Recommendation from those who play racing games?

Often someone on these forums will ask "What's a good racing game?", but I want to ask a more specific question.

I'm specifically looking for a racing game that's not too arcade-y and has a career mode where you start out racing small-time events/cars, you take your winnings and buy more expensive car types to race in new race types, and end up racing Indy cars or whatever (it doesn't have to be this exact prgression. I'm open minded about it; it's just that I don't want to only race Indy cars or only race stock cars on a rally track, etc.). It's the progression I'm interested in, even if that's not realistic for a real life driver. This was the game mechanic in a really old PC game I enjoyed playing years back called Mario Andretti's racing. I also like the idea of parts upgrading on any certain car, but I imagine almost all racing games incorporate that now.

When I say not too arade-y, I mean absolutley no "catch-up" cheating for cars that lag behind/wreck, and I'm not interested in anything remotely like Need for Speed, but I'm not a hard core racing fan either (not at all actually...I'm just a gamer). If what I'm looking for doesn't exist then I guess I'm still interested in what comes closest.

Thanks.

I like Need for speed: Pro Steet. Real cars, Career mode, win races win money, buy better cars. Tune, customize your cars. I dont like Arcade over the top racing games either. This has all the features you mentioned, but you said no Need for Speed lolz...kingme02

TOCA Race Driver 3 . Progress through various disciplines of racing from Karts to Touring Cars and Off Road. Gameplay is closer to the simulation side of things but the driving physics is more arcadey.

hmm... career-mode, eh? i don't know of any racing games with a career-mode, but cars 07 and gtr2 have season mode, in which you play a full season. and they're the 2 best racing games available on the pc.fireandcloud

GTR2 is awesome, the career mode isn't about getting money and tuning cars. It's about driving lots of cars, each with different speeds/handling, and win events. Everything is very realistic. You can download good car setups for each circuit in-game. You can also download a great f1 2007 mod with all tracks. There's also a good training mode with pretty much everything you need to do.

I love playing GTR2 online with 20 other people.

well,, i like motor storm (PS3), ATV (PSP), burnout legends (PSP), redge racer 2 (PSP)

Well, the only game I know that is a bit like that is the Need for Speed series or Dirt. But both are very arcade. Dirt is probably what you are looking for. You get to drive in many different type of vehicles on different type of tracks. I kind of hate the game though. You got almost no control of the vehicles (they feel like boats) and many things that you could normally do in sims, you cannot do in Dirt. This especially sucks if you race with rally cars. And it's a disgrace that they used Colin Mcrae's name in the title because it has absolutely nothing to do with him or realistic rally, like in the previous Colin Mcrae games. Obviously they just did it to make more money from his name.

Anyway, if you feel like playing a realistic game, I would suggest Richard Burns Rally. It's just realistic rally but you can unlock vehicles and tracks and there are many different types of environments. In my opinion, the game isn't that hard and it's more fun then GTR2 because of the varried tracks in Richard Burns Rally. And it's the most realistic rally game.

I don't know how good it is gonna be, but I just started playing Project Torque, while I have not noticed a "career" mode, it does allow a wealth accumulation system where you can buy upgrades, new cars etc.

It plays like any other racing game so far. I've only run a dozen races, enough to tell me I'll never run the pro circuits, but hey, it's just a game.

I would actually love to see a racing game like that, but not in the pro area like NASCAR etc., a career street racing game would be cool, to date my favorite one closest to this concept has been NFS: Most Wanted, I love the chases but you have already said no NFS games. I heard the Burnout series on the 360, but I don't have a 360 so I don't know for sure.

This is why I love simulators. Don't feel like racing? You could do something else, drift anyone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtwkcAozc0w

Wow, lots of suggetions. Thanks guys. It sounds like TOCA3 has the career progression and somewhat realistic driving gameplay. Or maybe Dirt or Xpand Rally. GTR2 or RACE07 or maybe Richard Burns have enough acclaim that I may have to give one of those a try eventually too.

gtr2 - season mode
Need for speed: Pro Steet
Dirt - close to what I want but floaty
Richard Burns Rally - realistic
Xpand Rally
Project Torque
Race07