Well, im about a year from getting my car, and still trying to decide, and i thought it might not be to early to ask around. So far, working with my budjet ive come to like some cars, and i wonder what you guys think on these. I probaly can't go out and test drive many of these, so i wanted to know what you guys say on them. I known alot of you would say a hodna or acura would be pretty good for a first car, but there not really in my preference, i was wondering about some rear-wheel drive cars. Heres what ive come up with.

1991- 95 Nissan 240sx with a sr20det engine swap
1998 and up Chevy Camaro Z28
91 and up Mazda RX-7 *most likely high mileage*
Pre 93 Toyota Supra Turbo
93 and up Nissan 300zx Turbo'
MK2 Toyota MR-2 Turbo

Tell me what you guys think about these cars, and if you add any to add ry fiting them into the criteria of rear wheel, or all wheel drive. The car i want is something to get a good amount of power out, fun to drive, handles pretty well, and is somewhat reliable. Share your oponions.

All the cars there are pretty respectable. First off I'd like to say I like both imports and domestics, so don't think I'm being biased towards either.

I'd have to say good luck finding any of these cars in a reasonable price range for your first car (unless youre rich and/or mom and dad are buying it for you), with the exception of the pre-93 Supra or if a car is high in mileage. If power is what you're seeking, theres not really any point in buying a high mileage car (even if it is something really awesome) because due to it's age, its probably not making anywhere near the power it made when it first came from the factory (not to mention reliability issues, which is something you don't want for your very first car).
The SR20DET 240sx is a cool car, but good luck finding any parts in your local store if something breaks down (and unless you really know where the engine came from, theres no telling how many miles it really has on it). There's no point of buying a high mileage Rx-7 unless you have a lot of money to overhaul the whole thing. I've seen a lot of pre-93 Supras for sale in my area, theyre pretty abundant, but most have really high mileage. Plus I'm not too sure if they have a big aftermarket (unless youre looking to just drive it stock). 93 and up 300zx turbos are usually very expensive, but it's a fairly good choice if you have that kind of money. The Toyota MR-2 is a good car, but I believe they're fairly hard to find and probably go for a lot as well. I cant say I know a lot about MR-2s so if someone else has info, feel free to correct me.
I'd say that the 98 and up Camaro is probably your best bet. It has good horsepower and torque, and it has a very large aftermarket. The downside is the gas comsumption.
Like I always say, I think you should be concentrating more on reliability than anything else, but of course its your choice. Just try to keep your expectations realistic, and don't just go out and buy a rusted out, high mileage Toyota Supra or something, just because it's a Supra. Gotta remember maintence and all that fun stuff.
Goodluck.

I have to say that I pretty much agree with ronin, but I'd say that the MR2 is probably a better bet than the Camaro for a first car. The prices shouldn't be too bad (around 6k or so for a decent example) and the reliability is higher (it's a Toyota after all). Plus it is a purer "sports" design where it comes to drivetrain layout, which makes it much easier to drive. That said, the Camaro and MR2 are most likely going to be the least expensive to purchase and maintain out of your list (which is important in a first car). All the other cars would be good choices but will be expensive to find good examples of (high mileage Supras and RX7s are VERY bad ideas, not to mention the oil usage issues with older RXs). But remember, the most important thing is that you get something that you will like and want to drive around.

Thanks for the help so far guys, your probaly right on not getting a RX-7 do to high miles. About the old Supra, there is actually a red one, 1 owner, low miles, about 13 miles away from me for a good price, in near mint condition. I put the 240sx with the engine because theres alot of them around, and they cost aroudn 5k which is good. So far out of all of these ive been leaning towards the 240sx and the MR-2.

I wouldnt go RWD as a first car, let alone a car I like. Your first car is supposed to be shitty so you can crash it and fuck it up. Get an early 90's model LS400 if you want RWD. Those damng things dont handle for shit, so its good that you learn how to drive a boat on land before any sports car.

Well i am planning if i can find one to go to an advanced driving school to learn better techniques and control.

Very good idea. One of the reasons I recommended the MR2 is because it has relatively low power for the group of cars you mentioned (though it is quite a bit lighter than any of them) and the combo of RWD and ME makes it more stable for a first time driver. For the record, I learned to drive by being taken down a long dirt road to a large open area of desert (with no plants) and told to go wild and see if I could keep it under control. I don't recommend this for everyone, but it worked for me (I'm still looking at driving schools and saving up some for that as well though).

That does sound like a good idea, i couldnt do it though because of here in Oklahoma, its mostly all flat land. Ive had some driving before, drivin a Honda CR-V, Ford F-150, Nissan 350z, and a dirtbike which has helped me with shifting and such even though its 1 down 4 up.

A big reason i dont want to get a crappy car is because i dont want something i would hate to drive, and would end up sellign withing a few months anyway.

Edited by Silo55 (Sun Nov 27, 05   8:34 PM)

That's a valid point, but in that case I definitely wouldn't recommend the Kwake School of Driving to Offend. Get those lessons before you test out the limits of whatever you buy, it'll make that good car you choose stay good much longer.

come on man.. we have like.. 30 post of people looking for first cars. you should get ideas from them instead of starting it alll over agin

I have been getting ideas, but most of the time the suggested cars are Hondas and Acuras, not exactly my preference. So i asked for help with differen criteria for a car, and with some cars not even mentioned before, what you guys thought on htem.

get a SVO mustang. or a focus ZX3 with the 2.3 duratech or something along those lines.

98 and up camaro z28 is a best buy for performance and gas mileage....yea thats what i own....lol 98 camaro z28 ls1 v8

whats the average price for one of those?

around from a low 7 grand to a max 25 grand pending on milage and condition