potownrob wrote:what do you mean by relatively fast? relative to what? something like a late 90's nissan altima or mazda 626 v6 would be fast compared to a lot of other cars in their price range. you could also get something sportier like a camaro or mustang, but i'm not sure how well they hold up over time. even the 626 v6 is known to have issues at higher mileage. on the other hand, i've heard of altimas lasting 300k miles on the original drivetrain.
My first car was a 2000 mazda 626 V6 with the 5 speed. it was a nice car. it was faster than it looked i surprised a lot of people with it because it looked like a granny car but it could move pretty good.
they do have engine trouble. my engine blew a rod at 118,000 miles and my friends Ford Probe (same engine as 626) blew up at 130,000 miles
i liked that car. i miss it