How the Military Trains Soldiers To Ride Motorcycles Safely Unless you've been vacationing on a peaceful atoll since, say, last August, you may have heard some news about the economy. Hint: it's not great. There are two ways to look at this. One school of thought says to batten down the hatches and close your wallet, because everything's horrible and the experts who told us our houses were very valuable last year are now predicting that implosion of the concept of money. But savvy investors zig when everyone else is zagging. So maybe what you should really do is buy a sweet used car. Think of it this way—when the economy kept going up, you had to feel guilty about sinking money into a great car, because you could've been using those funds to earn 200-percent returns on timeshares in Boca. Now, you may have less money, but you can feel free to spend it on something that brings you joy, secure in the knowledge that you were probably just going to lose it anyway. So here are 10 ways to stick your thumb in the eye of Old Man Economy with some bargain-priced automotive decadence.

2003 Mercedes SL5002003 Mercedes SL500Original list: $85,990 Power: 5.0-liter V8, 302 hpMercedes SLs have a life span more akin to a giant redwood or a sea turtle than to a car. The SL gets a refresh in 2009 with some meaningful upgrades, like a wet-clutch automatic transmission for the SL63 and beefier motors in the base SL and V8 AMG. But the 2003 model looks much the same, plus featuring a slick retractable hardtop and maintaining plenty of power (302 horses from a 5.0-liter V8, versus 382 hp from a 5.5-liter motor). It's still one of the few hardtop convertibles that wears its metal hat with style. Pry the SL500 badge off the back and few people will know you're not rocking a $100,000 SL550.Our Find: 2003 SL500 in Massachusetts. Capri blue metallic with ash leather. Parktronic, heated and cooled massage seats, bi-xenon headlights with heated washers. Here are three things that are great to buy used in northern climes--boats, motorcycles and convertibles. In the case of this SL, you know that six months out of every year there wasn't much wear and tear on the top going up and down.

2001 Porsche 9112001 Porsche 911Original list: $66,500 Power: 3.4-liter H6, 300 hpBecause Porsche styling evolves at the pace of Illinois political reform, a seven-year-old 911 looks a whole lot like a new one. cheap auto glass repair redwood cityCar geeks and valets will know that the blobby headlights signify an older car, but in terms of performance the 996-model 911 is plenty contemporary. auto glass repair summit njFor twenty-five grand, you can have an automotive icon with 300 hp hanging out over the rear axle. french doors for sale waterfordWhile the current Cayman S is flirting with the same sort of power numbers as an older 911, it still costs far more and is much less likely to enervate your drive with lift-throttle oversteer.auto glass repair garland tx

Our Find: 2001 911 Carrera in California. Silver with black leather, 81,000 miles. Short-shift kit, Porsche GT3 wheels and factory aero kit. wood garage doors vancouver bcThe owner doesn't say, but this is probably debadged, to further the GT3 pretense. frameless shower doors bergen county nj The 10 Ugliest Cars in Las Vegas at SEMA 2008sliding patio doors birminghamPlease login using one of the following services:Fortunately for those of us who can only dream of being out on the track swapping paint this weekend, race cars aren’t the only fast cars. In fact, what qualified as supercar speeds only a few years ago can be had for less than $40,000 today. If that sounds like your definition of value, here’s a list of cars for you.

We used Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to qualify the vehicles as available for less than $40,000 in the real world, and referenced the manufacturers' 0-60 mph times/estimates to rank them. But don’t get caught up in the finishing order, this list is less of a competition and more of a celebration of the incredible power and acceleration available for not much more than the average price paid for a new car in 2016. 5 Coolest Cars Under $25,000 A handful of legends and one fun first-timer. 5 Best Off-Roaders Under $30,000 Go new places, do new things. Take a tour of #24 with Chase Elliott Chase helps us review his KBB-emblazoned NASCAR Sprint Cup car. First Pics: 2017 Models Unveiled Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards of 2017 10 Best SUVs Under $25,000 10 Best Luxury Cars Under $35,000 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 2016-17 New Car Buyer's GuideBen is after a daily driver that delivers big driving rewards but isn't sure just how far to take things.

He's tempted by the near-new BMW 228i Coupes kicking around the $50,000 mark, but that wouldn't leave much money in the bank for rainy days. Would he really be missing out if he lowered his sights to $35k-$40k and a near-new VW Golf GTI? The 228i and GTI are perfect yardsticks for a bang-for-your-bucks exercise like this but picking a third contender to keep these two class acts honest is tough. Ben could have a Ford Focus ST, Holden Astra VXR or Subaru WRX. An Alfa Romeo Giulietta Quadrifoglio, BMW 125i hatch, Peugeot 308 GT or Volvo V40 T5 are alternatives too. None of those cars, however, offer a truly compelling reason to choose them over the well-rounded BMW and VW. Our pick, contrastingly, skewers the Germans with a uniquely single-minded brand of driving appeal. 2014-on BMW 228i Coupe, from $44,000* This BMW's 180kW 2.0-litre turbo engine has serious thrust and its poised rear-wheel-drive chassis serves up rich rewards on twisting tarmac. The drivetrain's easygoing flexibility, impressive thrift (6.3L/100km) and slick auto option mean the 228i settles beautifully into the daily grind.

Its decent-sized boot and split-fold back seat make it respectably practical for a two-door. But Ben shouldn't expect the same kind of back-seat space or versatility as a good hatch. Or, despite costing more than its rivals here, a significantly higher level of standard kit. If he's seeking the peace-of-mind of fixed-price servicing he'll need to bank on the previous owner having ticked the box for one of BMW's pre-paid 'Service Inclusive' packages. They're transferable but you can't sign up for them in the used-car realm. Read Drive's BMW 2 Series reviews: BMW 220d Coupe road test BMW 228i Convertible she says he says 2014-on Renault Megane RS275, from $34,400* This Renault's head-banging 201kW 2.0-litre turbo engine and hyper-incisive handling make for an intoxicating experience on the right road (or track). More intoxicating, even, than the BMW but it's cheaper to buy and its hatchback body is more versatile. It has a longer warranty (five years versus three) and near-new examples in this price range will have most of Renault's three-year capped-price servicing program left to run.

But the RS is also noisy, hard-riding, hard to see out of and no economy benchmark (7.5L/100km). An auto transmission isn't offered and some of the cabin's switchgear isn't easy to get your head around. While Ben would need to bank on an optioned-up BMW to get driver aids like autonomous emergency braking, they're not even part of the Megane's repertoire. Read Drive's Renault Megane reviews: Renault Megane RS275 Cup Premium car pool 2013-on VW Golf GTI, from $28,200* This VW has this group's least power (162kW) and DSG auto models can be less than butter-smooth in stop-start driving. Its five-door body lacks the sense of occasion of its two-door rivals. But light weight and boisterous low-rev response mean the GTI's power deficit isn't felt on the road. If not as sharp as the Renault, it still delivers big smiles through the bends. The Golf backs up its driving nous with good economy (6.2L/100km) and its switchable suspension means it's capable of soaking up bad surfaces with decent grace.

It has this group's biggest back seat and its 380-litre boot and hatch body make it the most practical, too. Its three-year warranty pales alongside the Renault's but VW fixes service costs for the first six years/90,000km. Like the BMW, Ben might just blag one with optional driver aids like autonomous emergency braking. Read Drive's VW Golf reviews: VW Golf GTI road test Hot hatch road-test comparison Only one car here deserves an unequivocal recommendation and it's not the BMW. It's a great thing but rational justifications for its premium over its rivals aren't easy to find, all the more so if you're already second-guessing the spend. It isn't the Renault, either. We wouldn't argue with anyone who absolutely had to have this firecracker ? it's one of the great driver's cars of all time ? but its everyday shortcomings mean it's a decision that needs to be mulled over seriously. The Golf requires no such mental to-ing and fro-ing. It won't ask Ben to stretch the budget like the BMW, is easier to live with than both its rivals and a blast to drive.