Emigrating - pick me a car

MadsL

I'm moving to Albuquerque in a month or so.

My wife is looking for a car, what would you pick with a budget of $15k-$20k or so?

Need to be reasonably economical, but also interested in something iconically American.

No pickups, sports utilities please.

Last car she had was a Merc C Class, tempted by this but it's a bit of thief magnet.

Any ideas?

unkel

MadsL wrote: »

I'm moving to Albuquerque in a month or so.

My wife is looking for a car, what would you pick with a budget of $15k-$20k or so?

Need to be reasonably economical, but also interested in something iconically American.

No pickups, sports utilities please.

Last car she had was a Merc C Class, tempted by this but it's a bit of thief magnet.

Any ideas?

No, no, no, so wrong. When you're in Rome, etc.

Get a cheap American vert for silly little money. Do make sure it has a V8 engine though

I'd probably go for a Camaro

MadsL

V8 and economical don't really go together do they?

_Conrad_

MadsL wrote: »

V8 and economical don't really go together do they?

Depends where you are whether that actually matters much. With the fuel prices they still have over there it's a lot less of a problem.

brendansmith

MadsL wrote: »

V8 and economical don't really go together do they?

An SLK and 'iconically American' don't really go together either.

Pkiernan

MadsL wrote: »

I'm moving to Albuquerque in a month or so.

My wife is looking for a car, what would you pick with a budget of $15k-$20k or so?

Need to be reasonably economical, but also interested in something iconically American.

No pickups, sports utilities please.

Last car she had was a Merc C Class, tempted by this but it's a bit of thief magnet.

Any ideas?

My suggestions:

1. Bump up the budget by 8 to 10k and get a 2010 Camaro SS. Fuel prices are on the way back down now.

2. Buy a used Toyota Camry or Honda Accord and sell it for 3 grand less than you paid for it when you go back home.

A tip if you own a car in that area - wash it after EVERY rainfall. The rain there has a high lime content and will permanently rain-spot any paint job other than white.

Pkiernan

Check this page for pricing of cars in Alb.

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/search/cta?query=&srchType=T&minAsk=15000&maxAsk=20000

firefly08

Speaking of bits that don't go together...

Need to be reasonably economical, but also interested in something iconically American.

What's reasonable to you?

You could pick up a nice Cadillac CTS-V for that money.

Not quite what I'd call "iconically" American, since it's really America's attempt to be more....German. But still - 400 horsepower V8 in a 4 door saloon.

Zubeneschamali

I'd forget the iconically american, and go with subtle and economical.

Marcusm

If she's looking for a family saloon type car, last year I had a Buick LaCrosse for 2 weeks and did 1500 miles. First tome I'd used an automatic, first electronic parking brake. Overall I found it smooth and refined both for city (NY, Boston etc), freeway and windy roads (upstate new York) driving. It's got a stretched GM Epsilon chassis (Insignia, 9-5 etc).

It must be fashionable as Julianna Margulies drives one in the Good Wife!


Otherwise I think the most popular oftheast 20 years is the Toyota Camry which I've also driven but didn't like as much. Both had 2.5L V6s which I think is pretty much standard as entry/mid level in that type of car. Usually NA so not as powerful as an engine of that size in Europe.

Soarer

firefly08 wrote: »

You could pick up a nice Cadillac CTS-V for that money.

Not quite what I'd call "iconically" American, since it's really America's attempt to be more....German. But still - 400 horsepower V8 in a 4 door saloon.

That's quality. Well, not quality in the true sense of the word, but quality. Looks like a manual too!:eek:

firefly08

That's quality. Well, not quality in the true sense of the word, but quality. Looks like a manual too

Yep I think it's a manual as standard, with automatic as an option. It's been on To Gear a few times actually:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik8bM6prQjA

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZseBpPufLI


+1 for the Mustang GT though. That's probably what I'd get for the money.

last year I had a Buick LaCrosse for 2 weeks and did 1500 miles. First tome I'd used an automatic, first electronic parking brake. Overall I found it smooth and refined both for city (NY, Boston etc), freeway and windy roads (upstate new York) driving

Dissenting opinion here on the Buick LaCrosse...I didn't like it. Around the same time I drove it, I also drove a Ford Fusion V6 (not to be confused with the Euro Ford Fusion, totally different car) and I thought it was way better - more comfortable and held the road much better.

Stinicker

A Toyota Prius, economic and totally in tune with America*

*Democratic left wing liberal America

heate

Premium runs about $3.25 a gallon in NM. So about USD$0.84 a litre or €0.65/l. So as long as you're gettin somewhere around 16mpg combined its the Irish equivalent of 45mpg.
So I wouldn't worry about fuel consumption. Most american sedans (not all) are built to a price and are seriously nasty. I imagine your wife is not looking for a coupe.
I'd recommend a nice V8 5 series or a 330i saloon - if you're Mercedes inclined a C350 would be a fine car.
A 545i would do 25mpg us (highway at 65mph) which is Irish 67.5mpg ...

MadsL

That Mustang is stunning - I drove a convertable Mustang through a good bit of Route 66 a few years back. Looooovved every minute of kicking down on the desert roads, watching the horizon not moving and looking down at 110mph on the speedo as the heat haze hidden bumps give you the rollercoaster, stomach dropping feeling.

Ah. Mustang. Tempting....but it will probably last 10 minutes parked downtown. :mad:

But then again.....this!!!

http://www.automobilemag.com/5_116_39394389_585/used_2008_ford_shelby_gt500_base_for_sale_albuquerque_nm_photos.html

Check the mileage...

MadsL

Sorted...http://www.subaruknoxville.com/reviews/2012-2/2012-subaru-legacy/

this:




$21k with 0% finance...36 months

Cookie_Monster

Sweet!

JJJJNR

Sell the wife and get this.

MadsL

$30K, 53K miles on it and a 2007.

I did however sit in a $70k Cadillaic CTS today - a 550 bhp station wagon! 6.2 L V8 + supercharger...a whopping 12 mpg city. :eek:

About the same as my 5.2 V8 pickup truck gets...I only get 225 bhp though...:(

unkel

MadsL wrote: »

a whopping 12 mpg city. :eek:

About the same as my 5.2 V8 pickup truck gets...I only get 225 bhp though...:(

I see you got adjusted to your new home country

Thanks for the update!

And you're probably only paying less per gallon than we're paying per litre. You bastud!

Neilw

unkel wrote: »

And you're probably only paying less per gallon than we're paying per litre. You bastud!

A gallon of milk is more expensive than a gallon of fuel here $2.79 per gallon (3.8 litres).

MadsL

unkel wrote: »

I see you got adjusted to your new home country

Thanks for the update!

And you're probably only paying less per gallon than we're paying per litre. You bastud!

Cheapest Gas in US, with supermarket discount $2.80 reduced to $2.60 a gallon...:eek:

MadsL

0.52 eur a litre at the moment...

Cookie_Monster

MadsL wrote: »

Cheapest Gas in US, with supermarket discount $2.80 reduced to $2.60 a gallon...:eek:

:eek:
I paid 4.30 or so a gallon when in Ohio last summer

kupus

good motoring with the new 'un,
I remember it was $1.19 a gallon when I was driving my 4.0 V8 machine.
then as time went by it started creeping up, which put a lot of hauliers out of business,
also mexicans were driving for virtually cents on the dollar without using Tachographs, creating a huge black market economy. A lot of them told me they would take speed (the drug) just to keep them awake. (O_o)
In fairness if usa did happen to tackle its black market economy things would become a lot more expensive there.
funny movie to check out if you like american culture is A day in the life without a mexican http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0377744/




here ya go something to fix up on your time off:
A real piece of americana motoring history
66 Mustang for 3500 O_O

Eric Cartman

MadsL wrote: »

I'm moving to Albuquerque in a month or so.

My wife is looking for a car, what would you pick with a budget of $15k-$20k or so?

Need to be reasonably economical, but also interested in something iconically American.

No pickups, sports utilities please.

Last car she had was a Merc C Class, tempted by this but it's a bit of thief magnet.

Any ideas?

damn why cant you just buy an f250 or an escalade like all the cool kids

MajorMax

You have got to get one of these.

http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/nm-albuquerque-dodge-charger.html

MadsL

Eric Cartman wrote: »

damn why cant you just buy an f250 or an escalade like all the cool kids

My other car is a 5.2 V8 4X4 Dodge Dakota pickup truck...got her at 14 years old, 98k miles, one (yes one) previous owner. Cleanest used vehicle I've ever owned. garaged from new.

MadsL

MajorMax wrote: »

You have got to get one of these.

http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/nm-albuquerque-dodge-charger.html

http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/dodge-charger-cars9009667514522336773;_ylt=ApwMJwNnavZYHnamCXvCOiWBV454;_ylv=3?geo=true&sortcol=absoluterank&sortdir=down&location=Albuquerque%2C+NM+87102&listingtype=used&model=charger&make=dodge&distance=30


^ That is nice, didn't know that Dodge made an AWD version - the choice of the Scooby was based on AWD. Roads get a bit dicey here after snow (they don't really grit as the snow melts by 10am) and rain (slick summer roads, not really spec-ed for grip)

MadsL

Time to get down and dirty...



This is officially designated a 'highway' -20 odd miles of mud through the mountains..nothing scary, just good fun mud!