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New Car?

Old 05-12-2007 | 02:15 PM
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I am new this s2000 community. I currently own a 1996 civic and it has outstayed its welcome. I am looking to upgrade. The current prospects are Used S2000, New Subaru WRX, Used Audi A4, New VW GTI... I am certianly open to suggestions.

I realize the S2000 can be some what impractical as a daily drive, but I am ending my college career and the most I have to haul is groceries for myself. I am just trying to get some input on the subject, thanks in advance.
Old 05-12-2007 | 02:49 PM
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More info: region of the US (snow or no snow), access to a larger car if you need to (roommate, family, rental), etc.

Without knowing anything about you, we could suggest any car under the sun, but that wouldn't be advice for you specifically.
Old 05-12-2007 | 02:54 PM
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subaru wrx.. i believe is the best car out of those.. its turbocharged and 4 doors..its like a combo of all the cars u listed..
Old 05-12-2007 | 02:56 PM
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Tempe, Arizona so no snow, access to brothers company truck if need be.
Also to ponder parking: outdoors, ungated, covered parking.
Not too bad of an area but my civic has been broken into once already.
Old 05-12-2007 | 02:59 PM
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you're looking at a pretty wide spectrum of cars... I think the GTI could fit your bill, or perhaps a Civic Si (less grunt than most of the others you're looking at though)
Old 05-12-2007 | 03:06 PM
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It is a wide spectrum i know this. I am just trying to get a feel for what is out there. The new civic is nice, but the looks of it have never done it for me.
Old 05-12-2007 | 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by kemuri559,May 12 2007, 03:06 PM
It is a wide spectrum i know this. I am just trying to get a feel for what is out there.
Thats why you testdrive them all and see which ones you could actually tolerate for your particular driving habits. Your search is the perfect reason to drive as many as you can to see what you like best.

You know your area (weather, safety) and particular wants/needs best. You'll get plenty of biased opinions here, but thankfully most here are car enthusiasts and can look past the "S2k is best!" jabber.

I am not super familiar with the other cars except for some exposure from my brother who loves german cars.

For the S2k:
Do you want a two-seater? Would you regret not being able to haul all your friends around? Does a car with a peaky powerband appeal to your driving style. Can you live with a car that, while in town, you reach the speed limit by the top of 2nd gear if you want to punch it, only to just drop into 5th or 6th and cruise. Small trunk, soft top (thieves?), eats tires fairly fast, guzzles premium at a decent rate. All these things should be considered.

For the WRX (I know very little about them):
Does AWD feel like something you should have? Planning on doing a lot of modding for power? Turbo car = better for this. Plenty of utility for it's class. 4-door is good for hauling friends around. I cant comment much more on them.

The only big thing I'll say about Audi/VW is that I have known plenty of them to get some pretty frustrating electrical gremilins over time.
My brother has an S4 Avant. Gorgeous car, love the interior, has plenty of power. Feels heavy and piggish to me though. I prefer nimble handling (its a wagon, naturally it is not going to handle amazing). 4 doors again too.

His g/f has a GTI anniversary edition. Again, it has a fantastic interior (personal taste), I like the look. It handles great, has decent pep, and is turbo as well, so mods work very well for it. My bro put an intake on it and the damn thing sounds like darth vader due to the turbo. 2+2 coupe, but the rear seats are very roomy considering the size of the car. My celica had less room in it's rear seats.

My .02
Old 05-12-2007 | 05:17 PM
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The S2K is the most pure sports car out of the cars you have listed. If you're looking for a very raw, exciting driving experience, it's the ticket.

However, the other cars you listed can also be a lot of fun, and are in many ways more practical. All are easier to mod for power.

I noticed you didn't mention E36 M3, any reason there? That's a fantastic car, and resaonably practical. Porsche 944 turbo (951) is another good one that can be had pretty inexpensively. MR2 Turbo is another very fun car, but it's tough to find a good one in good shape.
Old 05-12-2007 | 05:57 PM
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How about you go and look at the cars, and, gasp, make a decision yourself. We don't know your situation or who you are.

Help us help you by asking us something more specific.
Old 05-12-2007 | 06:08 PM
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The S is fine for a DD - something like 80% of car trips are taken by one person, so consider the extra seats a waste of space. The S is a great sports car, reliable and practical by the standards of sports cars.

You're young, get the S2000. Someday you may have a +1 who does not like convertibles, does not like sports cars, and thinks two-seats aren't enough. Get the toy now and you don't have to argue with her about getting it later.

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