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What is My Next Daily Driver?!?!?!?!

My current vehicle is a 2011 VW Golf TDI. It has served me very well, and once some used car bugs were sorted, been very reliable. It is sporty enough to not be boring, yet comfortable enough for my daily commute and trips to the East coast and beyond; is very practical, and fit more than I could have imagined inside of it. I'd love to keep it, but I don't think I'll trust VW's fix if they even find one, and it has over 160K miles on it at this point so major maintenance is coming. I just registered for the buyback.

Requirements:
1. Manual transmission WITH CLUTCH PEDAL. No flappy paddles.
2. Ability to turn ESC/Stability control COMPLETELY off
3. Sporty enough not to bore me to death
4. Reliable (maintenance intensive is acceptable - i.e. German schedules)
5. Decently fuel efficient (~30MPG or more but I'm not limiting myself to this).
6. Practical
7. 4 door
8. Prefer a warranty

In the lead right now is a used Audi A4/S4, but I have yet to drive one. I'm not ruling anything out right now so all ideas are welcome.

(Wow, this is a longer post than I expected)

Anyway, what are your suggestions? The winner gets a ride in the new car.

Thanks!

Also on the short list are a GTI and Golf R. I need to find some examples to drive first.

Mazda3 w/ SkyActiv or Fiesta ST?

I know what is not the answer, Honda Pilot.

I have a B8.5 S4, it's pretty damn fantastic to drive. Some of the most comfortable seats this side of a volvo, and it will scoot. Here in seattle, the hill assist is nice to have with the manual. It won't do 30 MPG though, supercharged v-6 and all.

I was cross shopping the new GTI, a used WRX hatch, and 3 series BMWs when I got the Audi.

Focus St.

Mazda3.

Hyundai velositer turbo

Whats your price range

I don't think anyone loves their TDI so much they won't sell it for way more than it's worth. Or at least that seems to be the strong trend so far.

In reply to PMRacing:

A friend of mine just bought a Golf R with a manual. His previous cars included an EVO 8, EVO 10, and a Mazdaspeed 3. He said that the Golf was like a good blend of those cars, with more practicallity and a nicer interior. He had a hard time finding a manual, but when he did, he got a much better deal then he could have got on a DSG. It's a very nice car, and a heck of a sleeper. He also has a TDI that Volkswagen is buying back.

I am not a fan of the seats in my wife's Mazda 3 for long trips. It could just be me though.

Civic Si sedan? Not sure about the ESC part, but great transmission, fuel mileage, limited slip, etc.

What I'd you can't turn ESC completely off, but it comes with a "Drift Mode"?

Honestly Focus ST. Now they're the overlooked middle brother. Sandwiched between the football hero superstar older brother (RS) and nimble agile younger brother who shows burst (Fiesta ST).

I thought this would be about more ways to aggravate your wife and annoy her or "play games".

UPDATE: I've taken a few test drives. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what I want. I won't be buying anything until November at the earliest.

2013 Golf R: Nice car. 37k miles. Not CPO. Felt like my TDI but slightly different. It had a very soft initial throttle like my TDI did before the tune. I'd have to fix that. I actually like the steering wheel in the TDI better. The spokes on the R have squared off corners on the back. (I'm very picky about steering wheel grips). It is in the top 3 of what I've driven so far.

2013 BMW 335i Sedan with M-sport goodies. CPO car. WOW. I really liked this car more than I thought I would. It was a bit out of my budget but I might be able to make it work. It was deceptively fast and still quite comfortable. I loved the seats. The power bolsters were a nice touch. I could also get a very comfortable seating position and the steering wheel had enough telescoping that my legs could be straighter yet still have a bend in my elbows. Tied for 1st on the list.

2013 Focus ST Base, CPO. I wanted to like this car. The torque and power were very nice. I loved the brakes. I couldn't get comfortable with it though. The throttle was nervous and the car felt very high strung and had a lot of road noise. I think my age is starting to show and I've been spoiled by my Golf. Nice car, but not for me.

2016 Mazda 3i 5-door. New. I really liked everything about this car except two things. The steering wheel and the fat, tall, flat spokes. But, after driving my TDI it felt gutless. For the price it has an awesome interior and felt very well put together and it is a huge step above the 2005 3i I had for a couple years. Way to go Mazda!. Again nice car, but I don't think it is for me.

2011 Audi S4. Used w/ 101k miles. WOW. If I wasn't going to be driving for 25k-30k miles per year, not afraid of German cars out of warranty, and not waiting for VW's offer, I would have pulled the trigger on this. It was right up there with a the newer 335i. The power was addictive. It was very comfortable (great seats and seating position), a little too quiet, but at 100k miles, still solid and rattle free, and the interior didn't show much, if any, wear. I could tell the dampers were due for replacement, but they weren't horrible. If I can find one with a warranty and less than 40k miles, I am seriously going to consider one. Tied for 1st.

I'll try and post more updates as I test drive. Any other cars I should try?

I am just happy that this what car thread has actual test drives in it!

Another update time:

I test drove a 2013 BMW 320i. Non-sport package car. It drove very well, but was soft and boring. The interior was kind of cheapened up as well. I want to try an M-Sport car, but they are next to impossible to find.

Also drove a 2010 Audi A4 2.0T. 100k miles. This one was ridden hard and put away wet. But the power was decent and it drove smaller than it looked. Didn't care for the seats.

So, I think I've decided on a car and will have the ball rolling soon, hopefully once the hurricane blows by since the car is in FL. I've found a car I didn't know existed. I loved the S4 interior, but don't need an S4. I didn't like the A4 seats but the car itself was very nice. The Car I've found is a 2015 A4 Premium Plus Sport Pkg, Competition Pkg. It has pretty much the interior of the S4 but the A4 drivetrain. Not sure how the sport package suspension compares to the S4 suspension though.

What can anyone tell me about a 2015 A4? Any real world experience?

Thanks!

PMRacing wrote: What can anyone tell me about a 2015 A4? Any real world experience?

Quattro with a manual?

I don't think they came with an LSD, but you could get Acura TSXs with a K24/6-speed up until very recently. I drove one and it was pretty amusing

Volvo c30

Look for a fully pimped out Focus ST with Recaros rather than a base one.

Old so no CPO but I love love love 4th Gen Golf R32s.

Porsche Boxster or Audio TT if back seats aren't a must.

Personally I'm over the three pedal obsession so an auto would be fine for me.

BMW 128i?

In reply to codrus:

Yes.

Have you tried a 135 M-Sport car? It's less piggy than the 335 and sportier feeling. Same wicked speed and tuning potential. Better steering.

Note though - if you are taking any modern turbo BMW to a track day you are going to have to lay out some money in additional upgrades and cooling or your time will be spent in limp mode. They are not the hearty beasts they once were.

In reply to Huckleberry:

Need 4 doors and a warranty. This will be a DD, I have a trackday car. List of requirements from the original post:

Requirements:
1. Manual transmission WITH CLUTCH PEDAL. No flappy paddles.
2. Ability to turn ESC/Stability control COMPLETELY off
3. Sporty enough not to bore me to death
4. Reliable (maintenance intensive is acceptable - i.e. German schedules)
5. Decently fuel efficient (~30MPG or more but I'm not limiting myself to this).
6. Practical
7. 4 door
8. Prefer a warranty

PMRacing wrote: 2013 BMW 335i Sedan with M-sport goodies. CPO car. WOW. I really liked this car more than I thought I would. It was a bit out of my budget but I might be able to make it work. It was deceptively fast and still quite comfortable. I loved the seats. The power bolsters were a nice touch. I could also get a very comfortable seating position and the steering wheel had enough telescoping that my legs could be straighter yet still have a bend in my elbows. Tied for 1st on the list.

FWIW I also am dumping my 2011 Golf TDI, and while not a 3-series, I ended up with a 135i M-sport with 6-speed proper manual for many of the same reasons. I know you need a 4-door, so the 335 is a very similar car.

The linear power band and that sweet torque make it a very enjoyable driver, and the M-sport seats and wheel are great.

I also like the S4's, but I do a lot of miles as well, and the S4's suck down too much fuel for my liking.

Sounds like you'll end up with something fun and nice with all those options. I like the golf R option as I'm a fan of under the radar performers