2016 Subaru Xv Crosstrek 2.0i Premium on 2040-cars

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6 best cars for $5,000

Looking for a great used car but only have a few thousand bucks to spend? Check out our 6 favorite used vehicles that you can get for around $5,000 or less. 1. 2004-2006 Subaru WRX The Subaru Impreza WRX offers a lot of what you might want in a vehicle. A 2L turbocharged engine gives 227 horsepower and it gets 27 mpg on the highway. 2. 2006-2015 Mazda5 The Mazda5 never got the sales it deserved. It was affordable and more maneuverable than most vehicles, but it never took off. It was based on the Mazda3, and felt like it as well... just a bigger version. If you're lucky, you'll be able to locate one with a manual transmission. 3. 1990-1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata A car that's praised for rewarding the driver. The shifter is sublime, and the controls are light and accurate. The 1.6-liter engine that makes 115 horsepower or a 1.8-liter that makes 128 horsepower are our preferred versions. 4. 2009-2013 Honda Fit Beside being cute, it's supremely practical and great in the city. It manages to be pretty entertaining to drive, and let's not forget it's a hatchback. 5. 1987-2006 Jeep Wrangler Yes, it's possible to get a well-loved Jeep Wrangler with about 100,000 miles on the odometer. In many ways, a Wrangler is perfect for the snowy winters with its unrivaled 4x4 capability. An SUV, convertible and icon, all in one? What more could you ask for? 6. 2002 Chevy Silverado Truck lovers, we have you covered. We love the Chevy Silverado with a 5.3-liter V8 engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. It makes a great second car, especially if you already have a fuel efficient vehicle around the house. What would you buy for $5,000? Honda Jeep Mazda Subaru Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video wrangler mazda5

Subaru BRZ has higher manual take-rate than 86, and other Subaru manual facts

Automakers are continuing to give us a peek at the popularity, or lack thereof, of the manual transmission. Our latest information comes from Subaru, which kindly shared its manual transmission take-rate numbers for 2018. One of the most interesting tidbits was that 78% of Subaru BRZs sold had a manual. What makes that so curious is its stark contrast to its twin, the Toyota 86, where only 33% of those sold in 2018 had a manual. On top of that, the BRZ has a stronger manual take-rate than the enthusiast darling Mazda Miata; the soft top had 76% of buyers going for a stick, and the RF had 52%. If we had to speculate, it seems the Subaru BRZ is attracting the hardcore sports car fans. Although the BRZ manual sales are strong, it isn't the model that sells the most. The Subaru WRX tops it with 90% of buyers picking the manual over the CVT option. We of course suspect that plenty of regular WRX buyers are opting for the manual, though the number is likely partly boosted by the fact the STI version is only available with a manual. Things aren't quite as rosy with Subaru's more mainstream offerings, but that's to be expected. The Impreza follows the BRZ with 8% of Imprezas selling with a manual. The Crosstrek comes in second-to-last at 6%, and the Forester comes in last at 3%. And the Forester has now dropped the manual transmission. One final interesting note to Subaru's manual take rate. Subaru told us it sold over 47,000 manual-equipped cars. That's roughly 2,000 more than Honda sold in the same year. And with Subaru's total sales numbers being less than Honda, that means the percentage of total sales that were manual is larger at 7% versus 2.6% for Honda.

Watch Subaru WRX STI's ripping record run at Nurburgring

As expected, Subaru had a bunch of cameras rolling when they gunned for a Nurburgring lap record attempt. The car they used was a specially honed (deep breath) WRX STI Type RA NBR Special, and it proved to be good for a 6:58.9 lap around the Nordschleife, in the hands of Richie Stanaway. Now, video material of the sedan car record run has been posted on Subaru's social media pages, and it includes a separate "Behind the Scenes" video. The record car was built by Prodrive, and it consists of a 2017 WRX STI with a full roll cage, fitted with a WRC specification two-liter turbo engine that produces more than 600 horsepower thanks to its 75mm intake and 25 psi of boost. The transmission is also a WRC item, and its hydraulic paddle-shift setup together with an automated clutch enables shift times of 20-25 milliseconds. The track time is quicker than a recent privateer attempt using a 2017 Dodge Viper ACR, which squeezed the time down to 7:01,3 until a tire failure caused it to crash. Of course, the Viper was classified as a production vehicle, unlike the Subaru. Here's the Behind the Scenes footage: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.