Little help with car purchase...

[British_Rover]

In July my wife and I are taking a cross country trip and we want to buy a new car before we go.

Right now I am considering the SAAB 9-3, Volvo C30 and the MINI Clubman S.

I am leaning towards the SAAB or Volvo because my company has SAAB or Volvo dealerships and I can get a good deal on them. I had a MINI Cooper S and I loved it so I think the Clubman would be great but....




But that back end OMG the contrasting C-pillars are so hideous I would have to have them repainted. If they don't offer a standard color C-Pillar by May then I have to eliminate the Clubman.

Any other suggestions>

Let me explain what we are looking for to help you guys.

First we are in the US so a lot of the cooler small cars you Euro guys have we don't' have access to.

Secondly, this will be a daily driver for my wife after the trip is over so it can't be EVO whatever or a STI or any other crazy performance vehicle. Also I would prefer 2wd of some sort as AWD will just hurt the MPG more then I would like. She has a Jeep to use when the weather is bad so I don't need AWD for the winter as she can just use the Jeep.

Other then that I am pretty open to new or used as I work for a dealer group and can find just about any car any where but it really needs to be under 30K USD.

[BlaRo]

The Volvo C30 is outrageously overpriced for what it is; even though it's a nice-looking car, it isn't the best hot hatch out there. I'd imagine the Saab in turbo "XWD" version would be like driving a more upscale WRX. It's kinda at the end of its life cycle though, and that might be a detriment.

But the Clubman? Yeesch. I think the silver pillars look great, but I definitely wouldn't spring for one to begin with.

[C53A_4G63T]

How about a Mazdaspeed 3? It has plenty of performance and has been getting high ratings from pretty much everybody. Worth a look at least.

[Ottobon]

Originally Posted by C53A_4G63T

How about a Mazdaspeed 3? It has plenty of performance and has been getting high ratings from pretty much everybody. Worth a look at least.

it admittedly has great performance figures, but it definitely has NOT been getting high ratings from everybody.



A.What is most puzzling is not simply how the same people who make driver’s cars as good as the MX-5 and RX-8 could get this so wrong



B.The biggest problem remains the driving experience, though, which is just too detached. Drive the aforementioned GTI or ST, and you feel like you're an integral part of the car.

Drive the MPS, and you could just as well be having an out-of-body experience. You can see that it's you driving, but the involvement just isn't there.


C.Turn-in is still sharp and there's nothing wrong with the overall precision, but there's too little feedback through the helm.

Marry that to a chassis that doesn't talk to you, doesn't tell you about all the little nuances in the road surface, and you've got a slightly dull drive.


back on topic, i would probably think about the Saab, or the mini if they do fix the "still in development" design

[argatoga]

I would go for the Volvo, but I am a bit biased. I love their 5 cylinder turbo. The Saab is too expensive (you will be getting a bare bones one for $30k), and the Clubman seems to have quite a few issues from the reviews I have seen of it.

[MadCow809]

not a great idea of buying a new car before you do a cross country journey, in fact its incredibly stupid since it will ruin ur engine in the long run. New cars are not suppose to do long distance travelling before you break in the engine

but the Mazda is quite a descent buy. Very pratical for a family.

[argatoga]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

not a great idea of buying a new car before you do a cross country journey, in fact its incredibly stupid since it will ruin ur engine in the long run. New cars are not suppose to do long distance travelling before you break in the engine

but the Mazda is quite a descent buy. Very pratical for a family.

Aren't engines now broken in at the factory?

[Dsemaj]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

not a great idea of buying a new car before you do a cross country journey, in fact its incredibly stupid since it will ruin ur engine in the long run. New cars are not suppose to do long distance travelling before you break in the engine

Ruin the engine? I'm sure!

[Steve Levin]

I'd vote MazdaSpeed 3, or, if you don't need the super-performance, just that stock Mazda 3 with the 2.3 will go pretty well.

Steve

[bartboy9891]

The Clubman looks awful and the 9-3 starting price is $5,000 more than C30. Out of those I would get the C30 because it looks the best IMO inside and out and is a better deal than the 9-3, because even the most powerful C30 is less expensive than the Saab.

[MadCow809]

Originally Posted by Dsemaj

Ruin the engine? I'm sure!

I dont know about you, but im pretty sure it will be very unpleasant for a brand new engine getting spanked all the way to redline.

its common sense, unless you are leasing the car, or intend to keep the car under full motorplan and warranty, e.g keeping it 2-3years before you sell it.

My dad's old mercedes was in mint condition when he gave it to me. It had over 90 000 Km on the clock but the engine felt like it was still brand new. And thats what you get when you treat your car nicely.

[Spectre]

If you're looking at those, why not consider a G35 or G37?

[Zuhaib]

I dont know about any of the 3 cars you mentioned
The Mini Clubman, well that is already an soften version of the Mini, and considering they have already soften the new Mini i wonder how it is to drive.

Volvo seems over priced and just trying to jump in to the hot hatch market (ala Merc tried).

And the SAAB seems a bit too GM. My Half Brother has an older 9-3, and i drove it for a little while. The Engine had a lot of power, but nothing to blow me away. It was a decent ride.

What about a GTI? Something with a little history. But the suspension might be a bit too hard for your wife and for your trip.

[Dsemaj]

Originally Posted by MadCow809

I dont know about you, but im pretty sure it will be very unpleasant for a brand new engine getting spanked all the way to redline.

its common sense, unless you are leasing the car, or intend to keep the car under full motorplan and warranty, e.g keeping it 2-3years before you sell it.

My dad's old mercedes was in mint condition when he gave it to me. It had over 90 000 Km on the clock but the engine felt like it was still brand new. And thats what you get when you treat your car nicely.

You just said it will ruin your new engine if you drive it for extended periods, and now you're saying it'll do that if you 'spank' it all the way to redline. Thrashing a car to the redline and driving for extended periods are two very different things.

Your saying it's impossible to drive normally and not thrash your engine while driving cross country?

[Sony]

Id take the Saab or the Volvo. If youd like it to be a bit bigger take the 9-3 otherwise the c30. Both are reliable, good cars. The Clubman is just hideous as youve already noticed. Id not even consider it further.

[Austere]

I wouldn't recommend the Mini Clubman. You've already had a Mini - a proper one at that - and there are plenty of other fish in the sea. I'd go for something different if I were you.

I wouldn't go for the Volvo tho because it looks ridiculous. But hell, if you test drive one and like it then why not, eh? It'll probably be comfortable and reliable and everything. I just think it's far too much to pay for a hatchback.

I'd go for the Saab (if I had to choose between these three cars) because while yes it is based on a rubbish platform Saab have done a pretty good job at masking this fact. It looks pretty good and Saabs tend to be quite comfortable and the ones that have turbo engines are pretty powerful. It certainly wouldn't be much fun to drive aggressively tho because of torque steer and the general rubbishness of the chassis but it would be a nice place to sit in traffic and on long trips.

Actually, what I'd do is buy a Subaru Legacy and then spend the eight thousand dollars I'd save on petrol.

[Dsemaj]

I'd take the Legacy too!

[AiR]

Buy a Volvo with the 2.5T. Do you need a small car like the C30 (which is too expensive) or can you get a good deal on a bigger car?

As for engines, we assemble them and put them in the cars. They are new, sure the margins are rather small nowadays and it shouldnt need too much thrashing about but they arent "broken in."

[Speedtouch]

The C30 is very cool but indeed very expensive. I like the clubman, and its C-Pillars. But I'd still have the Saab. Actually, I'd have an Audi, but thats a different story. The A6 if the budget could stretch to a good used one.

[NecroJoe]

I believe th