I know, I know. It's been a while. I haven't posted a Top Ten car list in ages. A few months ago, I paid the Dodge Earthf**ker off, and lately have been idly daydreaming about a second vehicle. I still need the Ram for towing the camper and hauling stuff, but I've thought about another car for commuting and basic running around. And then I thought, hell, that's boring. What would I get for a second car if I were less practical?
So in that vein, here's ten cars I'd consider for a second vehicle:
1. Dodge Challenger. Yeah, I know, Chrysler took bailout money, yadda yadda yadda. But DAMN. Chrysler hit this one out of the damn park. The styling is dead-nuts perfect, a throwback to the muscle car era of the late 1960s/early 1970s; the motor is nothing short of phenomenal - 470 horsepower, 392 cubic inch V8 Hemi. The old muscle car grail was achieving one horsepower per cubic inch; the 392 beats that handily. The hardest part about this car would be staying out of jail...
2. Ford Mustang. Even the six cylinder Mustang has 300 horsepower. That's serious kick-ass. I've never owned a Ford in my life; I love the looks of the current model 'Stang, too. Oh, and the 5.0L motor is back and pushes out over 400 HP. Holy smokes.
3. Mitsubishi Eclipse. I came close to buying one of these when I started graduate school, and for some unknown reason I opted for a Plymouth Sundance. No, I don't know what I was thinking... The Eclipse is economical, yet still fun.
4. VW GTI. This is the only car on the list I've owned. I had a 1986 GTI, the second year of the Golf body style, after I graduated from college. Crazy fun to drive, insane on corners, and still delivered good gas mileage. Plus I'll get a damn two-door unlike Robb...
5. Chevrolet Camaro. Again, yes, I know, Government Motors, etc. Still. When I was 16, I wanted a Camaro (or Trans Am) more than anything else in the world. I wound up with a Buick Regal. Now it's time...
6. Subaru WRX. Okay, so maybe I played "Need for Speed" a little too much on the ol' Playstation, but a WRX would be crazy fun to play with. Maybe even get back into autocrossing... Okay, maybe not...
7. Nissan Altima Coupe. The Altima coupe is a tough one. On the one hand, the four cylinder is (for a Nissan) economical to buy and good on gas. On the other hand, the six cylinder puts 270 HP to the pavement - some 50 HP more than the "muscle car" Mustang GT of the late 1980s...
8. Honda CR-Z. Probably the most conservative car on the list, the CR-Z is, at heart, a Honda. Reliable, simple, economical, yet with a little bit of fun in the paddle shifters in the CVT automatic transmission - that gets 35 MPG around town.
9. Scion FR-S. It's about the only Toyota I'd consider. Rear-wheel drive, 200 HP inline four, six speed transmission, and Toyota quality? Sign me up!
10. Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Yeah, I know, it's Hyundai. But they've got a decent warranty, and the price is decent, and the gas mileage ain't too shabby either. It'd be a cheap way to get the "red sports car" out of my mid-life crisis...
So what's your choice for an affordable, fun second car?
That is all.
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20 comments:
What about a Jeep Wrangler? It is a convertible that helps change the weather.
I've always been partial to the old T-birds, although I'd settle for one of the re-issues they made in the early Aughties. Even one of the yellow ones, despite swearing I'd never own another yellow car.
The new hyundai coup is pushing near 350 hp.
-SayUncle
Hyundai. All the way. I've had my Sonata for what, a little over 6 months now? And I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
That's more or less what I did when I bought my '010 Mustang and I FLAT LOVE IT! 315 hp and around 21mpg (ave. doing daily stuff, interstate driving it gets over 24mpg) and yeah, I've already got one ticket with it.
But just saying and after being real careful it will DO 127mph (according to the GPS) and it was still climbing on RPM and speed, but I ran outta road.
My cop friends say though the new Dodge Chargers with the Big HEMI are flat out-running the state po-pos Mustangs, even the 'Dog Cage' cars will!
If I couldn't do a Mustang I would look at the big Hemi Charger. Just saying...
All The Best,
Frank W. James
The Challenger is awesome enough to make me seriously consider ignoring the bailout (if I had the money in the first place, anyway). The Charger isn't quite to that point, but the most recent styling changes have pushed it pretty darn close.
I just can't get there with the Camaro, though. The latest Mustang is pretty nice, and doesn't have the bailout hanging over it, but I'm just not excited about it.
Ooooh, almost forgot about the Tesla Roadster:
http://www.teslamotors.com/roadster/specs
300 hp, 0 to 60 in 3.7, 245 miles to a charge.
I had one pass me on the freeway in Canada last year. From a distance the front end looks a lot like a Porsche.
The cheapest Tesla - the S - is a bland sedan and costs $50K...
The Roadster has no pricing (Quick! SUE!) and only seats 2...
Fiat 500 Abarth. The only thing crazier than the 160hp going into that FWD rollerskate is the 200hp version I read about.
That, or I'd go the complete opposite direction with a new Camaro convertible with the V8.
I was in a similar position 18 months ago. Opted for the Nissan Altima 4dr 3.5RS. Very nice inside (leather, Bose sound,etc.), very quick, and delivers 25.6 mpg overall. I definitely would recommend it.
If the Challenger had come in a convertible I would have gotten one. But, I absolutely lurves my '11 GT/CS convertible (and Maxim Magazine has picked the 2012 Mustang 'vert as it's Sexiest Car in America for 2012 - and the '11 is virtually identical to the '12
I drive a 2007 (MkV) GTI, in 5 door form. It's still a blast to drive and insanely useful. My next car will be an F30 328i touring with a manual, which is kind of the same thing but in a bigger package and slightly nicer amenities wise. Plus, RWD and 6MT!
A few months ago, I paid the Dodge Earthf**ker off, and lately have been idly daydreaming about a second vehicle.
I see what you did there.
That V-6 Mustang IS hard to pass up from a fun, economical standpoint. Even without V-8 torque, that 300HP 6 would be a treat.
I'm kind of bummed that Pontiac went under...that G8 with it's 355HP 6.0L for under 28K was tempting.
Regarding #8: a coworker recently bought a Civic hatchback. I think it was in fact the CR-Z hybrid. Nifty-looking little car, takes after the Prius in looking more like a two-man starship ... but NOT advised for New England in the wintertime. It weighs about as much as a sneeze, so on any kind of snow or slush or ice, it turns into a hockey puck.
I swallowed my pride and bought a Chrysler minivan two years ago. For political reasons I would have preferred a Ford, but I just didn't find them comfortable (despite having learned to drive in one), and the Town & Country fits me like a glove.
If I wanted a fun, fancy sedan, I'd go back to my Saab 9-5. As my girlfriend of the time used to say, it had too much room under the gas pedal. I'd be doing ninety and it would feel like half that; I actually clocked it using mile markers, more than once, to make sure the speedometer was correct. (It was.)
I bought that one used, from a guy who clearly loved it and had taken great care of it. I had to ask him why he was selling a car he loved so much; he grimaced and said he was getting married. I said, "So?" and he explained that his fiancee couldn't drive a stick shift. (I wanted to say "why don't you TEACH her, you stupid dork?" I didn't say it; I bought the car. Loved it.)
I'd go for the Challenger . I was all set to buy one,but was rear ended by a roofing truck and had injuries (concussion,stroke,broken ribs ) because of it. I got a settlement that let me afford anything. I tried out a Camaro-nasty dealer and you can't see out of it,Mustang was better but still the same. When I tried the Challenger,it was too low to get into. If I won the Powerball I'd get the Challenger now,damn the height. Because it looks so cool.
Triumph Tiger 800XC
Triumph Street Triple R
Triumph Bonneville (McQueen Edition)
Triumph Rocket III
Ural Patrol
oh, you mean 4 wheels
2012 Mustang Boss
Aston Martin DB9
Ford F150 Raptor
Corvette ZR-1
I still want another VW Super beetle from the early 70's Plus either a Type 2 Van and a type # Squareback.
The new Chargers and Challengers are awesome, but were I to win the lottery I think I'd prefer to find an original '68-'70 Charger and have it professionally restored. Otherwise - or in addition to a classic Charger - I'd go for an early seventies Chevy Monte Carlo, like the 402 big-block powered '71 model I had in high school and foolishly sold.
Of the modern cars on the list, I'm also intrigued by Hyundai's new Genesis coupe.
Guess the house I buy with my lottery winnings had better have a big garage...
--Wes S.
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