# Recommend me a 100K car. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274 "2009-03-21T17:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/1 "2009-03-21T17:46:35Z")
Let’s say I was to sell my house for a hundred grand and I want to spend it on a new car. I will have to live in a cardboard box, but hey, I 'll have some serious wheels. 😃 I am interested primarily on performance (both cornering and acceleration) so Minivans, MPVs or SUVs no matter how good or practical they might be are right out. Anything else goes, from two seater coupes, convertibles, sporty saloons to open wheelers. Also it has to be available in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/2 "2009-03-21T17:55:25Z")
Just read about the [Ariel Atom](http://arielatom.com/) in Maxim this month. 0-60 in under 3 seconds. How about that? ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/3 "2009-03-21T18:03:56Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > Let’s say I was to sell my house for a hundred grand and I want to spend it on a new car. I will have to live in a cardboard box, but hey, I 'll have some serious wheels. 😃 You won’t live a cardboard box, you’ll live in your car. May I recommend the Tesla Roadster, available fully loaded for 99,000 Euros and 100% Electric. Goes from 0 to 100 km/h in under 4 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/4 "2009-03-21T18:08:59Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > I am interested primarily on performance (both cornering and acceleration)… Also it has to be available in Europe. Having owned a Porsche 911, I can recommend them. ---
**Author:** ![Category5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Category5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Category5)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/5 "2009-03-21T19:33:27Z")
Nissan GTR ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/6 "2009-03-21T20:13:07Z")
I’m currently enamored with the [Audi S5 Coupe.](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=Audi&model=S5) Unfortunately it’s too cheap and probably too understated for your hypothetical. Moving into loftier climes you could try out the [BMW M6 Coupe](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=BMW&model=M6). If the Germans aren’t to your liking and you have top notch negotiating skills you might be able to get the dealer to part with the [Aston Martin V8 Vantage](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=Aston%20Martin&model=V8%20Vantage) for a paltry $100K. If you insist on buying American the [Cadillac XLR](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=Cadillac&model=XLR) would fit the bill, though I was a touch disappointed with the amount of plastic in the interior for that price. Considering GMs situation you could probably get a real bargain on one of these in todays economy. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/7 "2009-03-21T20:21:24Z")
Also, the [Corvette ZR1 ZR-3](http://www.myride.com/vehicle-photos-Sportscar2009-Chevrolet/Corvette/ZR1_ZR-3-49031.html?photoId=67150) is pure testosterone and will be perfect for outrunning international spies. And finally, we have to include an Italian car. The [Maserati Gran Turisomo](http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=7828). You can roll with the celebs in classy style. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/8 "2009-03-21T21:46:05Z")
A fully restored 1965 Austin Healey 3000. It’s not up to the speed and handling of most modern sportscars, but it has _class_. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/9 "2009-03-21T22:28:24Z")
[Dodge Viper](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=Dodge&model=Viper): 600 hp and 0-60 in under four seconds. Plus, it looks like it’s going a hundred when it’s standing still. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/10 "2009-03-22T13:12:22Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > If you insist on buying American the [Cadillac XLR](http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/overview.aspx?year=2009&make=Cadillac&model=XLR) would fit the bill, though. Ah, no. If you are going to by a caddy then get the [CTS-V](http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/model/landing.jsp?model=ctsv&year=2009) 556HP 0-60 in 3.9s Fastest V8 sedan on the planet (at least according to GM propaganda). Less than $70K US. You can use the other $30K to put gas in it… (Sorry, missed the available in Europe. No idea actually if it is). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/11 "2009-03-22T14:55:08Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > Let’s say I was to sell my house for a hundred grand and I want to spend it on a new car. I will have to live in a cardboard box, but hey, I 'll have some serious wheels. 😃 Nahh…just pick up a new girl every night and tell her you can’t go back to your mansion because the rare painting are being rotated. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/12 "2009-03-22T16:13:23Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > Fastest V8 sedan on the planet (at least according to GM propaganda). > Less than $70K US. You can use the other $30K to put gas in it… It’s true, but the reason they specify “V8 sedan” is because the Audi RS6 is faster but has a V10. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/13 "2009-03-22T20:30:50Z")
Thanks for the replies. I forgot to mention that cars in Greece can be 30% or more expensive than the MSRP in USA. For example, an Audi S5 costs 72,500€ with manual tranny and 74,800€ with tiptronic. An M6 hardtop costs 152,000€ and 161,000€ for the cabrio. The cheapest Porsche 911 (2 wheel drive, non turbo) costs 117,000€. The 911 Turbo costs 193,000 and the GT2 285,000. I guess I’ll have to sell that field next to the beach as well as the house to get a nice car ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/14 "2009-03-22T21:13:54Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > The cheapest Porsche 911 (2 wheel drive, non turbo) costs 117,000€. The 911 Turbo costs 193,000 and the GT2 285,000. In the U.S. MSRP on a Carrera is $76,300. The Turbo is $130,000. The GT2 is $194,000. > **[Porsche 911 model overview](https://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/)** > > The legendary 911. The identity of the Porsche brand - since 1963. Here you will find an overview of all Porsche 911 model variants. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/15 "2009-03-23T04:12:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s true, but the reason they specify “V8 sedan” is because the Audi RS6 is faster but has a V10. I couldn’t find an RS8 for sale in the US on the audi website, so I checked the UK site. 75,000GBP! That’s twice the cost of the CTS-V and certainly outside the range of vehicles the OP is looking for. For the price it had better be faster and significantly so. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/16 "2009-03-23T05:05:12Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > I couldn’t find an RS8 for sale in the US on the audi website, so I checked the UK site. 75,000GBP! That’s twice the cost of the CTS-V and certainly outside the range of vehicles the OP is looking for. For the price it had better be faster and significantly so. :rolleyes: Look, I love American cars and I am particularly fond of the modern incarnation of the Cadillac brand, but none of that premium you pay for an Audi goes into power. The implication that power = premium is the type of mindset that has continually put the US automakers in the shitter. The extra money you pay for an Audi goes into fit and finish. Sitting in a Caddy and then a Audi for minutes apiece immediately makes it clear how much nicer the Audi is designed and appointed. A few more minutes of actual driving and you realize how much more technologically advanced the tuning and systems are. Corvettes and Cadillacs are more powerful and usually faster than anything in their price range, but they use a lot of cheap plastic inside and offer subpar cockpits. That’s the undying shame of the US auto market. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/17 "2009-03-23T05:27:51Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > The extra money you pay for an Audi goes into fit and finish. Sitting in a Caddy and then a Audi for minutes apiece immediately makes it clear how much nicer the Audi is designed and appointed. So, you are saying that the Audi is twice as nice as the Cadillac? Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’d like an Audi over a Cadillac myself, but does that extra stuff that makes the Audi that much better actually cost twice as much? Or, do you just end paying a premium for the name? ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/18 "2009-03-23T06:24:17Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > So, you are saying that the Audi is twice as nice as the Cadillac? > > Hey, don’t get me wrong, I’d like an Audi over a Cadillac myself, but does that extra stuff that makes the Audi that much better actually cost twice as much? Or, do you just end paying a premium for the name? Well, a Cadillac CTS-V goes for [£58,995](http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090120.006/cadillac-cts-v-priced-at-56495-80k-in-uk---available-from-next-month) in the UK, so it’s only about 15K cheaper than the Audi. So yeah, I’d say the Audi is 15k nicer than a Caddy. I’m not really sure what the point on any of this is though. The Audi R8 (and RS8) is a 2 door coupe, essentially a super car. It’s competition is the Corvette ZR-1, Porsche 911, Nissan GT-R etc. The CTS-V is a insanely powerful 4-door Sedan with a V-8, it’s competition would be a BMW M5, MB E63 AMG and Audi S8. An apples to apples comparison for the CTS-V would be the Audi S8, not the R8 or RS8 which are completely different cars. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/19 "2009-03-23T10:42:02Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I’m not really sure what the point on any of this is though. The Audi R8 (and RS8) is a 2 door coupe, essentially a super car. It’s competition is the Corvette ZR-1, Porsche 911, Nissan GT-R etc. The CTS-V is a insanely powerful 4-door Sedan with a V-8, it’s competition would be a BMW M5, MB E63 AMG and Audi S8. > > An apples to apples comparison for the CTS-V would be the Audi S8, not the R8 or RS8 which are completely different cars. Sorry, I should have wrote RS6 not RS8. The price I quoted is for that model, not the higher end ones which are even more expensive. I agree that OP probably doesn’t care about this. He wants a hot car for under $100K. A CTS-V is a hot car that competes with any number of European sports sedans on a relatively equal footing. Plus, it costs less. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274/20 "2009-03-23T13:12:22Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I’m not really sure what the point on any of this is though. The Audi R8 (and RS8) is a 2 door coupe, essentially a super car. It’s competition is the Corvette ZR-1, Porsche 911, Nissan GT-R etc. The CTS-V is a insanely powerful 4-door Sedan with a V-8, it’s competition would be a BMW M5, MB E63 AMG and Audi S8. RS6, not S8. The S8 is bigger than the CTS (and not as fast as the RS6). > [@Uzi](#): > > I agree that OP probably doesn’t care about this. He wants a hot car for under $100K. A CTS-V is a hot car that competes with any number of European sports sedans on a relatively equal footing. Plus, it costs less. Yes, but it’s also not as good. The CTS-V is very, very good at going very fast in a straight line, and that’s it. The RS6 goes well, stops well, rides better, handles better, and has vastly better fit and finish. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-100k-car/490274.md?page=2)