You move to the USA, what car do you buy?
Discussion
Get some Americana.
When we first moved Stateside, we had no credit history and didn't want to spend savings on buying a car, so went with pretty much one of the cheapest leases we could find.
Honda Civic SiR (bit like the Type R, but with the same body as the previous generation Hybrid Civic we had here). This was a decent car for my wife and she loved it, but don't think it really fulfills your criteria.
So you might be more interested in what I owned, once we'd saved up some cash:
Ford F150 Lariat Supercab with 4.6L V8 - bit like this:
Then saw one of these for sale outside someone's front yard when in Des Moines for the State Fair and had to have it:
1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible (8.2l V8) Should have looked like this:
Actually looked more like this:
Was the coolest thing on the highway (I thought), but was rotten as a peach, had shagged suspension, none of the electrics worked, the roof was torn and drank oil as quickly as gas (which was damned quick) leaving a huge black plume behind it everywhere we went. My wife hated it
. Finally blew up on Highway 30 and caught fire.
Sadly, photos were all on a camera which got nicked, so I've lost them all
Finally decided to spend a bit more cash and saw the Chevelle 454 SS in my profile pic for sale at a car show in Des Moines. It was the seller's dad's car and he'd passed away, so the guy was selling on behalf of his mum. The guy's dad had had it since new, the guy had been to his high school prom in it, but couldn't bear to keep it
f
king awesome car and now worth bucket loads more than when I had it. Makes my current drive of a (albeit very capable) Skoda seem rather tawdry in comparison
When we first moved Stateside, we had no credit history and didn't want to spend savings on buying a car, so went with pretty much one of the cheapest leases we could find.
Honda Civic SiR (bit like the Type R, but with the same body as the previous generation Hybrid Civic we had here). This was a decent car for my wife and she loved it, but don't think it really fulfills your criteria.
So you might be more interested in what I owned, once we'd saved up some cash:
Ford F150 Lariat Supercab with 4.6L V8 - bit like this:
Then saw one of these for sale outside someone's front yard when in Des Moines for the State Fair and had to have it:
1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible (8.2l V8) Should have looked like this:
Actually looked more like this:
Was the coolest thing on the highway (I thought), but was rotten as a peach, had shagged suspension, none of the electrics worked, the roof was torn and drank oil as quickly as gas (which was damned quick) leaving a huge black plume behind it everywhere we went. My wife hated it
. Finally blew up on Highway 30 and caught fire.Sadly, photos were all on a camera which got nicked, so I've lost them all
Finally decided to spend a bit more cash and saw the Chevelle 454 SS in my profile pic for sale at a car show in Des Moines. It was the seller's dad's car and he'd passed away, so the guy was selling on behalf of his mum. The guy's dad had had it since new, the guy had been to his high school prom in it, but couldn't bear to keep it
f
king awesome car and now worth bucket loads more than when I had it. Makes my current drive of a (albeit very capable) Skoda seem rather tawdry in comparison Edited by Highway Star on Monday 24th September 19:06
shibby! said:
Question?
Do you requiree a US driving license to buy a car?
Your foreign driving license is enough for a year.
You don't need a US license to make the purchase - but the title, tag and insurance is where it gets messy without US credentials.Do you requiree a US driving license to buy a car?
Your foreign driving license is enough for a year.
You may not drive around on a foreign license for more than 30 days, if you become resident in this state.
Budget dictates and without a hint at that, it's all pretty speculative.
Mustang is too small for family (even young kids) but is dynamically superior to the Camaro or Charger/Challenger in both 6 and 8cyl guise. CTS-V is a great suggestion if the money works - they hold value impressively. Latest 392 powered 300C is a beast also.
Where in FL have you moved to?
Mustang is too small for family (even young kids) but is dynamically superior to the Camaro or Charger/Challenger in both 6 and 8cyl guise. CTS-V is a great suggestion if the money works - they hold value impressively. Latest 392 powered 300C is a beast also.
Where in FL have you moved to?
Budget dictates and without a hint at that, it's all pretty speculative.
Mustang is too small for family (even young kids) but is dynamically superior to the Camaro or Charger/Challenger in both 6 and 8cyl guise. CTS-V is a great suggestion if the money works - they hold value impressively. Latest 392 powered 300C is a beast also.
Where in FL have you moved to?
Edit to add: re-read and spotted Porsche Panamera comment which does suggest a budget range - if a US car is under consideration (they're all I've owned since moving here), I'd test-drive a CTS-V.
Mustang is too small for family (even young kids) but is dynamically superior to the Camaro or Charger/Challenger in both 6 and 8cyl guise. CTS-V is a great suggestion if the money works - they hold value impressively. Latest 392 powered 300C is a beast also.
Where in FL have you moved to?
Edit to add: re-read and spotted Porsche Panamera comment which does suggest a budget range - if a US car is under consideration (they're all I've owned since moving here), I'd test-drive a CTS-V.
Aesthetics are subjective of course. My work has given me very extensive access to all three Mustang/Camaro/Challenger and I considered all three when I bought my Mustang.
I think the Challenger is the most pleasing to look at (aside from being a bit over-inflated, compared to the original). Personally I feel that the Chevy looks like two different cars welded together at the A-pillar. The front is all big and bulky and cartoon-like. Despite trying my best to like the alternatives (and coming out of a 6.1 Mopar which I really loved), once you drive all three, the Ford is so much sharper than the others, is faster, lighter, handles/grips better and depreciates slower.
It'll do me until the next gen Barracuda is launched.
I think the Challenger is the most pleasing to look at (aside from being a bit over-inflated, compared to the original). Personally I feel that the Chevy looks like two different cars welded together at the A-pillar. The front is all big and bulky and cartoon-like. Despite trying my best to like the alternatives (and coming out of a 6.1 Mopar which I really loved), once you drive all three, the Ford is so much sharper than the others, is faster, lighter, handles/grips better and depreciates slower.
It'll do me until the next gen Barracuda is launched.
Thanks for replies - I've been scouting the classifieds. My conclusions so far are:
- it's time to own some yankee muscle car. Seems a shame to come all the way over here to the land of cheap "gas" and buy a European car.
- Camaro, not convinced by styling. Monster power version is a ragtop.
- Mustang, only the Shelby GT500 will do, but it really is a 2+2. I have 3 kids, and the Challenger does actually have room for 3 in the back.
- Challenger, the SRT8 models with the 6.4 litre V8 would be hard to say no to, particularly as it comes with a manual gearbox.
- Caddie CTS V - my neighbour has one. I liked the huge central exhausts hanging out the back of it and did a bit of research. Apart from it's appetite for gas (all of my choices will guzzle anyway), owners complained about nasty, shunty transmission. Looks are bit too angular for me.
- older muscle - my brother had a '66 Mustang when he lived in Houston. I think the word I'm looking for is between agricultural and rustic - let's say rusticultural. But that Bullit look is cool....
- budget, could stretch to $50k easily enough, so European cars used, US cars would have the option of new.
- am living in Coconut Grove in Miami and would prefer tintop to convertible due to extraordinary heat in summer and tropical rainstorms, no garage, etc.
Funny thing over here is that people are telling me to lease to build up my credit history. I'm maybe a bit old school, but have always preferred to buy the things that I want outright rather than on credit, the exception being houses of course. Maybe will have to overcome my stubborn principles as if we want to buy a house (to stop paying EXORBITANT rental rates) then a credit rating might be handy.
Thanks for the replies - you've given me plenty of food for thought unlike my wife. I asked her what sort of car she wants and she said "A yellow one..."
- it's time to own some yankee muscle car. Seems a shame to come all the way over here to the land of cheap "gas" and buy a European car.
- Camaro, not convinced by styling. Monster power version is a ragtop.
- Mustang, only the Shelby GT500 will do, but it really is a 2+2. I have 3 kids, and the Challenger does actually have room for 3 in the back.
- Challenger, the SRT8 models with the 6.4 litre V8 would be hard to say no to, particularly as it comes with a manual gearbox.
- Caddie CTS V - my neighbour has one. I liked the huge central exhausts hanging out the back of it and did a bit of research. Apart from it's appetite for gas (all of my choices will guzzle anyway), owners complained about nasty, shunty transmission. Looks are bit too angular for me.
- older muscle - my brother had a '66 Mustang when he lived in Houston. I think the word I'm looking for is between agricultural and rustic - let's say rusticultural. But that Bullit look is cool....
- budget, could stretch to $50k easily enough, so European cars used, US cars would have the option of new.
- am living in Coconut Grove in Miami and would prefer tintop to convertible due to extraordinary heat in summer and tropical rainstorms, no garage, etc.
Funny thing over here is that people are telling me to lease to build up my credit history. I'm maybe a bit old school, but have always preferred to buy the things that I want outright rather than on credit, the exception being houses of course. Maybe will have to overcome my stubborn principles as if we want to buy a house (to stop paying EXORBITANT rental rates) then a credit rating might be handy.
Thanks for the replies - you've given me plenty of food for thought unlike my wife. I asked her what sort of car she wants and she said "A yellow one..."
YankeePorker said:
Thanks for replies - I've been scouting the classifieds. My conclusions so far are:
- it's time to own some yankee muscle car. Seems a shame to come all the way over here to the land of cheap "gas" and buy a European car.
- Camaro, not convinced by styling. Monster power version is a ragtop.
- Mustang, only the Shelby GT500 will do, but it really is a 2+2. I have 3 kids, and the Challenger does actually have room for 3 in the back.
- Challenger, the SRT8 models with the 6.4 litre V8 would be hard to say no to, particularly as it comes with a manual gearbox.
- Caddie CTS V - my neighbour has one. I liked the huge central exhausts hanging out the back of it and did a bit of research. Apart from it's appetite for gas (all of my choices will guzzle anyway), owners complained about nasty, shunty transmission. Looks are bit too angular for me.
- older muscle - my brother had a '66 Mustang when he lived in Houston. I think the word I'm looking for is between agricultural and rustic - let's say rusticultural. But that Bullit look is cool....
- budget, could stretch to $50k easily enough, so European cars used, US cars would have the option of new.
- am living in Coconut Grove in Miami and would prefer tintop to convertible due to extraordinary heat in summer and tropical rainstorms, no garage, etc.
Funny thing over here is that people are telling me to lease to build up my credit history. I'm maybe a bit old school, but have always preferred to buy the things that I want outright rather than on credit, the exception being houses of course. Maybe will have to overcome my stubborn principles as if we want to buy a house (to stop paying EXORBITANT rental rates) then a credit rating might be handy.
Thanks for the replies - you've given me plenty of food for thought unlike my wife. I asked her what sort of car she wants and she said "A yellow one..."
Welcome to FL - hope you settle in well.- it's time to own some yankee muscle car. Seems a shame to come all the way over here to the land of cheap "gas" and buy a European car.
- Camaro, not convinced by styling. Monster power version is a ragtop.
- Mustang, only the Shelby GT500 will do, but it really is a 2+2. I have 3 kids, and the Challenger does actually have room for 3 in the back.
- Challenger, the SRT8 models with the 6.4 litre V8 would be hard to say no to, particularly as it comes with a manual gearbox.
- Caddie CTS V - my neighbour has one. I liked the huge central exhausts hanging out the back of it and did a bit of research. Apart from it's appetite for gas (all of my choices will guzzle anyway), owners complained about nasty, shunty transmission. Looks are bit too angular for me.
- older muscle - my brother had a '66 Mustang when he lived in Houston. I think the word I'm looking for is between agricultural and rustic - let's say rusticultural. But that Bullit look is cool....
- budget, could stretch to $50k easily enough, so European cars used, US cars would have the option of new.
- am living in Coconut Grove in Miami and would prefer tintop to convertible due to extraordinary heat in summer and tropical rainstorms, no garage, etc.
Funny thing over here is that people are telling me to lease to build up my credit history. I'm maybe a bit old school, but have always preferred to buy the things that I want outright rather than on credit, the exception being houses of course. Maybe will have to overcome my stubborn principles as if we want to buy a house (to stop paying EXORBITANT rental rates) then a credit rating might be handy.
Thanks for the replies - you've given me plenty of food for thought unlike my wife. I asked her what sort of car she wants and she said "A yellow one..."
Couple of points: ZL1 Camaro is available in coupe - just a bit cramped in the back.
The Tremec manual trans in the 392 Challenger is just as recalcitrant and the Caddy's, unfortunately.
Building credit is a challenge, though not helped with an auto lease. It would help your credit to finance a car purchase, which is do-able, assuming you have a visa that is current for the duration of the loan, or you are a LPR.
swerni said:
A yellow one you say
Like your style
French friends here are running around in a Hummer - they wanted a Jeep Wrangler, found them expensive, then saw the price of used Hummers now that petrol is getting a bit more expensive (still fill a big tank with "gas" for $60, so cheap as heck as far as I'm concerned!).Like your style
Matt Harper said:
Welcome to FL - hope you settle in well.
Couple of points: ZL1 Camaro is available in coupe - just a bit cramped in the back.
The Tremec manual trans in the 392 Challenger is just as recalcitrant and the Caddy's, unfortunately.
Building credit is a challenge, though not helped with an auto lease. It would help your credit to finance a car purchase, which is do-able, assuming you have a visa that is current for the duration of the loan, or you are a LPR.
Hi Matt - thanks for that. 3 year visa for my wife's job, while I flit overseas and work wherever while waiting for the right to work in the USA.Couple of points: ZL1 Camaro is available in coupe - just a bit cramped in the back.
The Tremec manual trans in the 392 Challenger is just as recalcitrant and the Caddy's, unfortunately.
Building credit is a challenge, though not helped with an auto lease. It would help your credit to finance a car purchase, which is do-able, assuming you have a visa that is current for the duration of the loan, or you are a LPR.
So you mean building up credit history would only be aided by a new car purchase?
deltashad said:
LotusOmega375D said:
I hear that the Toyota Prius is a very popular choice on the other side of the pond.
The Prius is somehow very California - don't know how a Prius air-con would cope with Miami.
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