New (to me) AWD sporty cars...

[Rufus120]

I have a 99 Impreza wagon and I love it.  It just got totaled by an idiot that hit me in broad daylight in a parking lot.  I'm looking at a couple newer subies now.  I loved mine.  You put snow tires on the thing and you are good to go.  I tow a snowmobile on a small trailer and have gotten in and out of some hairy spots.  I pulled a tacoma out once and multiple suvs that tourists have gotten stuck in our parking lot.  While the STI is sweet I would look at things with more ground clearance personally.  Depends on how much snow the area gets.  If its not much the sti would be fine.  Where I live we get anywhere from 300-600+ inches in a winter so ground clearance matters to me.  I've only done scheduled maintenance on mine and it had close to 140K on it.

[DRKWNG]

get the R32...

you know you like germans better 

Here's the kicker Teddy, the same place just took in a Mk IV R32 with about 14k miles on it. Just wanted you to know because of that sweet spot you have for that generation. 

[teddy037.2]

Here's the kicker Teddy, the same place just took in a Mk IV R32 with about 14k miles on it. Just wanted you to know because of that sweet spot you have for that generation. 

oh, you bastid!

[DRKWNG]

And, the bilstein coilovers and OZ wheels I have on the GTI will swap right over. 

[GAAN]

get the R32...

you know you like germans better 

unpimp ze auto!!!!!!

[teddy037.2]

And, the bilstein coilovers and OZ wheels I have on the GTI will swap right over. 

I am not listening to this anymore

unpimp ze auto!!!!!!

LOLz I loved that ad campaign

[TAftonomos]

If you can spend 25K on a golf, then find a used 335i and live with the RWD.

Oh yeah, live with the 400hp with a plug in piggy-back tuner too, all on 93 octane.

I worked at a BMW/VW dealership for 3 years....Unless something drastic has changed in the last 5 years, I wouldn't buy a VW for 25 when I could have a LOT more car for a little more $$.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Drive them both.

[Autostrada Pilot]

Drive them both.

MrI, do you get snow where you live?  How did your 3-series do? Did you have snow tires or just all-seasons on it?

[Popeye the Sailor]

MrI, do you get snow where you live?  How did your 3-series do? Did you have snow tires or just all-seasons on it?

We get enough to identify it as snow on the side of the road-that's about it.


The car has been to tahoe in the winter (plenty of snow) where it did fine. It did have chains on all four tires, but that was mandatory (chain control). All seasons were on it. It did fine in the snow sans chains as well.

That car itself is very well balanced, so I wouldn't expect any problems, unless it had to do with the shitty ground clearance, or an unskilled operator.

caveat:

I learned to drive in the snow in a '61 newport which had been modded-aka one wheel drive, overpowered and unbalanced. This was in central mass, in the "city of seven hills". My perspective is screwy on what is an acceptable snow car.

[Kopfjager]

R32



VW Unpimp - What time is it

[DRKWNG]

If you can spend 25K on a golf, then find a used 335i and live with the RWD.

Oh yeah, live with the 400hp with a plug in piggy-back tuner too, all on 93 octane.

I worked at a BMW/VW dealership for 3 years....Unless something drastic has changed in the last 5 years, I wouldn't buy a VW for 25 when I could have a LOT more car for a little more $$.

As much as I do love BMWs, and miss my old one, I don't see myself going back down that road.  To me, the last of their cars that I would consider is the E46 and they are getting a bit hard to come by configured the way I would want and in decent shape.  There is a pretty nice looking M3 down here, a 2006 model, and I completely trust the people who are selling it, but it has a bit over 50k miles on it, and that is just more than I am willing to consider.  Plus, BMWs can get astronomically expensive to fix/maintain once they are more than five or so years old.  I have had a 2000 GTI with the VR6 motor (R32's little brother) since new and that thing has been bullet proof for more than 110k miles.  

Drive them both.

I have.  I got to take the VW on one of the more twisty roads we have here on the island and I was quite surprised with it.  I handled SO MUCH better than my suspension tuned Mk IV, and really hid all that weight that sits ahead of the front axle.  I was also surprised with the DSG.  I had driven a few of the newer Mk VI GTIs with the same transmission and walked away feeling meh, but this one felt pretty nice and seemed to shift a lot quicker.  I can only assume that it works a bit better with the haldex system than pure front wheel drive, as the original owner of the car stated that he never had the controller re-flashed.

I drove the Scooby a bit yesterday, but it was on a road that I was not that familiar with.  It did have a bit more of an agricultural feel to it, but it all honesty I kind of expected that.  The car is no where near as refined as the VW, but has a good bit more power and overall scoot.  Plus, being able to select how you want the power to be distributed front-to-rear is kind of nice.  It's just a shame that it is so "HEY, LOOK AT ME!!!".

I am probably going to go and take both of them back out later today...

How did your 3-series do? Did you have snow tires or just all-seasons on it?

A properly driven RWD BMW can handle light snow pretty damn well, and you will have no problems at all if you put actual snow tires on it.  I drove mine through two winters in Germany and never had an issue.

[acalles]

I'm serious man, add a 3.2 A3 to your line up. based on the golf, but much, much nicer, suspension tuned better, they generally all came with nav and HID's.

[DRKWNG]

I'm serious man, add a 3.2 A3 to your line up. based on the golf, but much, much nicer, suspension tuned better, they generally all came with nav and HID's.

I've looked at these as well, and would really like them.  The problem is that I can probably get the R32 for closer to 22K and the only way to get an A3 for that price is to find one with MUCH higher milage.  The R32 only has 10k on it, and I have talked to the previous owner, and know that it is in really good shape. 

[TAftonomos]

Seems like your friend has already made up his mind      Just don't get mad when a twin turbo 3 series blows by ya    (BMW fanboy here)