Sorry.

You can get all sorts of cool cars in that range, with a good (factory, as in NISSAN) extended warranty. Anything goes wrong, 100$ deductible.

Let me suggest the G35 Coupe. Go test one. They're not bad at all, and don't look dated (to me anyways) by the new designs.. it had really singular looks. And some of the best taillights on the planet.
Make sure that you get the aero package (spoiler on the back).. they look wrong without it.
And the wheel/tire package (depending on year?) you'll get the vLSD with it then. It was GREAT fun.

I've read many of his post and they are always so positive! :happydance:

I don't know if you're into bikes or not, but they're a fun, cheap alternative for the time being until you feel totally comfortable about getting a car that you really want. Just my .02

haha what i would do in ur situation.. is get an 'ehh' car.. a car to get ur to work safely..then when ur bank account is FAT and leaking money.. start looking at what u can afford..i say this.. life is too short to save FOREVER, live it up but make smart decisions.. out of ur 2 original choices i say get the 370, only cuz ur already into it and its cheaper than then bimmer. then once uve secured ur career and have built ur credit get ur dream car. ppl will tell u this and that but in the end its ur life ur living.. do what makes u happy but make sure u really think about it.

^ Excellent advice. Thank ur.

It sounds as if you aren't even considering an M3 at this point and you seem to know exactly what your priorities are. RN's make a decent amount of money. You seem like a nice guy and I think you definitely deserve to have a Z. Just face it....the Z isn't going to break your bank balance. It's marketed as an affordable sports car that's made for your specific demographic. I say pull the trigger and enjoy what you have worked hard for.

I am also in the medical field and work with RN's all day(or should I say give orders to..haha....sorry for being a douche - just had to). I wouldn't even look at an M3 in your situation....but thats just me. The Z is a reasonable vehicle if you can get away with it's impracticality.

Thanks Doc haha...I am lucky to even get a job here in the bay area since its so competitive. So anyway, the M3 now is not in consideration as you have said and I am looking at Z's vs. other alternatives. So far the Z is definitely winning that battle.

have to echo what others are telling you... living within your means usually implies that you don't have any car payments (sorry, true)... at most maybe 1/10 of your after-tax take-home... so if you're paying $600 / month for a car, that means you need $10K per month pre-tax... and those are numbers for people that have a savings account and retirement account! I think if you're living in the bay area, you may even want to be more conservative... I realize most people don't follow these kinds of rules, but then again check out how many people are upside down on their mortgages and cars... okay off soap box

you haven't really asked anything technical about the cars... any questions? what are you looking for? speed, looks, handling ???

I understand what everyone is trying to tell me and I am considering all of the advice given to me along with my own personal opinion. I know that I also have to make a decision that is smart and hopefully something that I can be happy with too. I am not married, have no kids, no loans to pay off, free benefits through my job, I live a humble life, and do not have anything extravagant (don't care about them). I will be sharing other responsibilities with my parents such as mortgage and utilities among others depending on what they may need so it isn't just me spending on everything. I also comprehend that there are other expenses that I am going to have as well. I just want to thank everyone for their input. It is well received and no matter my decision, I will weigh in each perspective.:tiphat:

I will almost be taking in that amount of money (depending on what shift I work) pretax and I know it will shrink a lot before it comes for me to save/spend it. It is the ideal situation for me not to be upside down when it comes to owning and paying for a car. It would be financially responsible for me to be right side up also. But the Z and the M are the only cars that I have had a connection with as I had talked about in my earlier post. And right now the Z is hard to disconnect with.

In regards to asking about technical questions. I have been reading many different perspectives from magazine/online reviews and forum posters that the Z and the M (which is out of consideration as of now), possess a variety of aspects to which they excel at. They are quick, good-looking, and handle well. I have been following Travis's thread along with others as to what can be done to the Z and I know that it is very moddable as well. The only big differences b/n the two would be the practicality aspect and price. Practicality is something I can look past since I am not married nor have kids (and I don't plan to for a while). I see the Z as the jack of all trades performance wise and I would love to have a great balanced car such as this.

sounds like it's the z for you, then... you'll be happy with it... take a look around for resale... maybe you can find one with a couple thousand miles on it? there have been a couple on this board for sale, for example

Man I pay $3K a month but its not posh :(

most people come crashing in the end because they buy things they cant afford. even if they think they can.

I say get a Z, pay it off, save up for a year or two, then get a M3. dont jump the gun and get a 70k car just yet. be smart about interest accumulation and how much you'll really be paying in the long run.

as my dad used to say, "Millionaires don't say 'what payment and for how long', they say 'how much'".

If you dont have the money yet, dont buy it yet, imagine how much money people would save if they'd quit paying interest on everything.

Wouldn't have to ask me twice, if I was presented the option, Z or M3.. M3 all the way. Just so much more of a prestigeous car all-around.

Z all the way on your budget. Put the extra coin in the bank to save for a deposit on a house / condo in a few years. Like Travis said spending more than about 1/10th of your net income isn't a good idea. Fortunately for you the Z is even more rewarding to drive than an M3, you keep finding yourself taking detours looking for windy roads. The M3 is a great GT but it's feeling kinda porky these days.

I was kinda in a new car funk and the Z wasent even in the picture until I seen the PG and I was hooked liked a fish.