Ideal car?

Early morning run to the airport and I was thinking. What would my ideal car be? Not race car, they can't be good all round, drive-every-day cars. Clearly no ideal car exists but there have been some that get close.

I think mine would be something like a 2002ish Audi S4 Avant that had been put on a diet to get it down to 3,000-3,200 lbs and exchange the notorious VAG maintenance issues for something more Honda-like.

Is there a reason we can't have a small wagon with AWD, aggressive but not overwrought looks, good power and handling, all in a package that thrives on neglect?

What would yours be?

You need an AMC Eagle. Its....some of those things.

Suzuki SX4 or Aerio

KyAllroad wrote: Is there a reason we can't have a small wagon with AWD, aggressive but not overwrought looks, good power and handling, all in a package that thrives on neglect? What would yours be?

Did they make the E46 330iX in a wagon body? That might come pretty close.

2005 Legacy GT wagon (manual) got close. Volvo V70R also close, but not in the "thrives on neglect" part. 2002-2007 WRX wagon also close. I loved my '02 wrx wagon, and finally got rid of it last fall having bought it new. I also think the earlier Forester XT's (manual) fit that mould- and I'd really think that was ideal for me. Can't stomach an auto, especially CVT.

Our ideal car at the moment is our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. No issues yet, gets 23 mpg on summer gas, hauls the 6 month old and all the stuff new parents bring with him easily, safe winter vehicle, and looks good. It might not be idea later, but it's ideal now, ...for us.

The ideal car is in fact...a minivan. Easy to drive, plenty of space and versatility, light towing, AWD is out there, easy ingress/egress, safe, decent MPG, good visibility, great long-distance touring, reliable, etc. There is a reason they got so freaking popular: the concept is sound. All they lack is soul and a fun factor.

The new Golf Sport Wagon GLI might be close if it come here though...

If they made a Mazda MX8 with a turbo 4 or a V6 and a hatchback....

what is the budget for this assignment? A Porsche Panamera is pretty close to perfect if you don't mind the exterior. The Audi RS7 is another option. The Volvo V60 AWD wagon is close to perfection as well.

VW TDI wagon is up there, if/when the GTD comes out that will have to be considered as well.

also if used is an option Volvo V50 T5 AWD manual

My first thought was, "You're looking for a WRX hatchback." That's all I've got.

Pinch is right. Minivans are really where its at. I punted and sold the wrx wagon for a '15 GTI. The jetta wagon would have been a good choice.

We're moving cross country in the GTI this summer, with 12 yr old boy, 8 yr old girl, and 15 year old cat in the back seat. Now wondering if the $16k new caravan might be worth a purchase just for the trip.

The one in the foreground, obviously

In reply to captdownshift: Nice choices but not wagons (for the room), pricey (I can't see buying a six figure car until I win the powerball), and all suffer from that flakey VAG reliability problem.

I'm not looking for a car for myself right now this is more of a mental exercise and getting a feel for why the industry can't quite build the car that quite a few enthusiasts would want to buy.

And regarding the minivan: BTDT, had a 2000 Grand Caravan for several years and it was phenomenal. Except for the utter lack of soul. Supremely competent as a people mover but I want to be "moved" by my car as well.

A hypothetical Mazdaspeed5 is my answer here. Powertrain from Mazdaspeed 6 dropped into a Grand Touring trim Mazda5, with a bit more sound deadening.

Mine would be a V8 up front driving the rear wheels through a manual box and shaped suspiciously like a 1977 Trans Am.

I've often wondered about that too. Something along the lines of one of these with a turbo 4 from the Mazdaspeed3/6 that could get high 30s or low 40 MPG, 6 speed manual driving the rear wheels with an AWD option. Also legal to use HOV lane driving solo.

Depends... are we talking "only car"? I have other cars that can do "fun to drive" when needed.

Right now, my '08 Grand Caravan is pressing the "A to B" buttons very well. Size (it's a bit too small) and gas mileage (low-mid 20's) are the biggest trade-offs. In a perfect world, M-B would sneak a Sprinter 140WB EXT with a manual transmission into the country for me.

More along Nick's line of thought, a '69 Charger "Pro-Touring" car with a SRT HEMI, 6 spd manual and many suspension, brake and interior upgrades might get me damn close to the "perfect" car.

The S4 Avant hits too close to home for me to take a chance on one again (owned a '98 A4 Avant)... They're a bit small as well... but BMW did offer a 535xi wagon with a 6 spd. They're rare and definitely won't tolerate the "neglect" criteria, but I'd trust one more than an Audi.

There is only 1 vehicle I can't live without- my truck.

If I had to have only 1, it would be a truck.

For the family, it would be a minivan. If we all had to share only 1- still the truck.

Kind of glad I don't have to choose at this point. It would be sad to not have a fun car.

^No, not "only car". More of a street driven, fun DD.

KyAllroad wrote: What would my ideal car be? Not race car, they can't be good all round, drive-every-day cars. Clearly no ideal car exists but there have been some that get close.

I had a really close call on a Subaru Baja with a cap. I wish I'd bought the thing. I think that'd be my ideal do it all vehicle.

Focus RS, STi Hatchback, RS6 wagon, I can think of a few do it alls.

I am really digging the Porsche Macan S. Fast enough, handles well enough, can tow a little, go everywhere you need to, sit up enough to see over the hood of the average soccer mom-mobile.

Maybe just a stock Focus ST or WRX hatch. A hatch/wagon is hard to beat.

But I like the Mazdaspeed5 idea.

For a DD? I found it, it's an IS-F. I don't miss rowing my own gears...much.

The Focus ST is a great example of why "they" don't build a car that quite a lot of enthusiasts want to buy. The short answer is, they do but we are a picky lot. The Focus ST is a perfect blend of price, performance and practicality, but we pan it for being FWD or based on an economy car or having too much torque.

Or consider this:
340hp V8, AWD, Wagon, decent price...sold poorly despite ticking most of our boxes. (No manual)