Practical, reliable, and fun car for $10,000?
 

Really having difficulty coming up with the car that best suits what I described in the title. I would say the reliability is the most important factor, with practicality and fun factor being about equal. While manual would be great, I'd settle with auto given limited choices...

Practical = ideally seats 4-5 people. I love hatchbacks for its practicality, but sedan is fine (coupe least desired).

Reliable = prefer Japanese cars due to their reliability, which mean they are relatively cheap to maintain

I'm really struggling to come up with the candidates that fit these criteria, but thought about the following:

Civic Si Sedan (2006-2011)
Toyota Matrix XRS (2003-2006)
Acura TSX (2004-2008)

Thought about Mazdaspeed but I'd prefer to stay NA.

Would appreciate if you guys know any other vehicles that fit the bill, or can point out any major flaws (such as reliability) with the cars I listed. My list is pretty short as I'm not very familiar with Mitsubishi or Subaru reliability.

Between the Si and TSX, the TSX feels more refined but also a bit boatier around corners. It weighs a bit more and the suspension makes it not as nimble as the si.

Another good choice is a manual transmission TL if you want more power.

I just picked up a 2008 Mazda 3 GT for $7K and figured I'd spend another $3K on "fun" (suspension, better brakes, maybe wheels etc). With any used car I figured I should budget for repairs/upgrades and I'm likely going to end up spending $10-11K. Clean Mazda 3s with manuals can be a bit hard to find - people treat them like shit b/c they're dailies - I just spent 8 hours cleaning up mine and there's still dirt in nooks and crannies.

I also have a 2007 TSX with an auto and while I love it I don't think it's what you'll want - you'll need to spend some money upgrading the suspension and brakes to make it fun enough. It is, however, 100% reliable - zero troubles so far and I'd expect nothing for years to come.

I prefer slow cars that are a blast versus fast cars that aren't thus something like a Mazda 3 works just fine for me. A big honking V6 wouldn't have made me happier in the long run.

If you can find a Saab 9-2x I'd recommend it - a bit nicer than its sister car and super rare. They go for around 8-10K. Maybe also the Volvo S40 or C30.

WRX?(both the sedan and wagon)

if you want a brand new car check out a Mitsubishi Mirage at around $12k with 10 year warranty which isn't a bad deal

Thanks. I'm similar to you in that I don't care much for huge hp and prefer more nimble cars, although it can't be too weak. Civic Si is my top choice atm but it is quite hard to find a clean one. Saab or Volvo would be a significant leap of faith for me as I know absolutely nothing about these cars. Also, a quick search on Volvo it appears those two models are hard to come by as well, at least clean ones.

A new Mitsubishi Mirage is not a "fun" car. :lawl:

Not exactly known for reliability but I'd go for something like this, may not be this one but something like it
08 (or 09) Audi A4, S-line, quattro
https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/bnc/ctd/6104629271.html

https://images.craigslist.org/00r0r_...lG_600x450.jpg

The Saab 9-2x is just a WRX dressed up a nicer car - I drove one last year and thought it was pretty nice but it wasn't my thing. If you're a wagon nerd then I'd search far and wide for a Volvo V50 wagon with the turbo 5 cylinder. It's no Japanese car in terms of reliability but better than the Germans, the bones are shared with the Mazda3/Ford Focus.

Clean Civic Si are hard to find as you've noted unless you are ok with a coupe (which it sounds like you aren't).

If you want to take a chance though: https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/6114118912.html - low mileage, fast, just a Swedish GM car so parts are not hard to find. (I've always wanted to own a Saab, you should see the boner I'll have when a SportCombi with AWD and a manual shows up for sale)

MZ3 should suit the OP. 2nd gens are slightly larger and within his budget.

BTW, I have F/R Hotchkiss swaybars, KW coilovers and MS3 exhaust I'm parting. Also, since yours is manual, make sure the PCV has been replaced.

:heckno:

What comparable vehicle from GM has a turbo v6 2.8?

Despite what people will have you believe, parts are not that easy to find...and as they age, are becoming increasingly difficult to source.

I feel like there are a good number of options at 10k. Definitely look into Subaru, especially if you are ok with a JDM import, but it doesn't have to be. The imports are usually in really good shape, low mileage, and often sportier versions than the Canadian ones.

There's a Mazdaspeeed 6 up for sale that looks decent.

I know you'd prefer the JDM stuff for cost, but there are always lots of Volkswagens around, a GTI would be a fine choice in my opinion. Or maybe a Mini? Either of those would be sporty and a ton of fun compared to something like a Matrix.

Consumer Reports - Best Used Cars By Price (May 18, 2017)
Price is USD, so obviously the newer model years may be over $10k CAD.

What about a Subaru Legacy GT? 250 hp, awd sedan. There are others on CL that are manual, newer, but slightly more than $10K

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rch/ctd/6136343847.html

https://images.craigslist.org/00s0s_...xA_600x450.jpg

Ford Focus SVT hatch, or CSX Type S

FA5 Civic Si fits your criteria.

This or a MK6/7 VW GTI.

Fun and practical - I love my 05 VW TDI that has been modified with a larger turbo and a custom tune. 156hp and 267lbs of torque - you can pull out in front of anything you need with 25lbs of boost. Stick with the 04-05 models with the BEW motor, they are proving to be very reliable and cheap to modify (no need for larger injectors or fuel pump).

Motors go forever, parts are cheap as they sold 14 million in North America. My car is at 394k now, plan on driving it to 500k.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/6111806440.html

Lots in the budget left over for suspension, wheels, turbo, and tuning. Lots of aftermarket support as well.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll expand my search a bit to include some of the suggested vehicles. Ideally I would still prefer to avoid certain euro cars (the reliability on some just downright scares me). Also, hoping to keep the car stock because I certainly won't have time to do any modifications. Sorry should've mentioned this in the OP.

We have had an 09 Matrix and 05 Mazda 3 GT

Matrix is not sporty at all. Would not buy one again.

Mazda 3 was fun to drive and reliable. I would definitely recommend the 3 GT (not sedan)

Infiniti G35x. A lot of car for the money, you can get them for relatively cheap now.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/bnc/cto/6112681604.html

what's premium gas these days... 1.54/L??

Yup! I have one and that's the only downside. It's a gas pig.

Unfortunately, the GTI wouldn't meet the reliability requirement the OP has, esp at the price point the OP is considering. For ~$10k, you are really only looking at the MkV cars. And at that age, they will need a lot of maintenance.

With the FA5 Civic Si, I'd caution the OP from mentally committing to that before you give the car a thorough test drive. The FA5 is both reliable and capable. The engine in particular is entertaining, but the combination of high cowl, mile-long dash, the 2-tier instrumentation makes it really awkward for me to drive the car. When driving the car, I feel like my sightlines are poor, and I have no idea where my 2 front corners (of the car) are. I didn't like that at all.

My TSX is far from fun.

From your options civic is #1