What Would You Buy With $20,000?

I'd love an E39 M5.

I went to ebay and looked for an S2000 for fun. You know, just researching...

I don't disagree with any of the cars you list here, in fact, I can't think of anything off the top of my head I would add.

I was going to comment on the fact that Toyota only made the $4,999 list, then I looked on Ebay to see what last gen Supra Twin Turbo's were going for. Holy cow, $25k+. I found one clean '93 6-speed with 48k miles, 2 days left on the auction and it is up to $27k.

That's pretty remarkable that a 2002 BMW M3 sells for slightly more than half of what a 1993 Supra will go for.

1999-2002 Mercedes-Benz E55

I hope to be able to make that choice in the near future; I think it will come down to either the M3 or the Evo. I need rear seats as a nod to practicality as well as a fixed roof so I can run BMW CCA HPDEs. The Cobra would be a distant third.

2 seaters: 350Z, S2000, Mustang GT, MX-5 Miata. Coupes/sedans: Mazdaspeed6, Altima SE-R, Legacy GT, Mazdaspeed3.

Those looking for an E46 M3 better have a few thousand laying around for service and repairs. Those cars start hitting some expensive stuff by 60000 miles. That, for me, puts this car over the $20K threshold for the common man!

"Those looking for an E46 M3 better have a few thousand laying around for service and repairs. Those cars start hitting some expensive stuff by 60000 miles."

Such as? The reason IL experienced such jaw-dropping service/repair costs is because they would simply walk in to Santa Monica BMW's Service Department, hand them a credit card, drop their pants, and grab their ankles. As I said in a related post:
>A lot depends on the quality of your local dealer(s) and indie shops as well as whether you are able to tackle minor service and repairs yourself. In my case, my local dealer(Swope, Louisville) charges anywhere from 60% to 75% less than Santa Monica does for the identical job. Likewise, if you can handle minor jobs such as replacing the Final Stage Resistor you'll only be out @$90, as opposed to Santa Monica's cost of $500.I took my wife's 2004 X3 to my local dealer for an Inspection II(AKA the @60K mile service) and a brake fluid flush; the bill was $374. Just for fun, I called Santa Monica BMW and asked how much they'd charge for the same work. Care to guess?

Inspection II: $929.95- and the service advisor said that they were currently running a "Special"(!)
Brake fluid flush: $175.00
Total : $1104.95
Only $730.95(295%) more than my dealer...<

I forgot to add that I also have a Mazdaspeed3, which needed a new LF strut AND a new turbo before it hit 26,000 miles(this after only ONE three day HPDE). The car now has 43,000 miles, which means that the next strut(s) will be on my nickel(as will any more turbos after 60,000 miles). In fairness, Mazda claims to be revamping the PCV system to fix the smoking turbo problem, and I hope they are correct. That said, I'm far from certain that I'll keep it longer than another year and/or 15,000 miles. In all fairness, it's a fun little commuter sled/grocery getter, but it's not nearly as entertaining on the track.

I wouldn't touch a G35 because of all the issues people I know have had. They don't seem to wear well.

Some of those could be service nightmares, so I don't know if I'd call them the "best" used cars under $20k, but they are mostly awesome.

How about adding the Mini Cooper S to the list?

Compliance,

I have a G35, 2003 w/6speed, currently with 58k miles. Only had one issue, sending unit on fuel pump died; telling me i had a lot less fuel than I did. Aside from that, tires, brakes, oil & gas are all I've had to put into it. Great car, I thoroughly enjoy it and am having a hard time figuring out what I want to replace it with. If you find a well-maintained one, you should at least consider it.

I'm glad your G has been good to you vq. I'm not in the market, but I did look at the G35 a couple years ago. It's a great looking car, much better looking and more unique than the G37 imo. Just watch out for leaks around your valve covers. They are plastic and prone to failure :(. It's a crappy design.

Good grief - the W203 C32 AMG?

They should keep this list but rename it to "What Would You Buy With $25,000?"

If you're looking to buy a $20k M3/Evo/etc you need to have $5k ready for repairs/service/tires/insurance and be able to do basic maintenance DIY.

My dad has an '03 Boxster S. The dealer wants $275 for an oil change and air filter, a couple hundred for spark plugs, etc. Even with doing DIY, parts are expensive so watch out.

That said, i'd still love to buy any of these cars but I'd definitely be sure that i'm financially ready for the bills, and if I've got an extra beater to drive around as a reserve/backup.

...eyes GF's '02 civic with 60k miles.....

Also, as an alternative I wouldn't mind a clean, '04 330i ZHP Coupe/Sedan. Not quite an M3, but still lots of fun while keeping the maintenance more like a regular E46

By roadburner on August 18, 2009 7:31 AM

Such as: pretty much any and all of the suspension bushings, oil leaks, water pump, t-stat, belt tensioners, high dollar services, high dollar brakes...need I go on? I'm not bebating the fun factor of a E46 M3, but it does require some upkeep...right about the point where one could be had for the $15K-$20K range. People forget that this car does have light racing capabilities right out of the box and upkeep on that kind of technology does not come cheap. And not just anyone should be working on it. And not just any parts should be put on it.

"Such as: pretty much any and all of the suspension bushings, oil leaks, water pump, t-stat, belt tensioners, high dollar services, high dollar brakes...need I go on?"

Aside from the valve adjustment and somewhat more expensive brake components, those problems aren't exactly chronic. No, it's not the cheapest BMW to run, but I'd be surprised if if cost significantly more to run than any other car on this list.