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I currently own a 2012 ford fusion SE. It is a 4 cylinder vehicle, the car runs great but it is not exciting. I want to buy something else that is more fun to drive but doesn't cost too much. I am willing to spend up to $20,000 for something that is up to 6-7 years but should be fun to drive.
My first choice is a 2013 infiniti g37X. It is a solid fun to drive vehicle with a rear wheel platform, it is just perfect for me but it has uncomfortable seats. I take monthly road trips for 3 + hours and I can't seat in that seat. i am not sure if there is anything else that is out there.
Please note I need an awd(because i live in snow country) and something ideally with 4 doors and somewhat on the lower maintenance side. It should be comfortable and have a modern interior.
Thanks for this but I have some problem with my knee so can't really do a manual car as it involves engaging my knee constantly. Also, I am somewhat leaning towards an AWD with a rear wheel drive platform.
Thanks for this but I have some problem with my knee so can't really do a manual car as it involves engaging my knee constantly. Also, I am somewhat leaning towards an AWD with a rear wheel drive platform.
Where are you driving where FWD and good snow tires are inadequate?
I had VW GTIs as my daily driver for 14 years. My cars wintered at a Vermont ski resort with 200" of annual snowfall. With Nokians, it's a very good snow car. With a quick Google, you can get a low mileage 2017 for $20K that will still be under warranty. I see a black 2017 Autobahn trim package with all the goodies like leather, Nav, Carplay, adaptive cruise control with 12,000 miles on it in New Jersey for $19,981. I'm 6'2". I'm comfortable driving in them on very long drives. They're very engaging to drive. 220 hp, 258 ft-lbs with lots of low end torque in a 3,000 pound car. 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds. With the rear seat folded, the hatch gives you a ton of cargo capacity. The interior is very nice. They're as spacious as most mid-size cars.
Where are you driving where FWD and good snow tires are inadequate?
I had VW GTIs as my daily driver for 14 years. My cars wintered at a Vermont ski resort with 200" of annual snowfall. With Nokians, it's a very good snow car. With a quick Google, you can get a low mileage 2017 for $20K that will still be under warranty. I see a black 2017 Autobahn trim package with all the goodies like leather, Nav, Carplay, adaptive cruise control with 12,000 miles on it in New Jersey for $19,981. I'm 6'2". I'm comfortable driving in them on very long drives. They're very engaging to drive. 220 hp, 258 ft-lbs with lots of low end torque in a 3,000 pound car. 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds. With the rear seat folded, the hatch gives you a ton of cargo capacity. The interior is very nice. They're as spacious as most mid-size cars.
Thanks for this. I am living in Alberta where we don't get a lot of snow but it does snow. The reason for AWD is my car gets stuck in snow on an average of 2-4 times a year where I am have to a spend a good 15-20 minutes shoveling to get the vehicle out. It is always in the parking lot, but once i get on the road from the parking lot then I am fine. Mind you when i shovel it is snowing heavily outside and cold so not the most comfortable time outside, if i have a heated garage then this problem can be some what avoided but I don't.
There are areas where i drive in the middle of the winter where the roads are not ploughed but i see SUV's and trucks going there without a problem but my car wouldn't make it or if it does on an occasion make it then it does with great difficulty. It isn't a huge deal as they happen rarely and I just avoid going there after a snowstorm but an AWD is nice to have and will inspire confidence. I don't really have snow tires but as far as i know they help in cornering and braking but not to get you going.
So the question is -Can i live without an AWD? yes, sure I can as i have lived for so many years without it (a shovel helps) but prefer to have an AWD as I can afford a vehicle with it now.
I am wondering if I could change the seats of the infiniti g37X as that would solve my problem. The only other car that comes to my mind is a Lexus gs 350. I am not sure if it as exciting to drive as the infiniti g37x
Thanks for this. I am living in Alberta where we don't get a lot of snow but it does snow. The reason for AWD is my car gets stuck in snow on an average of 2-4 times a year where I am have to a spend a good 15-20 minutes shoveling to get the vehicle out.
There are areas where i drive in the middle of the winter where the roads are not ploughed but i see SUV's and trucks going there without a problem but my car wouldn't make it or if it does on an occasion make it then it does with great difficulty. It isn't a huge deal as they happen rarely and I just avoid going there after a snowstorm but an AWD is nice to have and will inspire confidence. I don't really have snow tires but as far as i know they help in cornering and braking but not to get you going.
I am wondering if I could change the seats of the infiniti g37X as that would solve my problem. The only other car that comes to my mind is a Lexus gs 350. I am not sure if it as exciting to drive as the infiniti g37x
Interesting clarifications. I personally enjoy thought-exercises like this; last time I posted the question (friend needed 3 row SUV) heard lots of good feedback, 2 years ago. Always nice to hear from people who wouldn't be caught dead in this forum's usual fare, boring-ass Toyota Avalons, Camries, and various American sedans. If I croak, please haul me away in anything but those. Most people driving them are probably dead from the waist down, actually.
My first reaction for you was "2008 Lexus IS F RWD" because one, it's a Lexus and mileage is an entirely different matter vs. say some Dodge. I wouldn't hesitate a microsecond to buy one with 75K well-sorted miles, if there were records. Two, they are fiendish sport sedans like nobody's business. They're spendy for your budget by at least $5K (US), don't have AWD, and are older than you'd like. They do have paddle shift autos, though, which are way-fun. Doubt it's a dual clutch, but probably works okay. My 911 has PDK (dual clutch, Porsche's "doppelkupplung"), which is a vast improvement on previous, but not mandatory I suppose.
I'd think hard on something like that, which will annihilate most comers. I'd buy some snows for it, which can't be that expensive on used stock wheels. That would pretty much solve your problem yearly, they sure aren't hard to install by you or a shop in maybe 15 minutes. It's a roaring, stonkin' V8, an engine I am starting to believe is just about the best thing on this planet for mere mortals: get into the V10s and 12s, we're into exotics which don't count and mileage is out the window.
My 911 also has AWD, hey whohoo for me but now I see that's a requirement of yours. If I lived in Alberta, I'd have snows for mine, as in four of them, or if I didn't want to spend a ton of dough I'd just have the tires changed out seasonally. I sometimes forget Albertia is more high plains, like eastern plateau of Colorado, meaning less snow but plenty of cold. Your snow is predictable(?). We're due for a major storm in Seattle overnight, weird for us, but hell: I'm just staying in, mostly. Took the Porsche out for our last snow storm, a week ago, just for giggles and to test the theory: it was marginal on those summer tires, and that is NOT the greatest idea ever! Slight improvement on "nothing" since at least all four wheels tried to grab. And two usually succeeded, nor did I feel too unsafe since we were all just poking along (Seattle is not used to snow, drivers behave like the road is coated in nitroglycerine, which is not a bad idea).
If that's your point, keeping it to one set of tires for an AWD year round, you may get away with it. All seasons sort of suck in the snow, but I use them on my 2WD pickup since Seattle often has wet and slick roads, and many of them hold very well in those conditions, like my new Coopers.
I may disagree that snows don't "get you going," if you mean from a stop or out of a ditch. Well, they do better than summer's or all-seasons. This, I know, though fortunately haven't been in a ditch lately. Long ago when I lived in Michigan my dad put snows on our cars and we got along just fine from American Thanksgiving to about March 1. That theory has not changed in 40 years, or probably a hundred actually.
G37X's are the shizzle, too bad you don't fit. I seriously considered one before buying a used 911 Turbo, about 8 years ago. The latter is still way over your budget. There are few, if-any, well-sorted Carrera 4 or 4S 911s in your budget less than fifteen years old, though. Too bad...
Next option: Subaru WRX! Little devil sports sedan! I missed this craze by 10-20 years (I'm too old for it) but you may not be? No one can say they don't scream. Looked up some '15's and they're roughly in your target price range...here's some ad copy from '15, c/o KBB:
"If you are looking for an affordable sports sedan with all-weather capability, superb handling, and laudable fuel economy, far be it from us to disapprove of the Subaru WRX. Given its newly available CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission) and added creature comforts, the WRX has become a feasible alternative for non-enthusiasts. Introducing the all new 2015 Subaru WRX with handling and performance like never before."
Next shot: Audi S4 or S5. I had a very near miss on an S5 back in '11 that was a lot of car, but ultimately not as interesting as a 911 Turbo. Not surprisingly... nor would I bet the store on quality beyond a certain mileage, either, as in "at 70K miles, hit the eject button and get what equity you can on trade-in". Buddy of mine drives nothing but Audi performance, though now with a 6th brat on the way, all that's out the window. At brat no. 5 he traded in an RS5 for a Audi truckster, couple years ago, and I helped. Should have seen the look on his face, I think "stricken" is the word...
Best of luck, those are several I'd examine at your price point. No idea if Canadian dollars changes this equation hugely, unf.
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