What is a realistic and fun upgrade from my 2001 Jetta 1.8T?

[Alienwho]

The car bug has hit me recently. I'll probably be getting a new (used) car about one year from now. I currently drive a 2001 1.8T Jetta which has been nothing but a Joy to me (quirks aside), which might surprise the VW haters.

I know my car isn't super fast, but it feels quite quick and makes for excellent spirited driving. My wife's Elantra is an absolute dog compared to my Jetta, it is like night and day. I have absolutely fallen in love with the 4banger+turbo, not only because it is quite fast and is really fun to drive, but I easily pull 425 miles per tank (14.5 gallon), which is at least 100miles per tank more than my wife's Elantra which has the same tank size.

What cars should I be keeping an eye on if I'm planning on getting a car in approximately 18 months?

My requirements are as follows: 25+mpg highway mostly (prefer 30)
I want nice quality. My VW was a nice step up from my previous car, but I want to step into an even better interior and overall driving experience.
Spend under $15k on a car that has less than 40k miles and is generally a 2005 or newer.
Needs a backseat (but can be a two door)

What i really want is an RX8, but the gas mileage is stopping me from getting serious.
the WRX/EVO/Mazdaspeed/G35 have all crossed my mind. I really don't care what engine the car has but tend to lean to the 4cyl turbo because those all seem to be able to calm down on a highway drive and get 30mpg.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

For under $15K - best of luck as that is a lot of requirements.

2005 Saab 9-3 Aero

Cobalt SS/Ion Red Line - crappy interior but fast & good MPG ( SC models in your price range)

 

[Alienwho]

You think? I can find a few dozen RX8's with ~50kmiles for $12,000 easily.

I really like Subaru Legacy 2.5GT.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

That's because no one in their right mind wants to service that POS wankle engine past the warranty.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: PhoKingGuy
That's because no one in their right mind wants to service that POS wankle engine past the warranty.

I wouldn't touch that car either. Sure it handles well but that's about all it does.

 

[ViviTheMage]

B7 Audi 2.0T Quattro...step up for all mk4 Jetta owners...I had 4 MK4 1.8T's and 1 VR6 and found the 2.0T to be much snappier, and I LOVE the quattro now....and the interior on the Audi's are far superior then VW's imo.

 

[Arkaign]

If you can give up the tightness on year, you can find very low-mileage C5 Vettes for that price range. Admittedly, the interior quality won't be stellar, but with 400-500hp easily tappable with simple mods, great reliability, and 30+mpg in reach with the 6spd, what's not to love?

 

[PhoKingGuy]

The A4/325i/C class are all good fits for what you are looking into, go test drive some of those and see how you feel. I'd shy away from saab post 2000 as their quality Post-GM was ridiculously horrendous.

15k is pushing it though, you might be better off with a newer Jetta Wolfsburg/GTI or something.

 

[overst33r]

My friend has a Legacy GT. 250whp is a piece of cake and should put you into the 12s. The handling is also great because of the AWD. Practicality and looks are great too. Basically the overall package is hard to beat for the price. He gets around 22mpg doing mostly city driving. 26mpg+ on the hwy.

 

[Hyperlite]

obligatory Leg2.5GT/WRX suggestion. Stay away from the RX8.

 

[Savij]

05/06 acura RSX-S

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Savij
05/06 acura RSX-S

The worst performer in their category when they were out.

 

[vshah]

IIRC the 1.8t has 150hp? or was it 170 in the 2001s?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Another vote for the Leggy.

 

[CptCrunch]

Might be able to find a used 2009 WRX or Audi A4/A6 that fits the bill, but 15k might be pushing it for something nice that is new(er) with low miles

 

[Alienwho]

Originally posted by: vshah
IIRC the 1.8t has 150hp? or was it 170 in the 2001s?

Yeah it's supposed to be 150HP, but I really think it's 180. I don't know. I beat my friend in his 200hp IS300 every time we happen to hit a red light together, even when I have a passenger and he doesn't. Maybe it has something to do that my jetta is manual and he's got an automatic? My car isn't chipped.

I'm really starting to lean towards the Legacy GT. I think it's exactly what I want. I'm glad I made this thread because I wasn't really thinking about it before hand.

 

[StageLeft]

You think? I can find a few dozen RX8's with ~50kmiles for $12,000 easily.

Yes, but you don't want to.

I wouldn't touch that car either. Sure it handles well but that's about all it does.

Yeah, the automatic one is actually slower than dogsh*t, the car is mostly fail. It is interesting with its four doors and four seats and handles well, but lacking in power, plus rotary engines just suck.

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: zerocool84

Originally posted by: Savij
05/06 acura RSX-S

The worst performer in their category when they were out.

Yeah, but it's a step up from the jetta, and has a nicer interior than most of the other in the group. The WRX/EVO/speed3... they're all faster but he he said "I want to step into an even better interior" in which case I think the RSX wins*

*I am biased, I went with the RSX after shopping through almost the same group of cars.

 

[mc866]

+1 on the LGT or WRX. Older versions of the A4/325i/C will be in your price range but keep in mind maintenance costs when looking at these cars. Had an '03 330XI, great car but maintenance can get quite spendy. I now have a MS3 and the wife drives a G35x both great cars and on your list, not fast, according to the not fast thread , but both are still fun to drive either way and will have a bit more pep than the 1.8T you have. Oh and a heads up the gas millage in the MS3 isn't that great, unless you are cruising in 70Mph in 6th gear. I would go out and do some test driving and see what you like the best.

 

[Alienwho]

Originally posted by: mc866
+1 on the LGT or WRX. Older versions of the A4/325i/C will be in your price range but keep in mind maintenance costs when looking at these cars. Had an '03 330XI, great car but maintenance can get quite spendy. I now have a MS3 and the wife drives a G35x both great cars and on your list, not fast, according to the not fast thread , but both are still fun to drive either way and will have a bit more pep than the 1.8T you have. Oh and a heads up the gas millage in the MS3 isn't that great, unless you are cruising in 70Mph in 6th gear. I would go out and do some test driving and see what you like the best.

How did it feel going from the 330 XI to the mazdaspeed3? I was considering the mazdaspeed3 as well but am not sure about it. I don't get the 'not fast' thread nonsense, I'm not looking for a supercar. I know the ms3 or g35 would make me more than happy on the power aspect.

 

[mc866]

I want to preface that this is probably waaaaay more info than you wanted but when I was done I realized I had typed a ton hopefully some of it is helpful.

So the 330 and the MS3 are two completely different animals. As a side history note I drove a 99 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS before I purchased the 330, I was dead set on getting an STI but ended up with the 330. The 330 overall was just a much nicer car in all areas from the quality of the materials in the car, the smooth ride, but very agile handling, the wonderful 6cly engine, the AWD package that I opted for because I'm up in MN, etc. It wasn't fast but faster than my RS, not as fast as an STI but plenty fast for me, I figured the STI would just get me into trouble anyway. That and my wife was all for the 330 especially after taking a test drive in both, she thought I was crazy for wanting the STI. For my budget I just felt that the 330 was the sweetspot for refinement but yet some performance that made for enjoyable spirited driving, that and it was the more "grown up" decision. I didn't really have any major issues with the bimmer, the worst was an issue of the shifter kind of sticking when taking it out of 5th gear. Luckily BMW USA covered the $5K in work that was needed on the transmission even though my car was out of warranty. The one thing that always worried me though was what if something major does happen once I was out of warranty it could have been very costly. If you do pursue a BMW/Audi/Mercedes I suggest looking at the certified used programs because you get a bit of extended warranty coverage. The one issue with that is it may put you out of your price range a bit. Overall it's the nicest all around car that I've owned, which isn't saying too much though.

Now on to the MS3. Some of the features I really liked were the HP/torque ratings, the stock suspension is nice, there is plenty of power to the point that it's almost too easy to spin the front tires. The front seats are nice and sporty too, not the best on long trips, the styling is nice and not over the top like the STI, more of a sleeper look. The interior isn't anything special but functional, I have the GT so it has the leather inserts, xenon headlights, aux adapter for portable music player, 6 disc changer. The reason I sold the 3 was because we just had a baby recently and we knew we needed a bit more room because I couldn't even fit anything else but the stroller in the 330, that and the e46 back seats aren't very spacious. So I did what I felt was a ton of research and narrowed it down to 3 different wagon/hatches that I felt would be both fun to drive and also very practical as far as space goes. The vehicles I chose were the Volvo V70R, WRX wagon, specifically 06 or newer with the 2.5L turbo, and the MS3. I had a chance to drive all three and I thought the MS3 was the most fun overall of the 3. The Volvo had some of the refinement and the higher end interior bits and entry level luxury items the the BMW had plus the 300HP AWD package that would be fun. The WRX was exactly what I was looking for but not as much fun and didn't have the power that the other two had, but it did have the AWD which was huge for me and the MN winters we have up here. The only drawbacks that I found with the MS3 was the fact that it was FWD and possibly the torque steer, but that hasn't been a major issue for me. In the end the Volvo was out cause I couldn't find any in my price range with low enough miles. So it was down to the WRX and the MS3, in the end the only upside that I felt the WRX had was the AWD, aside from that the MS3 won out in features and power. My final decision wasn't that difficult because I was able to find a MS3 that fit my budget but couldn't find a WRX that did. I'm happy with the decision and love the MS3.