Car dealership folk- I want a new car

[Pantera99GS]

My Buick is still running like a champ- but after 3 years I want something new and with more interior room for my 2 dogs. Requirements being:

-stickshift
-Hatchback or wagon-esque
-fun to drive is a MUST
-good gas mileage (30mpg freeway)
-$14,000 at the MOST


Shortlist of everything I've thought about over the past 6 months:

Scion XA and XB- too freaking slow
Buick Rendezvous-no stick
Chevy Equinox/Pontiac Torrent - no stick
Impreza Wagon- I'm thinking the WRX version
would slaughter me on insurance
PT Cruiser GT- with the 2.4L Turbo

And the current leader is a 2002 and up VW Golf GTI...or maybe the TDI.

Anybody have any suggestions? Or models on their lots?

[jbiscuit]

Oh let me chime in here....WRX wagon HANDS DOWN. You won't see 30mpg freeway....maybe close. I have mods and I average about 23 mpg with a mix of freeway and city. 25 on a trip. AWD, fold down seats, turbo, insurance friendly (side impact air bags, crumple zones, etc etc....you can't lose.

[Pantera99GS]

Oh let me chime in here....WRX wagon HANDS DOWN. You won't see 30mpg freeway....maybe close. I have mods and I average about 23 mpg with a mix of freeway and city. 25 on a trip. AWD, fold down seats, turbo, insurance friendly (side impact air bags, crumple zones, etc etc....you can't lose.


Insurance friendly huh? You should know that I'm paying $90/month right now for the lowest coverage allowed by the state of Wisconsin :).

Seriously- that would be my number one choice though. I plan on moving to Colorado in a few years and it would be perfect.

It's really between a Golf GTI- reliability questionable with issue with window motors, ignition coils and various other things and hell a WRX if it was do-able.

I've looked at used WRX's but they seem to have a pretty damn high resale value.

[JohnnyT]

+1 on the WRX :thumbsup

[Crawlin]

+1 on WRX WAGON! Make your brother jealous

For what you like/need, I'd skip the Torrent/Equinox. You just wouldn't be happy with the power it DOESN"T have.

The Turbo PT Cruiser is pretty fun, but seriously, could you see yourselfactually driving one compared to the WRX? That and would be shitty in Colorado hills.

I say any of the Subaru vehicles(there's a dealership right outside of Breckenridge and Keystone ;) )

Maybe an AWD VR6 or something? haha

[Pantera99GS]

+1 on WRX WAGON! Make your brother jealous

For what you like/need, I'd skip the Torrent/Equinox. You just wouldn't be happy with the power it DOESN"T have.

The Turbo PT Cruiser is pretty fun, but seriously, could you see yourselfactually driving one compared to the WRX? That and would be shitty in Colorado hills.

I say any of the Subaru vehicles(there's a dealership right outside of Breckenridge and Keystone ;) )

Maybe an AWD VR6 or something? haha


Alright- your mission is to find me one in my price range then. :headbang

[Slow Joe]

GTI Is a good choice, seeing that you can get 'em in the 1.8L Turbo or a VR6...

But a WRX Wagon... Hrmm AWD Turbo... I'd have a problem choosing also...

[jbiscuit]

search NASIOC.com (the subaru boards) classified section. There are cars for sale on there that are BETTER than good deals. You will want to try and get an 03 is you can...the 02's have the glass tranny. The 03's have a BETTER tranny but still not as strong as say an STi. I have 62k on the ticker on my car without 1 issue. The trans needs to be respected though if you want it to last. The stock clutch and flywheel are fine...good up to 280ish whp.


Things to check out when you go looking: Check out the hood. They get dented VERY easily, they are lightweight aluminum on the WRX. Mine has a couple small dents just from shutting it. Paint. Hands down the SUBARUs SUCK for paint. They chip easily. If you can find one with a pristine front bumper, you scored. Good luck though. Coils. The WRX has a coil-on-plug. Prone to fail...no issues with mine but can be expensive to replace. Brakes...stock brakes on all WRXs suck balls. Pads and rotors are cheap though so just plan on doing some Ebay rotors and some Axxis pads or something similar right away. Trans. Pay attention to the trans more than ANYTHING. How does it shift? Smooth? Grind into 3rd? The Subaru trannys are notchy but precise. Changing the tranny fluid and rear diff fluid goes a LONG ways with these cars. Redline fluid is the only way to go.

If its down to GTi vs. WRX wagon, You would be making a BIG mistake buying the Volkswagen....The subaru is a WAY better platform as far as fun goes. Lets see a bolt on GTi hang with a bolt on SS or a mild EVO from a roll.

[Pantera99GS]

Awesome info Yellow! I can afford the car payment just fine- this is pending car insurance. I'm calling my agent tomorrow, this plan might just be smashed into the ground, but we'll see. What company do you go through?

I wouldn't be doing much in the way of mods- suspension and brakes yes! I say this now though....I said the same thing about the Buick :). I definately was planning on an '03 precisely because of the tranny.

I'll see how much my car insurance laughs at me tomorrow....

[jbiscuit]

they shouldn't be too bad about the insurance. Stress the fact that it is a "Subaru Impreza station wagon..." They will probably laugh cuz you are buying a wagon! ha ha ha...like all my friends did when I bought mine.

The impreza just got recognized again for being a a remarkably safe small car, so insurance friendly it is. Let me know if you have any questions or if you find a car and you want to know anything about it before buying it. They are GREAT cars and go low 13's with minor bolt ons....

[Pantera99GS]

they shouldn't be too bad about the insurance. Stress the fact that it is a "Subaru Impreza station wagon..." They will probably laugh cuz you are buying a wagon! ha ha ha...like all my friends did when I bought mine.

The impreza just got recognized again for being a a remarkably safe small car, so insurance friendly it is. Let me know if you have any questions or if you find a car and you want to know anything about it before buying it. They are GREAT cars and go low 13's with minor bolt ons....


$1360 for 6 months. OOOHH it burns.....

I turn 25 in a month- not sure if that will drop it much. And this is WITH having my homeowners with the same company.

[Rocket Power]

$1360 for 6 months. OOOHH it burns.....

:stare
Sometimes it pays to be old:rolf I don't pay anywhere near that for both the truck and car together for a whole year.

[Slow Joe]

That's about what I pay for a year with my Mustang and whatever driver I have... (Mustang min insurance, driver full coverage)

[Al]

Get and A4 waygin and be cool like me!

[WilliamZ]

$1360 for 6 months. OOOHH it burns.....

I turn 25 in a month- not sure if that will drop it much. And this is WITH having my homeowners with the same company.

When you turn 25 it will drop a bit.. That price you were quoted seems a bit high. You might want to shop around. If you want my friend Dave is an insurance agent and has saved my friends a lot of money on insurance. If you want to give him a call his # is 414-221-0391.

[jbiscuit]

yea that is a bit high even with a poor record (if you have one, not saying you do). It DOES pay to be old. I pay $900 a YEAR for the wagon, with the same company that has my homeowners.

[GTSLOW]

Wow I can't beleive how high your insurance is, must be some past mistakes? I know I pay 144 a month full coverage on my trans am and I'm only 21!! :wooo

Anywho I'm gonna have to go with J on this one and vote for the subaru also. The wagon's look sooo sweet and the AWD with a turbo can't be beat.

[jbiscuit]

game over.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/themike/wagonpair3.jpg

[whitehatch]

insurance isnt that bad for subarus I pay 1250 every 6mos, and im only 20 and have a clean driving record. But im still scared to get an insurance quote on an s2000 ive been thinking of picking up thats gonna be a raping. but anyways my vote is subie wagon ive seen clean ones go on nasioc for like 13k ish

Marc

[Pantera99GS]

yea that is a bit high even with a poor record (if you have one, not saying you do). It DOES pay to be old. I pay $900 a YEAR for the wagon, with the same company that has my homeowners.

Ahh my driving record:

54 in a 25 when I was 18. 6pts
50 in a 25 at 20? 6pts
84 in a 65 at 23. 4pts
63 in a 35 last December 6pts- and that was on the same day my car got broken into. Good times.
And a fender bender also last December that should NOT have gone to insurance for a claim but the chick who's 1996 Ford Explorer with 130,000 miles on it insisted on having the door replaced when literally I could remove the white paint from my car with my finger. No I'm not bitter at all.

So that might be why my insurance is high :).


Williamz, I'll give your guy a call just for the hell of it.

Yellow- stop posting pictures like that, you're not helping.:rolf

[jbiscuit]

Like I said earlier, a few bolt ons and a couple exterior touches and you have a REALLY nice year round daily driver....these cars are more fun in the snow than the dry pavement

[SloFarmTruck]

game over.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/themike/wagonpair3.jpg

Exactly what I want!! white with gold rims = the hotness!!!

[jbiscuit]

yep....bugeye white wagon with gold Volks...sex on wheels. Some guys are hell bent on removing the roof rails but I like them. They are part of what makes a wagon a wagon.