vader1

So I had the day off Monday and went test driving. I am bored with my 3 series, but I have a love hate relationship with it. I only have 40,000 miles on it, it is paid for, it is a really great, comfortable, quick, economical (avg 29mpg) and a mofo in the snow. But it drives kind of like a Camry.

I am looking into a two car combo and getting something with utility and hopefully allows me to hook a snowplow to it, and something kind of sporty as a DD.

I drove a new CX5 turbo signature. It is a really nice car. The interior quality is way out of the league of the CRV and Rav now, and even beats the BMW X1. The new Audi will prbably be at the same level, but for $37k you get every option, it is quick, and fun to drive. I loved the car, I hope my wife gets one as her car will be replaced in the next year or so. The only drawbacks for me were it is small in the backseat and you can not hook a plow to it. Otherwise, seriously nice package.

Went over to Jeep and took a Wrangler JL for a spin, just the two door not the unlimited, and it was the four cylinder e-torque engine. First off, I probably would have liked the car much more in the four door setup. The ride is much improved over the last gen, but the shorter wheel base tends to bob a bit on pavement gaps. So much so that I could never DD a two door. I did find them pretty cool in either style, it was decently quiet with the hard top (non-insulated) and I found the interior to not be super nice but I really just found it cool for it's rugged uniqueness. The magazines are really talking it up about this high quality interior, but there is nothing elegant about it like in luxury SUV's. It is a hard core off-road look with improved materials. It drove OK, and the four cylinder was surprisingly adept at motivating the car. It is not a rocket but not too slow either for how much it weighs. It seems really tall and narrow and rides stiffly, but I guess that is what I expected. I could really go for one of these if a) it were free and b) it was not my only car. I think it was really cool but not comfortable enough to live in every day if you have a commute over 5 miles, and priced about 10% over what they should be BEFORE you even start to negotiate. That said, I liked it a lot.

Drove a Chevy Colorado. I really dig the looks of the quad cab Z71's for a mid size truck. I like the idea of a pickup bed for occasional use and I can hook a plow to it. I can't say too much about it except the interior is a little chintzy, it drives very pleasantly, and I liked it. They also wanted to knock $7500 off sticker on the one I drove under the "employee pricing" deal they have going on. I think if I do go with a two car solution I will look for a lease return on one of these. It is an easy to drive, comfortable non-full size pickup that looks good, rides nice and is plenty capable. Deals can be had too. While the interior could be nicer, it offered just about exactly what I would be looking for at a good price and not only is it way cheaper than the Jeep, it is much quicker in traffic as well. If it would be a vehicle I only use once in a while it offers more utility than a Jeep, and can be had used for a far more reasonable price.

Took a leftover 2018 GTI for a spin, and about my 4th time test driving a MK7. I really really like what they offer. It is a great riding little car, quick for a DD, lots of utility, all day comfortable, good on gas, cheap and drives much sportier than my 3 series. My main problem is that it just has a hint of interior cheapness compared to my car that I could not deal with. The switchgear was flimsy plastic, the carpet and seats are a big step down and the dash is one HUGE flat swath of plastic with too much smudgy piano black plastic trim. I got back in my 3 series and with respect to it not quite having the darty feel of the Golf when changing direction, and the flatter cornering, my car felt way more solid and the interior was nicer so I decided it was not worth spending any increment of money to go from the 3 series to the GTI even though I really really like that car for the money.

I think I have decided to swap the current car for a lease return 235/240i and then maybe add a used Colorado down the road. Still wanna drive a 2019 Miata to be sure. If I could have only one car to do everything (and I don't have kids so space is not needed) the CX5 turbo makes a really compelling case. Followed by the GTI. I'd still love a jeep as a "sometimes" car, but the prices are pretty much nonsense. I read an article the other day that Jeep dealers currently are sitting on a 120 day supply and they are still cranking them out. Maybe some deals to be had soon.

Bamafan

white98ls

My folks are buying a new RDX soon, but I suggested they try out a loaded CX-5 first. Would be interested to see how they compare, since you can get a comparable CX-5 for about $5-6k less.

vader1

RDX has a pretty neat interior, and I am not sure the dimensions but it "feels" bigger. I am only 5'6" and my wife is 5'0", we have legs like a couple of corgi's and fit in the Mazda quite comfortably. So if interior room is no big deal, I would tell them to take a look. Can't go wrong either way, but as you said, one is cheaper.

CMK

The prices on those Wranglers are really eye-watering. I'm always shocked at just how many people buy brand-new Wranglers at those prices, then use them for mall-crawling duty.

Maybe it's because I came from a 2015 Fit, but the interior on my 2016 GTI seems to punch way above its weight. Sure it's no BMW, but for $22,500 brand-new I was super impressed. I don't see the appeal of the higher trims – VW sunroofs have an awful reputation, and those plaid cloth seats are much nicer than the leather. When I bought mine, you could get the HIDs and Performance Package on any trim, which was awesome. I ended up with neither and am not sorry for it. Bought a set of aftermarket headlights with a Morimoto HID kit and they're fabulous.

ssbfgc

vader1

Fixed!

vader1

I really like the GTI, and that is why I test drove them four times and came up just shy of pulling the trigger. I think the interiors are great, especially for the class they compete against, it was just that it was a notch below what I had gotten used to.

It is funny you mention sunroofs because all I read about on VWVORTEX is complaints about leaks and them getting stuck. I never open mine in the last half dozen cars I have had so getting stuck is not much of an issue but leaks are a big deal.

I am anxious to see what the MK8 looks like as they are supposed to do a reveal in March or April.

CMK

A friend of mine had a Jetta SportWagen with a sunroof. She went out of town and left the car at her mother's house, came back and the floor was a pool. I can't believe the car wasn't totaled, but luckily for her the car was part of the TDI buyback and she got a nice check out of it.

I can't imagine it being anything but incremental over the Mk7 since the 7 was such a monumental step above the 6, but the way the facelifted 7 looks makes me think I'll really like the 8.

vader1

I think from an exterior interior standpoint it will be little more than a refresh. The interesting part for me is if they incorporate mild hybrid into the GTI and R and if it will still allow for a manual. There is supposed to be a power boost to the ICE engines in the MK8 (rumored) and coupled with mild hybrid it would give a little extra low down torque shove when accelerating. I searched the googly webs and found a research paper on using mild hybrid and a manual and it is possible, just don't know if they will offer it. It may not sound like much but it does wonders for the mileage and pull on the Wrangler I drove and seems to be the next ICE engine tech wave with lots of benefits.

While most manufacturers are phasing out the manual, in the hot hatch segment some come only with them (Type R, Veloster N, Civic Si). VW has phased out the manual in the Australian market and the articles I read hinted they wanted to get rid of them entirely, but I saw another blurb somewhere that the take rate on manuals on the Golf R was 50% in the US.

If the MK8 has a manual with the GTI or R, especially with mild hybrid, I might finally pull the trigger. That is why I am anxious to get details in the spring.