Time for the planning for my first car stereo

[ToggleHead]

psssh.....one upper. =P
_________________

[Google]

[sickofsoyo]

haha, thanks guys, but me and my brother and his friend are gonna do it. My brother's friend does it for a living, and maybe I can get a custom sub box outta it . Still gotta get to some of those places on 46, lots of shopping and poking around to do
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[sickofsoyo]

well, my stereo installation is no longer gonna happen, My father totaled the car I was supposed to be getting. Im going to be getting the insurance money, a grand from him he was gonna put into that car, and anything I can make over the summer and now. Im gonna try to get a BMW 323i, but I think insurance might be too much. Im getting the car in january, so I wont be able to do anything with a stereo.
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[ToggleHead]

sorry to hear that....and i hope youre dad is ok.
_________________

[sickofsoyo]

yeah, except his rental car is an hhr, so he doesnt really fit in it... its funny seeing him drive it. Hes going to get a new impala, and I got the NO, for the BMW, so I got some shopping to do. Worth a shot though =-)
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[Zero_Fresh]

Depending on what you're looking for in a car I might a have a few suggestions.

I recently bought a new car after some serious research into the mid-size field. If you're looking for a car that comfortably fits 5 passengers and still has a sporty feel but won't break your bank, don't rule out the Mazda 6. (Shameless plug for my car, I know)

Seriously though, if you'd like any suggestions just post up what you're looking for in a car and I'll give whatever information and test drive experience I gathered on a variety of different models.
_________________
"....Or as almost every word in a sentence; Tweak the tweaking tweakers!"

Josh Awards = 2

[sickofsoyo]

ok, yeah. I could use some help. Im looking for something within 10000-12000. One of the cars I was looking at was the 2004 Chevy impala SS model. (my parents want me to get a bigger car, and my mom want me to get another impala). So yeah, 3.8L V6 Supercharged, 240 hp, and that other stuff. It front wheel drive so it'll be good in the snow.

So yeah, suggestions welcome, I wont be getting the car until like January I think.
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[Zero_Fresh]

Ok, so you're looking for between 10k-12k. You want something larger than a compact. You want something that will handle well in the snow. And I would imagine you're looking for something with a little bit of pep.

- What's the oldest year you'll consider? 2002?
- What body type? Sedan only?
- Are there certain features you would like to have? (heated seats, leather, auto-dim mirror)
- Manual or Automatic?
- What mileage range is acceptable?

Well, until I get the answers to those questions I can at least recommend a couple of cars.

First and foremost, take a look at Hyundai. They don't get the recognition they deserve. They make great cars and they aren't expensive. They use quality materials and they drive pretty nice. I used to have a 2000 Elantra and I loved it. It was quick, had enough torque to let you feel acceleration, and handle very nicely. However, if you're looking for something bigger than a compact you might want to look at the Sonata.
You can get a low mileage 2004 - 2005 Sonata for exactly your price range. They come with power everything standard and 100,000 mile warranties. Not to mention the new Sonatas look as if their design was inspired by Jaguar. Definitely take a look at a few before ruling them out.

Secondly, Honda Accords. I know, I know, there are so many of them on the road. Well that makes parts much cheaper. Something to think about. You can get a 2003 - 2004 Accord with under 60k miles (maybe as low as 30k) for your price range. Hondas are notorious for breaking 120k miles without a problem. They're solid cars and they look pretty nice. You can find them with all different combinations of features. Unfortunately, I their warranty isn't 100k miles, but as I mentioned above, parts are cheap and so are repairs.

I'll leave it at that for now until I know more specifically what it is you're looking for.
_________________
"....Or as almost every word in a sentence; Tweak the tweaking tweakers!"

Josh Awards = 2

[sickofsoyo]

1. Oldest I want to go is 2002, but I will be flexible to go as far as 2000 if its something really nice.

2. My parents want the car to be a sedan, something larger and safe for my first car.

3. Features, automatic everything, CD player, V6 engine, warranty.

4. Automatic, I dont want to have to shift when Im trying to learn to drive.

5. I want to try and stay under 80,000 miles

I also would like the car to be American. Foreign parts can be a bitch to get. And yeah, something like the honda would be acceptable because the parts are easier to get. I'll take a look at the hyndais.
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[sandness]

I love my 04 Bonneville. It fits your guidlines. Grand Prix's are also an option.
_________________
•Asus P5K SE •Q6700 •4GB G.Skill •BFG 512MB GeForce 8800GT
•Swiftech MCW6000 CPU block •MCP350 pump •MCW30 chipset block •2 x MCR120 rad
•Audigy II •Fortron 500w •24” Acer LCD •320GB Seagate SATA2 •200GB Maxtor SATA2

[Zero_Fresh]

Unfortunately, I didn't look at American cars during my car search so I can't really give any of them my personal opinion. However, I did take all of the search criteria you provided and did a little AutoTrader.com browsing. Below is a link to a bunch of cars all in your area. Take a look and see if you can find any models that catch your eye.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searchresults.jsp?num_records=25&search_type=both&distance=25&address=07045&style_flag=2&body_style=SEDAN&make=&start_year=2002&end_year=2008&min_price=&max_price=12000&transmission=Automatic&engine=6+Cylinder&drive=&doors=Four+Door&fuel=&max_mileage=75000&color=&feature5=power+door+locks&feature6=power+mirrors&feature7=power+windows&feature8=rear+window+defroster&keywords_display=&sort_type=priceDESC&body_code=8&certified=&advanced=y&default_sort=priceDESC&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=
_________________
"....Or as almost every word in a sentence; Tweak the tweaking tweakers!"

Josh Awards = 2

[sickofsoyo]

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/compare.jsp?num_records=25&start_year=2002&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=6+Cylinder&certified=&body_code=8&fuel=&search_type=both&distance=25&make=&keywords_display=&color=&min_price=&body_style=SEDAN&drive=&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=75000&style_flag=2&sort_type=priceDESC&feature8=rear+window+defroster&feature7=power+windows&feature6=power+mirrors&feature5=power+door+locks&address=07045&advanced=y&end_year=2008&doors=Four+Door&transmission=Automatic&max_price=12000&ref=srl&compare=215805686&compare=212267548

I like either of those on the first page, but the price of the jaguar seems a little low... But hey, a jags a jag There is also an 04 grand am,
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[Zero_Fresh]

Careful of Jags. The price isn't that far off, they lose resale value fast. Unfortunately, their parts and service stay expensive throughout their lifetime.
_________________
"....Or as almost every word in a sentence; Tweak the tweaking tweakers!"

Josh Awards = 2

[sickofsoyo]

ok, so here is whats goin on with the car... I got the insurance money and a thousand my dad was going to put into the car before the crash. I have a total of 8,600 right now. I am going to add to that with my summer job. My parents said I can't get a car until around January (which is when I get my liscence) because they dont want to pay insurance on the car while no one drives it. As of right now, I am looking at getting a pontiac grand prix between the years 2001 and 2003, and then adding a K-n air intake system (roughly 260, and installed by me) to gain some mpgs and hp. I dont think I can get the GTP with the supercharged engine because of insurance cost, but I got an ok for the GT with the regular 3.8L. I'll post pics when I get my car, and finish the work. I also want to add a ram air intake hood, and maybe some other minor changes, it all depends on how much everything costs. The bosy work wont be done till next year most likely.
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings

[sickofsoyo]

sry for double post... its body not bosy... and this is assuming I still get that car, Im still searching. I did go look at some accords and hyundais, Its still up in the air what I want to get. The grand prix are in my price range, so it is possible to get one, but I might find something else.
_________________
P4 3.2ghz
lanparty pro875b
Enermax Liberty 500 Watt Modular PSU
Sony 52X CD-RW
Samsung 120gig SATA hdd
Maxtor 100gig SATA hdd
Powmax Demon case
ATI X800 XL AIW, 525 Core, 525 mem
Creative X-Fi Platinum
PDP systems Patriot Ram 2,3,2,5 timings