non P car fun daily driver

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Matt Monson

my BIL ... can play around with swapping Subaru engines into Vanagons, which doesn't make him a whole lot.

your BIL at RMW?

[nameisbauer]

I had an e36 M3. Great car, Never fell in love.
I replaced that with a 71 Datsun thinking older is better, its a little too loud and rattly for daily driving.
The only car that could light my fire AND do daily driving, another 911 SC.

[village idiot]

$500 got me a new daily 90 Miata with 86k on the clock and nothing really wrong with it other than it needing a good cleaning inside and out
How I got it:


After a few hours with a buffer:



And something I couldn't do with my Carrera, put my golf clubs in the trunk(tight fit though!)

Pretty fun to drive, gets 30+mpg and there's a million things you can do to them for a pittance compared to a P-car

[CCM911]

BMW all the way. Not only quick, they handle great. I drive a plain ole 525 with an Auto-box and love it to death. 190K on the clock and it just keeps on running. Personally, I only drive German, as they seem to be the most durable cars on the planet.

Except for Audi - Too much maintenance.

[axl911]

[JohnJL]

Another vote for the WRX...I like mine, esp the hatchback configuration. 4 doors makes putting the baby seat in back easy and I can fold the seats flat for trips to/from home depot.

[blucille]

Dick Lague is right, there are some bargain saabs out there, and they will do everything you need and overall they will be a lot of fun to drive.....good winter performance, overall a great car.....

9-5 aero, 9-3 aero. 2005-2010....

[911lvr]

why is everyone so down on Audi. Yes the parts are expensive but we should all be used to that in this group. Its a great car and performs very well. I have 76K on mine and its great.

[axl911]

Originally Posted by 911lvr

why is everyone so down on Audi. Yes the parts are expensive but we should all be used to that in this group. Its a great car and performs very well. I have 76K on mine and its great.

Doesn't the direct injection engines of Audi/VW have serious problem with sludge?

[911lvr]

Originally Posted by axl911

Doesn't the direct injection engines of Audi/VW have serious problem with sludge?

That is for the turbos. it Cokes the oil and clogs up the pickup tubes. I just replaced it on my nieces bug.

My Audi is the 3.0 liter quattro. I don't have that same problem.

[Winter]

Originally Posted by 911lvr

why is everyone so down on Audi. Yes the parts are expensive but we should all be used to that in this group. Its a great car and performs very well. I have 76K on mine and its great.

Who cares what the haters say. I've owned many Audis, but not an A4. The 1.8 turbo is known for sludge problems. If you're looking for an daily driver that's fun and you can beat on, find an early 90's S4, which is a much different car. The inline 5 turbo powerplant is relatively bulletproof, you get all-wheel drive, and there are plenty of parts available for those cars. They're also pretty easy to work on if you're a DIY guy. Plus they take mods easily.

Nice S6 sedans of the same vintage are also starting to show up at good prices and are also great. I have a '95 S6 Avant (wagon) that has been amazingly bulletproof over the past 5 years (just under 200k on the clock!) that I've owned it. Chipped and with a few other go fast parts, it's the ultimate sleeper and can carry a ton of stuff, especially when I put the rocket box on top. I do most of the work on this car myself. You'll pay a premium for an avant, though. They're rare, only about 400 imported into the USA in '95.

Like our 911's you want to find an Audi that was owned by an enthusiast, as it's the neglected cars (of any brand) which will kill the wallet. Find one that's been well taken care of and you'll be happy. Forums like audifans, quattroworld, etc offer parts, cars and plenty of advice to do the work yourself.

I think some BMW and maybe some SAABs would also be good, and Subis are also fun cars, with plenty of aftermarket support. I just lean towards Audi because I know the cars. The snow here in CO and the fact that I drive in a lot of it means that all-wheel drive works best for me.

Good luck. As a motorhead, it's fun to look at all there is out there. It's nice to have choices. Good luck to you and let us know what you end up with.

[axl911]

I too am pondering a cheap fun DD.

BMW/Audi have beautiful interiors vs. WRXs econobox interiors

Don't have much experience with the audis, but my old E36M3 was bulletproof. That engine will go 200K miles. Everyone, and I mean everyone, who drive the car has a BIG smile the first time they drive it.

I like the power potential of the trubo WRX, but not so sure about the el cheapo interior.

[Matt Monson]

Originally Posted by RWebb

your BIL at RMW?

Nope, Wild Westy in Boulder.

[OttoB]

My DD, since I drive extensively for work and for personal reasons, is my 1994 Jag XJS 4.0 litre 6 cyl. with 164K miles, which I've owned for 4.5 years and driven 61K miles since then.

My other DD, which I like more than I expected when I bought earlier this year, is my 1992 500E with 128K miles. Although both cars can be had for less than $10K (I bought each for less than that), and I have doubled the cost of the purchase price on both, I don't regret it and not letting them go anytime soon in the foreseeable future.

In car-culture obsessed Miami, which I was already well-entrenched in prior to moving here, it is very difficult to have a unique ride, price no consideration (which is why last year I purchased my 1991 911 turbo, rather than anything more contemporary)...

The one caveat with conversations with the GF, is that I cannot complain about any of them breaking down or the cost to fix anything, as common sense dictates having something newer and more practical than any of my rides, so I just stay quiet in that regard!

[dienstuhr]

Originally Posted by craigyirush

This fall I'm retiring my '86 Targa from DD duties (five years slogging on LA freeways is enough; plus baby on the way).

I am seriously thinking of a new or late model GTI (200HP turbo four). I may even get it with the paddle shifters as I spend a lot of time in traffic and the wife can't drive stick.

I test drove one in the summer and the speed of the upshifts was stunning.

I resemble that remark... have owned a 2007 GTI Mk V since summer 2008 (see my Garage <<). It's been great so far, I have the 6-speed manual as I never felt really "engaged" by the DSG gearbox. It's a peppy car and the 4-door is very practical, plus IMHO it looks cool lowered on 18's

It's been relatively reliable but I am thankful it is on warranty until 2013... already had the turbo replaced under warranty and that would not have been cheap.

Cheers

d.

[redstrosekNic]

I love driving a boring car everyday because it makes my Porsches feel even more special when I do drive them. Plus, if my car gets hit in a parking lot by a door, I don't get upset about it

I do, however like the 1st generation Lexus IS300s. The clutches in the 5 speeds are crap though.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by rdrr

I recently bought a Mini Cooper S for daily drive duties, and I am really enjoying it. Very economical on the highway, plenty of power and lots of fun on mountain roads with sport mode on and traction control off.

Are these in the OP's budget? You won't find a Cooper S that cheap around Chicago...

I'd go woth the E36 BMW 3-series, which are great handlers in any guise, but the 328i in nice shape would be my pick over a ratty M3 if a nice one is hard to find. I've got the same engine in my Z3 Coupe and it's a nice one.

[porsche4life]

Don't drive an M3 unless you are ready to buy. They are great driving cars.


I just watched two well driven M3s ( e36 and e46) put the hurt on a large field of cars at autocross

[Normy]

I'm an airline pilot based in Memphis, Tennessee. I bid for schedules that keep me away from this crime-ridden place, but occasionally I have to spend time there. I rent a room in a house 25 miles outside the city in a place called Cordova, and until February of this year, I had a '97 Jetta GLX.

The car's name? "Christine"-

For a good reason. Christine seemed to wait until the least opportune moment to break down!

-December 4, 2006: Normy is starting his new job at a major airline. I arrived at the house the night before; I've owned this nine year old Jetta for 30 days, and have driven it 1400 miles without a single hiccup or complaint. It was a flawless car- and the fact that it was a GLX with the VR6 engine made it even more fun!

[The A3 Volkswagens with the VR6 engine are NOT to be missed! These cars are hooligans! While they may not be as quick, ultimately, when all the aftermarket parts are applied as a Mazda Miata on a race course...they in standard guise will just about leave anything short of a late Porsche in their dust. And the VR6 growl is one of the sounds that every gear head needs to experience at least once in their life!]

Driving to first day of orientation for my new job: The car that has driven perfectly for 30 days...gets 1/4 mile from the place I was staying and suddenly looses ALL oil pressure! It blew a seal around the oil cooler, and dumped the oil on the road, all 7 quarts!

That's not all: Every time I drove that car, it was an adventure; What light is going to come on now, am I going to make it to work?

-THAT thing....as stated before...was a hooligan! Not only did the raucous engine note entice you to tempt jail during every mile...the way that the GTI based suspension allowed you to toss the car through traffic like it was nothing made the car so friggin fast in my estimation that it was actually a negative. I became afraid that I would wind up with tickets as a result of this car! I'm serious- you could brake so late into a corner with ridiculous speed, and yet the car just did it. This '97 Jetta could probably give my 928S2 and its wailing 330 hp engine a good workout on a race course, if not pull ahead! I always felt that you could toss anything to that car, and it just stuck.

The problem? Its name was Christine. It would have been a hell of a race car, but I needed something that would always start and run, even if it had been abandoned in the employee parking lot for 4 months, so I traded it for an '01 Subaru Outback LL Bean.

GAWD do I miss that Jetta!

N!

[azasadny]

I love my 2010 MazdaSpeed3 as a daily driver!