That, and damage to carpeting, upholstery, and trim if the water level got high enough.

 

You can get a decent GS for that price but maintenance will cost you

Actually, almost anything from a luxury brand that you buy at that price will end up costing you more than you probably have to spend on repairs. You can get a used Maxima with a stick for that price, and it's a pretty nice car

 

if all you want is sporty and good looking at 10k then maybe check out the 3000GT. You can probably pick up a 1999 N/A (base or SL) for 10k or less. Or older VR4 for that price. Maintainance nightmare but hey it's sporty and it looks darn good.

 

Impreza 2.5RS and some suspension/drivetrain upgrades would be my choice.

 

man this is tough... My parents used to want to go in on a lease payment and now they say to just get something in cash with my own money. i also just realized i have to put insurance into that 10k too.
3000gt- looks nice, but they really do suck repair wise.
impreza- really dont know much about subaru- what year would you be talking about?
GS-2nd gen? those look nice, i just kinda wish they were manual, but they do look really nice.
BMW- Yeah, its gonna be a pain...I wont get the water damage one but maybe i could find something else.

what about a 1999-2000ish Audi a4? are those good cars?

 

If you can find an E46 for $10K, it's going to have pretty high miles. It's probably going to need a fair amount of regular maintenance and repair, and that won't come cheap. I don't think this would be a very smart buy for a 16 year old. Or a 35 year old. Or any year old.

 

The same can be said about Lexus with high miles or any car for that matter. The E46 would be an excellent buy for 10k. Out of the box, this car is complete.. No need for patch work to make these cars handle & perform.The BMW straight 6 motor is bullet proof & ranks as one of the world's best engines.. Here are some E46's in my area for 10k and less..
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...=&keywordsfyc=

 

I agree, as long as the engine was properly cared for and not abused, it's solid, and should last a long time. The thing I would be concerned about is the $700 brake jobs every 25K miles, expensive suspension bits, failed coils, etc, and the electrical gremlins that are sure to pop up at some point. The last thing a 16 year old needs is to be spending $500-1000 every few months just to keep the car on the road. I've spent enough time on BMW message boards to know that once you're out of warranty, the cars can be quite expensive to maintain.

 

Good choice but I think they still run around 15

 

At 16, I think a used Miata would be pretty cool. It's small, efficient, fun as hell to drive and you don't have to haul all of your friend around.

Teenage girls love convertibles....don't ask me how I know. HAHA!

 

I'm going with a used 91-93 Turbo MR-2 for $10K. You can easily find one in good condition for this price and you'll love the mid engine 3 seater. Might be a little hard to work on yourself, but it can be made insanely fast, is pretty reliable, and a blast to drive.

 

oh really? they're still that expensive?
I actually saw a few Scion tCs for around 10 lately. I'd love to have one as a beater.

 

Where? You can find 02+ WRX's for around $12k all day long.

For 10,000 you can get a Mustang or Camaro? Insurence will be high if you really are 16 but they are fun. You can always get a SC300/400 for that price.

 

No. Electrical gremlins galore on older Audis. Only recently have they become more reliable.

I dunno, do you have a car in good condition now? If so, continue driving it until you've saved up enough money for something better. That's what I told my friend, in the same situation as you going off to college. I was like "stick with your Camry; it runs fine and will be comfortable for the 4 hr drive from Duke. After a couple years you can buy yourself a decent BMW or somethin nice or new." Of course, he didn't listen, bought a high mileage Celica.........sure that'll be fun on a long highway trim

Well, I've already put my vote in for scratchin a few more $$$$ (or lease) for a new vehicle. Or used Miata or Mazda3 of sorts.

 

ok, i was thinking maybe a t.c. if they can be had for 10k now, also, the 02 wrx sounds nice. and the e46 still looks the best lol, im gona go check the link in shockers post.

edit, saw the link. it just sucks there all 323's..im gonna look at scions now i guess. i might just keep my car. i love it except for the "dildomatic" transmission as many people on here call it haha