I need an AWD Miata Rally Luxury Wagon.

So I have started the usual 6 month lead in to buying my new car (new to me late model) My 01 Protege ES still only has 135,000 on it but I've crested 50 and want something where the interior noise is less than 70 dba.

The problem I do not want to give up a car with steering feedback and decent handling, easy enough BUT I often pitch spare parts (blocks trannys doors) for my Datsun race car in the trunk, split seats take care of that BUT my wife and I like to take day trips to out of the way places like old ghost towns just outside of the vegas valley which involves dirt roads, the wife has an SUV which naturally I find boring to drive. Note my wife isn't into serious off road driving and well I have a Beta 520 RS dual sport motorcycle which is basically a 2 wheeled off road Ferrari. Buying two vehicles is out, I have 5 cars and 3 motorcycles.........not in the mood for a 6th thing that needs tires.

So the solution seems simple, turn a Maita into a hatchback, put some rally suspension on it, then convert it to AWD and add in lots of sound proofing..................about $50,000 should do the trick.

Now if only someone made something like this that didn't have hideous dead steering, over boosted brakes and wasn't boring I'd buy one.

         Tom

Import an early 90s Lancia Delta.

Problem solved for less than $50k.

Hmmm....an AWD shooting brake. I need to do some searching.

Meantime:

M Coupe

Forester XT

E63 Wagon

Why not WRX?

325 XI?

Dodge Magnum was available with AWD and a Hemi or V6

Maybe I need more time in a WRX (I'm only ever in them while instructing at track days) but they are a bit boomy inside. The Subaru was my first thought as Rally suspension is off the shelf, also considered an Imprezza RS.

As of some of the other choices; I am a Japanese car guy at heart, I now earn enough to buy some of the German cars I lusted after as a 5 dollar an hour teenager but still gravitate towards the cars from the far east. The Forester XT has merit, but not sure about the steering..........I'm picky about that, more so then most.

As for the Lancia, I've asked the wife for one the last 23 years but her retort is she is not shoveling that much rust under the tree. She bought into 8K worth of Italian dirt bike that I sometimes fling down rocky hills best not push it.

Tom

WRX Wagon+ dynamat under the carpet/ in the doors

you can buy a lot of different cars for every different situation and insure/maintain them for years for $50k... unless you count the cost of buying 10 acres in the country so you have room for everything and don't have to listen to neighbors or deal with an HOA and their creativity stifling rules, then it might cost a couple hundred thousand dollars on top of the costs of the cars...

Sounds like you want an Audi allroad.

Well, we're in the same boat. I'm dang near 50, live in Vegas, and want a vehicle that does all those things. Except I want new or near new. The only thing that comes close is if you take an MX-5, remove the M, and replace it with a C.

They call it a CX-5 :)

Audi S4 Avant?

Tom1200 - codrus is exactly right - Audi allroad. We've had ours for several years now (wifes car) but I love to drive it. Previous owners did all the expensive repairs for the early models ( new tc, turbos, axles etc) & converted to non air suspension since the air shocks kept leaking. Drove cross country in it & lots of trips. Fantastic car. They all dribble oil a bit so need to live with that.

Sounds like 911 c4 checks all the boxes. Let's see some of those rally 911 pics now!

Just curious, what's driving the requirement for the AWD? Toyota Matrix XRS might be a good option, if you're willing to go unicorn hunting.

If this isn't a perfect case for a MazdaSpeed3, I don't know what is...

Jaguar X-type wagon? They are nice inside, available as AWD and manual IIRC.

335xi?

335hp

Twin turbo I6

Coupe

6spd

AWD

Mazda CX-7

gnarly tires. crank up the boost.

Mazda? check. AWD? Check. Wagon? Check.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-1988-Mazda-323-GTX-AWD-Turbo-Coupe-with-1-8-BPT-motor-W0QQAdIdZ523395480

BMW X1, BMW 328xiT, Saab 9-3 SC XWD (but its not reliable), Audi A4 Avant, WRX with sound deadening

Legacy wagon and throw on some suspension bits. Lots of 2.5i wagons with manuals, turbo gt wagons with manuals are unicorns at 2005 only. Lots of automatic Legacy wagons in 2.5i and GT.

Anything with an automatic is out, I do not like them for a variety of reasons.

We had a 97 Outback wagon, fine car but kinda dead steering and a bit of a driving appliance. That said I will test drive a cross trek but if I get a Subaru it will likely be a WRX.

The Mazda CX 5 is on the list but AWD version is auto only. Granted a FWD will go most places but on occasion some of the roads require travesing pea gravel washes which I refer to as Mojave desert quick sand.

Some good picks now if only car makers put decent steering in all cars. Ye olde Protege is an econo box and if Mazada can manage it in a low level car how hard can it be? ( yeah I know this is why poeple buy a Mazda )

Tom

Maybe look an 08-ish + Saab 9-3 Turbo X SportCombi (wagon). They didn't make many of those but it seemed like a cool car.

There just weren't many AWD sporty hatches or wagons made. That is the reason Subaru sells as many cars as they do. It sure ain't b/c they are pretty... Audi as well. except they are expensive to own and maintain...

Jeep Patriot & Compass can be had in 4WD/stick. I haven't driven one, but I won't, either, because these CUV are pretty much the old Dodge Caliber. No thank you.

I think the VW Tiguan can only be had with a clutch in the FWD versions.

If you want AWD and a stick (and some sort of off-road ability) your choices are severely limited. Hyundai/Kia eliminated clutches in all CUV for 2014. Maybe you can find a leftover or slightly used 2013.