Considering My Next Car

[F35-JSF]

Originally Posted by Doctor Drew

These might be odd choices, but Buicks make good commuter cars, right?

Verano Turbo

Regal GS

Never thought I'd say this but that regal is one hawt looking car, nice to see the brand moved away from boring bland styling.

[TheGlassMaker]

No the brand didn't move away from it they started useing their sisters brand Holden. For design and drive train. GM alone could have never done that. Holden is the only thing keeping their heads above water. Which is why the LS is used so much, holden also uses it in everything.

Sent from FBI surveillance van 2

[mmmfloorpie]

Originally Posted by F35-JSF

Never thought I'd say this but that regal is one hawt looking car, nice to see the brand moved away from boring bland styling.

You might be able to get a good deal on a Regal since they are selling like compromise sandwiches in Washington DC...

[Bwill9886]

Lots of different options on that list. I've also been considering my options as I'm thinking about getting out of the Focus within a year. Really it will depend on if I find the right car, as I don't in any way need to get rid of the Focus.

I've narrowed it down to 2012 GTI's and 2011-2012 WRX's. Both offer great potential, but of course both have some downsides.

My concerns with the WRX is actually a positive once you own it: resale value. THEY ARE RIDICULOUS. A 19,000 mile 2011 base WRX goes for near new sticker! It actually makes sense to buy new (which another member looking at STI's noted in another thread). That and the mileage is "meh" and that 5 speed... Interiors suck too, but that's not what I'd be buying it for.

The GTI, besides higher maintenance costs and the potential for electric gremlins (which is totally hit or miss, as I've known plenty of VW's to be perfectly reliable when taken care of), I don't have many complaints about.

Originally Posted by CharlieRose

Not totally sure about the winters yet...only been here a few years. The first winter was a blizzard every week. The next winter we got almost no snow. So it's hit and miss, I guess. You can tell I'm nervous about a RWD car though...mostly don't want to get caught out in the snow and be "that guy" who can't pull away from a stop sign. Truth be told I've got a 1998 Nissan Frontier 4X4 as my non-commuter car, which I drive on the weekends and when I think the roads will be slick. So I probably make too much out of the RWD vs FWD, as long as my truck keeps working for me.

Yeah, we've had pretty mild winters here lately. We definitely have the potential though to put down some snow though, as you seem to have experienced. Therefore if you go RWD, you'll want to invest in snow tires.

That's something I'd have to get if I got a GTI as well considering the rubber they come with.

Originally Posted by CharlieRose

I actually commented to the Ford salesman last time I was in for an oil change that it's hard to believe the new Fusion was only $22,000 (the one on their lot anyway). Seems like a lot of car for that price. It just seems a bit too much like a family car for my needs at the moment.

I really love the new Fusions... but the recalls on the 1.6T and the soon to plummet resale value are pushing me away from Ford (though that does make it a good pick-up on the used market). I will be keeping my eyes on them though. If the deal was right, I don't think I could say no to a 1.6T 6 speed manual with nice options!

[hotleadsingerguy]

I'd stay away from the BMW 1-series. They're barely BMWs. Also, if you live in a place that snows stay away from the FR-S/BR-Z. They're extremely light RWD cars with too much HP for the weight. They're still really slow, but they can't get traction. They were literally made as like a borderline-drifter car.

The WRX is awesome for sure, but requires premium gas. The Mazdaspeed3 is great, but looks dumb now. I'd also suggest the Accord Sport. I just picked one up two days ago and *love* it.

[Woggy64]

I borrowed my dad's Buick Verano while back visiting him - I would not mind driving that car again. Now for 2013 it's got a turbo bolted to it and standard backup camera - if I was buying today that might have passed the Focus on my list.

[F35-JSF]

Originally Posted by mmmfloorpie

You might be able to get a good deal on a Regal since they are selling like compromise sandwiches in Washington DC...

No Im driving the wheels off my car...

[dan50]

Originally Posted by TheGlassMaker

No the brand didn't move away from it they started useing their sisters brand Holden. For design and drive train. GM alone could have never done that. Holden is the only thing keeping their heads above water. Which is why the LS is used so much, holden also uses it in everything.

Sent from FBI surveillance van 2

I don't think the Verano has anything at all to do with Holden. The Verano chassis is Cruze-based, which did have some engineering work done by GM Korea. Holden is the source of large rear-drive GM chassis, which Buick does not use. Holden is pretty small and isn't capable of keeping GM's head above water.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by dan50

I don't think the Verano has anything at all to do with Holden. The Verano chassis is Cruze-based, which did have some engineering work done by GM Korea. Holden is the source of large rear-drive GM chassis, which Buick does not use. Holden is pretty small and isn't capable of keeping GM's head above water.

Yes, the Holden connection is tenuous at best, the Verano in particular as well as the Regal are based on Opel derived platforms, with Daewoo doing the heavy lifting on most of the development of the Cruze/Astra platform and Opel doing the bulk of the work on the Insignia which is the car the Regal is directly built off of and is a straight re-badging for the most part.

The Cruze/Astra/Verano are a bit more like fraternal triplets than direct copies however.

Holden was responsible for the overweight Zeta platform which is used in the Caprice PPV and the Camaro, that's it, no where else currently in North America.

There is supposed to be a civilian version of the Caprice coming back as an "SS" as the basis of GM's next Nascar effort, but that's basically just a lwb pontiac g8 which didn't sell all that well here in the first place.

The LSx motors were developed here based on the original GM small block, not down in Australia even if the Australians love to put them in the Commodore/Statesman/ Ute/ etc.

[CharlieRose]

Originally Posted by Bwill9886

My concerns with the WRX is actually a positive once you own it: resale value. THEY ARE RIDICULOUS. A 19,000 mile 2011 base WRX goes for near new sticker! It actually makes sense to buy new (which another member looking at STI's noted in another thread). That and the mileage is "meh" and that 5 speed... Interiors suck too, but that's not what I'd be buying it for.

Check out the CNET review of the WRX. They mention that the platform and the technology in the car are outdated. But they also say it's due for a total update in the next year or two, so you'd be wise to wait for the new version to come to market. Or if you like the current model, the resale value should drop a lot once the new version is put on sale.