Hey guys,

Been considering pulling the trigger on a new car for some time now & the itch has been getting REAL lately.

To say I've been loyal to Acura would be an understatement. My first car was a 97 2.2 CL & currently own a 06' Aspec RL/05' 6spd TL with a J35 swap. The TL is the beater I purchased before the winter so that I could go hard on the RL but plans have faded & I'm at peace with moving on.

Now what am I looking for?

- Power (350hp+),
- AWD or RWD
- Luxury
- Rarity is always nice.
- Most importantly, a 6MT.

Most I'm willing to drop on the next car would be $35k CDN. With that said, new cars are out of the question for what I'm looking for so the used car market it is.

I've always been intrigued by the 2nd Gen CTS-V but those are still priced so that's out of the question. As with the majority of folks I'm left with going German. Pretty much been looking into Audi & BMW but nothing has really made a strong case to make me jump ship.

I was all out of ideas till I found out that B7 Audi RS4 (06-08) literally hits everything I'm looking for. Funny enough, I've always said that if I were to jump ship, it would only be into a RS4. Jumping ship to German is intimidating to say the least considering the potential maintenance costs but with everything else in life, you got to pay to play. I'm at peace that they're a whole other animal cost wise but I also do all my own maintenance so that helps the wallet.

Been researching the last few days about these cars & having a hard time finding negative reviews about general maintenance. Brakes are pricey, struts can be priced if they're leaking but that's where coils come in & carbon build up can add up which sucks performance. Aside from those things, they "seem" to be pretty bulletproof.

There's a handful for sale locally from $20k-$35k with 150k KM or less. Gotta love depreciation..

There's one literally around the corner from me, it's an 08' with 117k KM (70k ish miles) for $28k ($21k US) that supposedly has been "meticulously maintained". Stopped by today to take a look & from what I saw, the car looks CLEAN. They were closed but I'm gonna give them a shout tomorrow to hopefully set up a test drive & go from there.

Anyways, sorry for the short story but I'm open for any suggestions for other cars or opinions on the RS4.


​​​​​Thanks,


Allan

 

Pontiac G8 GXP?

 

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It does check most of the boxes, no?

[x] Power (350hp+),
[x] AWD or RWD
[ ] Luxury
[x] Rarity is always nice.
[x] Most importantly, a 6MT.
[x] Price range

 

It definitely does & never crossed my mind to be honest. They just don't do it for me.

 

Here's the link to that RS4 if anyone is interested..

08' RS4

 

You're going to have to put the rest of your budget away for maintenance/repairs because they are about as reliable as a broke meth addict. That said, other than that, your options are basically BMW 335...and that's about it.

 

 

 

You're very mechanically inclined so I think you could handle an Audi no problem! The exhaust note of those is pure heaven.

 

 

An interesting video to say the least & that interior on the S4 you posted..

Not looking to push the budget but a newer car is always a plus.


I have a buddy with a heavily modded 335is & they move but they're literally EVERYWHERE.

As for being a money pit, could very well be one but I legit can't find info saying so.


Thanks, definitely something that eases repair costs.

As for that exhaust note, hard to debate that & it's what worries me the most that I'll just sign my life away after the test drive.

 

Golf R?

 

What's pricing like for an Alfa Romeo Giulia up there? With tune, it should get close to 350hp.

 

well... a 2015 S4 would still fit in your budget... or just stretch it a wee bit. But... likely a lot less headaches to contend with, seeing as it is 7 years newer than a 2008 RS4...

By the end of the day, you get what you pay for.... If a car that used to cost 100k is now 28k... well... no one gives a car away for free, right?

 

+1 on the B8.5 S4.

As much as I love the looks & sound of the B7 RS4, I would go with the B8 ... tune / pulley and you're already around RS4 power levels and it will cost you next to nothing to maintain in comparison.

 

Can't go wrong with the newer S4.

 

are you keeping the TL for a winter beater? do you need a 4 door?

 

2016 Volkswagen Golf R 5dr HB Man - TORONTO $35,000 | autoTRADER.ca

2006 Porsche Cayman - RICHMOND HILL $35,000 | autoTRADER.ca

 

 

That RS4 is cool, but I have to chip in and agree that the S4 is more reliable....

 

E60 M5? Can be had for $20k.

 

While the E60 M5 is awesome, I think a certain Arizonan here can attest that it requires a ton of maintenance, even for an older German vehicle.

The Cayman with a Tubi exhaust though... hoo boy. I only just heard it on youtube, but I imagine in real life it sounds proper Porsche.

 

The idea has crossed my mind, those things are wild.

I believe they're still north of $35K for sure. Interesting car though.

At the end of the day, depreciation is depreciation. The Aspec RL was around $80k new (wild) & less than 10 years later I picked it up for $9k.

Definitely easier to mod/make power with the B8.

Seems like everyone is on the same boat.

I was more than likely parting ways with the TL & keeping the RL as a second car.

As for needing a 4 door, definitely not but I have grown accustomed to the convenience.

Caymen's have been on my radar for a while, great potential.

There's no doubt about that but I can't complain about the RL's interior at all.

Seems like everyone is in agreement with that.

Yea the M5 is badass but they are not easy on the wallet.


Even thought the newer B8 seems to be the better option, the RS4 is still hitting those sweet spots for me. High revving V8 & 6MT w/AWD, take my money lol.

Also, everyone is saying that it's gonna be worse to maintain but I'm having a hard time finding negative things about these cars, even high mileage examples. Except for what I mentioned initially (shocks, pricey brakes, carbon buildup), all I'm reading is that these things are bullet proof. Built in a completely different plant, to a completely different standard than the A4/S4 models. If anyone has some good info, I'd love to read it. I don't go into anything blind & go excessively hard into research, excessively being an understatement.

As for that RS4, worked too late last night to go check it out but rescheduled for later tonight. See how it plays out.

 

This thread is making me depressed. I'm currently on autotrader looking at a Prius

 

Everyone has different needs & having kids definitely makes it hard to justify a purchase like this.

Is the CL-S still around?

 

Exactly, different needs We just worked out a deal on a Toyota Avalon Touring for my uncle. It was a heavily discounted 0 mile '17 for 1500 more than my IS-F. We're both looking at each other like the other is an idiot but it boils down to different needs

 

Ya it's going back up for sale soon. I had two buyers who had to back out. I just keep telling myself that in a few years i'll get myself something fun again. i'll still have a J35 though......in my odyssey, lol.

 

Want a beater TL with a J35?

 

 

So what's your decision?!

 

Going tonight to check it out, last night was a bust.



Can't have enough cars eh?

 

Golf R's sure are a lot of fun and for your budget, you can get a new one with a 6 year warranty.

Also, the RS4 being built somewhere else is definitely a reason to avoid. The engine and trans might be fine but when it really sucks when it comes to the electrical gremlins. Definitely an awesome car but would for sure need a warranty to go with it.

 

No he can't. A new golf is 50k in Canada. Way beyond his budget.

 

Ah, sorry. Forgot that the price was in Loonies. You can get a new one for $37k USD though.

 

New Golf R for 37k?
Do share. Guessing that's for a 6MT though, the DSG would likely be over budget for me.

 

Manual. The DSG adds ~$1500 (USD that is, I need to add that note in this thread) to the tag.

 

Right, the GTI Autobahn DSG is holding spot #1 on my shortlist at the moment.
There are a few deals on a couple Certified 2017 Golf Rs, but like a FoRS, a bit leery of buying a sporty/performance car 2nd hand. Plus all the goodies lost going with a 17 vs 18 R.
My Ford dealer has a couple FoRS for ~8k off MSRP.

 

2G CTS-V
Be a man, do the right thing
Plus @rockstar143 will give you a blowie to welcum you to the club

 

Well going with the GTI will give you the same features as a CPO 2017 Golf R...so it's not like you're missing out on anything.

I suggest you go drive the Focus RS before you move any further down that rabbit hole.