Hey PPlz, im looking to buy my first "real" car. ive been driving a 96 chevy cavalier for the last few years that i got from my parents. however its starting to shit out and im looking for a newer car, like 2006+. i have a 25 min commute to school every day so gas mileage is kinda important so 20+ MPG city is a good place to start. also i have two 12's so trunk space is a factor also. I'm a fan of coupes and would like to have a quick car and do a few mods to it such as a turbo charger, lowering it, etc. I'm 20 and i make $20k a year and want to be able to pay it off in a few years. also I don't care if its a used car or not. im thinking about the Volkswagen GTI
then go with the gti. it's a good car, plenty in the aftermarket. but if you are looking for gas mileage go with a TDi, whatever you do aftermarket wise adds to gas mileage as well. and if you want some bump in the trunk id go with a hatch (more air to move around)
same as every other car. intake exhaust blah blah blah. the way i see it though a car is setup either for audio or performance, not both. by the time you setup the sub(s) amp(s) and wiring you will need a tune/gearing and suspension just to adjust for the weight to bring the performance back up so it can compete with a stock car. i suggest getting component speakers to save on weight and get better sound. edit: and adding subs will hurt MPGs
man you say turbo like it's so cheap and easy sorry to break it to you, but if you're only making 20K/yr and wanting a rather newer car, a turbo is out of the picture. but if you are dead set on a turbo, you're gonna have to look into beefin up your bottom end and that isn't gonna be cheap. this depends on how much boost you plan to run and how much psi you want. god4point0 makes a point by saying either sound and looks or performance. any person who plans on doing some serious performance mods take out the radio and AC motor, as well as a couple o other things (I think). honestly man i'd say start learnin about cars now and if you want a turbo, get one in a few years. you can't just be new to cars and say "oh yeah i want a car with nice trunk space for my subs. and i might throw a turbo in there too" plus, any turbo kit for less than 3K is gonna be garbage.
from personal/financial experience, stay away from VW/Audi. dont get me wrong, they are clean as fuck i love the cars but its not worth the extra 5 or 6 thousand you will be spending down the road. i would go with a 2005+ mustang. thats what i have now and its been workin out great for me. i get compliments on my mustang everyday almost. girls love it, its fast, paid off after a year, HUUUGE trunk, and very reliable. just my 2 cents
he needs something with good gas mileage, so a muscle car is the last thing he should be looking at lol. Even the V6 five speed manual doesn't get that great of gas milage (20-22 i believe). personally, i'd never buy a V6 muscle car because "it's like cutting the leg off of a race horse" and it doesn't have the V8 sound it should have. off topic but Ford is FINALLY going back to the 5.0! not only that, but the new engine is FINALLY gonna be aluminum as well. the Coyote is lookin pretty hot as well...
this is true, i know a few people who in building their cars, have completely gutted it. heat/AC, radio, seats, headliner, two thirds of the dash, et cetera. i can also back up the "beefing up the bottom end" comment too, my civic died after a budget turbo build, maybe 1500 miles down the road. and when i say budget build, i mean a cheap turbo without touching the engine internals.
i like muscle cars i wouldnt care about gas too much if i had one. as for wanting the turbo, i just want to be able to accelerate fast, not start street racing or anything . id honestly be happy with anything that has power windows and locks so it doesnt need to be that new.
I would look around for a nice WRX or Forrester a couple years old. And a personal favorite of mine, the honda fit.
.....Yup....what he said. Just make to do plenty of research and be absolutely sure before you make your decision. I would suggest looking into: Nissan (240sx, 200sx, or maybe 300zx if u want a little more beef) Honda prelude or newer civic. Or maybe an eclipse. I personally would recommend a nissan, i have one and i love it plus there is plenty of aftermarket support. If you decide and get one post pics, and good luck bro!