Automotive

Budget Performance Car Help!

  • Last Updated:
  • Dec 19th, 2016 7:17 pm
Newbie
Nov 26, 2016
9 posts

Budget Performance Car Help!

Hello RFD community!
I have been a long time user of the RFD website but am otherwise new to the online community. I presently own a 2009 BMW 335i coupe that i've been eyeing on trading in for the past year or two. Lady luck has not been on my side with this car and I have had to replace a faulty high pressure fuel pump as well several other electrical gremlins. Thankfully this was covered by my extended warranty, however it has since expired and I have been hearing through other owners and car enthusiasts that this car has a known turbo failing, which is why i'd like to dump the car. The cars i've been looking at for a few months now are the Ford Focus ST and the VW GTI. I have looked at the Subaru WRX but I am not a fan of the styling nor the interior. I don't really keep in the loop about what cars have what issues and the like, and I don't know which of the two would be the better buy, which is why i'm asking for any input. A few key points:

1) I drive a truck in the winter time so the drivetrain is a non-issue, BUT having an AWD car that I can use to enjoy all 4 seasons is a bonus.
2) Must be a new car as I will be leasing instead of financing + I like the peace of mind of knowing I am the sole owner and need not worry about prior ownership
3) VW/Audi seem to have a bad reputation throughout the automotive community for being extremely unreliable lemons which makes me very hesitant to buy a VW. I bought my BMW over an Audi because of this exact reason; at the time I was told by my office mates and friends that the Audi would be in the shop more than on the road, but i'm eating crow now. My son in law drives an Audi and he said his car hasn't had any issues. Are these VW/Audi's really ticking time bombs as everyone suggests?
4) I'd like to keep as close to $35,000 MSRP as possible

Cheers,
Rich
36 replies
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Feb 24, 2014
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The VW GTI is getting a refresh soon and will have 227hp stock and up to 245hp if you opt for the performance package. This may work in your favour since the dealerships will want to clear out any remaining 2016-2017s. As for VW/Audi reliability, I drive an S3 and have not had a single issue with it. Of course the car is only 1 year old but even my previous Audi was completely trouble free with the exception of an HID ballast that was blown.

The GTI has a more refined interior should that be something you're looking at. But either the GTI or Focus ST are excellent choices in my opinion. If your budget is $35,000 MSRP you may want to consider the Nissan 370Z as it starts at only $29,000 and has a good chunk of RWD performance. The Genesis Coupe is also in that price range and is RWD as well. I know you had a bad experience with your BMW but the 228i is a fun car and starts at $36,000. You'd likely be able to get a preferential interest rate as a returning customer.
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VW/Audi are the same as BMW. German engineering is a dream but it can go sideways and when it does it costs an arm and a leg.

Personally for $35k ceiling i'd grab a Camaro, but the visibility(or lack thereof) isn't for everyone, so i'd say Mustang/Genesis are runners up.

370z is currently too dated imo. Good idea to pass on WRX, Subaru's decision to give it a CVT is a bit of a mind boggle,.

You also didn't mention the tranny requirements if any. I love stick myself, but these days especially commuting in GTA i'd go for auto.
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Nov 26, 2016
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ctrueman82 wrote: VW/Audi are the same as BMW. German engineering is a dream but it can go sideways and when it does it costs an arm and a leg.

Personally for $35k ceiling i'd grab a Camaro, but the visibility(or lack thereof) isn't for everyone, so i'd say Mustang/Genesis are runners up.

370z is currently too dated imo. Good idea to pass on WRX, Subaru's decision to give it a CVT is a bit of a mind boggle,.

You also didn't mention the tranny requirements if any. I love stick myself, but these days especially commuting in GTA i'd go for auto.
I did look at the Mustang too but unfortunately my garage is on the smaller side and I don't think it would fit, or would be a very tight squeeze. The GTI and Focus ST are short in comparison and would be a lot easier. As for transmission i'm more preferential to a good old manual but have heard good things about the DSG in the VW/Audi group. I'm not as young as I was before and i've got chronic shoulder pain which might limit my driving if I go with a 6 speed manual.
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How about the Golf R?
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Nov 26, 2016
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vkizzle wrote: How about the Golf R?
The VW website has it listed at $40,000 which is a bit more than i'd like to spend! The Volkswagen seems to be the more mature option, but the Focus ST is more of a looker.
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The Civic Type R is coming...might be worth waiting for.

Since your leasing (and I assume returning after), you can still consider the German cars. Most expensive things tend to go wrong with them as they get older and the warranty expires.
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RichardTee wrote: The VW website has it listed at $40,000 which is a bit more than i'd like to spend! The Volkswagen seems to be the more mature option, but the Focus ST is more of a looker.
Check certified pre-owned. You can probably find a 2015 Golf R for around 35K. CPO VWs is an extra 24month/40000km after the orignal warranty is out.

The R is worth every penny over the GTI.
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Jun 17, 2013
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Isn't your 335 quicker than both the cars you're interested in getting?
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I honestly have no idea where the stigma of German cars having problems comes from. Maybe in the early 2000s but the newer ones have a great reputation.

I was looking for a performanceish vehicle as well on a smaller budget and went for a 2012 VW GLI and its great!


You should definitely consider the 2016 VW R. They are amazing cars if your ok with hatchbacks.

Stock numbers are pretty decent but once you throw a tune & intake on there you straight away get to: 350+ HP
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Nov 26, 2016
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NewMember12345 wrote: Isn't your 335 quicker than both the cars you're interested in getting?
It probably is, but for me it's less about the raw performance nowadays, and I never really felt like my 335 was a joyful drive anyhow. I know, I know, call me crazy, but I was always concerned with the consistent mechanical gremlins and after having the fuel pump replaced and other engine run ins I didn't feel as comfortable giving it the beans anymore.
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Nov 26, 2016
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Mr_Dogg wrote: I honestly have no idea where the stigma of German cars having problems comes from. Maybe in the early 2000s but the newer ones have a great reputation.

I was looking for a performanceish vehicle as well on a smaller budget and went for a 2012 VW GLI and its great!


You should definitely consider the 2016 VW R. They are amazing cars if your ok with hatchbacks.

Stock numbers are pretty decent but once you throw a tune & intake on there you straight away get to: 350+ HP
I love the hot hatch market hence my interest in both the Focus ST and GTI. I took a look at the Golf R in more detail today, wow! Didn't realize with the dual clutch transmission you could get to 100kph in 4.7 seconds. Something tells me the wife would less than pleased if I tried to stretch an extra $5000 out of my budget for another car. I just want something small and fun to drive. It doesn't necessarily have to be the best performing car, but something that i'll feel happy driving around town in the summer.
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I personally would include the WRX on that short list of cars given that it's AWD and can be used for year round fun. The base model starts at $29,000 which is very reasonable so long as you don't get too many options. The only downside with the WRX in my opinion is the mediocre looking interior which will be a huge step down from your BMW. If you really don't want to include it in your list of next cars and are stuck between the GTI and Focus ST, i'd probably opt for the GTI. It's been very well reviewed and will probably give you a nice happy medium between performance and luxury. That said, either car is a great buy.
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People really don't read the OP in these type of threads, sheesh.
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Nov 26, 2016
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rsang39 wrote: I personally would include the WRX on that short list of cars given that it's AWD and can be used for year round fun. The base model starts at $29,000 which is very reasonable so long as you don't get too many options. The only downside with the WRX in my opinion is the mediocre looking interior which will be a huge step down from your BMW. If you really don't want to include it in your list of next cars and are stuck between the GTI and Focus ST, i'd probably opt for the GTI. It's been very well reviewed and will probably give you a nice happy medium between performance and luxury. That said, either car is a great buy.
No WRX please. As mentioned I don't like the interior or exterior styling/dimensions.
Brian99 wrote: Monthly payment is more important than MSRP if you're strictly looking to lease. So what's your budget and time frame?
Ideally no more than $600 with $0 cash down on a 36-48 month lease. I'm open to putting up to $1000 cash downpayment to reduce the costs and keep it under $600 but thats the most I would put since i'm losing money and it would be money from the BMW that I either trade in to the dealer or sell privately.

I'd be interested in seeing how much the dealerships would take for my BMW, but I won't be lowballed and if they offer me what I don't think is fair i'll just keep it and sell privately. It's Sapphire Black 6 speed manual with black leather and navigation, 121,000kms, which according to Auto Trader are selling for $19,000 on average. It has no accidents and has been very well maintained and so I shouldn't have an issue selling it at a competitive price privately. CBB has the average trade in value of anywhere between $9000 and $12,000 which is too low for me.
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RichardTee wrote: I love the hot hatch market hence my interest in both the Focus ST and GTI. I took a look at the Golf R in more detail today, wow! Didn't realize with the dual clutch transmission you could get to 100kph in 4.7 seconds. Something tells me the wife would less than pleased if I tried to stretch an extra $5000 out of my budget for another car. I just want something small and fun to drive. It doesn't necessarily have to be the best performing car, but something that i'll feel happy driving around town in the summer.
Yeah, they packed a lot into there. It also has AWD, which would be great in the winter.

But yeah, youll be hard pressed finding a brand new one in 35k. I love me my VW's so I'm biased towards the GTI.

The MK7s are a great platform.
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Good luck selling it privately. 335i is dime a dozen and majority of the public knows to steer clear away from them, lastly you'd be lucky to even get $9k on trade. Why are you looking to lease? If you want something actually fun with real performance why not a E92 M3? Those are fairly reliable, the only downfall is gas consumption.
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EP32k2 wrote: Good luck selling it privately. 335i is dime a dozen and majority of the public knows to steer clear away from them, lastly you'd be lucky to even get $9k on trade. Why are you looking to lease? If you want something actually fun with real performance why not a E92 M3? Those are fairly reliable, the only downfall is gas consumption.
OP already had issues with his N54 and now you're asking him to dump $35k on a high mileage M3
Last edited by rsang39 on Dec 18th, 2016 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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oh my where do I start so much misinformation.

First the e90 m3 is not know for hpfp and turbo issues.. it's an NA engine and no high gas consumption is not the only downfall.. it has rod bearing issues that are catastrophic.
Not sure why OP you want to spend 35k+ tax to avoid a problem that is worst case 4k for new turbos installed. N54 with the up to date parts is pretty reliable, HPFP is covered.

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