Torn between V8's. In a dilemma.

[bridgdav]

So.., here's how the story goes..

After living in the US for 4 years now, driving a V6 Ford Taurus.. I need to get back to proper driving and enjoying it.
Not necessarily track days or drag, but the enjoyment of actually driving and being out with some power under the pedal. The car will be a daily driver although not a great number of miles..
I sold my TVR prior to moving to North Carolina.

We have tried all the offerings: Mrs Bridgdav must also be able to drive it..!

Mustang., 2014 and earlier.. Really not a fan of the looks or the cabin feel.
Charger, current and previous model.. Like the looks, styling and grunt from the SRT.. But only Auto
Challenger.. Was the favored choice until an extended test which convinced me it was more Boatlike than a sports Coupe
Camaro.. Like the 2SS, the Looks, Manual, driving position, Comfort, driving feel etc.. #1 choice at the moment
Corvette.. My choice of the ultimate US drivers car (due to budget 2006-2008 model).. Not great for the Wife - What is a Vete like as a daily driver.
2015 Mustang GT.. gorgeous looks, proven engine, great feel and ride.. Would be the choice but Budget doesn't allow

I have upto $30k, cash purchase, so have a little haggle room..

I have checked out most of the U.S. owners websites, but they follow a similar format, where a posting will get a few hundred views and 3 replies.

Where can I start to get constructive help and advice..?
Should I stick with dealers, Carmax etc..?
US is a big place, would I really be limiting myself to my choice by only searching NC,VA,SC..?
We are in No Rush, so should I wait a while for the latest new release models to drive the price down of the 2012/2013..?offerings..?

TIA..

[5ohmustang]

What part of NC are you at?

I have a 2013 GT track pack with the recaro seats, I really like the interior, mine is the base GT but I'm improving it with a combination of boss, gt500 interior pieces. Stock though it really is not that bad.

Why don't you consider the 2nd gen charger srt? You can find one for around $34k probably haggle it lower with cash. Maybe the prices will not as the charger hellcat is new top dog.

The camaro ss, has a strange pillarbox view up front, the interior plastics is much much cheaper than the mustang. There is less rear leg room and the trunk is smaller. In my opinion if your going after a camaro get a 2013 SS with the 1le package, I found one for $27k with 27k miles. You can get a 2010 camaro ss for 20k, with regards to options there are not as many as the mustang. Mainly get the one with HID lights. You could get a 1ss and retrofit the 2ss aux gauge cluster for little money.

I would use ebay and autotrader. Carmax and other chain dealers are a rip off. Especially carmax, yes they provide convenience but they buy the cars cheap and mark them up for a lot.

You have the option of searching nationwide and having the car delivered to you but you risk not seeing faults when not in person.

I bought my mustang from Texas while I was in Afghanistan.

A few other cars I like here :
Dodge Caliber SRT4
EVO 8,9,10
STI 03-07
Dodge Ram SRT10
Toyota Tacoma X runner
Pontiac GTO
Corvette c5/c6
Mazdaspeed 6
Cobalt SS Turbo



Check out my mustang thread.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[fatboy18]

Friend off mine has a 1998 Corvette which he uses a a daily driver Mileage now is in the 100,000s He loves it (auto box). The car looks great on the road too.
If you don't need the extra seats, I would grab a good C5/C6 Vette.

[vaughan watkins]

Well based on what you have said I think the corvette is the only thing that will satisfy your driving needs as in a drivers car and they'll be fab as a daily, going back to the challenger if that was your favourite have you not considered suspension upgrades to get rid of the boat like handling ? I have a 2009 SRT 8 challenger I drive as a daily in the UK, I have put 22" wheels on and Coilovers all round which made a huge difference to handling, still no corvette as it a 2 ton car but very capable mileage eater in comfort and style with plenty of space as well so ticks a lot of boxes, you just need to decide if it's more sports orientated or fast cruiser that will smoke the tyres down the road lol but remember you need to live how it looks as well, I lived the new Camaro and was set to have one to replace my mustang but to be honest I hated the interior plus we had twins which meant I had 3 kids to get in the back which made the challenger the perfect wagon for me, and I love it :-)

[steveo3002]

ive had a month behind the wheel in

challenger r/t
ss camaro
c6 vette

the vette is a weapon comapred to those other 2 , only slight niggle is due to the lower front you need to be a bit more carefull on driveways as it would scrape , id have one as a daily driver no doubts , cracking car to have

[zxttfan]

A couple of other options if you find you need a sedan for the misses:

Pontiac G8 GT (or GXP if you can find one)

Chevy SS ( probably a bit above your 30k budget right now but should drop if you can wait)

Both are based off of a Holden (Commodore I believe)

Other sites to check are cars.com and cargurus.com

Edited by zxttfan on Friday 23 January 03:20

[bridgdav]

After many weeks and perhaps months of procrastination.. I took a Mustang Gt Premium with full sports pack out today.
Although the Vette would be my #1 choice for a weekend car, the mustang has that daily driver feel as well as the fun factor.

I've been working in Mexico for the last several weeks, which has curtailed new car buying. Hopefully following my next trip to Mexico, the spec and particular car will be ordered.

Was very impressed with the Mustang, freightened the sales guy a little. Hey ho.

[minime68]

What about the Cadillac CTS-V? You can find some in the 30K range now.

[z06tim]

The fact you owned a TVR and you really want to get back to enjoying driving would definitely steer me towards the Vette.

If you and your wife can handle the two seater, and the low sports car, it still has plenty of luggage space, and is not much more expensive to run than any other V8.

I had Vette's for 5 years when living in Detroit, and they have some pretty tough winters up there. If I'm honest, now i'm older, I would probably prefer it as a second car, or at least for my wife to have a more sensible winter car, but I would still not want to be without a Vette. For me, the absolutely bargainous price in the US would have me reaching for my cheque book, because you just can't get anything close to that level of performance for $53k new in the UK.

[bridgdav]

So... I bought a 2015 New Mustang.

Black, GT Premium 5.0 V8, 435 BHP. GT performance package, extra security pack, shaker pro sound system, adaptive cruise, 50th anniversary spec, full system Navigation, blind spot safety system...

To name a few extra options. Get it in 3 weeks.

Best day after birthday present ever...

[Motown Junk]

Sounds v nice.

Summer will be over by then tho'