wow its been a while...

[04monteintimidator]

alright so im sure everyone remembers the 2004 monte carlo intimidator i loved regardless of the bad taste it left in most enthusiasts mouths... well she has since departed the world of road-going cars upon getting into a fight with a tree... basically what happened was i was driving along a winding road in pennsylvania where i work at a summer camp... it had rained recently and the roads were slick... i came up on one nasty corner that could almost qualify as a hairpin which has next to no bank and a hill in the middle... long story short the rear end slid out on me, i fishtailed for about 50 feet then ran into a tree... everyone in the car was fine and walked away a little shaken up but in no worse health... the car however suffered irreparable underbody damage when the tree snapped the driver's side engine mountings and shoved most of said structure backwards into the firewall

the brightside of the story is... after being declared totalled... the insurance company is giving me 20 grand for the car

so here is my dilemma... what do i buy?

i want something with road presence... something that will scare little children and old grannies alike... im leaning towards a rear-driver on this one but will take pretty much anything... only limitations are no V8 as i dont feel like selling my soul to an insurance company while im only 18... and id rather not drive non-american but if you can find something that fits then ill give it a look... i've already considered the 06 monte, Caddy CTS, Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Avalanche (bit of a stretch... not so sure i want a truck but im willing to look at anything), etc

one other question is... would a base model G8 be worth saving up my money and waiting for? because i swear to god i'd buy that car without blinking if i could

Edited August 29, 2007 by 04monteintimidator

[Intrepidation]

alright so im sure everyone remembers the 2004 monte carlo intimidator i loved regardless of the bad taste it left in most enthusiasts mouths... well she has since departed the world of road-going cars upon getting into a fight with a tree... basically what happened was i was driving along a winding road in pennsylvania where i work at a summer camp... it had rained recently and the roads were slick... i came up on one nasty corner that could almost qualify as a hairpin which has next to no bank and a hill in the middle... long story short the rear end slid out on me, i fishtailed for about 50 feet then ran into a tree... everyone in the car was fine and walked away a little shaken up but in no worse health... the car however suffered irreparable underbody damage when the tree snapped the driver's side engine mountings and shoved most of said structure backwards into the firewall

the brightside of the story is... after being declared totalled... the insurance company is giving me 20 grand for the car

so here is my dilemma... what do i buy?

i want something with road presence... something that will scare little children and old grannies alike... im leaning towards a rear-driver on this one but will take pretty much anything... only limitations are no V8 as i dont feel like selling my soul to an insurance company while im only 18... and id rather not drive non-american but if you can find something that fits then ill give it a look... i've already considered the 06 monte, Caddy CTS, Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler, Chevy Avalanche (bit of a stretch... not so sure i want a truck but im willing to look at anything), etc

one other question is... would a base model G8 be worth saving up my money and waiting for? because i swear to god i'd buy that car without blinking if i could

opt for SXT and you get 3.5 V6 and 5-speed auto :AH-HA_wink:

Sorry to hear about the accident and it's too bad your car was totaled, but at least you and the people inside are unharmed, and that's what matters most!

[FAPTurbo]

If you want something now, and you can hammer down the price, I'd go with what DF suggested.

The Pontiac, while an awesome car, will be pretty pricey when it comes out. Of course, 'Mr. Opel' will suggest a Grand Prix.

[04monteintimidator]

im going back and forth on the charger... i love the front end... a lot... but from a-pillar back the car does nothing for me, not to mention my experience driving an R/T model left me less than impressed... but im not leaving it out of the question all together... who knows, i may be one test drive away from buying one of the big bastards haha

[Chris_Doane]

Do you have just the $20k to spend or can you finance some $$ as well?

(Has Paul Hamm been hitting on you? )

Edited August 29, 2007 by Chris_Doane

[Intrepidation]

im going back and forth on the charger... i love the front end... a lot... but from a-pillar back the car does nothing for me, not to mention my experience driving an R/T model left me less than impressed... but im not leaving it out of the question all together... who knows, i may be one test drive away from buying one of the big bastards haha

I can't say anything about the driving experience because I have yet to drive an LX

Most people who I've talked to say they drive well...so I dunno, maybe another test drive would be better?

[04monteintimidator]

on top of the 20k i can rummage up another 5-6k... 7 if i want to start dipping into bonds and such and if i really wanted to expend all my money outside of college funds... i could get about 10... but im really only willing to spend an extra 3-4 above the 20... unless the car is entirely worth spending that much money on

[Cory Wolfe]

New only? Or will you consider used?

[04monteintimidator]

yeah im buying a brand new CTS for 20 grand... of course im considering used... haha

[Cory Wolfe]

Haha, well, I skimmed over that part.

A few suggestions that haven't been mentioned:

Infiniti G35

Pontiac Firebird

Chevy Camaro

Lincoln LS

[Bimmer325]

IS300?

[Intrepidation]

Haha, well, I skimmed over that part.

A few suggestions that haven't been mentioned:

Infiniti G35

Pontiac Firebird

Chevy Camaro

Lincoln LS

LS are nice cars..it's ashame Lincoln let a car with so much potential waste away.

[Sixty8panther]

Holy Cow! Sorry to hear that. Thank god you're still with us.

The Charger, 300 & CTS would all be a nice step-up from your departed Monte.

That being said the G8 is the one I'd get if time/$ was on my side.

[Flybrian]

Wow. Sorry to hear about that, man. I know you loved that Monte.

Avoid the G35. Most get thrashed by 'young professionals' and its pretty cheesy for an Infiniti.

Also, I'd avoid the 300 because they're a dime-a-dozen. I'd want something less common myself.

Running a V8 Monte Carlo through your insurer is a worthwhile idea. Yes, its a V8, but its also a Monte.

2006 Monte Carlo SS - 20222 - $19,700

Or be true to your name...

2004 Monte Carlo SS Intimidator - 24357 - $19,500

[ocnblu]

I'd go with a Charger SXT, there is no other domestic RWD affordable car with more than 2 seats.

[ZL-1]

i want something with road presence... something that will scare little children and old grannies alike... im leaning towards a rear-driver on this one but will take pretty much anything... only limitations are no V8

Too bad you don't want V8s. I was going to suggest a Suburban with military-syle paint, a huge pair of horns in the grille or front bumper and a machine gun on top: that would be scary!

CTS seems to be a good choice, as would the 300 and Charger.

[Sixty8panther]

I'd go with a Charger SXT, there is no other domestic RWD affordable car with more than 2 seats.

As ugly as the 0.01% redesign made it and as hard as it is to find one

without a padded roof & other pukarific items, there's still the Mercury

Grand Marquis. May not be an awsome car but it's affordable & RWD.

[Sixty8panther]

Also: why rule out V8s when there's a bunch fo V8 powered

cars out there that will come close to your old Monte Carlos'

MPG with one... like the new 5.3 Monte Carlos.

[Camino LS6]

Used GTO.

[daves87rs]

used GTO

used CTS

[z28luvr01]

How important is cargo and people-carrying capacity to you? I think a used (or maybe even new) Solstice or Sky might be in the cards for you. Hey, you know, GMTruckGuy74 is selling his, and he lives in NJ too.

[04monteintimidator]

alright after a bit of digging aorund and getting general quotes from insurance companies... i have decided to open the possibility of a V8... mainly due to the fact that i could be insured for a 2005 GTO for about 3,700 a year... which is surprisingly less than the insurance i payed for my monte... haha

as far as people carrying and cargo... i need a lot of room in my car since i frequently drive whenever people want to go someplace because im the only one among my friends who actually enjoys driving... not to mention needing to be able to squeeze a school years worth of luggage in my car when i head up to ohio

[z28luvr01]

Well that does open things up a bit. I'm sure you can get a deal on a 06+ Monte Carlo SS, either new or used, for within your price range. Also look into a certified pre-owned STS V8. Resale value on them drops like a rock, and I've seen more than a few V8s with low mileage for around 25 or so.

[K.C.]

It's good to see you back, especially after your harrowing car accident. I'm sorry to hear about your Monte. I agree with the others who suggest a used CTS. They are great cars, or maybe you can find a used Monte SS.