What car offers the best combination of awd, mpg, and fun, for the money?
03-25-2013, 05:46 PM
#51
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Get an Evo. Super reliable, cheap to maintain, makes power easily and cheaply...
Did I mention that with a good tune on 91/93 you can get 28-30 MPG on the highway? Also, if you spend $200 and upgrade the rear diff with better locking plates, you can get power oversteer on an Evo 8/9. My Evo 8 now slides the rear out like a RWD car, but goes much faster through corners due to AWD dynamics. Feels INSANE.
Did I mention that with a good tune on 91/93 you can get 28-30 MPG on the highway? Also, if you spend $200 and upgrade the rear diff with better locking plates, you can get power oversteer on an Evo 8/9. My Evo 8 now slides the rear out like a RWD car, but goes much faster through corners due to AWD dynamics. Feels INSANE.
On the topic of the A3 - I was also very disappointed with Quattro only being available with the auto. Its like how Lexus never offered the IS350 with a manual, or the IS250 manual without the AWD. And (to a lesser extent) the Matrix XRS without the manual.
03-26-2013, 12:39 AM
#52
Originally Posted by Disgustipated' timestamp='1364257270' post='22428112
Get an Evo. Super reliable, cheap to maintain, makes power easily and cheaply...
Did I mention that with a good tune on 91/93 you can get 28-30 MPG on the highway? Also, if you spend $200 and upgrade the rear diff with better locking plates, you can get power oversteer on an Evo 8/9. My Evo 8 now slides the rear out like a RWD car, but goes much faster through corners due to AWD dynamics. Feels INSANE.
Did I mention that with a good tune on 91/93 you can get 28-30 MPG on the highway? Also, if you spend $200 and upgrade the rear diff with better locking plates, you can get power oversteer on an Evo 8/9. My Evo 8 now slides the rear out like a RWD car, but goes much faster through corners due to AWD dynamics. Feels INSANE.
On the topic of the A3 - I was also very disappointed with Quattro only being available with the auto. Its like how Lexus never offered the IS350 with a manual, or the IS250 manual without the AWD. And (to a lesser extent) the Matrix XRS without the manual.
I have no idea who would pay a few grand for the 60k tune-up... it is only a few hundred bucks to do the timing belt etc. Stealerships must've got to em.
Fluid changes are cheap, tires are pretty cheap (to an S2000 owner anyways), I can't think of anything expensive on this car. Honestly the most expensive things for me have been the mods! These things respond so well to mods and it's so easy to get a ton of handling/power out of them for such little money. Hard to resist.
You should get your RS back.
03-27-2013, 03:56 PM
#53
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I think what kept me away from mods was actually the fear of regular maintenance costs. I remember spending a few hundred on some DBA rotors + pads package from an Evo vendor (did the labor myself), and I think $600-ish for the front wheel bearing towards the end of ownership. Also went through 3 sets of A046's, 1 set of RE-01R's, and partially through a set of Continental Extreme DW's plus 5 winters on Blizzak WS70's. I guess I'm kind of cheap too. It was super tough because I live 20 minutes from AMS.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
03-28-2013, 06:31 AM
#54
I think what kept me away from mods was actually the fear of regular maintenance costs. I remember spending a few hundred on some DBA rotors + pads package from an Evo vendor (did the labor myself), and I think $600-ish for the front wheel bearing towards the end of ownership. Also went through 3 sets of A046's, 1 set of RE-01R's, and partially through a set of Continental Extreme DW's plus 5 winters on Blizzak WS70's. I guess I'm kind of cheap too. It was super tough because I live 20 minutes from AMS.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
03-31-2013, 04:44 PM
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lol yeah I'm sure there was worse out there. But that's why I count myself lucky that I avoided the bite of the mod bug all those years.
Another thought - do they offer the 1-series with an Xdrive version?
Another thought - do they offer the 1-series with an Xdrive version?
04-01-2013, 06:36 AM
#58
Yes - I4 with a tiny turbo.
04-01-2013, 04:25 PM
#60
I think what kept me away from mods was actually the fear of regular maintenance costs. I remember spending a few hundred on some DBA rotors + pads package from an Evo vendor (did the labor myself), and I think $600-ish for the front wheel bearing towards the end of ownership. Also went through 3 sets of A046's, 1 set of RE-01R's, and partially through a set of Continental Extreme DW's plus 5 winters on Blizzak WS70's. I guess I'm kind of cheap too. It was super tough because I live 20 minutes from AMS.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
Honestly cannot think of a better car to fit the AWD + Fun to drive bill though. I managed roughly 21mpg in mixed driving which I don't think is bad with this car. I recall simple reflashes had the added benefit of making the car run less rich and helping out mpg's even more.
The funny thing is, the car really loses no reliability with mods, and in fact, the engine runs safer and more efficiently once tuned.