My new plan

[stovt001]

OK, so I think I have come up with a plan that will satisfy my desire for the pure sex that is Camaro, as well as my desire for a nimble car that can handle some twisty roads and my need for fuel efficiency.

Originally, I just wanted to buy a new SS sometime next year or so. Unfortunately, due to the economy I have had to change career plans. My new career should be lucrative long-run, but won't make much short-term. Plus, my wife has been talking about getting a house, or at least renting one to upgrade from our tiny 1-bedroom apartment, and well the idea of having a garage, a backyard, and a bbq is very appealing. The new job will require a good amount of driving and gas is going up, so I also want to get pretty solid fuel economy. So now my plan is to go for an affordable hot-hatch sometime next year or so. Current favorites are the Mazdaspeed3 or the GTI. Current Mazdaspeed is nice, but surprisingly not much more fuel efficient than even the SS. New one should be more efficient but it is well...yeah the look is pretty goofy. The new GTI looks promising, lesser performance is balanced by more sophistication, and the economy numbers look good, but then you have Volkswagen reliability. Anyway, my hope is after a few years when my business is established and bringing in better money, I can buy either a used Camaro SS or Corvette (maybe even a Z06 ) to use strictly as a weekend cruiser. A convertible for either would be nice too.

So what do you all think? Anyone planning on getting an RJT SS, perhaps a vert, and planning on selling in say, oh, 4 or 5 years from now?

[Lauryn200]

GTI

I just purchased an 09 Urban Grey DSG last week....sweet,fast,awesome interior but you might have difficulty finding one.They stopped production on the 09 last October and they didn't produce to many of them.It took me two weeks to get mine.

Consumer report recommends the GTI and the Rabbit...

They have the MK6-GTI (upgraded model) going on sale in October 2009-which is already getting rave reviews.

It's not in the same league as a Camaro but it will hold u over til u get one..good luck...

[Lauryn200]

"My Fast"

[IROCanSS]

MS3 is fast, fun and nimble (sister in law test drove one the day we ordered ur Camaro) It was an 09. The 2010 is a little "odd" in the N/A cars but the hood scoop and spoilers on the '10 MS3 make it look pretty bad ass.

GTi is VERY nice but watch... maintainace is high on German cars! If it will be a 3/4 year fix you will be OK under the warranty but watch out after you bust that...

We were going to get a TDI Jetta to replace the Civic commuter we have but now we are going to hold off and give the Cruze a try...

Buy American my friend!

[stovt001]

Thanks for your info guys. Your thoughts on the two hatches pretty much mirror mine. The more I think about this, the better I like it. I actually think the Camaro convertible is even better looking than the coupe. Deep down, I really wanted one, but couldn't see buying one as a daily driver and couldn't afford it new, so I just ignored it. However, now it all makes sense. Everything I didn't like about the Camaro before seems so perfect in the weekend cruiser setting. The wide seats, wide stance, styling over visibility, heftiness, and large wheels sound just great when mated to a drop top that I'll use on sunny weekends to cruise Rt 66 or drive up highway 1 (PCH) to Monterrey or something. It will take a while for this to happen, but boy do I think it is worth it. So I'm back guys! After some time being negative on the Camaro, I finally see how I can really enjoy one! Can't wait for a few years down the line when I can buy my convertible, manual transmission 2SS. Oh it will be glorious! :party0038::party0048: :5thgenvert:

[Hesh]

My suggestion to you as a VW owner is to not buy one. They are death on upkeep and repairs. Mine had many minor issues up until the warranty went out then it was a beat down that has never stop giving. I have serveral other guys I work with that own them as well and will swear to what I am saying. They are a problem child of a vehicle. I say RUN dont walk from the VW. Also welcome back. Not really like you ever left tho...lol.

[BigRigMike]

I thought the new Mazdaspeed 3 was going to carry over the same drivetrain? You may be disappointed if you are expecting the '10 to get better milage than '09.

Edit:I just checked out Fueleconomy.gov and the 09 is 18 city /25 hwy /20 combined and the 10 is 18/25/21.

[stovt001]

Originally Posted by BigRigMike

I thought the new Mazdaspeed 3 was going to carry over the same drivetrain? You may be disappointed if you are expecting the '10 to get better milage than '09.

Edit:I just checked out Fueleconomy.gov and the 09 is 18 city /25 hwy /20 combined and the 10 is 18/25/21.

Interesting. I didn't think the 2010s were rated yet. I do know the drivetrain is carry-over, but I also read that the reason for the really goofy styling is for aerodynamic purposes. Apparently the grin has a really low cD, hence my assumption mileage would improve. Looks like it has slightly.

So now my dilemma - do I go for the quick and reliable MS3 and get fairly poor gas mileage, or do I go for the sophisticated and more efficient GTI, and put up with the problems? My Father-in-Law is Mr Import. His only criteria for cars is perceived reliability (in other words, Honda and Toyota) and he harasses me constantly for buying GM. It could be kinda fun to buy the VW just to watch him go nuts with the reliability issues.

[BigRigMike]

I don't have much first experience with either outside of test drives but I really like the MS3 especially with the MS exhaust which makes it sounds deeper with out being too annoying like some 4 cyl exhausts.

When it comes time to trade my wife's Malibu Maxx the short list will be a regular 3 and Fiesta, mostly because I hate the plaid interior of the VW.

[stovt001]

Haha, my wife loves the VW's plaid interior, and I gotta say I kinda like it too. My mom has a regular Mazda3 sedan, and I gotta say I love it. But do I really want to have the same car as my mom...? You are right, the MS3's exhaust is fantastic for a 4 banger. Then again, the VW has the DSG transmission, which is good since I live in the traffic capital of the world, have bad knees, and a wife who doesn't like manual transmissions. Oh this is a tough decision.

The fiesta is also on the shortlist to replace the wife's Taurus wagon. I really like it and she does too, but we know we'll miss the space and decent towing capacity of the Taurus.

[Chevyrocker]

If you don't need the hatch, why no tlook at athe Cobalt SS? At $25K loaded, you can't really go wrong. 30 MPG, 260hp, brembo's sunroof, limited slip rear, 18" wheels, recarro seats, launch control, no-lift-shift, etc. It's a sweet little car actually.

[stovt001]

I considered that, and you're right, it does fit my needs perfectly and has tons of cool features. I just want something a little new. I have a Cobalt coupe already.

[MrIcky]

Well on the Cobalt SS, let me say that it really is a different car then the regular one. It's a LOT of fun. The resale values arent great based on MSRP, however they aren't bad at all based on how much you actually have to pay to get one (you can pick them up for around 21k). I get between 27 and 28 in mixed city/freeway real use. I get around 33ish just cruising the freeway.

As far as the other 2 go, I'd head straight for the Mazdaspeed. The Mazda's have some issues if you think you are buying a racecar, but the street only ones with minimal mods are pretty much dead solid.

I want to like VW's- I really do, but I don't think I want to deal with all the issues. They really are nice inside though. After a MS3 or Cobalt SS, the GTI feels like it wallows in corners and lack power though.

[stovt001]

Yeah, its more of a change of scenery that I'm looking for. After spending years slogging through traffic in my commuter Cobalt that I bought specifically because it was cheap, frugal, and reliable, and the only performance mod was a set of performance tires, as much as I know that it is a much better car, I just want something different. Still, I will definitely give it a test drive and if I get that special feel from it, I'll go for it. I honestly think it will come down to the test drive because everything we've mentioned about all three cars is coming out about even.

Moving on to the Camaro, I keep getting more excited about this plan, since as a weekend car I can do a lot more to it than I could if I wanted it to be a daily driver. I'm thinking supercharging might be in order. And I'm definitely going for the 'vert. It would be really nice if business goes so well that I can afford to buy new, but we'll see. Man I don't know why I never thought of this before. It is going to be perfect!

Edit: Also, to be totally honest, a large part of the appeal for Volkswagen is its history and heritage, much like the Camaro. My mom owns a '71 Super Beetle that used to belong to my late grandfather, who I was really close with. She's restoring it now and I really like the project. My family has a strong German heritage, and that same grandfather started teaching me German, which I continued studying in college. If it wasn't for that, I would probably be all about the MS3 and Cobalt SS, but there is just that emotional appeal that I'm sure you can all understand.