Need a daily driver recommendation
 

Hey all,

My 2007 GTI is in the shop again after stranding us on a road trip and it's time to think about shopping.

Here are my wants:
-Comparable size to the GTI
-4-door sedan or hatchback - no coupes
-Manual transmission if possible
-All-wheel drive would be great
-Handling/fun comparable to GTI
-2014 or newer, but prefer pre-owned to new
-~$30K or under

I don't particularly care about fuel economy as we don't drive a lot. I've driven a new Audi A3 and that's a contender, but no manual transmission :-(

Any ideas gratefully received!

Cheers

d.

Yep, Subby.

I had an 04 Outback Sport for 225k miles. Loved that car. The AWD system is terrific. MPG wasn't bad. Never had any problems with the car.

May be tough to find, but a beemer with x-drive?

GTI? Focus RS?

Focus RS is AWD.

Mazdaspeed 3 is a beast too.

easy. Golf R, 2013 misses your year by 1, but who cares, attainable for $25k, otherwise get a 1 year old one for 30ish

Mazda 3? Great car, by all accounts. Japanese reliability, fun to drive, C-segment hatchback like your VW. Or else, as others say, some flavor of 5-door Impreza if you really want AWD.

https://youtu.be/WWnAdB-vkXo

:)

Focus ST is just as practical and more fun than the GTI in my opinion.

Fiesta ST or Focus ST ?
newer GTI?
Mini Cooper/Clubman S?
Mazda 3?

BMW 2 or 3 series?

How much snow clearance do you need?

Subi

Our Outback has hands down been the best car I've ever owned. I'd get the smaller version (Impreza) in a heartbeat if I could do all my work activities with it. As it is, on a recent 1500 mile trip of hwy and some city we averaged 30mpg.

VW has jumped into the all wheel drive market with the Golf Alltrack.
If I wasn't spending my money I might like to try one.

I bought a 2007 Chevy HHR with auto and 2.4L engine 3 1/2 years ago and it is great. I needed room to carry my range box (Fat Max), muzzle loaders and associated cleaning rods and it has been great. Around town it gets 24 MPG and at 70 on the highway it gets 32 MPG. Very easy engine to work on although I have not had to do any thing except replace injectors, CAT and Monroe Quick Struts so up keep is not too bad. I paid $7,000 cash for it from a Marine being retired and going back to Arkansas.

A used Sub hatch or wagon would be top of my list. They pretty much invented the AWD category.

Loving these recs, thanks!

We do get a good deal of snow here in Winnipeg but I take the bus to work so I can afford not to have a snowplow as a dd :-)

Looks like I'll need to drive a Suby or two. Was looking to stay German with an Audi A3 or another VW but small car, AWD and manual gearbox... pick any two. I like the idea of a Golf R but the prospect of not having a sunroof bugs me as I use it nearly all the time in summer in preference to A/C.

Would love to try a small BMW but I don't love the 1-series 5-door's styling, we can't have a coupe, and it's RWD only which I may not want to foist on Mrs dienstuhr.

I think if we go with another VAG turbo we'll need to trade it before the warranty's up ;-)

Keep em coming boys!!

d.

No sunroof in the golf R? Maybe that's a Canadian problem, here in the states, it's an option but most have a sunroof

I think the R meets all your requirements....and I love mine, manual, German, small, AWD, affordable and sunroof.

Fords and Mazdas are reliable cars, with good handling, but the rust protection is, in my recent ownership experience, not as good as on other cars in the segment.

I traded in my VW Passat Wagon (v6) for the Subaru. Best choice I ever made. VW broke constantly and repairs weren't cheap.

Looking to drive a WRX tonight :-)

Drove the WRX. It was fast as he11 but I was underwhelmed by the total experience. The interior was simultaneously cheap-feeling and gaudy in the way only Japanese cars are, there was no sunroof, the driving position made the car feel narrow and pointy (not sure how else to express that) and the clutch pedal felt like pushing on a brick.

Drove a '15 GTI Mk7. It felt just like my current GTI except nicer. Not as fast as the Suby but much better feeling. The interior felt like that of a much more expensive car and it has the manual transmission that's lacking in the A3. The kicker is that it's the same year and mileage as the WRX and the price is within a few hundred bucks.

yeah no way a Subaru will be as nice inside as an equivalent VAG car.

The counter point is your 2007 VAG car has given you trouble and I have spent almost nothing on my 125k mile 2007 WRX. I think if I exclude tires and gas, Ive spent less than $100 per year maintaining the car, though I did the 100k mile timing belt service myself. It has never been to a dealer or shop.

All the Anecdodes about VAG reliability are starting to sound like actual statistics to me at this point.

So true!

I'm not sure I'll be able to resist the siren call of a Mk7 GTI even considering the likely reliability/maintenance issue. After all, there's still the balance of the factory warranty right?? :rolleyes:

Cheers

d.

if you haven't driven a golf R with a manual gearbox, you don't know what you are missing....man, I sound like a broken record.

I think I meant luxurious more than nice, I have had 4 subarus they have all held up very well and I like the simple interiors. They do seem a bit plasticy compared to the VWs I have been in.


However, The vws I have been in are generally newer than the subarus I have been in

Did you drive the Focus ST?

Would've liked to, but there aren't any around here. Although a buddy ordered up a new Focus RS and it is apparently mental :D

d.

You should really drive one. I had one and found it nicer than a WRX and more fun than a GTI, and without the VAG reliability concerns.

I will second Matt's opinion on the ST. Ours has 150K miles on the odo and no problems so far. It has been a great car!

The RS is a great car too but your chance of getting one is almost impossible. It takes a lot of luck and a lot of waiting. We ordered ours last October and it was delivered in July. We were lucky. A lot of people ordered at the same time and waited for a car that never arrived.

You've convinced me - I'm going to try and drive an ST :-)

Cheers

d.

I just got an 05 BMW 330ci.

I LOVE it,
what a great car to drive, handling is incredible and fun to drive,

Already went through this process last year looking for a fun commuter that had awd for snow, handled excellent, reliable, mpg around 30, 4 doors, avoiding the boy racer look, reasonable costs for maintenance and loaded with the farkles most like. Test drove the gti, A4, impreza, wrx, and sti. The focus rs hadn't been released at the time. For the money the wrx was hands down the most fun. Has enough power and fantastic handling to have a lot of fun in the twisties, getting 30 mpg after 10k miles. Upgraded the speakers ... its' a must. Get the 6 spd, short shift kit, and sti exhaust in the premium trim.
Fun topic, lots of opinions. Could have more than one right answer.
:eek:

What year WRX? New used?

2017, new. Hard to find used in metallic grey with 6sp, short shift kit, and sti exhaust. Always concerned about buying used when twin turbos are involved. I consider buying new a full-contact body sport with car dealers.....and its' fun.
Was told by the service guys that servicing an sti is more expensive than others.... a brake job alone is significantly more than the wrx.