Test drove another Mazda today, 23k miles. Transmission got jammed in 3rd. That was an awesome test drive.

That's funny, my younger sister in law has a base model Mazda3 that has been perfect. Despite being teen girl driven it's been bulletproof.

I test drove a brand new Mitsubishi EVO X not too long ago and ran it pretty hard with the salesguy next to me, he was cool with me pushing the car, then all of a sudden engine check light comes on and pooof car goes into limp mode and we had to crawl back to the dealership about 5 miles away..it was great up until that point!
Yasin

I just picked up a 92 Saab 9000s in amazing condition, 110,000 miles. Just drove across the state with it. For its age the car is very solid. I'm impressed. If I didn't have too many cars already and needed a solid used newer driver I'd consider a newer Saab. Mine is by no means overpowered (non turbo 2.3) but it goes ok with the 5 speed and the handling is very nice for a sedan, very comfortable seating, quiet, nice controls, ice cold ac and great heat, roomy inside.

Did you get a car yet? Interested in a bug? It's a 99 with a 1.8T (under 50K miles), reprogrammed for additional 50hp, catback GReddy exhaust. It's not mine but I think my bro-in-law is motivated. Let me know.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1287580294.jpg

Had you bought the turbo you'd be even more impressed. The 9000 Aero marketing claimed that it was faster 50-75 (aka highway passing) than a Ferrari Testarossa or 911 C4. With a $25 manual boost controller it gets really fun.:D I'm a huge fan of Saabs, I think they're hugely underrated for the money. You can find a mint 9-5 Aero for $8k that is comfortable, roomy, gets great MPG, and is very quick. Same story with the 9-3 Viggen. For even less you can get the ultra-practical hatchback 900 or 9000.

Saabs are a lot of car for the money, esp compared to other European brands. But there's a reason, and you'll see a lot of them for sale, broken, needing expensive repairs. The late nineties and early 2K's were not good years for Saab. Bad PCV design led to sludge, blown turbos, and noisy timing chains. Doesn't matter much which model. So the resale on those cars is in the toilet, which is good if you're buying one that just had the repairs.

If I were your customer and you took me out to lunch in your Toyota Corolla, I would have trouble taking you seriously.
Admittedly, I'm not the average consumer.
I think a 3-Series is a good choice.

Graham - I completely agree which is why it was so hard to find a decent car.

I did however end up with an 09 GTI. Kind of skipped the whole 12k range but whatever.
It is pretty nice and a lot of fun to drive also...

I will post up some pics later.

Most all your cars have been boosted. Glad you found something.

Speedy:)

Tis true, 4 944 Turbos and the 05 GTI now an 09. Love the boost!!

Gti is a great choice, well done.