If I had $85,000 to fill a Dream garage, what would it be?
January 7, 2024
As I do on many evenings, I started scrolling through videos on YouTube. Some nights I'm looking at how-to's for garage plumbing installations and others I'm looking at ways to spend large sums of money in seemingly pointless ways. While searching I ran across a video by Doug Demuro called "What's the Dream Car Garage for $85,000."
To summarize the objective of the video, 4 individuals were trying to purchase the cars that best suited a hypothetical $85,000 budget. The full list of rules are below:
- All cars must have sold on Cars and Bids vehicle auction website
- An individual can purchase as few or as many cars as they want so long as they spend $85,000 or less
- The chosen vehicle(s) are yours for the foreseeable future
- The chosen vehicle(s) must suit your current lifestyle
I thought the premise of the episode was interesting and figured that I would take a pass at it using the same rules. So without further ado, here's how I would spend $85,000!
1. The Large Daily
First, I need a strong daily. Here's what I want for my ideal daily vehicle:
- Must be inexpensive to operate including maintenance and parts
- Must be able to tow 5,000 pounds (ability to move my boat, pull utility trailer, and potentially pull a car hauler)
- Comfortably seat 4 people for long trips
- Ability to drive wherever needed (not necessarily off-road) with a set of all-terrain tires
My criteria led me to this 2010 Lexus LX570 for a mere $16,000 with 237,000 miles.
The LX570 is probably the best "deal" currently available on a modern SUV that is capable of:
- Reliably towing 7,000+ pounds
- Carrying 8 people (7 comfortably)
- Going off-road with a set of wheels/tires
- Not destroying your wallet with its maintenance or parts cost
- Making cool Tundra-like, V8 noises (I mean, who wouldn't love this)
If you aren't familiar with the LX570, maybe you're familiar with its twin that generally goes for $10-20K more: the Land Cruiser 200 Series. The LX570 comes 5.7L engine (383 horsepower and 401 ft./lbs. of torque) and the 6-speed automatic transmission (revised to the 8-speed in the 2016+ face-lift) used in the Tundra. So long as you anticipate abysmal gas mileage (think between 12 and 14 miles/gallon), they are tanks and known to last.
If you don't believe in my faith of the 237,000 miles shown on the dash, my personal, lifted (AHC deleted) 2011 LX570 is at 160,000 miles and I intend to continue driving reliably for MANY miles and years to come. For reference on the reliability of the drivetrain, here's a 2014 Tundra with the same drivetrain that is about to achieve the 1 million mile mark.
2. The Small Daily
As it turns out, not every day requires a large SUV. Sometimes its nice to commute into the city in a comfortable vehicle capable of achieving a few more miles per gallon, while still being utilitarian. Here's my criteria for the small daily vehicle:
- Must be smaller than the Large Daily
- Must be relatively cheap to maintain and repair (if issues arise)
- Ideally looking for the car to be fun
- Would like modern amenities without having to do modification (meaning 2017+ in most circumstances)
- Must be able to achieve more than 25 miles per gallon
- Must be low enough for my dog to easily jump into, but high enough that I don't have to worry where I'm driving
Based on my selective criteria above, I limited myself down to just a few cars. The best option for a fun, efficient, and reliable daily is this 2017 Volkswagen Golf R with 81,000 for $23,420.
If one word describes the Golf R, it's understated. In terms of its aesthetics (both interior and exterior), power, handling, and even its overall perception by the market, it far outkicks its coverage. In stock form, the Golf R does 0-60 in sub-5 seconds (I generally consider 5 seconds or less to be quick) and is capable of keeping with its competitors on tight roads. If you want more power, APR tuning offers a heck of a deal for $500 allowing for a significant power bump.
In terms of this car specifically, the higher mileage means I won't feel bad racking up the miles with trips, my wife and friends can drive it since its an automatic (DSG is an amazing transmission), I have all-wheel drive to go anywhere/everywhere I want (so long as there is dirt or gravel at minimum), the estimated gas mileage is decent, and I can have fun with it on a day-to-day basis. Lastly, the 2.0L engine in the Golf R is found in other variants allowing for strong parts availability and affordable pricing.
There are other options that are super competitive with the Golf R; probably the best suited one is the 2018 Honda Civic Type R. I personally prefer the all-wheel drive option and automatic (DSG) transmission so long as I have another car (or two) with manual transmissions.
3. The Weekend Warrior
Alright, so I've now spent nearly $40,000 ($39,420) of my allotted $85,000. I have selected my two pretty reasonable daily vehicles and am ready to spend money in fun ways rather than practicality. The next car that I want is something capable of being the Weekend Warrior. Here's my criteria:
- FUN
- Manual transmission
- 2 seats
- Ideally 200+ horsepower/torque
- Relatively lightweight
- Cars & Coffee conversation starter
- Ideally the perfect car for the Tail of the Dragon
You're probably thinking I'd say Miata because Miata Is Always The Answer, and I can confidently say you are WRONG. What meets that criteria, but looks the part of something more special than what it costs? This 2010 Lotus Evora with 88K miles for $31,000.
In my opinion, the Lotus Evora is the best looking sportscar for under $50,000 (and potentially more than that). The Evora comes with Toyota's 3.5L engine found in vehicles such as the Camry and Highlander, but the British had to do something to make it a bit less reliable (and more powerful) by strapping a supercharger to it. The Evora puts down 276 horsepower and 250 ft./lbs. of torque allowing for a respectable 0-60 in 4.9 seconds.
This Evora comes with the standard manual transmission setup and comes in what I consider the best looking color available: Solar Yellow. With the high miles (88K mile), I would feel no guilt in thrashing this fine piece of machinery on a long trip or back-country road. While I haven't had the opportunity to drive an Evora myself, I love the aesthetics, powertrain, and trust the feedback of others to say this would perfectly suit my garage; including Jeremy Clarkson at Top Gear.
The sub-$50,000 used sportscar market is a HIGHLY competitive market with the likes of the Porsche Boxster/Cayman, older (non-air cooled) Porsche 911's, ND2 Miata's, the GR86/BRZ twins, and even the new Supra. I think the real winner for me on the Evora is the aesthetics, which just cannot be beaten if the performance is very good but not great.
4. The Off-Roader
With the purchase of my new Lotus Evora, I'm now down to a mere $15,000 to spend. My next vehicle would be a dedicated trail rig capable of going anywhere at any time. If you have been following my blog for a while, you'll know what my choice is in advance. Here's my criteria for the off-roader.
- Reliability above all else
- 4-wheel drive
- Body on frame
- V8 would be nice for better torque and obstacles
- Expansive aftermarket support
This was probably my easiest choice, especially when I found this 2006 Toyota 4Runner with 144K miles for $7,000.
If you want my reasoning for why I love the 4th Generation 4Runner, please see my other blog post here. To quickly recap, the 2006-2009 Toyota 4Runner with the optional V8 (2UZ-FE) and 4-wheel drive systems are some of my favorite vehicles ever built. To date, I have owned 2 of these 4Runners and anticipate owning more in the future.
This specific example is not the best one due to damage and what appears to be more than surface rust (probably what led it to a low final sale price). As a designated off-roader though, body damage doesn't hurt my feelings, but rust is the bane of all existence (and may lead me to NOT buy this example). Here were pics of that damage for context:
5. My Cheap Dream Car
Now that I've bought both daily vehicles, the designated sportscar, and the off-roader it's time for a couple of cheap options. I have a mere $7,000 left (which I may have to slightly stretch for my final purchase).
This car holds a special place in my heart just because I rode in one when I was 10 loved it. I have never owned one because I've always been too scared of ownership, but always take a moment to stare at any that I pass on the road. I present this 2011 Mazda RX-8 R3 Edition with 71K miles that sold for $10,000.
The Mazda RX-8 is one of my personal favorites, and I'm probably one of the few in the world to say so. The primary reason for the hate is the questionable reliability of the rotary engine, which is known to blow its Apex seals requiring the time of a rotary specialist to rebuild. Rob Dahm, one of the best rotary specialists in the world, created a summarized video of the rebuild that can be referenced below.
If the question of how would you spend $85,000 to fill out your garage, how would it look? Do you hate my selection? Would you find the extra $5,000 that I wish I had to buy the perfect Isuzu Vehicross or maybe even the heinously ugly Pontiac Fiero that truly went through a dryer?
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