fuzy24

You may remember me from a while back around a discussion over an S2000 replacement in the Atlanta area...well I have since moved to Los Angeles and no longer live 1 mile from work. I've decided either a Boxster Spyder or 997.1 GT3 will be the S2000 replacement (really this is the easy part of the equation as they're both amazing) but now i need something to commute once a week to San Diego, and all other days to downtown LA from the coast (40 miles roundtrip).

Price is a factor, as I'll be blowing everything on the Spyder or GT3. Thus far I've seriously considered and almost pulled the trigger on a lease of the new 335i sport line (6speed) and ditto the 535i M Sport (6speed)...however the pricing/value proposition has kept me from jumping on it. Using a super aggressive online lease company (Best Buy Leasing, verified legit by multiple sources)

335i pricing... ~700ish/month including CA taxes, nothing down (1st months payment, registration, deposit, tags, etc upfront though, roughly 2200) 15k miles/year, FULLY loaded. Keeping in mind that taxes alone are ~60 bucks a month of that.

535i pricing... ~820/month, same details as above with M Sport package, Navi, etc. Not fully loaded.

These are high numbers in my mind. Would like to keep it more in the 400-500 range for a monthly payment, would really prefer to just throw 25k or under at it and just buy something outright. I've also looked at IS300's (mileage too high usually), IS250's (seem pricey for what you're getting...can be had 22k ish a few years old with 50k miles), Prius (20kish but FCK my life), Civics (cheap, economical, such a econo box tho when the alternative is a porsche)....etc etc

What am I missing? Should I just suck it up and get a Prius for the week and get my manliness on during the weekends only? HELP.

ahrmike

Prius aint bad...its functional, lots of space, low gas mileage, reliable... Only thing I'd be worried about there would be the battery

hellaSleepy

Honestly I was gonna say a Prius, but maybe a used TSX or TL?

AngryTurtle

A tank or something armored?

deepbluejh

Uhh... I don't know what your financial situation is like, but if you're blowing that much on a GT3 already, I'd be inclined to go with something MUCH more conservative as a commuter for LA. I'd go with something like a Civic before I bought a Prius.

tenshi0

If you can live with driving a fridge on wheels, the Prius is fine for a commuter. It gets great mileage, rides pretty smooth, and is reliable as it is boring and slow. Hell, you're going to be driving in LA traffic. Unless you're commuting at really off hours (pre-dawn), it's not like you're gonna get up to speed anyway.

And you'll have the Porsche if you feel the need to kill tires anyway! Good choices, btw

d1rtyc4r

No, you'll hate your life if you get a Prius. I have a couple coworkers that went that route and they are itching for a new car.

Keep searching, my friend. It will be far more satisfying to have a fun DD, than some "blow your brains out boredom" DD, especially commuting that much. I've made the mistake several times.

And I'd go for the gt3 997.2 or 997.1?

s.hasan546

id do the ford focus 5 door titanium. Fully loaded you can get it for around $23k. Gets 27-30 city mpg and 36-37 on the highway. Not shitty to drive like the prius. But still a reasonable car that has tons of space.

s.hasan546

battery is nothing to worry about. the "worry" everyone has is overblown. Yes you might have to replace the battery in 10+ years. Most people won't even have the car that long.

But the car sucks to drive.

alex s

Pretty sure most of the people bashing the Prius have never owned one. I have (and still have one in the family that I drive a lot.) It's a fantastic little commuter.

Is it comparable to an S2000 or any other capable sports car? No, of course not. But what it's good at, it does extremely well; getting from A to B in comfort, flying under the radar, giving great gas mileage (if you learn its quirky ways), and it's relatively cheap nowadays.

I've never noticed this "sucks to drive" attribute that most people seem to whine about. The stock suspension is soft, but no more soft than a Civic/Accord/Camry if you ask me. The stock tires leave a lot to be desired, but if you're buying used chances are the previous owner has switched them out.

After the lease on my turbo Forester is up this year I'll be getting another Prius, it's just a perfect counter balance to a sports car if you ask me.