When looking in that price range, I'd strongly suggest a Japanese car. They simply last longer. I've put over a hundred thousand miles on a Subaru Impreza and Mazda Rx-7, 200,000 on a Honda Accord and Acura Integra GS-R and over 360,000 on a Turbo Toyota MR2 (none were new when I bought them) and all I can tell you is that I have no qualms buying another well used Japanese car. When something does go wrong, they're cheap to repair and it's rare that something goes wrong. Have you EVER heard of a cylinder liner coming loose on a Honda? Seriously, give the Impreza a try, you'll LOVE it.

I put winter tires on my car (stock ones from the dealer) and drove it all through the Toronto winter this past year. Car weathered it well. Didn't need the hard top (what's the reasoning behind getting one for the winter? If it's heat then don't worry.. if anything the cabin was too damned hot). The wheels and tires cost me about $3000CDN but it was a joy to drive in the winter.

As for damage? My car had 3 scratches when I started the winter.. and 3 scratches when winter ended.. ie I had more damage done to the body in the fall than the winter.

Berj

blue2000s, to be honest, I have never driven nor been in a Subaru. I will definitely add the Impreza to my list of possibles...

berj, how much is $3000CDN in US $$$ ?

Depending on how Porsche handles it's pricing structure it'd be somwhere between $2000 to $2700. You'd have to call the dealer.. it was an item pretty much out of their catalog.

Berj

Several to choose from. Here's a favorite:

I'm a practical guy, so, my other ride is another two seater:

I've got many years of experience with a '67 250SL 5 speed. It's a German import (kph speedometer, cool looking euro headlights, shoulder-only seat belts and all) and I don't think they offered the 5 speed in the US and I've never seen another 250, most are 280s and there are some 230s. VERY notchy shifter, like you think you're going to break the shaft off!

They are really pretty nice driving cars aside from the overboosted steering. Handling is surprisingly good for a swing axle car too. The upsetting thing is there isn't much that the dealer stocks for them anymore. They had to build a driveshaft from scratch for it once. Nothing is cheap on that car.

My 2001 Audi S4 with 60,000 miles is costing me a small fortune to keep on the road. While I love this car, I would not recommend owning an Audi outside the warranty period.

It looks like things haven't changed.

When they were building cars in the 80s, they used aluminum in the electrical connections. With enough time, the galvanic corrosion gets to the point where they will no longer conduct and blink, eveything on the dashboard goes blank.

I recently bought a new ride but don't have any pics of it yet. But I will show you my box and my brother's 84 911 cab. Amazing how beautiful these cars are.

Porsche Family
http://photos.imageevent.com/rainand...sche%20014.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/rainand...sche%20020.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/rainand...sche%20032.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/rainand...sche%20023.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/rainand...sche%20019.jpg

Sweet Pics
 

I wish my second ride was a 911 old style convertible, that would be the ****************.

unfortunetly my second car, for work purposes(and traffic) and to keep the overall life of my boxster is a beautiful greeen army coloured mini vannnnnnnnnnnn.....lol....i hate it sooo much, and that is why i had to buy the smallest (no back seats)fastest(fast enough for me, going from a mini van) most beautiful sports car the porsche boxster.

i drive the mini van 9-5 and cruise at night and weekends in my boxster. great under cover car the van is though....lol/jokes

I don't know what is worse, that you own a minivan or that you ADMIT you own a minivan.

At least you are are Boxster owner, so all is forgiven ( I HATE MINIVANS ).

Having a Boxster and a minivan to me would be like being married to a pig but having a playboy playmate as a mistress...

My daily driver: '04 Cayenne Turbo
Her daily driver: '06 Mazda 6S
Our weekend toy: '03 Boxster S
My weekend toy: '03 H-D V-Rod
Her weekend toy '99 Suzuki SV-650

Life is good :cheers:

My Boxster is my daily driver.
Wife's new daily driver is an '05 Subaru LLBean Outback. It actually has more bhp than the Boxster....just not the performance. I'm impressed with the 3.0L motor, however. Decent performance, fulltime allwheel drive and a little room to haul stuff. We had a '99 Dodge Dakota so we were used to being able to 'haul stuff'. :rolleyes:

Metrolink.

Gotta love the ride up the coast!

The wife drives a Borolo Red '06 MB E350 with the sport package. I drive an '06 GMC Sierra Denali Crew Cab. The Boxster is now just for fun. Also have a 76 Corvette and an 81 Jeep CJ7. I won't go into the list of motorcycles.

Dual Income No Kids......

here's my daily driver: 03' Silver MB C230 coupe s/c :D 100mi. daily round trip
weekend toy: 99' Arena Red Boxster

*hijack the first two pictures off the web :( coz' i don't have pix yet except the garage :)

lol I think I'm the only one on here with this combo:
2001 seal gray Boxster

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/8717/625649ne0.jpg

Other Car
2003 Jeep Wrangler sport

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6407/cimg0293dz7.jpg

I have an 02 Acura RSX-S and a 98 Toyota 4x4 along with a few motorcycles. :)