My wife is potentially looking for a different vehicle. Love the Pathfinder, but it just drinks gas and with nearly a 30 mile one way commute each day it's just not pratical. I want to stay as close to what we could get for the pathfinder as possible, maybe a little higher. After all, we can apply some of the fuel saving towards payments! So I'm thinking we'd spend between 15-19k or so.

Any ideas in this range?

Limitations:

Has to be front drive / decent in bad weather & snow
5spd OK, actually preferred
23+ MPG Hwy
Somewhat sporty - she really like the Solara and Passat.
Reliable

 

My wife has a '99 Solara SE V-6 which we purchased in August, '98.

At that time, we were replacing her leased '96 Maxima SE. Her criteria were manual transmission, V-6, 200+ horsepower, four-door sedan. Although I really liked the Maxima, the '99 Maxima was going to be the last year for that body style and had rated poorly in that year's sedan comparison tests. The newer 2000 Maxima wasn't going to be released until after January.

We looked at the VW Passat GLX (too pricey, no availability, salesperson was a completed dickhead), the Accord V-6 (only comes in an automatic) and the Solara (a compromise with only two doors). I told her that she was describing a BMW 328 almost perfectly, but she didn't want to pay the price for a BMW or an Audi A4 (too small) or an A6 (much more money). We ended up buying the Solara because the first five-speed had arrived in San Diego and there weren't going to be any more for a couple of months (remember, this was August of '98 for a '99 model car).

She thinks it's OK, but she doesn't have a passion for it. She likes the power and comfort, but there are little luxury things that the Maxima had that this doesn't. It squeaks, rattles and "thunks" a lot, the Maxima never did that. Only a few weeks after she got it, the clutch master cylinder failed and it took the dealer two weeks to get another one.

I think that it's an incredibly dead feeling car, no feel whatsoever to the throttle, brakes and steering. In the rain though, I'd rather be driving her car. (It doesn't snow here, so I can't comment on that!)

If we had to replace it right now, I'd consider the new Maxima SE, the Lexus IS 300, or the BMW 330, depending on how much we wanted to spend.

For your price range, I don't think that you can get any of these cars, including the Solara, unless that's the price range for the bottom line 4-cylinder Solara.

 

We bought my wife a 2000 Accord Coupe LX, 5-speed. We love the car - not expensive, very well built, great gas mileage (usually over 30 MPG in mostly city driving), fairly roomy, well equipped. Not an all out performer, but a great balance between ride and handling. I would highly recommend one of these.

 

You could pick up a 98 or 99 Accord EX V6 Coupe. I have a 99 and it makes a nice second car to my S2K. I hear the Solara is not that great as a convertible if she wants to go that route. When I drove the coupe versus my Accord I just liked the Accord better. It felt tighter and more solid than the Solara.

Kirk

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by txst
[B]We bought my wife a 2000 Accord Coupe LX, 5-speed.

 

We also drove a Solara - the 4 cylinder was not as peppy as the Accord (both with 5-speed), and the V6 was a lot more expensive for both the Accord and the Solara. We ended up geting the Accord LX for less than 19K. We also looked at the Jetta, which my wife really liked, but the 4 cylinder was pretty slow, so we drove the V6 with a 5-speed. The V6 equipped Jetta was a fun car (and quick!), but it was smaller and about $2500 more than the Accord LX - that was an easy decision for me.

 

Thanks gang. We're definately looking used. The S2K is the first new car I've bought in 10 years. Usually go for a 2-3 year off current model year car to knock some devaluation off the car. I keep pushing the Accord and Maxima (LOVE those cars) but she really like the VW, I used to have a 91 Jetta GLI that she just loved, coincidently my last new car.

We'll see where it goes!

 

my brother has a v6 5sp solara. nice car. big though (IMO) and not sporty - long shifts. he's getting a TRD shortshifter to fix that though.

but, it's still a nice car. he never had problems with it