Have you considered a Subaru STi? 305hp turbo charged goodness with a 6 speed. Fun and practical as it's 4 doors so plenty of room for the kids. Plus it's AWD so it's good on the road and gravel (and snow).
Have you considered a Subaru STi? 305hp turbo charged goodness with a 6 speed. Fun and practical as it's 4 doors so plenty of room for the kids. Plus it's AWD so it's good on the road and gravel (and snow).
As fun as the STI is, the OP may or may not want to give off that "Travis Pastrana drifting while slammin back some Monster energy drink" vibe that the car gives off.
The WRX is a much better buy anyway imo. 90% of the performance for thousands less.
The WRX would be a good choice for a guy that wants a fun car as his only car because they're great year round. For a fun, summer-only, bucket-list car and with a $30,000 budget, there are numerous more compelling options.
As fun as the STI is, the OP may or may not want to give off that "Travis Pastrana drifting while slammin back some Monster energy drink" vibe that the car gives off.
The WRX is a much better buy anyway imo. 90% of the performance for thousands less.
Fair enough, but it's not like the Boxster or Miata give off better vibes either...
Fair enough, but it's not like the Boxster or Miata give off better vibes either...
I guess all cars give of a vibe, but I think most adults would rather have that vibe instead of the boy-racer thing going on with the STI.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Burninator
What about the BMW 1 series? 230hp, RWD.
Great suggestion. Love the 1-series...almost bought a 128i a couple of years ago (Even though the 135i has more power, I preferred the naturally aspirated 128i).
I was going to suggest a 135i. I have an N54 (true twin turbo) with an M-package and stock the thing is ballsy, 300 hp/300 ft/lb. I got the Burger JB4 box, and the thing is full ###### mode. Like not manageable out of a corner torque levels. I think it is 360 HP / 400 ft/lbs when the box is on. I used it for like a week, and took it out as it needed some warranty work done. I plan to put it back in when the streets clear up.
The problem with 135's (which isn't a problem to me) is it gets a bit of a bad rap as being the 'baby BMW'. Yet with the right tune the thing will waste M3's, 911's, STI's, V8 pony cars etc. I love the sleeper mode aspect of the car, and you can get a really nice one for about $25-30k with less than 50k on the odometer. In a weird way it kind of reminds me of the old Mustang LX notchback 5.0. A wolf in sheeps clothing. From an true driving enthusiasts car is all there. Small, nimble, not so comfortable, and pretty basic as far as a modern bimmer goes, but on the flip side, it is true to their 'Ultimate Driving Machine' mantra. No BS, minimal bling, just an incredible engine, with incredible handling, in a no compromises package. If you are looking to impress the neighbors... not the best choice. If you are looking to fly under the radar with a twitchy, growling, on rails spooky mobile. It has it all and then some.
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The 1-series is the only BMW that reminds me of the car company I used to love. Building cars that aim to "impress the neighbors" is exactly why I'm not a fan of the brand these days. As if they are even impressive anymore....3-series are pretty much the Camry of Calgary.
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The 1-series is the only BMW that reminds me of the car company I used to love. Building cars that aim to "impress the neighbors" is exactly why I'm not a fan of the brand these days. As if they are even impressive anymore....3-series are pretty much the Camry of Calgary.
Yep. IMHO, BMW lost it's way around 2003-2005ish. That was the pinnacle of the E39 540/M5 and E46 3 series/M3. They were still no nonsense cars at that point, then.... i-Drive and Chris Bangle happened, and ruined a lot of design history. The ONLY reason I bought my 135i, was the lack of iDrive and TV screens in the car.
Everything that came after in the M-lines (except the M3) had absurdly over powered and absurdly expensive to service engines.You were better off buying a Porsche at that point because they were way cheaper to maintain, and held their values better than M5/M6.
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In my opinion, any summer fun car has to have an open top whether it be a convertible or an old muscle car with T-Tops, etc.
It makes every drive fun.
Won't have the best performance or track stability but it's definitely fun. What kind of fun are you envisioning? If you want to cruise the city or have a fun highway car, go that route.
If you want to barrel down some dirt roads, pick up a WRX, STI, Evolution, etc.
