Without turning this into an “is a Ford worth 65K” argument I will comment on the euro cars in that price bracket.
When it comes to Brand New euro cars 65K unfortunately does not get you much in this country, your friend would want to spend up a little bit more before he gets all the good stuff
BMW: you can get a 125, but what your really want is the 135 which is about 75K, now the 135 is an awesome car and most definitely worth saving for.
Merc: there is really nothing exiting in that price bracket.
Audi: there is really nothing exiting in that price bracket.
VW: the Golf R comes to mind, or the new V6 Passat - both are great cars by the way and would be my euro pick for under 65K
As for Japanese stuff you get the 370Z which is ok but I don’t see its purpose, the WRX STI or EVO X which both are perfect for slaughtering HSV/FVPs at the track – especially with some mods on but they are cars for people who want a track car more than anything else … you can look at the Lexus but you need to spend up before you get the IS350 which would be my pick in the Lexus range, the IS250 is boredom …
FPV or HSV, well personally I would only buy them if you have access to awesome Fleet deals which give you like a 25% discount when buying these cars new … otherwise you are in for some serious depreciation loss, far far more than say an equivalently priced VW.
My personal recommendation to you would be to consider buying privately a second hand 2 year old euro car, this way you can save heaps on depreciation, and still get an awesome car … for 65K you could look into second hand 335i bemmers for example which are excellent cars from both luxury and performance perspectives … OR a suggestion that my mate previously said is buy a diesel Golf all optioned for like 35K – 40K as a daily driver (you get luxury, brand recognition, basic prestige, comfort, and economy) and a worked EVO 9 with semi slicks for weekend track car (about 30K – 40K), that’s super car performance for real bargain …this way you get the best of both
