No worries, I feel that subject is valid fodder for this thread - times and situations change. This IS more of a general comparison thread than a commitment to buy LOL.

I just wanted to indicate I was changing the subject

 

Being that this thread is almost 5 years old, and OP has replaced his G and replaced the car that replaced his G, I think a little off topic is ok

 

@Rochester, for 10 gran more there's the new elantra N. Won 1st place in the recent car and drive (or was it motortrend). They reviewed it against the current civic si and vw golf something or other. Comes in a manual, AT optional for $1500 more.

 

@Rochester - If we're talking new (I read upthread what I missed, now I think I'm caught up on your dilemma) I'd stay away from a Veloster if they piqued your curiosity. Nothing wrong with them, but they are deceptively ill-shaped to actually use the cargo capacity inside. Otherwise - right size and probably right price.

Hyundai Accent comes in a 5-door hatch, per the Hyundai site. Availability and grift unknown.

I'd suggest paying for an extended bumper-to-bumper warranty - under $2k for 100k mileage coverage of darn near everything, not just powertrain.

 

The base model Veloster has been discontinued, it's just the N these days. Also they stopped making a 5-door Accent three years ago, it's just a sedan now.

We're leaning real hard now on either a top trim Versa or a top trim Rio Hatchback. Both would have all the safety features and creature comforts, high mileage, and relatively good style for it's class, while capping out at $20,000. Add $2000 in tax and fees, put $12,000 into the deal with money saved between my daughter and us, then take out $10,000 for three years at roughly $300/month. I think this could work.

I don't mean to keep going on about subcompacts, but there it is. Are there better cars? Fck yes there are. But this isn't for me, it's for my youngest kid in college.

 

No worries man. Enough of us are in the same boat or will be that it’s fair game for discussion.

to be honest, the cheapest current car made is worlds better than the similar stuff made when I was a late teen. I’m looking at you, Geo Storm.

 

I believe the Mirage is still the least expensive car in America, has the best mpg, and the same warranty as Hyundai. You would also never have to worry about speeding tickets with a whopping 78 hp.

Ok, let's get back on topic to vehicles worthy of replacing your sedan. Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing vs. upcoming new Audi RS3. Discuss...

 

Easy.....CT4-V Blackwing. Because 6MT. I'll eventually be forced into an automatic or EV, but I'm not ready yet.

I'm actually starting to frame up the CT4-V to the wife, but if I keep working from home, which I expect to, then I'm going to have a hard time convincing myself to spend the money. Funny how plans and priorities have changed.

 

That RS3 looks like a Civic or Corolla, from the front end. Doesn't have the clean lines that I've come to associate with Audi.

 

That honeycomb trim in the rear bumper looks kind of silly.

And the two-tone roof has a hook in the sight-line for the c-pillar, which is something the Kia Optima did that always bugged me.

Then there's neon green... LOL.

 

I agree with you on the manual transmission. That will be a tough thing to give up. And this transmission is rumored to be really good. This is supposed to be the last hurrah for Cadillac and all the reviews are saying that it is the best driving sports sedan ever and that it even outdoes the M3 on steering feel, suspension, sound, and of course- front end styling lol. It comes with $3,500 of race driving school for free and I believe I still get some amazing employee pricing on this car. I think it looks menacing in black with the gray wheels, the white/red seats look interesting and you can get them with a massage option. YES! It has a new version of the performance data recorder for track days, a digital dash, a heads up display, the next generation MagneRide suspension, near 50/50 weight balance, a good stereo, huge brakes, wireless car play & charging, 472 hp, etc, etc. It should be an awesome car on track and amazing all around daily driver.

Allow me to play devil's advocate here with the RS3 and its DCT transmission. Oddly, after driving a few Hyundai N vehicles with their DCT transmissions I was amazed at how good they were. This car is wicked fast, like about an entire second faster to 60 than the already quick Blackwing due to DCT and AWD. The AWD is also going to be tough to give up for me with the snow we get in the winter. 3 days a week next winter I will have to pick up and drop off my daughter from daycare and I have this (probably irrational) fear that we will get some huge snowstorm that a Blackwing with snow tires would get stuck. The Audi will probably have an even nicer interior than the Blackwing, the dimensions are smaller, it is lighter, it is easier to tune (due to a local tuner), it has very similar options to the Blackwing (not as many), and maybe the DCT allows me to focus more on pushing myself into the seat under hard cornering and focus on steering and apex's?

Well, if you hung in there with me through that it looks like I am still leaning toward the Blackwing. Interesting.

Option 3 is to keep the still very good STI Type RA and have a riot with it daily driving, on winding roads, and in the snow and not track it. I think it is the best option with AWD and 6MT right now because the options are so few. Strange that a limited edition STI with a carbon fiber roof and huge wing is the "practical decision."

Decisions, decisions... Well, I wait to hear some more opinions about these two excellent cars (or the Type RA I am driving now).

 

Personally, I'd skip all those options and try to keep the price closer to that $60K base price vs running it up to $75K+. But yeah, literally everyone raves about how fantastic it is.

VAG 7 speed DSG is a fantastic transmission--it's what is in my wife's A4. It is the best 'automatic' transmission I've ever driven. Lazy when you want to, or lightening fast if you desire. It responds instantly to the flappy paddles, and perfectly matches revs on every downshift. You probably know this, but they can be tuned for even faster response, harder shifts, auto upshift at redline and auto down shift if you push through the kickdown detent, etc. Snow isn't a consideration for me, but it would be if I lived in the north. Biggest negative is the FWD bias if you're looking for a track car.

I liked the prior STI. Test drove 3 different ones, but I came down on the Golf R being the best option with AWD and 6MT--especially if you aren't looking for a track car. Maybe the shifter, hydraulic steering and boxer rumble can get you to overlook the fisher price interior, lousy fuel economy, and EJ reliability--or lack thereof--but I thought the R was the more "practical" of the two

 

I agree. Definitely not a winner in the looks dept. from the front end, but all of those openings are functional and thankfully the interior looks awesome with the dry carbon. However, I could do without the red accents on the vents- looks like an 80's TransAm to me. Fortunately, those are optional. Thankfully, the RS3 also does not sound anything like or accelerate like the Civic or Corolla. Most road tests are getting 3.1 0-60 which is insane for 401 hp. That is GT-R quick!?!

I think they could have done better with the rear bumper too and I just could not do the green. Especially, the green interior. Maybe Kermit the frog would dig it.

Surprisingly, most of what I listed comes stock. A fully loaded A/T can hit $90k(!?!), but the way I spec'd it the list should be around $66k. Yeah, I wonder if it is the last great super sedan before everything goes electric.

I had a ton of fun this winter in the snow in the STI with it's 3 locking differentials and that would be tough to give up. On the flip side, I drove my RWD G37 sedan through 6 winters without incident. They just were not nearly as fun as the STI. It sounds like Audi completely redesigned their AWD system and added a trick rear differential. I am hoping the car finally handles well and things are looking good since it set the record at the Nurburgring for compact cars.


You're right, the Golf R you have is a far cry from a track car, but the fit and finish is certainly nicer than an STI. The suede on the Recaro seats, the steering wheel, armrest, and doors with red stitching dress it up nicely, but the money on my car was definitely spent on the brakes, suspension, and chassis. It makes it a much more enjoyable car to drive, but the interior that dates from 2015 could certainly use an update. The "Type RA" engine that I have with all the upgrades seems to be pretty stout so far, but you're right about the mpg. It is not any better on the Blackwing, but I think I might be able to stomach it with another 162 hp on tap.

 

Driving impressions start around the 7:20 mark.


Shifts looks really fast on the AT model too.

 

Well….this just happened. Frame damage and an almost certain total loss

as everyone mentioned, the prices are wild. Hoping I can get another G for close to the insurance payout and transfer all of the mods, as nothing for the price will be close to as much fun, and I’m not interested in parting out (also unsure how that works if insurance is getting the scrap value).

This is the car’s real builder. Only 95k on it now and was driving like a champ.

other options I’m considering are:

-Mazda 6 (1st gen preferably) if I want a cheap cheap, aka like $4-5k

-Cheapest car I can find and a rust-free Miata (unlikely my wife will allow this setup as both would be less reliable and most expensive to run than a newer car)

-finance/lease a 2019+ Mazda 3

No other fun cars in my budget that I can think of sadly.