Hello gurus,

I'm heavily contemplating my next car purchase. After digging around the forums, scrounging Google and EBay Motors, and a plethora of other web sites, I thought it was time to ask your personal opinion on the matter.

I have a '93 Jetta w/ 175k I got for $1200 with some misc. problems which probably need $500 to get really tuned up. It was a spur of the moment purchase in a time of need, and I'd like to improve my ride soon.

On the other hand, I'd like to get a really nice ride and I think I could squeeze a lot of miles out of this car with some maintenence and endure the wait while I save.

I'm looking at two potential budgets, then, and I'm curious what you think would be the best purchase.

What would be the best for about $4-5,000?

What would be the best for about $12-15,000?

Basically, I want a really fast car. But overall I'm looking for:


Good balance of handling and HP
Decent MPG
Good parts availability in US
More of a refined sporty look than muscle car or street racer


I really like the looks of an Audi TT, and the Eclipse looks like a decent ride on the low end.

Thanks for any input/advice, sorry if the question is too broad. :)