Looking to buy a pre-owned (hopefully) FI car in the near future for the mrs.
What cars do you think would be good for her. She is a very hard driver I would like to say...and only drives stick. Automatics make her pissed... .
Been to the bmw dealer and the mitsubushi dealer with nothing. Bmw dealership service had to be the worst experience that I have had in regards to customer service to date. I do live in ny so that might explain things.
She does a lot of highway driving btw.
Was thinking of a audi b5 1.8t or something along those lines. 4 banger with a turbo
Well, besides the Mini Cooper S as Shawn suggests and the 1.8t or 2.0t Audi/VW products you might look at the Mazda Speed Protege from ~2003. If buying new, there is also the 260hp Mazda Speed 3, but they are scarce around here. Miata turbos have been available for a while, too.
There is also the Dodge Neon SRT4 and a smattering of turbo Subaru models. You can also pickup a Saab or Volvo, although the Volvos are 5-cyl, I think. The new Pontiac or Saturn roadsters are available with a turbo engine.
Those are the only turbo cars I can rattle off... can't think of many supercharged 4-cyl out there besides Mercedes and Cooper S.
saab 9000 aero
Comfy, fast and big. That turbo 2.3 is a truly fantastic engine, just make sure its running full boost. they go thru bleed valves quickly and run base boost(not nearly as fun)but a MBC is a cheap fix.
bimmerboy wrote:saab 9000 aero
Comfy, fast and big. That turbo 2.3 is a truly fantastic engine, just make sure its running full boost. they go thru bleed valves quickly and run base boost(not nearly as fun)but a MBC is a cheap fix.
9-3 Aero or Viggen -lots of torque steer but they're fun
9-5 Aero high pressure turbo is about the same, little bigger but still lots of fun
I test drove a MazdaSpeed3 a while back... highly recommended, especially w/Ford employee discount... i priced it out at 21,xxx! Huge bang for the buck.
Speed6's are huge for rebates right now, plus they have awd... good value and fun car with good looks.
After getting out of the Mini (I'm pissed again), I have to ask whether or not your wife has been in one. Has your wife been in one? If not, I suggest you take her for a test drive. She might be presently surprised, or she may yell at you - really a crapshoot.
I guess she no longer needs to be convinced. As with e28s, I'm partial to the early Minis - '02 - '04. '04 might be a better choice because of the different color options for leather other than blue.
Hi I am am Bmw tech at a bmw/mini dealer.Make sure the one you choose has a spare tire,Its embarrassing for customers to realize they have a flat after its to late.It can be found in early ones but new cooper/S all ahve RFT with no spare.I also think she should beware of the tourque steer. I hate it .But if you learn to embrace it you can really hang it out there.Go for it.They also keep areal good resale value. I also recommend finding one with upgrades already done.like a WORKS kit. . We have them on the used lot that people fix up the tradem in.
The Cooper S has never had a spare. The battery is back there to make room for the supercharger up front. I also have not noticed any torque steer. I can take off with no hands on the wheel without issue. That's why I don't mind it being front wheel drive. Now, maybe 20 years down the road, I will care - a lot.
The supercharged ones may not be so bad, but the new '07 and later turbo ones are pretty nasty. It isn't torque steer, but more torque induced tugging that any higher powered front-wheel-drive car suffers when the wheel isn't pointed straight ahead. Wheels can only do one thing, well... turn, brake or accelerate. When you accelerate they tend to like going straight
I test drove an '07 Cooper S and damn near had the steering wheel snap out of my hands while driving around some curvy roads in a business park, doing some 20-40mph and 40-60mph acceleration bursts. With the "overboost" function and 190+ lbs/ft you've got to be careful! I can't imagine how fast the insides of those front tires will be eaten up.
I've driven FWD cars quite a bit but never had that sensation, as none of them made that much torque from 1500rpm. It's something that you must learn to expect and be smooth with laying down the power. I driven various '83-'90 Saab 900 Turbos and know torque steer, LOL. The MINI doesn't seem to torque steer but it will most certainly tug the wheel out of your hands if you aren't expecting it.
Being smooth with the right foot is a basic requirement of any turbo powered car that's not a turd as far as I'm concerned. If I drive my car like a gorilla, that back end will never stay where I want it to be.
That said, I'm looking into an FI DD for myself right now. The Subies are up near the top of the list. The Legacy GT in particular is a very nice car, but a bit pricey, even used.
Those cars have so much room in them for the front seat passengers - it's ridiculous. I'm 6'1, and it's tough for me to fit in my Volvo, since you can only move the seat so far back, but with the fore/aft and rake adjustments in the Mini, it's great - Even works well in moonroof-equipped cars, like our Cooper! I still prefer the Cooper S though.
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