2010 on GTI. Have owned two. Reliable, plenty of people and cargo space. Blast to drive.

RSX Type-S would be awesome but it’s getting very hard to find a nice one. Fiesta is definitely smaller than the Focus, the front is fine but the back seats in the Fiesta are useless. Still a very fun car and now pretty cheap, worth a look if you don’t need the space.

Over the span of about 36 years, we have owned seven VW Rabbits, Golf & GTI. Every single car has been taken right up to the 200k mark and then sold for a tidy sum. As others here have noted, the Golf is a very versatile car, inexpensive to maintain and a real hoot to drive, especially the GTI. So, that's my input, hope it helps.

Not exactly a hot hatch, but rear seats do fold down allowing full access to trunk, so I'm considering the Subaru BRZ (over the Toyota 86), but I'm waiting for the more powerful 2022 version.

BRZ/86/FRS is a great car and they are getting cheap used. I considered one a few years ago but ended up with an RX8 instead, which is also a fantastic car.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2002-acura-rsx-10/

Type-S on BAT

I've never driven one but love the platform (2 door, front engine, rear wheel drive, manual transmission). People describe them as fun to drive but modestly powered. Interesting if a 2022 version would give it more power. The rear seats are the big open question for me. Would have to look closer at the cargo area. Would it pass the 10 bags of mulch test?

Great spot - would be perfect. I'm sure the price will skyrocket before the auction ends. Any others I've seen are more money and more miles. 37k mileage cars in good shape are unicorns. Thanks much for the link.

Rear seats folded down: Yes. It's huge.

If this car had been rear wheel drive and turbo, it would have been perfect. As it was, there was some torque steer, but some people like that. It was actually the first car I ever tracked, and it did great, although it did smell like burnt rubber for 2 months, and the muffler was never the same.

Buy one, keep it close to stock, you won't regret it.

Toyota Corolla. A bit faster than the Yaris, a smidgen bigger too. Both great cars.

Or a Fit or Civic. All great cars.

Honda CRX - fix it up

way up

944

Closing this chapter for now. Long story - the stars aligned to keep our current stable in operation for the time being, so we're holding off on adding a new member to the family. Great feedback on this thread. Still may come in handy. Hope some was helpful for others. Thanks to all for the input.

Mazda 3 or VW GTI...

Both look better in the 6 door version IMO.

You are wise to plan. Many people just go shopping, and the decision ends up being made on emotional grounds. A friend, who has sold more cars than I see on a trip to a grocery store, does this. His last purchase: Knowing how robust the auto market is, he knew his car could and would be found. He reached out to a car-finder with these specifications: Toyota Tacoma, automatic transmission, factory air, factory tow package, cruise control, no more than X miles, any color. He has been driving it for about eight years and if he wears it out, he plans to get another one. He was shown trucks with after-market air or after-market hitch, and rejected them. Reiterating "factory" air and tow packages.

I am a musician and I need something a little bigger than a small hatchback, so I got a 2013 Mazda 5 which are no longer made. That is a shame. This is a microvan with two sliding rear doors and a hatchback. I intend to repair or replace anything necessary. Engine, transmission, whatever. So far, nothing needed. Mazdas and Fords a basically the same thing. Ford/Mazda has been making good cars in recent times.

All of my future cars that are not sports cars will be automatics. Life is short. Simplify.

Bought my wife a Subaru Impreza Sport. She loves it, nimble yet roomy.

My Fit...enough room for a 12" sub/with enclosure and a couple bikes standing upright. (I think it would hold up to six bikes upright)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1620945338.jpg