Take the $9000 buy a CRX HF (awesome gas mileage). Take the other $8000 you'll have left (after registration and whatnot) and put in savings. Just drive the CRX for 1 year. Save the money you would have spent on the Z and put it in savings. (say $50 a paycheck). Over the year test drive a different car each month, see what you like best. Then focus on getting that car after a year. Plus with the cost of gas only going up you'll reap the benefits of a car that gets 50mpg highway.
