Am I completely insane?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,483
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL
Am I completely insane?
Hey guys, the car bug is biting me again.
Due to gas prices, laziness & general fascination with cars - i'm contemplating selling the GS and my Infiniti to buy just one car for all seasons. Paying for insurance, plates & maintenance for 2 cars is slowly getting to me.
Here is my latest idea (your opinions will be heavily considered)...
Sell the 2 cars (which should be worth around $25-30k) and pick up either:
Audi A3 2.0T with DSG (great reviews on this car - everyone seems to call it the perfect all-around car)
Mini Cooper S 6-speed (i've always loved these, plus they drive like go-carts)
Acura TSX 6-speed (although a bit slow - very great quality car)
Mazda3s Grand Touring (I drove the MazdaSpeed 3 as well, but that loud exhaust & lack of a sunroof turned me off)
-- all of these cars would get me around 30 mpg & are available with navigation (the GS spoiled me)
Again, this is nothing set in stone, but definitely a possibility. What do you guys think?
George
Due to gas prices, laziness & general fascination with cars - i'm contemplating selling the GS and my Infiniti to buy just one car for all seasons. Paying for insurance, plates & maintenance for 2 cars is slowly getting to me.
Here is my latest idea (your opinions will be heavily considered)...
Sell the 2 cars (which should be worth around $25-30k) and pick up either:
Audi A3 2.0T with DSG (great reviews on this car - everyone seems to call it the perfect all-around car)
Mini Cooper S 6-speed (i've always loved these, plus they drive like go-carts)
Acura TSX 6-speed (although a bit slow - very great quality car)
Mazda3s Grand Touring (I drove the MazdaSpeed 3 as well, but that loud exhaust & lack of a sunroof turned me off)
-- all of these cars would get me around 30 mpg & are available with navigation (the GS spoiled me)
Again, this is nothing set in stone, but definitely a possibility. What do you guys think?
George
CL Community Team
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 17,337
Likes: 213
From: Miami, Florida
Hard to be insane if you are talking about saving money, just make sure you take a close look at the reliability. The A3 for instance hasn't been out for too long in the U.S., but I can tell you the last generation A3 sold down here had a lot of issues.
Your not insane buddy. You are smart. Chicago winters are no joke, and the GS4 is getting old and losing its value fast. Get yourself the Audi A3 Quattro.. You will be a very happy camper.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,663
Likes: 1,424
From: Florida
Acura TSX 6-speed is my choice of the above, great car! Luxury at a bargain, the 4-banger honda engineering naturally keeps torque levels low, but its still got good pep and is a blast to drive!
Trending Topics
ClubLexus Stories
Celebrating Lexus & Toyota from Around the Globe
Top 10 Most Confusing Things Lexus Has Ever Done!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Lexus ES Review: Lexus Re-Embraces Founding Principles
Michael S. Palmer
10 Lexus Bargains That are Cheaper Than a New Toyota RAV4
Joe Kucinski
8 Weirdest Things Lexus Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
10 Lexus Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
8 Tips for Improving Your Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid's Efficiency!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Best Lexus Models No One Remembers
Joe Kucinski
TRD Off-Road Premium: Best 2026 4Runner, Except This One Thing
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Lexus & Toyotas to Drive Before You Die!
Joe Kucinski
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 14
From: Cali
I would be hard-pressed to 'downgrade' from a car like the GS to one of the cars you mentioned, but I understand your reasons for considering it.
The A3 is strange to me because it costs as much as an A4 did a few years ago and it seems tiny. It makes me think of what a four-door VW GTi would look like if they made one.
The Mini Cooper... I like these cars. If you don't need a super-practical people hauler, this would be my first choice.
Acura TSX: a bit long in the tooth, but a great car and you can get it with all the cool Navi/BlueTooth toys. And it comes in blue.
Mazda 3; I don't know why, but I really like these cars. There is a guy locally with one lowered a bit on 18s- it looks great, the wider wheels and tires really emphasize the body & fender details. Even in stock form they look sharp with the upgraded stock wheels.
If you buy one of the German cars (this includes the Mini) and you plan on keeping it a while , get the extra warranty (my friend had to replace his Cooper S engine -spun rod bearing- at 30,700 miles, just out of warranty
)
The A3 is strange to me because it costs as much as an A4 did a few years ago and it seems tiny. It makes me think of what a four-door VW GTi would look like if they made one.
The Mini Cooper... I like these cars. If you don't need a super-practical people hauler, this would be my first choice.
Acura TSX: a bit long in the tooth, but a great car and you can get it with all the cool Navi/BlueTooth toys. And it comes in blue.
Mazda 3; I don't know why, but I really like these cars. There is a guy locally with one lowered a bit on 18s- it looks great, the wider wheels and tires really emphasize the body & fender details. Even in stock form they look sharp with the upgraded stock wheels.
If you buy one of the German cars (this includes the Mini) and you plan on keeping it a while , get the extra warranty (my friend had to replace his Cooper S engine -spun rod bearing- at 30,700 miles, just out of warranty
)
German tuner Oettinger has some nice packages for the Audi A3. Just look at this vid.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p-00Y6Rnj4g
http://youtube.com/watch?v=p-00Y6Rnj4g
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,483
Likes: 0
From: Chicago, IL
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,078
Likes: 110
From: Southeastern PA
Be warned that the Audi or Mini nav system will not be anywhere as good as Japanese systems (I know that Audi's is not touch screen). I can imagine that would be an annoying adjustment.