Eric Kilber said:
Kia Soul Turbo GT-line with dual clutch gearbox
There are rumblings about the Kia/Hyundai DCT box being the subject of a class action lawsuit. Tons of their vehicles have been lemon lawed over DCT issues and Hyundai/Kia is moving back to conventional automatics with their newest products. C&D had a long-term Soul Turbo where the DCT was beginning to slip and fail when they turned it in. I would stay away.
http://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/hyundai-transmission-problems/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2016/hyundai-dual-clutch-transmission-dct-lawsuit.shtml
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a25694799/2017-kia-soul-reliability-maintenance/
...We'd noticed a steadily worsening slippage in the dual-clutch automatic transmission...Gripes continue over suboptimal behavior of the Soul's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). It's not particularly evident in short-range, gentle driving, which is probably why the dealership service technicians report that they're unable to replicate our complaints. Driving more assertively over a longer period, you can't avoid noticing the first-gear clutch slip followed by a too-soon upshift to second gear, which together can erode your confidence when aiming for that gap in traffic when pulling out onto a major artery. Once, associate online editor Joseph Capparella reported a long hang-up between shifts at 5500 rpm while merging onto a freeway, resembling something you might experience in a car with a continuously variable transmission. It was so unexpected that Capparella called it a "scary moment," but we've been unable to make the car do it again.
Also, funny enough, GRM eviscerated the Forte5 Turbo with the DCT:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2017-176-forte5-sx/
Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to get a “nice” review of the Forte5. I drove it home from the office once… then parked it. It was awful. Is Kia some kind of Korean acronym for “transmission slip”? The dual clutch unit in that thing generated noises and sensations that made me feel like I was sliding around in a dying cow.
Klayfish said:
xflowgolf said:
One curveball competitor...
Tesla Model 3?
It'll do 0-60 almost a full second quicker than a '15 GTI so it'll feel plenty fast. It's positioned against entry level luxury compacts, so it'll have heated seats and the premium feel she seems to be after.
Not European.
So OP is having reliability issues and we're going to recommend a Tesla? 
plus she'd have to wait 2 years to actually get it lol....
In reply to eastsideTim :
Why not the Subaru Impreza Hatch? I think it could be a good fit for her.
einy
HalfDork
4/27/19 5:26 a.m.
pointofdeparture said:
Also, funny enough, GRM eviscerated the Forte5 Turbo with the DCT:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/2017-176-forte5-sx/
Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to get a “nice” review of the Forte5. I drove it home from the office once… then parked it. It was awful. Is Kia some kind of Korean acronym for “transmission slip”? The dual clutch unit in that thing generated noises and sensations that made me feel like I was sliding around in a dying cow.
Even the latest C&D review of the new Soul said skip the turbo/DCT combo, as the standard 2.0 with CVT is much better (paraphrasing).
In reply to CyberEric :
Front visibility wasn’t bad. It was side and rear. The c pillar is more like a wall and what looks like glass at the rear from the outside is covered by trim panels and high on the inside. Cargo room is odd too when you access from the hatch. Back seat Wont fit anyone with legs. It’s definitely prettier from the outside but even my wife’s old 2012 3 offered better all around visabilty and cargo space....
In reply to itsarebuild :
Gotcha. That makes sense given the size of the C-pillar. I think the sedan might have a more user-friendly design, and still looks good. I don't really understand how they went to a torsion beam and didn't gain much in the way of rear seating or space.
CyberEric said:
In reply to eastsideTim :
The new 3 has revised (slimmer) A pillars that provide better visibility. It's going to be better than the outgoing car.
I have had extensive seat time in the outgoing 3 (2015 sedan) and the visibility isn't bad, but not great. Better than the Priuses I've driven, and the last gen Fit, which was downright scary in city driving. I haven't driven a GTI in so long I can't remember how it compares.
For me, most modern cars just suck compared to older greenhouses. Driving my Festiva is like a breath of fresh air.
GTI has great overall visibility, but does have a decent blind spot thanks to the really thick C-pillars combined with fairly (somewhat annoyingly) small side mirrors. The mirrors look pretty cool but the way they come to a "point" on the outer edge really isn't helpful for rearward visibility. 9k miles on mine and sitll not used to how lousy they are.
Corolla Hatch gets my vote. Good looking in person.
I've been thinking about this since I threw the Forester XT(Gotta have the turbo) in your ring. Though I haven't driven one, I didn't see it mentioned and since you had one two door car already on the list how about a three door hyundai veloster? you can get the turbo 201 hp with an auto trans(DCT) I keep reading how fun these are to drive. it seems to bear checking out. If I was in the market for a fwd it would probably start and stop and an N model.
