I currently have a 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 and am looking to trade it in/sell it. I am 26yo and still in the beginning of figuring out where my enthusiast path leads me. As a result I don’t have a ton of experience and don’t know where to go.
I got a good offer on my C7 and compared to German and Japanese cars of the era, the interior quality and technology are laughable. Additionally I was not aware of how easy the car is to steal and have been victim to a theft attempt. After this I can’t trust taking the car anywhere. The car is fast and the engine sounds good, but that’s all I enjoy about it.
I previously owned a W205 C63 for 48 hours and loved it. The sound of the engine was the biggest thing that caused me to fall in love with it. Unfortunately it had a ton of problems(collapsed motor mounts, cylinder timing issues, unreported accident) and I had to get rid of it or it would be a money pit even with a warranty.
Below are the cars I’m interested in the price next to it is monthly payment, warranty cost, estimated maintenance cost and insurance
I am considering the following cars:
2022 Golf GTI ($425/mo)
2006 Mercedes Benz SLK55 ($250/mo)
2020 Mazda Miata ($375/mo)
My biggest worry for the Miata and GTI is that I will get bored of the 4cyl and will want something with a better exhaust.
My biggest issue with the SLK55 and a bit for the Miata is the exterior design. I prefer to drive something aggressive looking or at least something that I don’t feel kind of dorky driving.
Some cars I am worried about maintenance/not sure it is worth the cost:
2018 Mercedes GLC63 (60k miles) - (850/mo)
2013 Mercedes SL550 (60k miles) - ($650/mo)
2018 Porsche Macan GTS (65k miles) - ($650/mo)
My budget is 35k for a car that won’t need any warranty and 30k for a car that will need one. I prefer German and Japanese. Would like to avoid American or anything else that is a high target for theft.
To give some more insight into what I like, below is my ranking of cars I’ve had the pleasure of either renting or owning in terms of driving experience
Huracan LP610-4 > Huracan LP610-4 Spyder > 488 GTB > 458 Spyder > W205 C63 > C7 RS7 > G82 M4 > C8 Corvette > W209 CLK55 > C7 Corvette > W212 E53 > B9.5 A5 > GLK350 > Accord V6
Please help me make a decision I have been stressing out over this.