98CoupeV6

Cast your vote for the Car of the Year in 2002, MY 2003. Price ceiling is set at $42,000. Enjoy, and please add to the discussion

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HAN Car of the Year

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BMW Z4




- 2.5L: 184 HP or 3.0L: 225 HP
- $33,000-40,000
- Definetly new age looks and you will get noticed, whatever else you may think of the style...good powerplants, slick shifter, and a classicly beautiful BMW interior. Good thing Bangle hasn't sent memos to the interior design team/powertrain team. Or they've ignored them.

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Dodge Neon SRT-4



- 2.4L Turbo: 215HP (But truth be told, it's putting down that to the wheels)
- $19,000
- Very good bang for buck value but a cheap interior, looks are love it or hate it, definetly a wild ride for under 20k.

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Honda Accord





- 2.4L i-VTEC: 160 HP or 3.0L VTEC: 240 HP
- $17,000 - $26,000
- You guys already know everything about this car. No need to reiterate. 6 speed available on Coupe, voice activated Navi on both models.

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Infiniti G35







- 3.5L: 260-280HP
- $29,000 - $33,000
- Sedan and Coupe models available, RWD with 6 speed available on either model, cheapish interiors compared to BMW or Acura but laserlike reflexes and inspiring power. Coupe is breathtakingly beautiful, Sedan is..well...bolder than the TL, but not exactly beautiful.

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Mazda 6





- 2.3L: 160 HP or 3.0L: 219 HP
- $17,000 - $25,000
- Manual tranny available on V6, supposedly extremely fun to drive and is sharp compared to others in its class; very good looking.

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MAZDASPEED Protege





- 2.0L Turbo: 170 HP
- $19,000
- Nice engine potential in a good looking and well handling package, sharp reflexes, nice interior, kick ass stereo.

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Nissan 350Z





- 3.5L: 287 HP
- $28,000 - $35,000
- Many models available, from luxury type models to all out track cars...very geared toward performance, a large torquey V6, extremely sharp reflexes, fun 6 speed or available 5 speed automatic.

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Subaru Baja



- 2.5L: 165HP
- $23,000
- El Camino reincarnation, a pretty nifty vehicle...car-like handling with a truck bed, but not amazing in any aspect except its looks.

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Dark Horse

- Nominate your own new car for 2003 and have it added. Post here or PM me and I'll post it up ASAP like I did the others.

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Categories

- You do NOT have to pick a car listed above for the individual categories (1-5)...those cars listed are competing for the Car of the Year, not the individual Categories. Also, the car does NOT have to be new for 2003 in each individual category, except for COTY.

1) Best Car, Under $20,000 - IE Hyundai Tiburon, Toyota Corolla
2) Best Smallish Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - IE Acura RSX, Toyota Celica
3) Best Midsize Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - IE Honda Accord, Nissan Altima
4) Best Car, $25,000 - $35,000 - IE BMW 3 Series, Nissan 350Z
5) Best Car, Exotic Car - IE Ferrari Enzo, Lambo Murcielago
6) Car of the Year
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Any suggestions? Please add some discussion and enjoy

98CoupeV6

1) Best Car, Under $20,000 - Dodge Neon SRT-4. Easy. I dislike its cheap ass interior and its "styling", but 205 turbo'd ponies for 19 grand? I'm in.
2) Best Smallish Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Still the RSX Type-S. Awesome blend of luxury and performance. I should know
3) Best Midsize Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Gotta be the new Accord. The Altima may be faster, the 6 may be sharper, the Passat may be more luxurious...but the Accord is the best blend of all 3 with value being the word.
4) Best Car, $25,000 - $35,000 - The Infiniti G35, and only because of its Coupe model. I applaud Nissan for putting out a RWD sports sedan to compete head on with Bimmer...we're waiting, Honda.
5) Best Car, Exotic Car - Ferrari Enzo, which I believe will influence styling of cars to come for years and years.
6) Car of the Year - I had a hard time with this. I'd like to say the Accord because of its value and luxury and looks (coupe) and its performance...BUT...I've gotta go with...yeah, I'm going with the Accord. Like I wouldn't. I love it. As I said, not as individually good as some of the other cars in its class, but the best blend to date. And what a beautiful interior. Good job Honda :thumbup: Second place for me is the 350Z, and 3rd is the G35. 4th is probably the SRT-4.

qtiger

1) Best Car, Under $20,000 - Hyundai Tiburon. (Yes its under $20,000... GT is $17,999) They've come an awfully long way in a single jump, and should be applauded. Also, it is quite a styling stretch from a relatively bland company.

2) Best Smallish Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - RSX-S. Its all about the engine.

3) Best Midsize Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - 02 said it.

4) Best Car, $25,000 - $35,000 - Going with the S2000 on this one. Sexy, sleek, kicks Porsche butt for 1/2 the price.

5) Best Car, Exotic Car Lotus Exige.

6) Car of the Year Going with 350Z on this one. Hopefully the track models will sell well and show other manufacturers that they can offer similar options for the growing enthusiast population.

fastball

I had to think about it a little, but the Accord is my vote. Why? Because the 03 Accord exudes luxury, value, and tremendous quality for a great price. This car will revolutionize the automotive world, offering a level of prestige only previously found in cars costing over 30,000. Does it blow into Lexus territory? Of course not. But it sure blows anything in the price range out the window. There are alot of NICE cars out there for 25,000, but none as refined, fresh looking, well equipped, and as impeccably assembled as the Accord. Well done Honda.

jaje

i picked other b/c the coty should be a vehicle you can live with everyday...that is the best mixture of convenience sport and value...i choose the car i bought...a 5 door wagon protege...why b/c it cost me 17k with abs/side airbags/16" wheels/factory body kit/great suspension/ and $$ left in the bank...i own 2 crxs...a 3door and my 5door

coming in a close 2nd is surprisingly the suzuki aerio xs awd wagon...140hp 2600lbs awd is a fun tossable car...it only fell short b/c it was so small in side

DVPGSR

Damn this is a tough choice...both the Z and the G35 are nice, and the Z4 is a BMW...but in the end I chose the (Accord).

BUT IF THIS WERE SUV OF THE YEAR, I would pick the Pilot. I shall now babble incessantly about it: This is the best car (IMO) that had its debut in 2002. For under $35K you can get a fully loaded EX with leather and Navi with plenty of room for other options. It has seating for 8, 5 of which very comfortably, and the two front seats feel like chairs you would put in your living room. There is a place to store everything you could possibly think of, and plenty of cargo space in the rear...more so when the 3rd row seat is down. The 3.5 V6 is very smooth, the car is well balanced front to rear and side to side that it has a very stable feel to driving it. The only drawbacks people buying it have is the sunroof...but even at that it still did not prevent the purchase. This is a great vehicle for any family and is well within the price range of most.

moofoo

Man very very tough decisions to choose car of the year... but I've narrowed it down to either the accord coupe or the G35 coupe. The sedans of either brand just wasnt my cup of tea

I sat in both this past weekend. The interior in the coupe is more inviting and warm with nice texture of dark colors(ebony interior). The auto tranny is smooth the car felt very stable and solid. The G35 coupe (wasnt allowed to testdrive...) the interior felt a tad cold.. the center console with it's aluminum and the contrasting ebony leather seemed a little harsh.

With about couple of thousand dollars difference either way.. I would haveto go with the G35 coupe. Lot's more options, beefier engine, interior that doesnt cry full luxary but at the same time I wouldn't feel embarrased sitting in.

Once they knock out the kinks of the first model year... it will be a car that will earn a little more respect from the likes of BMW and sorts.

RavenLude

1. G35- luxury and performance in an affordable 330ci killing package.

2. 350Z- bang for buck; hopefully rejuvenates other deceased Japanese sports cars.

3. Accord- was nearly perfect for over a decade; now better than ever.

4. Pilot- new benchmark of affordable/practical SUV's. BUT THIS IS NOT SUV OF THE YEAR, IT IS COTY, SO THERE REALLY IS NO #4. -02

5. Mazdaspeed Protege- good car, good price

yianni64

1) Best Car, Under $20,000 - MazdaSpeed Protege
2) Best Smallish Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Acura RSX-S
3) Best Midsize Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Honda Accord
4) Best Car, $25,000 - $35,000 - BMW 3 Series
5) Best Car, Exotic Car - Pagani Zonda C12S (its all about the carbon fiber man)
6) Car of the Year Honda Accord/Nissan 350Z tie

Troopa-R

1) Best Car, Under $20,000 - Mazdaspeed Protege
2) Best Smallish Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Acura RSX Type-S
3) Best Midsize Car, $20,000 - $25,000 - Mazda 6
4) Best Car, $25,000 - $35,000 - BMW 3-Series
5) Best Car, Exotic Car - Lamborghini Murciélago
6) Car of the Year Infiniti G35 Coupe