I had one of these for a few years and loved it.
Big grin factor and zero mech or elec problems.

 

Maybe I misrepresented what she was looking for exactly. She wants a very practical car, but also grins her *** off when she drives something sporty. So that's why the GTI and GLI were right up her alley. Also, she's not at all just some "girl" she's actually an engineering major at GT and knows a bit about mechanics, but maybe not about actually working on cars.

She could tell which cars were built well and which ones were trash (Scion tC...) We're not decided yet, but the comments on VW's have us a little worried. She's still a way away from making a purchase, so we're probably gonna drive everything that's been mentioned so far. That should be a good pool of cars to choose from.

 

Go with the Subaru Impreza WRX. Great car reasonable price, runs forever. All wheel drive for inclement weather, super safe, and quick. STI would be to much and to expensive. Very practical yet fun. My 2 cents.

 

i say out of the ones you listed you should get a mini. There pretty reliable and there fun to drive. Only bad thing i heard about them, there's something that happens to there engine to make it sound like a diesel in the morning. Not a performance problem, but more of a annonce.

I would say also check out a newer 05-06 acura rsx. It has decent power, good resale value and good reliability.

I agree on the vw...the cost of repairs on a vw will probably be higher then your srt6 and about the same as my c32 but none of the fun.

 

Check out latest JD Power ranking based on problems within the first three years. VW is second to last above Suzuki.. Think about it...

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...entid=18674859

 

I agree! Female point of view here: I only drive cute or sexy cars! (Hence why I drive an Xfire!)

I'll agree on the TC. I have a few friends that own one, and haven't heard any complaints yet! My first car was a Toyota Corolla S....the little "sporty" package on it makes it look a heck of a lot better than the standard Corolla...and I LOVED the gas mileage!

Happy Hunting!

 

holy crap... 260problems. My friend thought about getting a new GTI until he found out his insurance would be $365 a month for it.

 

I definitely appreciate all the input guys (and OC XFire). You've got us reconsidering cars we've written off and researching our asses off on everything we're interested in. The really sad thing is that we're not decided on a VW at this point, but no other car that we've driven, short of an Audi or BMW, has anywhere near as nice of an interior. We've been very unimpressed with nearly every car besides the VW's (and other German cars) in her price range.

It just sucks that you can't have it all. We like the looks, interior quality, and design of the GTI, but these reliability issues keep haunting us. We also like the A4 and 3 series, but prices on those quickly surpass $15k if you want a well maintained car in good condition. We've looked at some beaten up BMW's for 15 grand...

As far as the Japanese cars go, we've looked at the Scions, Imprezas, and Civics. The Scion is just a joke, but as much as we liked the Impreza WRX and Civic SI, the interiors just ruined it. She just didn't like the copious use of "plasticky" materials.

We'll keep looking, and appreciate the continuing suggestions.

 

i would also say check out some acura 04-05 TL's...you can find a lot of them fully loaded with navi, hids, bluetooh leather seats for $15-16k. Plus it has v6 270hp engine that gets decent mileage.

Maybe check out a acura 04-05 tsx as well if she wants something smaller. The k24 in there is dead on reliable.

 

I owned three VW's before my SRT-6. 00 Golf, 03 GTI and 06 GTI. They are great cars but not as reliable as a Honda. I traded my GTI because I was running out of warranty and got a great deal on my SRT-6. The Honda SI has mostly the same performance numbers but just does not feel like a VW. I have driven most cars and nothing feels like a german car. That said I would never own a VW out of warranty.

 

It looks like Minis are starting to look like bad bets due to transmission failures.

I agree with you, Audi and VW have the best interiors, short of BMW. They really feel like works of art.

 

You guy's have just got the new smart car, Have you thought about the BRABUS tuned soft top

 

NO. Please no smart cars... Maybe they're more feasible in Europe, but get in a crash with some cars here (Hummer, Excursion, Suburban, etc) and the Smart car might as well be a sport bike.

 

Between GTI and Audi A4.....go with the A4

 

thought you might like to take a look at this
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJHpUO-S0i8

 

Cool video, but I researched further about the official crash tests for the Smart Car. Turns out, it got mostly "acceptable" ratings by the NHTSA. I just wouldn't feel safe in one of those, plus she wants something that is sporty, practical, and not a death trap... just poking fun with that last one. We're just not considering a Smart car, it's not for us.

 

Mini Cooper S comes with an Auto too. My sister test drove one while I rode in the front with her and our really fat salesman squeezed into the back.

 

damn it, I've been fooled. Nice catch... and I read through the whole ******' thing.

 

My wife's next car in a mercedes for sure. Used of course. 230/240 something in the C class...

 

af pilot training? as i understand, you have to go to the academy straight from h.s. (a hellluva process) to become an a.f. pilot (as in multi million dollar aircraft). your posts make no sense from a critical thinking standpoint. our aircraft (whether support or tactical) are not *cute* and a.f. wives know that. their lives are the air force and everything they do permeates that. i ought to know; one of my best friends from h.s. is an accomplished a.f. pilot (academy and all).