FiveSeven

iTrader: (3)

If you had 35k to spend on a new/used car.. what would you buy and why?

weekend car

swajames

What would be your definition of a weekend car?

jimbosr1

two's company three's a crowd thinking i would say corvette.

mmarshall

Exactly what I'm buying right now......a new Lacrosse, though it might turn out to be a little more than 35K.

metaleckz

iTrader: (9)

Used m3, isf, c63 amg, c6z vette

Propulsion

Wow lots of options on the market with a $35K budget.
Since I'm still enjoying my Lexus GS I'd probably go for a crossover SUV or a sporty coupe.

- For $31K I can get a 2016 NX F-Sport with under 15,000 miles.
- Or for $34K I can get a 2015-16 BMW M235 to play with.

Hmm decisions

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

I would buy:

-09+ CTS-V
-2012+ IS-F
-MKIV Supra
-R34 Skyline GTS
-W221 S550/S63 AMG
-650i coupe or Gran Coupe
-LX570
-LS460L
-C63 AMG
-Corvette
​​​​​​​-XLR

FrankReynoldsCPA

I just paid 31 for a 2015 F-150 4x4

ragingf80

I have a small SUV, a F80 M3, and waiting for my i3. If I had another $35k I would probably get some kind of coupe honestly. S2000 or a MX-5.

Aron9000

35k buys you a junker Mark IV Supra in the US market IMO

I do love the 2009-14 Cadillac CTS-V, both in Coupe and Wagon variants, just wildly styled muscle cars.

I was also thinking, R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R and NA Mazda Miata, both of those, in fantastic condition should run you under 35k.

What you consider fun "weekend" car, for 35k you can buy a lot of vintage 1960's American land yatch. I always liked early to mid 60's full size Pontiac Catalinas and Bonevilles, any year 1960's Cadillacs(four doors are cheap, coupes a bit more, convertibles $$$$$$$$), 1960's through 1972ish Buick Riveria, late 60's Buick Wildcat fastback, late 60's Buick Electra 225, Chevy Impalas from 1960 to about 1968ish. I also love the 60's Olds Toranado and its Cadillac cousin, the 67-70 Eldorado.

I like all the body styles too if its the right color/trim combo, 4 door, 2 door, wagon, convertible, if its the right color with the big motor under the hood, I'm game. Just something about big GM cars in the 1960's, I think they had better styling than the more stogy Fords(suicide door Lincolns excluded) and Mopars. I do love the wild mopars, late 50's/early 60's finned monstrosities, but I think they kind of lost the game after 1962-63 with their full size cars. Their smaller muscle cars were pretty spot on with stuff like the Roadrunner, Charger, 'Cuda, Challenger, Super Bee, heck I even liked the weird late 60's Barracuda with its huge rear glass.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

$35k?

--Give or take a bit I'd track down a Focus RS. Or...

--it goes a bit over this budget but... a custom ordered 230i Coupe 6MT with ZERO options except the M-Sport package and Track Handling Package with the larger brakes and revised suspension. In a dull metallic exterior color or anything close to brown (I'm not joking). Then on top of the $35k I'd figure out which mechanical LSD that Wavetrac or Quaife made for the 228i rear diff (since it's the same housing as I am led to believe) and have that custom installed since BMW doesn't feel like offering one on their option list. No sunroof. No navigation.

--2017+ Subaru Impreza WRX 6MT. I'm not sure what meaningful options are available for them now but I'm sure I can fit OEM STI Brembos at all four corners.

--Very new slightly used Chevrolet SS sedan 6MT. Hopefully no sunroof.

--Ford Mustang EcoBoost 6MT and anything that gives it large 4-pot brake calipers up front, a factory mechanical LSD and a decent suspension. Decently bolstered seats too. No sunroof. Then get it one of the 50-state legal tunes that boosts it to 350hp or more once the engine is past its break-in period.

--Well under $35k but... quite seriously a new BRZ with the Brembo brake package. After having driven the FR-S a couple of years back I absolutely loved that car. Tell me it's underpowered all you like. It was so much fun to drive I didn't notice or care. Plus the 2013 I tested had 4.10 gears. The new manual cars have 4.30 gears. Then there is having a 4.56 final drive installed.

Now if the $35k is not intended for a PRIMARY car:

--An imported '89+ (whatever is currently legal) Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T or GT-R. They aren't legal yet but the R33's and R34's are also on my bucket list.

--Or a plain 1969 Ford Mustang fastback that doesn't have any numbers-matching high value status. That I would go bonkers with in a very unique way.

--A true 4WD 2-door off-roader. An imported short wheelbase G-Wagen manual which would require ridiculous custom work or a late 80's Mitsubishi Montero or Isuzu Trooper (both short wheelbase 2-doors) which would similarly require plenty of work. Or I'd wait until the right 25+ year old Toyota Land Cruiser 70 diesel manual came along for import... which would then also require some work.

Kira and Aron, I like all of the cars you've brought up. So many very good ones I'd love to try firsthand if for a short time each. Especially some of those classic Mopars.

Coleroad

A BMW M235i , sunroof delete car, or convertible. The right sized car you can take it on trips. The 3.0 is a rock solid motor. You have all the power you really need. I'll be headed back to this sometime in the near future.

davyjordi

I'm with you on the M235i. Fantastic car to drive. Fantastic car for the money. It's a grown man's toy.

mmarshall

I agree....the mid-late-60s Deuce-and-a Quarter, along with the late-60s Lincoln Continental, were among the epitome of plushness and a silky drive (I owned a '65 Electra myself, in college). Both, IMO, drove and shifted smoother than Cadillacs. But, unfortunately, the gargantuan dimensions of those cars are simply unwieldy in today's dense traffic and tight-parking conditions, and their ancient technology (carburetors, breaker-point ignitions, fade-prone paint, oil consumption, clumsy recirculating-ball steering, constant need for oil-changes/chassis-lubes, etc).....made them a PITA to own.

Socal858

what are OP's requirements? Everyone's definition of a weekend car will be different. I'd get an ecoboost F150, GX460, or landcruiser and turn in into my hunting/outdoorsing rig witih big knobby tires and coilovers. But someone else might want an M235i, Camaro SS 1LE, or even a higher mile 997 911. Kinda hard to make a direct recommendation with no preface.