Going from a Miata to something... more practical (prep-work for the next year or two)

WDWBen

Subaru Killer
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
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1,548
Location
Disney World
Car(s)
2021 Mini Cooper S
For reasons I'll go into later, I find myself in the need of a more practical vehicle than my Miata in the next few years. There are a few requirements I have, but not a ton. I'd like to spend no more than $25k, but that will be in a year or two, so recommendations can include "I hope it'll be this price in two years." I do live in Florida, so I can keep the car on summer tires year-round, and don't need AWD/4WD to get me through snowy winters.

I prefer:
  1. Wagons over hatchbacks over lift backs over sedans.
  2. Transmission doesn't particularly matter, but I'd prefer something I can shift, whether it's a proper manual or a good manually shiftable automatic (dual clutch over torque converter, but if it's a good one of the latter, I won't care).
  3. CarPlay built in, but if not, I need to be able to install it without breaking how the car works (infotainment, climate control, et cetera).
  4. Something I can work on without too many specialized tools, but I do own one of those silly VW 16-point driver bits from when I did the brakes on an '07 Jetta
  5. Something fun to drive over something mundane. I drive a Miata, and owned a Mini Cooper S before that.
  6. Half decent gas mileage.
Right now, my list is as follows, in no particular order:
  • VW GTI
  • Subaru WRX (first mod being a 4-pot/2-pot Brembo conversion)
Pricing dependent:
  • GLA45 AMG (I hate SUVs, but in AMG trim, this looks close enough to the ground to be a proper hatch)
  • CLA45 AMG
  • VW Golf R
  • Audi S3
  • Subaru WRX STI
So, what else should I be thinking about? Am I making bad choices looking at any of the above cars?
 
You said you like wagons? Why not snatch a Golf Sportwagen before VW drop it from the US lineup? Can be had with manual, conventional automatic (8-speed in 2019), or DSG (awd only). Problem here is if you don’t like halogen headlights, manual trans is the bottom of the barrel offered only. 2019 also saw the replacement of the 1.8L in favor of the 1.4L which has the same torque rating but HP is dropped slightly. We have 2 Jettas at work, one being 2015 (1.8) and 2017 (1.4). the trans programming for the conventional auto on these feel like they want you to feel as much torque from idle as possible which depending on your preference could be annoying for creeping in traffic or just moving a car around the driveway. The low HP is only noticeable if you're hammering it otherwise, it's perfectly fine.

I have a 2019 Alltrack which is decent but don’t expect DSG farts out of it. They modify the transmission programming to get rid of that and in my opinion, DSG helps the "must have all torque from take off" mentality. While yes the DSG drags a little at takeoff but if you're aware of this, then it's no big deal since driving manual does the same thing as you let the clutch out.

Personally, Golf R is great with DSG, I wouldn't get manual unless you have to have the stick. Having driven one at ringmeet (the username of whose it was escapes me) made me appreciate DSG so much more. I love manual trans and my 2018 GTI has it. It's nice but if you just want to go, theres no replacement for DSG, it's that good. That said, are you prepared for the 30,000 mi trans service? I've heard its not terrible but know that you'll need some money available for that which is also why you'll see quite a few for sale around that mileage.

A friend has a 2017 GTI with DSG and I have a 2018 in Manual. It's really difficult to choose for me as I love changing gear when in town but when I'm out of town on rural roads, DSG is what I want.

VW has had Carplay since about 2016.

Any love for the Buick Regal Tour X? Also a wagon with 8-speed auto just like the Golf Sportwagen but I think it's a touch bigger.
 
Problem here is if you don’t like halogen headlights

Thanks for calling this out; I'm definitely a headlight snob. Xenons or better, please, haha.

Also, I'm looking for something that's pretty fun to drive as well. But I'll definitely have to keep some of those other options in mind... I can't say I've driven the Golf Sportwagen.
 
Audi A4 Avant if it's in the budget.
 
Thanks for calling this out; I'm definitely a headlight snob. Xenons or better, please, haha.

Also, I'm looking for something that's pretty fun to drive as well. But I'll definitely have to keep some of those other options in mind... I can't say I've driven the Golf Sportwagen.

like a Golf but feels a little more sluggish than a GTI because of course it would be. Other than that, no big changes.
 
Audi A4 Avant if it's in the budget.

I wish I could, but I don't think many of the German small wagons have been sold in the US for many years :/
 
That's an option; I'd have to see prices on those and how to get CarPlay working in them. Right now, for the price point, I'm really thinking about going back to my Subaru roots and getting a WRX... just dunno why I'm so attracted to it. Should probably drive one first. But I'm open minded, and I'll be honest throughout this process about what I'm driving, open to the ideas of others (like a BMW 3er), and we'll see where I end up.

It's just frustrating to know I'm going to have to take a Lyft to the airport why I fly home for Thanksgiving because I literally can't fit my suitcases in my car.
 
~4+ year old E-class wagons are right in this price range and more or less meet the other requirements.

https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/WDDHH8JB1FB133122

In a couple years, the ones with CarPlay will be in this price range.

It's just frustrating to know I'm going to have to take a Lyft to the airport why I fly home for Thanksgiving because I literally can't fit my suitcases in my car.

This problem is literally why all the Little British Cars that the Miata is modeled after/spiritually descended from had an invention known as the 'luggage rack' as an available option. Such are also offered for all Miata generations to date, whether permanently mounted, no-drill and quick remove or industrial suction cupped.

NAB-4545-2.jpg


https://www.rspeed.net/Ultimate_Luggage_Rack_Miata_MX_5_1990_2005_p/nab-4545.htm
 
Or pack light. We just did a full week away with just a carry on each.
 
So, the Miata is almost paid off, and though I've started dating someone with a Camry, I do want a more practical vehicle for myself. I saw a BMW 3-Series GT the other day next to the Camry's parking spot, and I started thinking about them. For whatever reason, they seem to have depreciated a TON, as in you can find models 335i GT under 40k miles for $20k to $22, and a 340i GT for $3k to $5k more than that. That's way less expensive than 328i wagons with similar miles.

So, I ask the forums: I know it's bigger, slightly taller, and heavier than a 3er sedan or wagon. But like... if I'm not buying until 2021 (I want to get a bit more of a down payment than the $8k to $10k I hope to get out of the Miata), am I crazy for considering one of those things? And is there any way I can lower it without completely ruining the suspension geometry by putting sedan springs on something that never was meant to have them? Also, are there any packages I should be looking for in particular, ie, an M-Sport package that has 10 more hp for "reasons?"
 
For whatever reason

BMW is cranking out cars like Samsung does phones. The LCI refreshes are regular, so CPO off lease cars come up like clockwork.

I dunno if the N55 in the newer cars has been fixed or sufficiently improved, but the fuel pump is the gotcha on the N54 cars.

1594926798954.png
 
Thanks for the heads-up. It seems that the pump was redesigned in the N55, though some early N55s used the older pump. Most have been replaced under warranty, but if I bought a car with this many bits of electronics and fun bits, I'd be getting a pretty comprehensive used-car warranty on it. I don't mind doing my own maintenance work, but I'd really prefer not having to replace engine-bits in my garage if I don't have to :)
 
And now I've unresolved it! Thinking about a Golf R or WRX or STI again. I returned my parents' Florida car (a leased Mazda 3) to the dealership since they're not going to be flying down here for the near future, and it's an automatic, and I realized just how much I really don't think I could drive a non-dual-clutch automatic. Even in sport, even in manual mode, the shifts were slow and took far too long from when I asked for a gear to change. The 335/340 GT both have a traditional torque-converter automatics, so that's really made me rethink things.

It's going to be a long year-or-so to figure all this rubbish out.
 
Are you looking at new or used at this point? If you are looking at new, I think the WRX would be the best fit for what you have currently listed, the new motor looks to have resolved the head gasket issues of the EJ series. Plus, it's available in a proper three-pedal.

You also had the Buick Regal Tour X on the list at one point, so are you looking for a sporty car or a comfortable touring estate?
 
Any love for the Buick Regal Tour X? Also a wagon with 8-speed auto just like the Golf Sportwagen but I think it's a touch bigger.
It's not "a touch bigger", it's a rival for the Passat and not the Golf. It's a German car with a Buick badge. I have the previous generation which never made it to the US, and it's been good to me during the ~four years I've owned it. It doesn't come anywhere close to a VAG product from the same years in terms of switchgear look and feel etc, but they seem to be more reliable in other ways. I have the heaviest version they ever made and it's still on all its original chassis bushings and ball joints after 180,000km.

I rode in the new one as a taxi a while back and the driver/owner wouldn't stop raving about how satisfied he was with his purchase after I asked him how he liked it. The taxi wasn't a Country Tourer, just the normal estate, but they're not that different.
 
And now I've unresolved it! Thinking about a Golf R or WRX or STI again. I returned my parents' Florida car (a leased Mazda 3) to the dealership since they're not going to be flying down here for the near future, and it's an automatic, and I realized just how much I really don't think I could drive a non-dual-clutch automatic. Even in sport, even in manual mode, the shifts were slow and took far too long from when I asked for a gear to change. The 335/340 GT both have a traditional torque-converter automatics, so that's really made me rethink things.

It's going to be a long year-or-so to figure all this rubbish out.

Have you driven the ZF 8 speed though - The gear changes on most cars with it including those BMW's are supposedly top notch. The Mazda's SkyActiv-AT is good but the ZF is supposedly on another level.
 
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