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Wagons Best AWD Performance Wagon under $40k
25 messages, Last post on Aug 24, 2008 at 3:25 PM
You are in the Wagons Forum. Your Host is kcram
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Replying to: andres3 (Mar 12, 2006 10:48 pm) From the outside, in real life, it does not look all that much different from the Neon, except for the higher body line and lower roof line that leave little visibility. Speaking of which, the rear window is tiny and obstructed by that huge trunk handle, so don't plan on parking this car anywhere. At any rate, the car suffers a bit from the "baby of" look, as in baby of other dodges, like the Polo compared to the GTI, or the Mazda3 compared to the 6, or the discontinued small Mercedes compared to... you get the drift. The interior looked like what to expect from the car I got: a rental. Steering is direct, so is handling under normal city driving. When push comes to shove, push wins and there is absolutely no support from the rear suspension. My ’93 Golf with torsion beam axle handles better under power, and even more so does the first generation Focus. I am starting to wonder how many parts they needed to (or actually did?) replace for the SRT-4. The engine has enough torque for everyday driving and makes the tires chirp easily in first. Driving up a mountain at moderate altitude is another story. Don't try passing another car above 60 mph going uphill, even if you have no other passengers or luggage in this car. In other words, plenty of low-end torque for everyday driving, but not much power at higher revs – reminds me of the 2.5 Jetta. Except, you would not really want any adult sit in the rear seats, in this car. The suspension is supple and forgiving, but allowing for somewhat above-average noise to penetrate the cabin. Reminds me of mid-to-late 80's Saturns; just a tad stiffer. I got 18 mpg average, largely highways at decent speed, including mountain passes. A bit much for a 4 cyl. that already had 25,000 miles on the clock. Sorry, but a bare-bones Focus wins over this one any day, in any category. |
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I vote my 2.0T A3 sport package in ocean blue as car of the year 2006. But Audi and it's dealers better watch those fit and finish issues!!! Most irritating (less than perfection issue) so far is the rattle coming from the back of the car. Can't locate exactly what it is yet, but its noticeably loud over bumps and vibrations. (Damn shame I didn't notice anything during test drive, or for that matter in the other 3 A3's I drove before deciding to buy. |
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Replying to: ccd1 (Feb 20, 2006 4:54 am) With your financial requirement you would be in the top of the line model with cash to spare. Either the H6 or the I-4 engine are great and the Outback is larger than the previously mentioned WRX.
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Replying to: bristol2 (Jun 01, 2007 11:11 am) Now I can see the argument that the WRX might not be big or luxurious enough for this discussion, but if the Vibe is in the mix then surely the Rex should be. I would definitely suggest the Outback XT, which you can get into around $30K with little difficulty, especially with a manual (tho finding them can be a trick). If a manual was easier to find, I'd probably be in one now. The power and torque numbers suggest that the 2.5 turbo H4 would have a nicer power band than the H6, which can't be had with a manual. Instead, I ended up getting a 2006 Volvo V70 2.5T... it's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing and leans a bit more practical than performance, but I like it a lot. AWD was a bit easy to sacrifice here on the coast of North Carolina. I don't pine for a manual like I would with an Outback, because the Volvo turbo is so well-suited to the auto-tranny. |
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AWD performance wagon seekers get more choices; revamped Subaru Impreza, Saturn Vue, Saab 9-3 combi, and (possibly) the Chevrolet Equinox SS. Saturn's opting for Euro calibration of its suspension. The Saab is essentially an Opel in disguise.
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Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Jun 24, 2007 9:42 am) It shuts off 4 cyclinders to save fuel, so you will get acceptable gas mileage when not flogging it. I live in Colorado, where AWD vehicles are popular, and I had to drive 200 miles to find my AWD R/T. So they are hard to find, since most Magnum R/Ts tend to be RWD. My advise, buy used since they depreciate quite a bit, but makes a great bargain if you don't have to have new. I got my 2006 with 12000 miles a few months ago for $18,000. Has everything including Navigation/Sirius/Rear DVD.
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Replying to: theericharris1 (Jun 03, 2008 6:22 am) -mike |
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| is that most need 4 to $5K in repair costs by the time you hit 65K miles. More expensive to maintain and repair than the worst and most expensive cars. | |
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The reviews of VW's 4-motion version of its Tiguan have generally been very good and it easily fits into this price range. Still, I wonder how the Tiguan's AWD compares to the Audi A3, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Subaru Forester XT |
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