Hi ya'll! It's been a long time since I've been here, the STI is gone forever (tears) and I've moved on. It's actually hard to remember what it was like to drive.
Anyways, that's not why I'm here. As many of you know I cut the STI loose to help ease the pressure of paying for school out of pocket. As a result I picked up a 1990 B3 Passat for dirt cheap that had over 200k miles on the clock. The VW has been way more reliable than you would think for a car that mileage and it's still running perfect... well there is an oil leak and need for timing belt, so the car is a ticking time bomb I do not want to fix. And it's extremely boring to commute in and I drive a lot. Time to buy a new car.
I considered Subaru again, but the WRX is a little more expensive than I like and I'm still not big on the new styling. Looks boring, and I often confuse it for a Toyota (I do love the new STI, but that's WAY to expensive). The BRZ is a wicked fun car, but again, too expensive for my taste, the options I want on the car put it up in the $30k range, and even with good snow tires, it's not ideal for the snow. I am thinking more like a $25,000 or less car. That leaves some "hot hatches", like the Mini, Fiat 500 Abarth, Focus ST, Fiesta ST, and GTI.
Car has to be:
New
Less than $25,000
Sporty/ fun to drive, but still comfortable long distance daily driver
Able to autocross
Hatchback for da groceries
My criteria does not leave a lot of options, but after some thought, I narrowed it down to 3:
2015 GTI: The hatch that set the bar, I suppose. Fits right in my price range (base model), ~200hp, with the option to APR Stage 1 ECU tune it from the dealer to make 300hp ish! My brother just got one a few weeks ago, I drove it and it's very solid, feels very well built, and it was quick. The problem is that everyone in the world has a GTI, and as much as I like it, it felt more luxurious than sporty. Don't get me wrong, it's a sporty car, but to me it feels out of place on an autocross course (my personal opinion). The build quality and comfort driving is a plus though.
The 2015 Focus ST: Higher in the price range thanks to dealer markups it seems, though I can get nice Ford discounts thanks to a family member who works at Ford. The rival to the GTI with 50 more horsepower out of the box. Better looking too if you ask me, it screams performance, with dramatic styling and ST logos everywhere (like the damn STI). The 2015 model is just coming out now, and I've been waiting to test drive one. Everything screams "better than the GTI" to me, except it's price. Optional Recaros seats, a must have, are a $2400 option.
2015 Fiesta ST: The cheap option. Besides the fact that this car is "adorable" according to everyone I know (look at those headlight eyelashes), this little Ford is high up on my want list. It's got about the same horsepower as the GTI (though less torquey), but weights about 400lbs less and costs significantly less too. I haven't heard bad things about this car, review after review praises this car for sheer driving pleasure. That is a big positive. And even after the optional $2000 Recaro seats I must have, it still costs less than the GTI and Focus ST. And with family and employer discounts, this is about the most fun I can have in a new car for the money.
All are good options, but which one would I be happy with for the next few years? That's the hard part. If anyone has any experience with these cars and can sell me on one, please feel free. All opinions are welcome. Thank you all!