Somehow I found myself watching reviews and listening to aftermarket exhaust options for the 2023 Subaru WRX... someone tell me I am crazy.

I may be getting over the ugly plastic cladding, similar to how the M3 has warmed up to me. But yes, it's still not that great looking in the end. But I do think the darker colors look better.

I prefer the Limited trim and not having to deal with any ADM just sounds amazing to me right now as every other car I'm looking at has one.

Just asked for an eprice on a local WRB Limited. Let's see what they quote me. Might be worth test driving just for the hell of it. Oh, and Subaru is offering 3.5% financing on the 2023 WRX.

 

Worth a look if you don't mind the looks, IMO.
I'm sure the performance is there, as long as you get the 6MT.

 

6MT only! Also why the GT trim cannot be considered. I'd love the Recaro seats. I know that will be one big thing I miss from my ST.

 

Facilitating a purchase for my brother...who is using the S6 to commute and is less than thrilled with the MPG. Someone ran into the 2G TL about a month after I put in a new transmission. Oh well. Went to a Toyota dealer to buy a Corolla hybrid. A used 2022 Corolla hybrid with 40k miles goes for 35k as is. A new 2023 Corollas Hybrid with a two week wait time for delivery is 24k. No brainer. Sales guy said that used cars were still flying off the lot despite being more than new with a slight wait.

 

Never had a brand new rental car before (5 miles just delivered), kinda amusing as we had to help remove the plastic sheeting covering the hood, roof, and doors. Interior was the same way with plastic coving the sun visors, center stack display and seats.

2023 Toyota Corolla Cross

+ very responsive engine and transmission
+ impressive CVT even on hills in Colorado Rocky Mountain high roads
+ quick response time for Apple Carplay and UI/UX interfaces
+ nice ride and decent handling
+ quieter than our 2017 CR-V
+ Typical Toyota high quality fit/finish/materials

- Weird brake modulation feel, braked OK but I'm so used to Honda master cylinders/vacuum boosters
- Very small back seat
- Instrument display font is too small for me to read while driving
- too many feature/functions require going through alot of menu's to select/deselect


Engine oil viscosity 0W-16

 

0W-16.. Never heard of that weight. Seems almost proprietary.

 

IIRC, Prius' ICE use 0W-16 but I can't recall any other car that use that viscosity. I did see Mobil1 0W-16 at Walmart once wondering what engine uses it.

 

I saw a Blue '23 Golf R 20th Anniversary in manual going to a Chicagoland dealer. Inquired about it and it's available with a mid to late July ETA. Of course, they said they are going to set a $10k ADM "due to the rarity". I politely responded saying I do not want to pay an ADM as it's not right even though I understand the rarity.

I was surprised to see they also politely responded and said they would be happy to take any offer I have on the Golf R to their manager and see what they say. At this point since I already said no to ADM, do you think an MSRP offer plus the fact that I'll have a trade in is even worth trying? I guess it is because they can't say yes if I never ask...

One of the first local VW dealers I contacted about the Golf R last year sent me an email saying they have some coming in, and the only manual version is Black. Not my first choice... in fact I'd rather have Blue or White first over the Black. But it's worth considering. My TSX was Black so I know what it takes. They wanted a $10k ADM last year so I asked what can they offer me now. Let's see what they say.

 

Can't hurt to toss an offer. Worst case is a No & you move on

 

Still $10k ADM. They said they sold one earlier this month. I wish people didn't throw their money away like that.

 

I have nothing to lose now. I will try.

 

Make the offer.

Remind me, are you just bored with the Focus or is it not long for this world?

 

Hey All, LTNS. Hope all is well.

My 2018 Mazda CX-5 is paid off and sitting at about 94K miles. Because it's paid off, I want to find a second car to enjoy more than the Mazda (which will remain the dog bus).

"Enjoy" is a bit of a broad term because my priority is a modern, comfortable car that I like to drive. I like adaptive cruise and Apple CarPlay, I've been looking for vehicles based upon budget ($50K-ish) rather than body type or performance.

I've been tracking the 2021 BMW Z4 sDrive 30i, 2020/21 Mercedes E450 Coupe, 2020 Audi A6 Allroad, and the Genesis GV60. Couldn't be more different cars, I know. I'll be doing about 10K miles a year using it as a 2+ season daily driver.

I had considered a 2009+ Porsche 911 but I think it's a bit older than I want to go because I'm not really focused on a straight up sports car.

I've driven the Z4 before and really liked it (aside from the seats but I didn't know how to tweak them at the time) and I've driven the E-Class as an E400 Convertible. I liked that car a lot too.

The reason I thought about the A6 Allroad is that I really like wagons, it hits all the marks as a luxury car, and if I wanted to put a dog in it, I could do that. It wouldn't be the dog bus but if I wanted to drive with a dog, I could.

The GV60 is visually interesting to me, hits the luxury mark, and while the range isn't remarkable it is certainly good enough for what I would use it for most of the time. And, I'll always have the Mazda for longer road trips.

I just don't know what to do. I've looked at so many reviews for different models like the TLX Type S, the Kia EV6, the Mercedes E450 wagon, the aforementioned 911, and others.

I feel like the current used car market is still insane and distorting the relative value of certain models.

Is it me or is this as difficult a time to decide on a car as there has ever been and not necessarily because of the abudance of good options?

 

I think you need to narrow down more on actual requirements before you can make heads or tails of the market. You are comparing everything from a small 2 seat roadster to a mid size SUV lol.

 

I know. I don't know how to choose between them

I'm having such a hard time I came back here after three years away to see what other people are doing.

 

Well, what are you looking for??? Are you looking for a purely fun car to tool around in or another daily driver that's also fun?

 

Just ready to find a new manual before they all go away or are only found in sports cars. Focus ST is 10.5 years old with 105k on it. It's running great, but I will need new winter and summer tires, brakes are coming up, and the suspension may need a little work. Was seeing if I could figure something out before I decide to put some money into it and before I decide to hold on to it for longer. I still enjoy driving it every day.

Hey CM! Yes, finding something right now is becoming a huge pain in the rear. Hope you can find something you like and not get price-gouged!

 

CM
If it were me, I'd nix the Allroad & Genesis, as they seem redundant to the Mazda.
The fanboi in me says MB
But after a couple drives in the Midget, I lean to convertible for a fun car. Not sure where it would fit in the budget, but maybe an SL, or an older AMG SL?

 

What about a Golf R? Plenty quick, you can get a manual or the very good DCT, has the modern tech items you want, AWD for the rough weather, and you can put the rear seats down for the doggo if needed. As much as I love the A6 Allroad, it's too similar to what you have now. It's not going to check the fun box at all.

I'm bias here, but I'd push for at least some sort of coupe or convertible. You should want your fun car to be just that...fun. It needs to be an experience, not just another tool to get you around.

 

I am primarily looking for a car that could serve as my regular part-time car. I work from home so I don’t need to worry about commuting in it. It would be an auto/dsg/dct because I have a bad knee. Basically, something fun, modern, and comfortable that wouldn’t beat me up if I drove it a lot and costs less than $50K.

 

I want something more modern than an older SL but that’s why the Z4 is high on my list. I had the Z4 for three days and I was impressed how good it was. Just need to see if I can figure out the seats because they ruined the car for me long term.

That’s what I keep coming back to as well (fun not an appliance). I like the Mk8 Golf R a lot but a lot of dealers are deluded about their scarcity and price them accordingly. For example, I would get a 2021 Z4 sDrive 30i M-Sport 10/10 times over a $40K+ 2023 GTI (let alone Golf R).

I have been thinking coupe or convertible too and the E450 in either form has me considering that too as the E400 convertible I rented was quick and fun even in 45 degree weather. The vents in the seats made top down in cold weather something I could see myself doing a lot as long as it was dry.

Both Germans (E450 and Z4) are at the top of my list and my hope is if I am not driving them into the ground they will be a little more forgiving in the reliability department. I am hoping to get one with factory warranty left and CPO so I have some runway to work out whatever hasn’t been caught by the previous owners.

 

If I were in that boat of needing a solid daily that is comfy, practical, and fun I'd go with ze Germans and get something like a M340, previous gen M3 (current gen is fugly), previous gen M440 (the current gen is fugly), etc. A C43 would also be cool, C63 if it fits the budget but honestly one of the best out there in that price bracket is the S5/RS5 sportback. They are gorgeous, comfy, fast, fun, and relatively efficient.

If you're open to EV's, the Model 3 Performance is a fantastic daily that's astonishingly fast and relatively fun to drive...also no maintenance/upkeep costs while coming with all the latest tech and some sweet tax incentives as well.

 

[QUOTE=SamDoe1;16895419
If you're open to EV's, the Model 3 Performance is a fantastic daily that's astonishingly fast and relatively fun to drive...also no maintenance/upkeep costs while coming with all the latest tech and some sweet tax incentives as well.[/QUOTE]

I was going to suggest this as well.

 

C43 Convertible?

 

i think I would get the E450 first but a Benz is on the shortlist.

No Tesla for me but I was thinking about an EV. I think the Mazda replacement will be a BEV when that happens.

 

At least on the lower end of the spectrum, I found the C to be the better driving [fun] car over the E, but that's comparing the C300 Sport to a E350 base. The sport seats in the C were much more supportive.
I'm sure an E400/450 would be much improved over the E350s I'd driven, especially if you find one with the AMG Sport pkg.

 

I honestly prefer my A4 to my friend's C300. What about an S4?

 

The C43s and the E450s are about the same price for a CPO of the same year. I didn't realize the C43 had gotten so expensive.

 

I think I'd be looking at a S5 Sportback if I decided to go that route as I just like the styling more. But with that said, the S4 is a great car. If I end up going with a sedan/sportback then I'll definitely be looking at Audi over BMW or Mercedes.

 

Elantra N lol? Seriously though, handles amazing, DCT, limited slip, $35k and with a decent set of all season tires does great in the winter.

 

Kona N? Probably redundant, a bit, to the Mazda
Veloster N, for something quirky, but still usable, being a hatch, but still a bit redundant.

MX5? Though getting a Miata with an auto doesn't sound nearly as fun.

 

No Tesla because no Tesla or no Tesla because no EV?

Kia EV6 GT is another option that's bonkers fast and fun to drive. Range is shitty but you don't need a ton.

 

I am definitely pro-EV and anti-Elon 😆

Im going to go drive an EV6 GT and see how it feels. Out of Spec got 215 miles at 70mph so that’s definitely fine for what I would be using it for most of the time.

I’m still leaning G29 Z4 because I loved the rental and my wife did too. But this has all been incredibly helpful for me to distill down all my thoughts.

 

Big reason I'd avoid the Z4 is because it's kind of a one trick pony in that it's a small two seat roadster with minimal people and cargo space. A good compromise on this might be a previous gen M2 or even M240.

EV6 GT is, from what I've heard, great but finding one is difficult. Daddy Doug just posted a video on it and he loved it.

Another option is a CT4 V Blackwing if you can find a used one.

 

If it wouldn’t be my only car, you think it’s still too impractical? I have heard good things about the previous generation M2.

But you got me thinking, I like the new M240i … has anyone here driven one? There are used ones for $52K which I could make work.

 

Do you want a roadster, or a more serious performance coupe?

 

I won’t track anything but I would love something that excites me to drive it. The Z4 sounds fun as a roadster and I like the idea of top down date nights with the wife

But seriously, ever since I sold my Ecoboost Mustang in 2017, I have been driving boring utilitarian cars. I had a Triumph motorcycle my wife would come on rides with me so that’s the thought around the roadster.

 

I remember the Triumph. I too miss having a bike, but in Houston it's pretty risky at times.
Hoping we can get the Midget truly roadworthy soon, date nights was one of the selling points for it.

 

Exactly the reason I sold it after I moved out of DC. I had a "safe" route out of DC to quiet roads for my Triumph that I don't anymore. But a convertible would be a new experience for us so it's on the list.

I thought about a straight up sports car but it's just not something I'm considering at this point. The 2-series seems attractive in that it's a smaller, sporty car. The Golf R isn't worth $50K to me and the Audi S3 is an inferior product to the R in terms of features and capabilities.

 

In my opinion, yes. I get the "fun car" bit but find one that isn't impractical to actually go and do things with it. Getting something that's fun to drive while having space to sit in, a trunk to put shit in, and a bonus sorta back seat for when you want to bring your buddies around is awesome for around town and road trips. I don't know if you have or plan to have kids but it's also nice to be able to cart them around in a fun car too. A roadster won't do any of those things and that's why they don't really sell all that well these days. Getting a sport coupe gets you a lot of practicality while sacrificing next to nothing except for the folding roof...and where you live I'd say (IMO at least) that's worth the trade.

New M240 is fantastic and actually faster than the previous gen M2 but, IMO, the M2 is still the one to get if you can swing it. It has a lot more character and feeling behind it and it'll probably hold its value for a long time.

Why not get another Mustang? You can probably snag a GT Premium or Mach 1 for about $50k.