some coin to throw around and just don't care, and even then they're pretty much a waste of money. I was going to say try to grab a used Wrangler if you don't have a long commute and want a little more fun but I just looked and they got really expensive.

 

If I had $18,000 I'd go for a used Audi A4 if you want more luxury. If you want sporty, I'd go for a used 370Z or Scion FRS. If you want econo-class, black Mazda3's or Corolla S are good cars.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

@EazyMuthafuckinE" I just had to say that I am currently listening to NWA on shuffle while reading the comments.......yours caught my eye, I had to do a double take, and basically said fuck yeah upon confirmation that I read it right.

With this on my mind, this is my suggestion (https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/8745836). Throw another grand or so in for the mint paint job (http://www.layitlow.com/forums/16-post-your-rides/340326-recent-pics-ea…), and you've still got another 7k or so to blow on some blow and/or honies....

 

When buying a used car INSPECT the shit out of it BEFORE you negotiate a price. I had a "car-guy" buddy of mine come with me for this, he spent about 20 mins under the car, in the car, searching for blemishes in the paint around the keyholes ect . It was a four year old 2004 CTS looked impeccable, by the time my guy was done we found a laundry list of tiny flaws for which I was able to leverage a couple extra thou of the sticker. :)

I have to return some video tapes.
 

autotrader.com / carmax / Autonation / craigslist

Go with a private seller and have a mechanic take a look at before buying it, if it's still under warranty the local dealer may do it for free (depending on the make).

 

To the OP your post is a joke. How can one possibly classify your view of a "used car" you are comparing two extreme ends of the sprectum. You obviously have no market insight at all or you would know that used car prices are being driven up by the economy. If you are going to ask for help at least narrow it down a little and let people know what you are looking for.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

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People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can't trust people Jeremy
 

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Ut velit minima modi totam cumque dolores. Voluptas ad adipisci consequatur quo. Voluptas dignissimos fuga velit incidunt.

 

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