I need (want?) a new DD. Requirements are room for baby seats in the back, AWD and POWAH!

So my plan was to wait until Q1 of 2015 and get the new VW Golf 7 R, but the latest release from VW is that the 6MT version will "Be released at a later date". I'm reading that as, "Well, maybe we'll bring it. Sometime. Maybe."

So that kinda screws up my plan. I liked the R because it's 4 doors, hatchback, awd, turbocharged and should get good mpg. Well, relative to my current stage 3 allroad that manages 17-18mpg mixed.

So now that leaves me somewhat lost. I want to spend around $35k or so, AWD/Turbo is a huge plus for me as I live in the Rockies, so snow/altitude abound. I need to be able to fit my sons forward facing car seat plus my 9 yr old daughter in the back and not crush the front passenger. So decent space is needed. I have owned NA, rwd cars here before, I just don't take them up skiing. But I also owned an old Cherokee too, which I no longer have.

So I'm thinking maybe a '07-'08 Audi RS4, E90 M3 sedan (don't like the mpg or the rwd), maybe a '08+ Subi STI hatch (kinda scared of the motor failures and the interior is crap!), Evo X, 996 Turbo (outlier) or ??

My wife has a SUV we can use to run up the hill in, but if she doesn't come, that car has to stay with her, she can't drive any of the other cars (MT) we have. No matter what car I get I run dedicated snow tires...

330i Wagons with X-Drive might be the ultimate solution. It is not an M3, but 300+ hp and BMW handling with wagon utility is pretty awesome.

(OK, I admit that is not a stock example...but come on!)

Charger or 300 with AWD and the Hemi.

I vote a nation wide search for a 535ix wagon with a stick. It has 300hp (from the factory, unlike the 330i above), a great aftermarket, and most of its failings are well documented. To find one with a stick is going to take a good long while though. I really want one of these but can't justify it.

I'd try to wait for the manual Golf R. Waiting not an option? Maybe give the new Wrx a try? I wouldn't want to daily an older Subaru.

Singleslammer has the third option I thought about, but dismissed as I figured it's a unicorn.

EVO X or STi seem to be the easy button.

I want an EVO X badly, and would likely buy one, but for some strange reason a metro area of 1 million people doesn't have a Mitsu dealership. Yet a city with 150k people 150 miles away have a mistu dealership.

call me crazy, but I'd look at a used A3 TDI, which would leave 10-15K of your budget for a turbo, injector, ecu upgrades to flirt with 400 lb-ft of torque

If I were to go Subaru I'd go for a Forester with the EJ 2.5, he trims varied there for a bit XT was once iirc. Once again you'd be left with 15K+ left in your pocket for whatever you choose to do.

In reply to captdownshift:

No AWD with TDI You got me excited for a second, thought I'd missed something.

I'll probably just get the DSG Golf R - it will be my DD after all. For a primitive fix I have a roadster that is completely manual (trans/brakes/steering/even the turn signals).

In reply to bigdaddylee82:

:( for some reason I thought you could AWD, but only with DSG. Either way disappointing.

captdownshift wrote: If I were to go Subaru I'd go for a Forester with the EJ 2.5, he trims varied there for a bit XT was once iirc. Once again you'd be left with 15K+ left in your pocket for whatever you choose to do.

The problem with the Forester XT is that almost all of them are automatic (all 09+). If you can get a manual one, though, it's a hoot once you replace the boost restrictor pill.

Pretty sure BMW never imported the 535ix touring with a manual transmission here. Otherwise it definitely hits my hot buttons.

I don't have much of a trafficy commute, so the DSG doesn't really interest me. I'll drive it just to see what the car feels like, but really want a 6MT.

The 330xi wagons make around 220hp if I recall, just not enough when I'm coming off a 475hp allroad. Hemi products are all auto tragic, so they're out.

I think that they did.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=65202&endYear=2015&vehicleStyleCodes=WAGON&modelCode1=535XI&showcaseOwnerId=100007020&startYear=1981&makeCode1=BMW&transmissionCode=MAN&transmissionCodes=MAN&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BBMW%5B535XI%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=377235230&Log=0

Holy $hit! I never knew they imported those. Sweet! Some simple tweaks and that motor makes good power, I like the size and the handling dynamics are much better than my current allroad.

Winner! Now to start looking and see I can find one with under 50k miles...

Good luck, that took a nationwide search to find. Not saying they don't exist, I am sure they do but it may take a minute.

Ah, but the stage 3 Allroad is just so good.....

Too bad the new Allroads are only automatics.

A 2.5 WRX/STi isn't going to drastically improve your mpg's (I've gotten 23-24mpg on my wrx over 100,000 miles). But the new 2.0 WRXs are supposedly considerably better - on fuel economy and everything else. I have three friends (all former owners of multiple WRXs) who have the new one and they say it's night and day better than the outgoing model.

The new STi still has the old 2.5 engine, but the WRX has the 2.0 with the same power as the outgoing WRX, FWIW.

I'd say if you're looking the Subaru direction, just get the WRX. For street stuff, it's going to be just as good as the STi at a lower price anyhow. I have never regretted not getting an STi, except when I'm doing motorsports.

All that said, I'm still happy with my 09 WRX after 100k miles. With a stage 1 tune and no other engine mods it puts down about 280awtq on a local dyno that's known to be pretty realistic. Not the kind of power you had, but it's easy to get more if that 's what you want.

I'd go test-drive the new WRX and see how you like it. If it's as good as everyone is saying it is, that should be pretty great considering how good the outgoing one was...

btw, because it's sure to come up (always does in these discussions): The 08+ WRX/STi back seat WILL fit even bulky child seats, forward or backwards (the pre-08 models it was a VERY tight fit, and some couldn't fit). I assume the new one has no less rear legroom than the outgoing one, so you should be good there. I'm 6'0 with long legs, so my seat is pretty far back. I can post pics if you need, but as I have 2 kids and have had both seats in the car at once, just trust me on this ;)

Based on the reviews I've read, I'd drive a new WRX. I like the STI, but couldn't justify the huge price difference for one.

BMW M550 diesel triple turbo

With XDrive

Grand Cherokee ser8 gets my vote as a dark horse.

ryanty22 wrote: With XDrive

No DINAN, No Care.

irish44j wrote:

ryanty22 wrote: With XDrive

No DINAN, No Care.

Dinan doesnt make parts for it? too new? or too dieselly. Could probably make a coal rollin smokestack for it though

Truthfully I didnt read any of your post, just the title so I have no idea if these fit your criteria.

R/T AWD Magnum, picture is an SRT8 I believe, I think the SRT8 is only RWD.

SRT8 Cherokee, these are AWD, I believe the SRT Group said something like 0-60 in under 5 seconds wet or dry, or something similar when they first came out.

Trailblazer SS, Im pretty sure they are available AWD. Saw a nice one about a week ago, slammed on slicks and skinnies and it looked nasty.

If the evox/wrx/STI don't fit your needs. Check out the Saab Turbo X or 9-5 aero XWD. It's a unicorn and not particularly fast in stock form, it responds well to upgrades.

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