Did you mean an M3 or X3? I didn't know any SUVs can come with a manual tranny.

just another example of the man trying to keep me down...

wonder how much you could put in here:

http://www.bmwusa.com/NR/rdonlyres/C...gallery_04.jpg

I thought about the previous version M Coupe (always loved it), but I need a back seat for hauling Calvin's friends around from time to time. I already have a 2-seater (the 911)...gotta have something vaguely practical.

What's your MAXIMUM budget?

well if I want to blow my house downpayment savings, I can pay cash for a Caymen S ;)

I'd really like to stay under $30K otd. I'm already upside down a few K on the GTI. But I also want to buy a car that I'm going to keep for a number of years, and I know from experience that cheaping out just costs more money down the road. In this case with the GTI, it is more a case of me expecting my leg to take longer to heal than it did, and me not realizing how much I hate not shifting while driving.

I really like hatchbacks/wagons. In fact I've never owned a sedan, although did drive the wife's A8 from time to time. But the hatch just makes hauling beach gear, bass amps, etc a lot easier.

You're trying to sell me on the 335, right? ;)

Mazdaspeed3!!!

So are BMWs all that and a bag of chips? To be honest I've never driven one except for an M Coupe (which I loved). They are really common here in LA, and are often owned by wankers (at least in my neighborhood).

I still remember test driving a '74 2002 in Camarillio. I was blown away with how smooth and fun the car was. Of course I was 18 and my only frame of reference was my '77 Datsun p/u truck. King cab baby!

I think BMWs are all that but there are so so many of them.

You obviously never drove a MINI in anger.

I had the same opinion FWD is for commuter cars and REAL sports cars have RWD. Anything FWD is like a Honda and belongs getting groceries. Then I drove a MINI. I told everyone I know that I would have laughed in their face if they told me a FWD car is sporty and fun to drive before I drove a MINI.

When I tracked my MINI the poor guy in the C5 Vette was freaking out that he could not get me off his @ss around the track, he refused to give me a point by but preferred to try to kill himself trying to shake me loose. I wish I had it on video you could hear my pedaling the car trying not to rear end him in the turns and braking zones. The only advantage he had was in the straights where anyone can go fast.


Todd, I want your honest opinion of the car after you test drive it, I hope you get a salesman like me that encouraged me to drive it hard. He even took me to a empty parking lot to toss it around Autocross style.

I would look for a used CooperS maybe a 2005 you'll be way under budget and have a fun car. I am not really a fan of the Turbo model but that is my opinion. The scream of the SC is really cool.

+1 on the MINI S but the Bimmers are SWEET too!

Wrong coast, but no need to dip into the house fund to have some daily fun.


91 318is

90 325i

87 325i

IIRC, pkramer still has a sweet 325 that might be for sale.

Todd, I was a lifelong BMW hater, as my first two cars were Datsun 510's, and, as a rule, I was supposed to hate them. Then, my Pop bought a used E36 325is with the sport package and a 5-speed. I drove it a few times, including once at Buttonwillow. I was hooked, and bought my E30 a couple of years later.

I have since come to the conclusion that it will be really difficult to buy any sort of passenger car that does not have a Roundel on the hood. Once you've owned one, nothing really comes close, especially VW's. They are true driver's cars, with amazing ergonomics.

I've been looking for an E36 M3 for a while now, but would be just as happy with an E46 wagon with a 5-speed and a sport package. Tough, if not impossible to find, though.

Good luck.

Love my '04 325i, 5 speed and Sport Package are all I wanted...

I just got back from driving an '07 Cooper S. It is a very quick car when driven in anger. VERY quick. Reminds me a lot of the 911. Some oddities with torque steer (or something...not sure what), but a true go kart.

But the interior?

Worst
Ergonomics
Ever

Seriously. Garbage plastic, clown sized speedo, knobs and switches strewn everywhere that do randoms things, seat adjust inboard and obscured. I could go on and on. Complete crap. No matter how great the car drives I would never consider buying one, at least this "redesign." Maybe I'll look at a used one with the original interior.

They did have a, '04 330i with "performance package." Was black though...I can't own a black car. Probably quite a nice ride though.

I told ya that this morning.

hey sometimes ya gotta find things out for yourself...

So what should i get, mom? ;)

Yeah, I don't like the '07 interior either. Cartoonish.

Does the next car have to have some grunt? If not, check out the Honda Fit. Nice car, gets 33 mpg city on regular gas and is only $18K or less for a 5 speed stick.

Haven't been inside one of the "new" new Minis. But I didn't care for the old interior. I thought it was pretty cheap. I opened up the glovebox and thought it was going to come off in my hand. Garbage plastic, like you mention. I didn't care much for the layout, either (but that's just IMO). Fun ride, but that killed it for me in the ownership department.

I just drove the cooper "S" on the weekend as I too am looking for another car. Ummm, like the way it drove (escept for those stupid BMW turn signals) but the interior just plain sucks. Maybe at 37 I am way too old for the car, but it was fun.

I drove the Mazdaspeed 3 and it is fast, but it still just a fast cheap Japanese car. It is a true econobox with a big motor. Fun, but that is a lot of extra cash for a motor...

Drove a GTI with 6 speed and one with DSG. Preffered the DSG car, and the GTI had the best motor in my opinion. (not that it is worth much!)

Drove a 2002 M3, little to heavy feeling for me, but fast and a nice drive. Plus not sure it is a car I want to own when it comes off waranty.

Took a Lotus Elise out as well. Yummy, the salesman (old friend) and I were actually laughing out lound while I drove it. What a fun machine. Not sure it fits with what you need, can hardly haul the groceries with it...

Cheers

Well,

It seems you're back to square one. How about just test driving an R32, to see if you even like them? Don't know where you are exactly but, if in LA, there's one at New Century VW in Glendale and another at Barber Ford VW in Ventura.

They sold 5,000 of these things, surely mine is not the only one that's not been hammered.

You might also try an Audi A3. A buddy of mine has one and loves it.

JR

A3 is high on the list. I'll go and drive an R32 but worry a bit about reliability and longevity. The mkiv platform seemed to have some issues (but what VW doesn't?).

If the A3 is like 5K more than the WRX though...not sure it is worth it.

I still insist that the MazdaSpeed3 at about $23k and 263hp and 4 doors and a hatch, plenty of usable cargo space and a real rear seat is a great value. I get about 30mpg and the car is fun as hell to drive!

The Mazda
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1179944219.jpg
looks very similar to the VW
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1179944312.jpg

I'll bet the Mazda is orders of magnatude more reliable than the VW but it doesn't have that *German* feel to it.

I've had nothing but heartache with water pumper VWs and will never go there again. Even though my TT has (thus far) been a huge success I'd listen to the folks on this BBS and steer clear of Audi as well. Drive a 3 series BMW in your favorite color.

From your track record of turning cars (like me) save yourself the financial hit and buy a 1-2yr used car. We all know you're gonna swap again in 2 years. :)

My favorite playing stick is a cocobolo Jacoby J-2, running a Tiger X laminated shaft, a "sniper" layered pigskin tip. 13mm dia. with
a 13" pro taper. Weight 19 oz.

Whoops...wrong forum. :D Oh well, since it's O.T. I'll leave the post. ;)

I've had my R32 for three years now. So far, the only problem has been that the rear window washer nozzle got clogged and had to be cleaned. That's it.

To irritate those that hate Audis, let me say that the last one I had that had anything go wrong was a '94. My 2003 RS6 has had zero problems in close to four years, the 2000 S4 I had before that never had anything go wrong with it, my wife's A8L has no problems....

I hate to say this, as I used to be a Honda dealer, but I really can't stand to drive a Japanese car. They make great stuff but their cars have no soul. The same is true of recent US cars. Yuck.

JR

I saw the rs4 at a showroom. yowza! if I had a spare 70k... the ex's a8 has been pretty good other than a tranny going out just before warranty expired.

will try and drive a used 3 series but I still have a softspot for hatchbacks...

Todd,

You can easily a bass and an amp in the back of the MazdaSpeed3!

Art, I'm going to check out the ms3 as well. my hunch is that it will be in the same ballpark wrt interior as the subie. absolute performnace isn't my biggest parameter for this. I also end up having to drive around kids as well as business collaborators. and while stuck on the 405 going 5mph high hp doesn't make much difference but nice interior does.

I had to laugh at this, aside from the "cheap plastic" part, it sounded like me describing a 911 interior.

I JUST found the little light switch for the glove box. I laso stared at the intermittent wiper knob for a long time before I finally gave it a turn to see what it did and that huge tach in the middle of the dash... sheesh.

I liked the mini layout, I liked the fact that the speedo was thrown in the middle and the tach was front and center.

The little switches under the radio were stupid at first but I quickly got used to them and grew to like them a lot.

I can understand your not liking the interior. I was not thrilled at first either, but after a test drive I knew I could see past it. Once I lived with it for 2 years I liked it and it held up great, when I sold it it looked new and it should have.

Here you go Todd, and in your neck of the woods too.......

http://www.autotrader.com/ac-servlets/vehiclebrochure/brochure.pdf?car_id=219001703&dealer_id=55200064

Jim, they redesigned the interior and made it waaay worse. Craig, s4 avant is sweet but too pricey. drove another a3. a lot quicker than the gti surprisingly and the brakes are a lot better. shouldn't be tho...a3 is heavier. still need to drive a used 3 series and the mazda. as for japanese cars, for whatever reason I find the subies to have 'soul'.

Remember, Mazda has Mazdaspeed, show them you did 2 Autocrosses and all the goodies are over 50% off. Something to consider.

Mazda's chasis / suspension is VERY impressive.

When I did the 1st Mazda Rev-it-up in Miami a few years ago it was in a Mazda6 and it was a pig. I was able to adapt to it quickly and score 3rd out of 1500 people in the competition.

The next year, with the Mazda3, it was so well balanced and the suspension and handling were so good, I could not find its limits and ended up 10th overall instead of going for the kill and overall win. I could not find its limits in the 2 runs I had to try to beat the pro.

I was VERY impressed with its handling. Also, the owner (or former owner as she sold it) of Evolution Driving School owns a Mazda3 and she is FAST in it. She out ran a driving instructor in a Miata with Victoracers in her Mazda3 with street tires. She is also a good driver but so was the instructor.

I have not seen the new one nor am I interested. I prefer the Supercharged one. I think you would like it better too. Plus the prices on the ised ones are dropping. Throw a 17% pully on it for $150 and you have a 200HP street missal.