ccap41

Absolutely not, but I could very easily see somebody buying a 75k car around retirement and paying half of it in cash and still being nowhere near a 7 figure net worth. I absolutely don't see anybody pinching pennies in this price point but affording 75-90k and 140k just aren't the same. Buying a 30k car and a 45k car isn't the same..

And I think you're judging every Grand Sport purchase based on 2 buyers(at least you're making it sound that way). There are probably GT350 buyers with 7 figure net worths as well and that's even cheaper.

YUP! My dad bought a '13 Tacoma and before he bought it he was looking at used ones because he intended(and does) use it as an actual truck so it would get tore up some. The used prices were waaaaay too close to justify the little savings with 50-70k miles already on them. Insane.

I think driving each one for 5 minutes would make you decide really quick.. small car or large car. If you're a large car person I don't think you'd want the ATS if a Hellcat is available. OOOORRRRRR you'd want to move up a class to like an E Class Coupe or 6 Series(No current CTS Coupe...) But I don't think those are in your wheelhouse as they aren't AMG or M's.

Agreed. Such a superior driver's car all around.

92k to 140k is a 50% jump. I definitely wouldn't go as far to say if you can afford a 90k car you can afford a 140k car or if you can that doesn't mean you want to spend 50k on a nicer interior and maintenance out the ass in comparison. Yes, the 911 is the superior car but not necessarily by a 50% price increase. If GM could only sort out their damn interiors on the Vette it would truly compete all around with the best in the world but until then it is still just a bargain priced car.

The ATS has no price ceiling? Everybody will just say ATS-V loaded to the gills. Lol

I think for me it is coming down to the ATS-V or a Cayman GT4(starts at 84k). Maybe just to be different I'd go with the Cayman GT4 but really I think I'm way more in love with the ATS-V. I looked at an Aston Vantage V8 but they start at 103k... AMG GT starts at 111k. A big old Mercedes SL starts at 86k but I don't think I would be too satisfied with the "small" motor in a car like that. I thought I struck gold with a Jag F-Type but I would need the badass 5.0 R and that too starts over 100k. or

Hey, if you're going to drive a van. That one looks slick as s h i t.

I'll make fun of mini vans as much as thas next car guy but they really are one of the most practical vehicles out there if you have more than 2-3 passengers and luggage. Just givin @oldshurst442 a hard time!

Of all cars small mile-eaters are the most likely to see 200k miles..at least I think so. And I actually wasn't just talking about engine for reliability. I was more just making fun of VW for them being known to not be very reliable as a whole

That was my first thought as well. I'll have to really think of something if it's going to be outside of the typical M4/ATSV/C63/RS5. I'm not sure if a Cayman could fit or not..are those 2 seaters? And do 2 seaters count? @Frisky Dingo

..except..reliability.. Nissan VS VW? Easy decision in that department.

@oldshurst442 A minivan?!?!? That's blasphemy on an auto forum!! "Shame. Shame. Shame. " (hopefully somebody gets the reference) It just said a cross country road trip, I thought..? It can't be a fun trip? lol

See when I saw 2 cars for cross country I thought A: one to trailer a cool car and the cool car or B: two cars(one magically flying with you as you drive along) and I'd drive the ATS in most places and when I hit up some canyons or mountainous area I'd jump in the Z for some more spirited driving. Most likely the Z would only see a few hundred miles maaayyyybe as much as 1000 out of a 5000 mile adventure. I'm not thinking of just driving from east to west coast on the interstates. Kind of like the above post of a few weeks off to go see a bunch of things and places along the way and I'd like to stop at a track day at a few tracks too if this is an ideal cross country trip. And there the Z comes into play!

I think my mile eater might be an ATS but I'm not sure how I would package it. I could either get it base and add the "black performance package" or start up a package and get more interior things like heated seats, power seats..ect. ect.. Either way it will be the 2.0T which is what I would want anyway. Now 100% because a Golf R sounds enticing as well. 2017 ATS. I know the picture is of a V Series but that's the color I'd want. The toy car to sh!t and get would definitely be a C5Z. I don't think you can get any more performance for that much money.

You might have sold me on the Golf R as the cruiser. I was trying to think of something on the luxurious side for a mile-eater and then have a toy for the real fun places. Golf R is a great compromise for sporty and luxury(not really luxury but very solid and nice).

I think you could still dive almost 8 hours a day hitting awesome places and roads and still take 2 weeks to do it all. But I know what you're saying!

Just to clarify.. When you say comfortable and reliable you're saying no ACR..or any Fiats.. . But really, I assume no near track-only kind of cars?

I love the standard 2 door Willy's. Basic Jeep Wrangler. I sadly don't see very many of them anymore. I mostly see the 4 door versions and higher trims. I know the Willy's isn't the bottom of the Wrangler lineup but it's pretty close isn't it? Like AC is still an option at that point?

Thanks, I loved it! It just wasn't practical in any way.. I'm glad I owned it while I did and I definitely want another 99-04 Mustang some day down the road. They're definitely not the fastest cars but they're the last of the small-ish Mustang and they're still a pretty raw car. No interior amenities and safety things. Just car and a switch to turn off the traction control. This was mine.

2004 Mustang GT - Loan was $10,500 - $198/month 2006 Mercedes C350 - Loan was $12,000 - I think it was around $225/month 2003 Mach 1 - I don't remember the loan but I believe I paid around $250/month I only paid 12,500 for the car so I'm not 100% on the rest of the numbers. I just remember my payments have slowly been scaling up for larger loans. It might have only been a 4 year loan for that payment. I know I didn't get a loan for $12,500 either. The loan was probably more like 10k. 2013 Ford Escape - Loan was $15,000 - $278/month 2.89%

There has also only been two brands in the sport for awhile now. Chevy and Honda.

@oldshurst442 Great freakin' list, bud! Your Olds Hurst fell right into your lap on this one! lol The 2016 GT-H.. A buddy of mine manages a handful of Hertz up in the Chicago area and he had one for a weekend a month or so ago. Way cool. It's really just a fancy/souped up GT but the principal of what it was made it cooler.

Gorgeous, isn't it?!?! It's tough, yet beautiful..