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Yeah, I think I should be able to recover around $4k on the mods which would be nice. I plan on doing the supercharger pulley swap, TCU and ECU tunes on the Audi, so that should at least cover those new mods. It already has an intake and H&R springs on the adaptive suspension (its a prestige model), so that's nice.
So here is the latest crazy car idea I have been thinking about the last few weeks. Sell the STI Type RA and get a VW GTI 40th anniversary or Golf R 20th anniversary. I drove a GTI Autobahn the other day and was amazed by the improvement in ride quality on bumpy roads in comfort mode- something my far less than perfect back seemed to appreciate. My wallet would also enjoy the significantly better gas mileage and lower cost due to running 87 octane instead of 93.
I realized that I will probably not do track days anymore and even though the GTI will not be as fun in the winter as the Subaru, my thought of driving a slow(er) car fast in town where I do 95% of my driving should be nearly as entertaining as the STI. I should be able to order a 40th anniversary GTI and see it in 6-10 months and I get a sizeable employee discount so the GTI should cost about $15,000+ less than the Golf R, (which does not qualify for employee discount).
The Golf R is ultimately faster, will be more fun in snow with AWD, has more features and a better stereo. However, it is difficult to justify an additional $15,000+, I hate leather seats, I don't know if I need it to be this fast, and there is a very slim chance VW would even pick up my order for a 20th anniversary Golf R.
Now here is where things get interesting. I am seriously considering buying a deep blue pearl metallic (my current favorite Nissan color) Nissan Leaf S that should arrive in a month or two (long before any of the VW's arrive) and keeping it until my VW arrives. Slight chance I really like it with zero gas and zero emissions and have fun carving corners and roundabouts with its near 50/50 weight balance and maybe even throw on a set of decent wheels with sticky summer tires. If that were the case, I might actually keep it longer and skip the VW. I had a Leaf 10 years ago and loved it as a daily driver. Now it has twice the range, better styling, more power, and newer tech.
So basically, the Leaf is the car I need, the Golf R is the car I want, and I think the GTI 40th anniversary with its adaptive suspension, much better looking wheels (than a regular GTI), summer tires, limited Tornado red color, and sweet GTI plaid seats (yes, my old GTI roots run deep) should give me 90-95% as big a smile to drive as the STI Type RA without the stiff ride and not so great mpg and without the Golf R's big price tag and stupid leather seats.
So here is the last crazy car idea I have been thinking about the last few weeks. Sell the STI Type RA and get a VW GTI 40th anniversary or Golf R 20th anniversary. I drove a GTI Autobahn the other day and was amazed by the improvement in ride quality on bumpy roads in comfort mode- something my far less than perfect back seemed to appreciate. My wallet would also enjoy the significantly better gas mileage and lower cost due to running 87 octane instead of 93. I realized that I will probably not do track days anymore and even though the GTI will not be as fun in the winter as the Subaru, my thought of driving a slow(er) car fast in town where I do 95% of my driving should be nearly as entertaining as the STI. I should be able to order one of these cars and see it in 6-10 months and I get a sizeable employee discount where this model should cost about $15,000+ less than the Golf R, because it does not qualify for employee discount.
The Golf R is ultimately faster, will be more fun in snow with AWD, has more features and a better stereo. However, it is difficult to justify an additional $15,000+, I hate leather seats, I don't know if I need it to be this fast, and there is a very slim chance VW would even pick up my order.
Now here is where things get interesting. I am seriously considering buying a deep blue pearl metallic Nissan Leaf S that should arrive in a month or two (long before any of the VW's arrive) and keeping it until my VW arrives. Slight chance I really like it with zero gas and zero emissions and have fun carving corners and roundabouts with its near 50/50 weight balance and maybe even throw on a set of decent wheels with sticky summer tires. If that were the case, I might actually keep it longer and skip the VW. I had a leaf 10 years ago and loved it as a daily driver. Now it has twice the range, better styling, more power and tech.
Prior to buying my R, I drove a GTI Autobahn. I couldn't get over the wheel spin. The motor has a lot of low-mid range torque and it was really easy to spin the tires, even driving normally on a test drive. You'll never make a left/right turn from a stop--like out of a parking lot--with any serious amount of throttle and not spin the tires. Combine that with longer gearing (the R has much shorter gears) and a turbo that falls on its face at 5K (vs the R that pulls hard to redline) and I just didn't feel like the GTI was 'fun' to drive. If you start modding the car, all those negative attributes will just get amplified. GTI folks will say you need better tires, engine mounts, and a turbo swap. But by then, your at R prices.
Resale value on these cars has always sucked. You should get some decent $$$ on the mods at least. Congrats, it’s a nice upgrade.
Hold on, you can't be serious?
It's a 16 year old car with 155k miles, what did you seriously expect? 5k sounds like a decent return especially on a "luxury/premium" brand. The market is for sure slowing down but I think you can get a little more based on what I've seen that has been sold around here.
It's a 16 year old car with 155k miles, what did you seriously expect? 5k sounds like a decent return especially on a "luxury/premium" brand. The market is for sure slowing down but I think you can get a little more based on what I've seen that has been sold around here.
I plugged a 2007 Honda Accord EX-L with 155K into KBB.....Trade in $4K, private party $6200. For a "luxury/premium" brand, the resale sucks. You can thank Infiniti for the $299 lease specials on the Q40 the last few years of production.
Prior to buying my R, I drove a GTI Autobahn. I couldn't get over the wheel spin. The motor has a lot of low-mid range torque and it was really easy to spin the tires, even driving normally on a test drive. You'll never make a left/right turn from a stop--like out of a parking lot--with any serious amount of throttle and not spin the tires. Combine that with longer gearing (the R has much shorter gears) and a turbo that falls on its face at 5K (vs the R that pulls hard to redline) and I just didn't feel like the GTI was 'fun' to drive. If you start modding the car, all those negative attributes will just get amplified. GTI folks will say you need better tires, engine mounts, and a turbo swap. But by then, your at R prices.
I had a feeling you might be the first to reply since this is right up your alley. I did notice wheelspin, but only because it was about 12 degrees outside and the summer tires had turned to bricks. Even in that extreme situation I was able to modulate the throttle and drive it just fine. I'm sure I will do a few slight mods to the GTI if I get it or maybe a tune, but I doubt I would ever swap the turbo on a FWD car. Even if I did upgrade to really sticky tires, engine mounts, and the turbo, that would probably only be a few thousand dollars. The Golf R would be over $15,000 more than a 40th anniversary GTI for me.
I do struggle with the idea of giving up AWD since I have so much fun with that in the winter, but I keep trying to convince myself that I will not be racing this car and the old adage that "driving a slow car fast is more enjoyable than driving a fast car slow." My practical side gets excited by the significantly lower entry cost to the GTI and much lower operating cost with better mpg and the ability to run 87 octane. (I must be getting old if I am getting excited about those stupid things!) The other problem is that my store already has 3 regular Golf R's on order for 2023 and we normally only get 2 Golf R's a year so there is a pretty slim chance that my order would get picked up for a 20th anniversary Golf R.
Another reason I really like the idea of the 40th Anniversary GTI is that it reminds me of the 1987 GTI that was also in tornado red that was in all the ads on tv (and Road & Track) and I fell in love with as a kid at our local VW shop as we had an '85 GTI that was always in for service. So every time we were in for service I would droll all over this bright tornado red 1987 GTI and dream of driving it. This new 40th anniversary GTI in the same tornado red color brings back those good memories of spending time with my late father and going on lots of spirited rides with him on twisty back roads in our '85 GTI and later our '97 GTI- both bought used.
An even more practical side of me hopes that the '23 Nissan Leaf in the cool deep metallic blue pearl is fun enough to zip around town that I keep it for a long time and forget about getting a GTI or a Golf R. I am probably the only one crazy enough to consider lacing up lightweight wide rims with sticky rubber, but I remember my 2012 being such a sleeper around town due to the low center of gravity, near 50/50 weight balance, and instant torque. The fit and finish and features are nowhere near what the VW's bring to the table, but this car would be about $10k less than the 40th GTI and about $25k less than the Golf R. I hate the idea of giving up a manual transmission and this is ultimately why I axed the idea of the really fast Audis (S4/S5)- too easy to lose track of speed and get a ticket. Fortunately, the Leaf has e-pedal which decelerates even faster than a manual transmission and also generates more power for the battery.
Lately, I have also been trying to convince myself just to keep the Type RA and tell my back to suck it up over bumps and my wallet to suck it up at the gas pump because it is just so good to drive at the limit with the steering being razor sharp and the handling being second nature. Seriously, I have never driven an AWD car so good... to the point I don't even look at used Skyline R33's anymore.
The evolution of your automotive values is fascinating. The VW would probably make you happy. Sounds like the Leaf would, too. There's no wrong answer.
But if you've the means, I think having a toy on the side is always good advice to car guys. Wish I had the space for it.
I plugged a 2007 Honda Accord EX-L with 155K into KBB.....Trade in $4K, private party $6200. For a "luxury/premium" brand, the resale sucks. You can thank Infiniti for the $299 lease specials on the Q40 the last few years of production.
That's not an apples to apples comparison. You are comparing it to one of the most popular, reliable, and sought after family sedans. Look up a 2007 335i (which had a much higher MSRP) and let me know what you find.
So here is the latest crazy car idea I have been thinking about the last few weeks. Sell the STI Type RA and get a VW GTI 40th anniversary or Golf R 20th anniversary. I drove a GTI Autobahn the other day and was amazed by the improvement in ride quality on bumpy roads in comfort mode- something my far less than perfect back seemed to appreciate. My wallet would also enjoy the significantly better gas mileage and lower cost due to running 87 octane instead of 93.
I realized that I will probably not do track days anymore and even though the GTI will not be as fun in the winter as the Subaru, my thought of driving a slow(er) car fast in town where I do 95% of my driving should be nearly as entertaining as the STI. I should be able to order a 40th anniversary GTI and see it in 6-10 months and I get a sizeable employee discount so the GTI should cost about $15,000+ less than the Golf R, (which does not qualify for employee discount).
The Golf R is ultimately faster, will be more fun in snow with AWD, has more features and a better stereo. However, it is difficult to justify an additional $15,000+, I hate leather seats, I don't know if I need it to be this fast, and there is a very slim chance VW would even pick up my order for a 20th anniversary Golf R.
Now here is where things get interesting. I am seriously considering buying a deep blue pearl metallic (my current favorite Nissan color) Nissan Leaf S that should arrive in a month or two (long before any of the VW's arrive) and keeping it until my VW arrives. Slight chance I really like it with zero gas and zero emissions and have fun carving corners and roundabouts with its near 50/50 weight balance and maybe even throw on a set of decent wheels with sticky summer tires. If that were the case, I might actually keep it longer and skip the VW. I had a Leaf 10 years ago and loved it as a daily driver. Now it has twice the range, better styling, more power, and newer tech.
So basically, the Leaf is the car I need, the Golf R is the car I want, and I think the GTI 40th anniversary with its adaptive suspension, much better looking wheels (than a regular GTI), summer tires, limited Tornado red color, and sweet GTI plaid seats (yes, my old GTI roots run deep) should give me 90-95% as big a smile to drive as the STI Type RA without the stiff ride and not so great mpg and without the Golf R's big price tag and stupid leather seats.
Thoughts?
I don't mind downsizing and getting something more practical and economical, however I can't ever see myself going to a FWD performance/enthusiast car. I love how the new Type R looks and I find it to be a great value (long term) however I can't get myself to own another FWD performance car.
New FWD cars handle well, put the power down ok but don't provide the dynamics and handling characteristics I prefer in a AWD or RWD chassis.
It's a 16 year old car with 155k miles, what did you seriously expect? 5k sounds like a decent return especially on a "luxury/premium" brand. The market is for sure slowing down but I think you can get a little more based on what I've seen that has been sold around here.
Originally Posted by Lego_Maniac
I plugged a 2007 Honda Accord EX-L with 155K into KBB.....Trade in $4K, private party $6200. For a "luxury/premium" brand, the resale sucks. You can thank Infiniti for the $299 lease specials on the Q40 the last few years of production.
Lol, that's considerably higher than what KBB said for mine.
I was looking around at comparable Gs for sale today, and I cannot find a SINGLE one that isn't salvage, damaged, different color panels, riced out, etc. Kinda sad...... I have no doubt my car will end up with cut springs, muffler delete and stickers after I sell it
Originally Posted by 4DRZ
So here is the latest crazy car idea I have been thinking about the last few weeks. Sell the STI Type RA and get a VW GTI 40th anniversary or Golf R 20th anniversary. I drove a GTI Autobahn the other day and was amazed by the improvement in ride quality on bumpy roads in comfort mode- something my far less than perfect back seemed to appreciate. My wallet would also enjoy the significantly better gas mileage and lower cost due to running 87 octane instead of 93.
I realized that I will probably not do track days anymore and even though the GTI will not be as fun in the winter as the Subaru, my thought of driving a slow(er) car fast in town where I do 95% of my driving should be nearly as entertaining as the STI. I should be able to order a 40th anniversary GTI and see it in 6-10 months and I get a sizeable employee discount so the GTI should cost about $15,000+ less than the Golf R, (which does not qualify for employee discount).
The Golf R is ultimately faster, will be more fun in snow with AWD, has more features and a better stereo. However, it is difficult to justify an additional $15,000+, I hate leather seats, I don't know if I need it to be this fast, and there is a very slim chance VW would even pick up my order for a 20th anniversary Golf R.
Now here is where things get interesting. I am seriously considering buying a deep blue pearl metallic (my current favorite Nissan color) Nissan Leaf S that should arrive in a month or two (long before any of the VW's arrive) and keeping it until my VW arrives. Slight chance I really like it with zero gas and zero emissions and have fun carving corners and roundabouts with its near 50/50 weight balance and maybe even throw on a set of decent wheels with sticky summer tires. If that were the case, I might actually keep it longer and skip the VW. I had a Leaf 10 years ago and loved it as a daily driver. Now it has twice the range, better styling, more power, and newer tech.
So basically, the Leaf is the car I need, the Golf R is the car I want, and I think the GTI 40th anniversary with its adaptive suspension, much better looking wheels (than a regular GTI), summer tires, limited Tornado red color, and sweet GTI plaid seats (yes, my old GTI roots run deep) should give me 90-95% as big a smile to drive as the STI Type RA without the stiff ride and not so great mpg and without the Golf R's big price tag and stupid leather seats.
Thoughts?
My friend is trying to get a Golf R as well, I went with him to test drive it. Very fun car, but apparently they are nearly impossible to get? Evey dealer around here is marking them up past 55k, nuts.
The evolution of your automotive values is fascinating. The VW would probably make you happy. Sounds like the Leaf would, too. There's no wrong answer.
But if you've the means, I think having a toy on the side is always good advice to car guys. Wish I had the space for it.
I'm glad someone finds my addiction to cars fascinating because it drives my wife nuts. In fact, I resisted even bringing it up here for a few weeks because my mind literally changes every day between these 4 options (Leaf, VW's, or keep STI). I was originally just considering a Leaf (because it is really all I need day-to-day and still a hoot to drive) and then the Golf R 20th anniversary came out. I drove a base GTI S and thought, "no the GTI does not work, I hate the wheels and the ride is awful." I drove an Autobahn GTI and the adaptive suspension was a game changer for my back compared to the STI and I like the idea of the 40th anniversary edition for all of the reasons listed above.
I've always said I will never drive a boring car and I think I have stayed pretty true to that. I always want a fun car to drive, but it also needs to be a practical daily driver because I would much rather prefer to own just one car. Ironically, the one and only time I had 2 cars at once was the last time I had a Leaf 10 years ago. I had it for less than six months and picked up one of my dream cars- a pristine low mileage E46 M3. Having 2 cars just made me realize that I was always in the wrong car.
Originally Posted by RobC7
I don't mind downsizing and getting something more practical and economical, however I can't ever see myself going to a FWD performance/enthusiast car. I love how the new Type R looks and I find it to be a great value (long term) however I can't get myself to own another FWD performance car.
New FWD cars handle well, put the power down ok but don't provide the dynamics and handling characteristics I prefer in a AWD or RWD chassis.
I agree that I would much rather have RWD or AWD in most cars and especially for a track car. However, I am trying to come to terms with the fact that my cars are really just daily drivers that get hustled on onramps, roundabouts, and twisty roads from time to time. Looking at the skidpad numbers on the new GTI with summer tires blew my mind- the same or better than my STI Type RA which is basically the second coming when talking about great handling/steering AWD cars.
Driving that Autobahn GTI with the adaptive suspension really opened my eyes to that car as a legitimate possibility. I was initially hesitant because sound plays a big part for me and I cannot recall any VW 4cyl. car sounding good. Shockingly, the GTI in sport mode actually burbled and popped on deceleration and sounded good. It was not as obnoxious as a Hyundai N model, but it was more interesting than my STI because the exhaust was variable, just like the suspension, steering, stability control, throttle, etc. I think that might be what I am looking for most- one car that can act as two. One quiet, composed, and economical and another mode sporty with sublime handling.
The only FWD car I've driven that handled (IMHO) well was a Mini Cooper S. Even the vaunted Acura ITR was at best a marginal improvement over the Integra and Civic (which handle well for FWD, to be fair).
Weekend before T-day I had a chance to drive a 2018 50th anniversary Subie WRX (https://www.topspeed.com/cars/subaru...rsary-edition/) that was completely unmolested. Quick but needs 150 more HP; sharp handling but still a little wallow-y for my tastes. Needs tires, swaybars, and boost increase for me to be happy with it (although not the common blatterhorn exhaust). The shifter was mushy as hell and I have already bought the owner a Cobb shift kit (he's my best friend from childhood) so maybe that will fix one thing... but, it does handle better than any other AWD car I've driven including other subarus. Subari? :shrug: Most AWD to me feel like a numb version of the same car in RWD if that exists.
11-22-2022, 08:24 PM
