Fun, inexpensive car - help me decide

[beachrr]

If you want fun for a low price, go get the Caterham seven 620. 310 BHP for a car that weighs less than an average Walmart-dweller.
RWD but built to race. 0-60 in 2.8s. Top speed 155mph. And dirt cheap.

[28173]

Originally Posted by Pocopsonite

I'm truly curious about why a new Volkswagen product is on your list. After the revelations about their deception, why would you want to put any money into the pockets of that company?

I feel terrible for the dealers, and I could understand buying a used VW from one of them (or anyone else). Just don't understand making a choice that supports VW's parent company in light of the recent news. Was that a factor for you at all?

Do you feel the same about GM, Toyota, etc???
The recently GM ignition switch ignored issue killed people, same as Toyota/Lexus acceleration issue. Add to it the airbag issue in Honda, Ford, etc and we'd all be forced to buy Rolls Royce...

The VW pollution issue is an intangible (compare to the much higher polluting 18 wheelers that keep our economy ticking) when compared to direct safety issues present with any other auto manufacturer.

[GTOlover]

hard to beat a Mustang GT, Camaro SS or late model (C5/C6) /Current C7 Corvette for bang for the buck performance and ease to modify

[28173]

Originally Posted by YourWakeUpCall

I’m considering buying a new (or used) car that’s inexpensive (around $30K) and fun to drive. Right now, the leading candidates are the 2016 VW Golf GTI and the Ford Mustang GT (both equipped with optional performance packages). I know these two cars seem like polar opposites, but when configured like I want they cost about the same (in the real world, not MSRP).

My basic requirements are:
1) Manual transmission.
2) Reasonably quick (the ¼ mile in the very low 13s with a trap speed in the vicinity of 110mph). The car must be capable of this performance stock or with minor mods (tune)
3) Must handle/stop well
4) Reasonably refined
5) New or fairly new – not really interested in anything more than a few years old

Things I don’t care about:
1) Top speed
2) Fuel economy
3) Safety
4) Reliability
5) Foul weather capability

I have other cars, so this one doesn’t need to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Other cars I’ve considered and the reason they’re crossed off the list:

1) Miata – slow, too small
2) WRX – Unrefined
3) Anything that’s low to the ground and is hard to get in/out of
4) BRZ – slow
5) Genesis coupe – slow
6) Camaro – too slow at my price point, horrible visibility
7) Challenger – too big and heavy to be truly fun
8) Mini Cooper S – slow and weird

I’m looking for inputs on cars I may have overlooked or thoughts on the GTI vs GT choice. As it stands, I’m really struggling with the GTI/GT decision:

GTI Cons:
1) Much slower than the GT stock – but a tune away from equivalent performance
2) FWD and associated understeer dampen the fun factor
3) Ugliest OEM wheels in the known universe
4) Turbo Lag

Mustang Cons:
1) RWD + horsepower = a recipe for disaster if you’re a ham fisted driver
2) Image
3) Interior not are par with the GTI
4) Functionality not on par with the GTI

GTI Pros:
1) Benign FWD handling
2) Spectacular interior, ergonomics, seats
3) Better cargo space
4) Available as a 4-door
5) Probably will get less attention from the police

GT Pros:
1) Needs nothing right out of the box (GTI would need a tune and new wheels)
2) RWD handling

Excellent post, very informative and it is obvious you've done your homework!

Between the GTI & GT I would go with the GTI myself since it a smaller car with better interior and handling (lighter vehicle).

Also if mileage is not a factor (due to budget restriction) I would also consider an older M3 or S5...
I wish we could purchase the GDI here (GTI diesel), it would be a vehicle with a place in my garage.

[reed067]

Originally Posted by YourWakeUpCall

Hmmm....there's tons of empirical data out there clearly showing that the Miata simply isn't in the same league as the other cars being discussed here in terms of performance. Compared to the Mustang, the Miata is much slower in a straight line and on a road course (15.6 seconds slower around VIR, to be exact). One could possibly argue that a novice driver might be faster on an autocross course in the Miata - maybe.

Frankly, that fact that you think the Miata isn't slow in the context of this discussion could cause someone to reasonably conclude that you don't know much about performance cars in general. Fun - yes. Fast - no. The latest iteration can at least out run a minivan - something that couldn't be said in the past.

The OP talked about the idea of tuning some car put a blower on a Miata & you will leave a lot of cars in the dust. Like most high revving cars you have to work to get anything out of it. They are not slow in the regard of the type of cars they are. The Club Sport will do 0-60 in about 6 secs flat. That's not slow nor is it very fast but it will get you into trouble. I would take the Club sport Miata down a twisty road & show the Mustangs it's taillights.