Looking for a new car

[Raza]

Hey guys, I'm planning on buying a new car in the next few months (hopefully January or February, March at the latest), so I'm looking to get some input and make sure I haven't missed anything.

Basically, this is what I'm looking for:
AWD preferred, but RWD is okay, FWD less so, but I'm open to it
Manual is a must
Four doors preferred, but two doors is okay if I can still stick someone back there for a short trip
Apple CarPlay (I never thought this would be a requirement, times have changed, but I've gotten so used to it) or easily upgradable to Apple CarPlay
A little get up and go, but it doesn't have to be crazy fast (eventually I'll be replacing my Z4 with something 911 shaped, most likely)
Sunroof greatly preferred
I'd like to keep it under $35,000

Right now, this is how I'd rank what I'm looking at:

Group 1 (most preferred):
F30 BMW 335i/340i or 335xi\340xi
B8.5 Audi S4
GR Subaru WRX STI (2013-2014 only)

These seem to fit the bill pretty well.

Group 2:
F32 BMW 435i/440i or 435xi\440xi
B8.5 Audi S5
Volkswagen Golf R Mk7
B9 Audi A4 2.0T

These seem to fit the bill, except for maybe one missing preference.

Group 3:
Mini Cooper S (recent, I don't know the generation codes, but FWD and reliability is a big question mark)
Mitsubishi Evo X (getting to be really old now, kind of boy racer, but I do really like the design)
Volkswagen Golf GTI (would be able to afford a much newer one, but it's FWD)
BMW M235i (bit small, perhaps redundant while I still have the Z4)
Honda Civic Type R (super boy racer looks, getting a little old for that)
Ford Focus RS (same as above)



Pragmatically, the Golf R and A4 2.0T are probably the best choices. But I've never been accused of being overly practical.

So, anyway, any thoughts? Am I missing anything? What would you do in the same situation? Any of these cars scream buy or don't buy particularly loudly?

[FoMoJo]

The Golf R sounds like a winner, if it's still available.

Group 1 and 2 seem kind of lame.  Surely you're not that old yet.

My choice would be the Focus RS.  It sounds wild, but the last year was 2018, I think.

[Raza]

The Golf R sounds like a winner, if it's still available.

Group 1 and 2 seem kind of lame.  Surely you're not that old yet.

My choice would be the Focus RS.  It sounds wild, but the last year was 2018, I think.

I'm getting a little old to keep describing myself as "mid 30s". 40 isn't that far away. Some of those cars in Group 3 would have been slightly embarrassing 10 years ago, now...might be too much. 

[Submariner2]

I think a 3 (4?) or A4 is your best bet.

The Evo X is a boring Evo IX, with none of the charm, worse feel and barely any refinement improvements to speak of. 

[Raza]

I think a 3 (4?) or A4 is your best bet.

The Evo X is a boring Evo IX, with none of the charm, worse feel and barely any refinement improvements to speak of. 

Yeah, to be honest, the Evo was never really in serious contention, I just really like the way the Evo X looked. Especially in white.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Tacoma TRD crew cab.

[veeman]

I like the Mazda 3 hatchback styling a lot.  Not in the same league luxury as the BMW/Audi but maybe worth checking out.

[r0tor]

It hasn't snowed in like 3 years... Get a Mustang

[Raza]

I like the Mazda 3 hatchback styling a lot.  Not in the same league luxury as the BMW/Audi but maybe worth checking out.

The Mazda3 is nice looking, but you can't get the big engine in manual, which makes it a much less appealing package than a comparable GTI.

[Raza]

It hasn't snowed in like 3 years... Get a Mustang

I'm not necessarily against it, but I'm not sure it makes sense in my situation. But it kind of leaves me in a position where in another year I'm looking at 997s and then I have to sell the Mustang and then do this search all over again, but a year further removed from the last generation of manuals in this kind of car.

[CALL_911]

PM me, I'm thinking of selling my 340xi (6MT, hits all the points on your list except CarPlay, which is an easy upgrade away)

[Raza]

PM me, I'm thinking of selling my 340xi (6MT, hits all the points on your list except CarPlay, which is an easy upgrade away)

PM sent!

[CALL_911]

PM sent!

Sent you back. Shoot me a text

[GoCougs]

I've sampled many on the list, plus competitors not mentioned. My recommendation is the Audi B9 (2017-2020) S4/S5. It is light years beyond anything on the list in the sum total of features/functions, performance and reliability/durability, plus, the tuning community is ginormous, and for like $1,500 (APR stage 1 ECU and TCU tune) you'd have reliable, smog legal, near M3 performance.

[Raza]

I've sampled many on the list, plus competitors not mentioned. My recommendation is the Audi B9 (2017-2020) S4/S5. It is light years beyond anything on the list in the sum total of features/functions, performance and reliability/durability, plus, the tuning community is ginormous, and for like $1,500 (APR stage 1 ECU and TCU tune) you'd have reliable, smog legal, near M3 performance.

No manual on the B9, which is a total disqualifier for me.

[Madman]

Group 3:
Mini Cooper S (recent, I don't know the generation codes, but FWD and reliability is a big question mark)

My MINI mechanic says the all-BMW engined F55/56 MINIs (2014-on) are rock-solid in terms of reliability.  He describes them as "Toyotas".  Even the dreaded and usually suspect Consumer Reports agrees...

https://www.reddit.com/r/MINI/comments/14lc83n/mini_comes_in_3rd_place_in_consumer_reports_best/

[Laconian]

After seeing a number of videos like this one, I'm not sure if I'd buy a used Audi with a 2.0T.

He's not an Audi hater though.

[Eye of the Tiger]

After seeing a number of videos like this one, I'm not sure if I'd buy a used Audi with a 2.0T.

He's not an Audi hater though.

Car Wizard would tell you to buy a Toyoter.

[SJ_GTI]

So I had a B8 S4 6MT (same engine/transmission as the B8.5 S5 IIRC) and I currently drive a Golf R (I think Mark VII, it's a 2016 MY).

If you don't mind the size and the coupe shape the Audi S5 is probably better. Its AWD is RWD biased and the supercharged V6 felt smoother/more linear than the turbocharged 4 in the Golf.

The Golf is smaller/lighter. My experience was with an S4 not an S5, but I'd be surprised is the handling is that much different.

I like the hatchback format better than sedan or coupe myself, so all things considered I prefer the Golf.

I had test driven an S3, a 2-series, and a 3-series before buying the Golf. I liked the A3 better than the 2 or 3 series, but got the Golf over the S3 of course because of the 6MT. IIRC though the BMW's were only the I4 turbo's at the time (228 and 328 I think), so one with the bigger engine might be more fun.

[Submariner2]

My Raza's own admission he is getting old - an S4 definitely fits him better than a Golf 

[Raza]

My MINI mechanic says the all-BMW engined F55/56 MINIs (2014-on) are rock-solid in terms of reliability.  He describes them as "Toyotas".  Even the dreaded and usually suspect Consumer Reports agrees...

https://www.reddit.com/r/MINI/comments/14lc83n/mini_comes_in_3rd_place_in_consumer_reports_best/

Interesting. And good to know. I've always wanted a Mini. My grandfather (whom I never met, but I'm told I'm quite a bit like) had an original model way back when.

[Raza]

So I had a B8 S4 6MT (same engine/transmission as the B8.5 S5 IIRC) and I currently drive a Golf R (I think Mark VII, it's a 2016 MY).

If you don't mind the size and the coupe shape the Audi S5 is probably better. Its AWD is RWD biased and the supercharged V6 felt smoother/more linear than the turbocharged 4 in the Golf.

The Golf is smaller/lighter. My experience was with an S4 not an S5, but I'd be surprised is the handling is that much different.

I like the hatchback format better than sedan or coupe myself, so all things considered I prefer the Golf.

I had test driven an S3, a 2-series, and a 3-series before buying the Golf. I liked the A3 better than the 2 or 3 series, but got the Golf over the S3 of course because of the 6MT. IIRC though the BMW's were only the I4 turbo's at the time (228 and 328 I think), so one with the bigger engine might be more fun.

I have to say, right now, the B8.5 S4 is my top choice. I used to drive my brother's B8 S4 a lot and found it a really good mix of sporty and comfortable. Something I could drive hard and have fun with, but also drive my mom to lunch in. I figure the S5 would be very similar, if not indistinguishable. Only ding on the S5 is practicality, but after living with a Z4 for 10 years, almost anything is a giant leap in practicality. I always said that if my brother's S4 were a manual, I'd have bought it off him. I've just got such a strong connection with that car, I can really see myself in one the way I sometimes have trouble seeing myself in other cars on my list.

The Golf R would be the most logical choice, all things considered. It would be newer, fewer miles, more practical, and I already know that I enjoy how Volkswagens drive, so I'm not worried about getting in the car and having it feel chintzy or cheap. But, and I know it's a small thing inflated to a big thing in my mind, the lack of sunroof really, really bothers me. I know some S5s don't have sunroofs that open, but at least there's light coming in. I'm still a convertible person, being in a car without a sunroof just feels so coffin-like to me, especially modern cars that have such high sills and small windows.

Any insights you feel like sharing, please do. I'm not in any rush to buy and I'm happy to wait for the right example.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I want to see Raza in a truck. Tacomas come RWD with turbo fours and 6-spd manuals.

[Raza]

I want to see Raza in a truck. Tacomas come RWD with turbo fours and 6-spd manuals.

I've been in a truck.

Didn't care for it. 

[Eye of the Tiger]

Impala SS

[Raza]

What kind of masochist buys white seats? Or even light gray? Do people not know they sit on those seats for years and light colors show so much more dirt than darker ones? What's pristine and new looks like a junkyard find at the end of year one.   

AND WHAT KIND OF SADIST KEEPS LISTING AUTO CLUTCH TRANSMISSIONS AS MANUALS!? 

I swear, this is a bigger problem with M3s and M4s than with any other model of car, dating back to the E46 because their crotchless marketing departments kept putting out ad copy calling them "automated manuals" in order to convince the geezers they were selling their cars to that automatics weren't for the old men they actually had become, but for the race drivers they all thought they were. "It's a manual transmission...that works on its own! It works by itself! It's some kind of self-matic manual! A self-o-matic manual! And it's cool, because you'll never stall when you're picking up your new girlfriend outside the plastic surgeon's office! Not like those suckers driving manual manual cars. Automatic manuals are still manuals because we know that if we tell you that it's just like Michael Schumacher's F1 car, you won't have an embarrassingly spec'd car, you'll have a race car for the road! And don't you worry! It's clunky as hell, expensive to fix, impossible to parallel park, and the shift knob looks like a bidet nozzle from the Starship Enterprise!"*     




*some ranting just for comedic effect, you know I love you old guys, I'll be one of you soon, unless this car shopping kills me

[MrH]

I do love that Raza looks for a practical car and a Mini cooper is on the list   They are really well packaged, but yeah, not the first thing that comes to mind.

Alright, here's an oddball suggestion that I think fits your needs better than anything you have listed.

2017-2020 Genesis G70 with a manual

They're really rare, but there are a couple for sale through CarMax that you could ship in.

- It's really good looking
- Much newer than the other things you're looking at
- Will likely be more reliable than the German cars listed
- Can be had $25k-$31k range with way fewer miles than the Germans

[Raza]

I do love that Raza looks for a practical car and a Mini cooper is on the list   They are really well packaged, but yeah, not the first thing that comes to mind.

Alright, here's an oddball suggestion that I think fits your needs better than anything you have listed.

2017-2020 Genesis G70 with a manual

They're really rare, but there are a couple for sale through CarMax that you could ship in.

- It's really good looking
- Much newer than the other things you're looking at
- Will likely be more reliable than the German cars listed
- Can be had $25k-$31k range with way fewer miles than the Germans

It's an interesting choice. I remember looking at these a couple years ago and then forgetting they existed. I really need to do a little more research on them.

Though I do admit to be smitten with the idea of an F80 M3 at the moment.

[565]

If you are interested in a manual RWD M3, you should at least seek out an ATS-V to test drive. Price should be around your range. It was the best handling car in that class. LF4 engine is pretty stout.  Tremec 6060 should last forever.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Who said Supra? Nobody? Supra.