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It's time for my wife to get a new-ish car. She's incredibly picky, and knows exactly what she wants, it's just that it does not exist right now.
She currently drives a Mazda 6 Wagon with a v6, manual transmission, sunroof and a Bose Sound System, and LOVES the car. I don't want to debate wether or not we should buy or keep (have done that already), but we are looking for a replacement.
Her most important features are:
v6 (not a four, not a turbo 4 either)
Manual Transmission
She would prefer a wagon, but won't drive an SUV or a minivan
I would like to see it get at least Mid 20's mpg on the highway, and I'm focused on something reliable and easy to maintain. (if I had my way, we'd already have a new/used Accord or something simlar)
We are looking to buy new/used, as in "less than 30k miles", and would like to keep our total cost in the low-mid $20's. Maybe a littlebit of flexibility on price for the right car. Not worried about special financing deals, nor are we looking for a trade, if that matters.
She said she'd be willing to drive a sedan if it is sporty and a v6. And she is definitely not considering the "sport-shift automatics" as a replacement for a manual. She wants a CLUTCH!
Is there a sporty v6 out there with a manual anymore? (other than a Porche or BMW that is out of our range?)
Closest I have found is maybe a Subaru, but they have big 4's, as the v6 does not come in manual.
It's time for my wife to get a new-ish car. She's incredibly picky, and knows exactly what she wants, it's just that it does not exist right now.
She currently drives a Mazda 6 Wagon with a v6, manual transmission, sunroof and a Bose Sound System, and LOVES the car. I don't want to debate wether or not we should buy or keep (have done that already), but we are looking for a replacement.
Her most important features are:
v6 (not a four, not a turbo 4 either)
Manual Transmission
She would prefer a wagon, but won't drive an SUV or a minivan
I would like to see it get at least Mid 20's mpg on the highway, and I'm focused on something reliable and easy to maintain. (if I had my way, we'd already have a new/used Accord or something simlar)
We are looking to buy new/used, as in "less than 30k miles", and would like to keep our total cost in the low-mid $20's. Maybe a littlebit of flexibility on price for the right car. Not worried about special financing deals, nor are we looking for a trade, if that matters.
She said she'd be willing to drive a sedan if it is sporty and a v6. And she is definitely not considering the "sport-shift automatics" as a replacement for a manual. She wants a CLUTCH!
Is there a sporty v6 out there with a manual anymore? (other than a Porche or BMW that is out of our range?)
Closest I have found is maybe a Subaru, but they have big 4's, as the v6 does not come in manual.
What am I missing?
The Subaru is a fun car to drive and with a proven all wheel drive system , a safe choice . For the money , you can't beat a Subaru. ... Now , onlything better is a BMW, try a used wagon deal. Nothing else drives like a Beemer.
That is a tough one. The combo of a V6 and manual limits the choices, let alone adding in preferring a wagon.
Generally those requirements are going to = Euro and BMW, Audi and VW in particular.
VW offers the Passat wagon, but the last year for the V6 w/ a manual was 2008. This could be considered the budget choice. The 2010 is only available w/ DSG and the turbo 4.
Audi offered the A4 Avant (wagon) from 2006 - 2008 with a V6 and manual transmission. In the current version that debuted in 2009, you can only get the V6 with an automatic. Used and CPO, these should be in your price range.
BMW has the 3-series wagon that you mentioned and this is the only one that has always been available and still is with the I6 and manual combo.
There are no others that I can think of that are wagons, outside of what she already drives. If you step down to the Mazda 3 or VW Jetta level, you lose the V6 option. The biggest problem that you are going to face if you go with one of the one's I listed is finding it. Wagons are rare enough, but add in the requirement for a manual....good luck.
There are way more sedans available with V6's and manuals that might fit the bill. Also, I would highly recommend the Subaru even though it is a turbo 4, it is a large and powerful turbo 4 that offers just as much punch as what she is driving now. If you do go the sedan route, I would recommend the Infiniti G35/7 sedan as something to look at.
why is she so hung up on a 6 cylinder? Does it have to be a "V"6, as you said in your first post?
Anyway ... manual transmission cars are tough to find these days, especially in a wagon. The Passat (VW) 3.6 is a great wagon, but not available in manual transmission. The only thing that comes to mind in the VW realm is the R32 (2004, not 2008), which is a hatchback - not technically a wagon.
Audi and BMW will both have an option, but since very few were sold as new cars, the pool of used cars is tiny.
I dont know much about subaru, but they do have a 6 (off the top of my head, it is not a "V", so that excludes it). I dont, however, know if they offered the 3.6 with a manual transmission.
And your price range excludes a lot of the more high-performance manual wagons out there.
Is there a sporty v6 out there with a manual anymore? (other than a Porche or BMW that is out of our range?)
What am I missing?
Technically, none of those two produce V6 engines. BMW use Inline 6's and Porsche utilize a boxer design. Both of which, sound, act and preform differently to a V6.
'06 325 and '07+ 328 tourings are now in your price range, it will just take some patience to find a manual. Check the BMW forum classifieds (bimmerfest, e90post, etc.) or Audizine if you like the B7-chassis A4 3.2 Avant.
I think the OP just meant a 6-cylinder engine, regardless of cylinder configuration.
And alas, choices are limited when you want a 6 + manual transmission. They don't make the new Mazda6 with that combination, but I think the Altima is still available as such. If she's willing to consider a turbo 4, then you can get a Subaru Legacy with the turbo engine with a stick, AND the wagon body style as well, I believe. I'd probably go with a certified used Audi for the best combination of all criteria; I'm not sure the E90-style BMW comes as a wagon anymore, anyways.
You're missing the 21st Century. Do you really think the car companies are interested in making the car you want? When they can make so much money convincing people to buy the car they want to sell?
When Caravan and Aerostar demonstrated how cheaply they could build minivans and how crappy they could make something and still have people drooling over it, the station wagon disappeared forever.
The car industry designed a wind-up music box, encrusted with bling, that will pass the crash test, and you get to choose whichever clone of that strikes your fancy.
When I was driving my '86 Olds Cutlass Wagon, I pulled into the dealership one day to see what the current crop of station wagons was like. There were none. The salesman sadly shook his head, pointed at my car, and said "If a thousand of those came in this afternoon, I'd have them all sold by Saturday".
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