Thoughts On A DD
 

After ~4 months of daily driving my BRZ (and almost 8,000 miles), I've been thinking and searching for something I can balance the miles out (~80/day) with, as well as something to use for winters (so I can store the BRZ, not because it's RWD).

I still love the BRZ, but would prefer something quieter, a bit more powerful, and a bit more spacious for the days when I just can't enjoy the BRZ.

I don't particularly care if it's RWD or not--in fact, I generally prefer RWD to FWD or AWD come winter time, with the understanding that I'd put snow tires on anything I get.

What I'm looking at:

* E46 330i sedan / stick / sport & premium packages - These are actually quite hard to come by. I'm only looking for sedans, and I'm not inclined to look at the AWD model.
* E39 530i sedan / stick / sport & premium packages - Oddly, these tend to make more appearances than the 3-series I've been looking for, but still not plentiful.
* Volvo S60R - 300 HP, 300 FT-LB of torque, 6 speed manual, AWD. Not a bad combination, and substantially cheaper than the BMWs I'm looking for. And despite limited production, they actually seem easier to find.

Yes, none of these are particularly low maintenance cars, but I'm OK with that.

Any thoughts from fellow BRZ owners on what'd make a fun, unique DD to pair it with? I'm also considering LGTs, G35s, and a few others, but the cars I mentioned above are near the top of my list.

E39 540 manual, sports suspension
Turbo forester/outback/or legacy, all can be found with manuals depending on year.

Only problem with the E39 is that the rear seats don't fold down. I would go E46 personally. Great car, TONS of parts for it (not just talking about modding)

I just looked at a 540i 6-speed with the M-sport package last weekend. I liked it, but it makes an already heavy car even happier, and while the power is nice, the mileage is not. Granted, the 530i isn't that much better, but it's also generally easier to work on. And it steers a little better too (supposedly).

Given a great example, my preference is E46 all day... but an unmolested 330i with stick is awfully hard to find, it would seem. I was going to look at one a few weeks back, and it sold before I could get a chance.

330i ZHP
 

Kinda hard to find but the car you're really looking for is the E46 330i and 330ci ZHP package. It's kinda a hybrid between and regular 330i sport and an M3.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/conte...Package-Option

http://www.reveuro.com/inventory/bmw...ancepkg_13.jpg

Audi S4 with a tune.

C7 Vette with Z51 track pack and magnetic adaptive shocks. /thread :)

Hennessey Venom

price range?

Still have the 2010 GTI? Seems like that's what you're looking for -- quieter, a bit more powerful, and a bit more spacious than the BRZ. Also gets better gas mileage than the other choices you listed.

I'm thinking about either an E39/E46 or a C5/B5 A6/A4. Maybe get real creative and pick up a mid-70's Mercedes. I need a German in my life :)

A motorcycle....

Audi A4 2.0T quattro. APR intake/tune you'll have 250hp/300ftlbs AND still get around 30mpg

This. I really wish I had the funds to have been able to keep my 2012 GLI that I traded to get the BRZ. Someone got a free APR Stage II tune and 3" downpipe when they bought that car and probably don't even realize it. That thing was a torque monster, got great gas mileage and was excellent in snow.

It really depends on your price range and how much maintenance/mods/effort you want to do, as well as how fast you want to go and what kind of fuel economy you want.

I came from a '00 LGT 5-speed to the BRZ, and that's got a lot of advantages for winter driving. It's stylish in a sort of clunky, industrial way. It's got plenty of room. The handling is pretty decent, and it's got a lot of grip thanks to AWD. It's kinda good looking, very competent in snow, kinda fun, and available for a pretty reasonable price, so it's no big deal if it gets rock chips or gets covered in snow or anything like that. Only major drawback is gas mileage - not horrible, but quite a bit worse than the twins.

But if you're looking at some rare, high-end sporty luxury sedans, it's a whole different ball game. Are you looking for an older, cheaper car that's competent in the snow and that you aren't afraid to put a lot of miles and a lot of wear and tear on, or a car that's similar in price to your BRZ, to be your primary vehicle, and have the BRZ as more of a nice weather toy?

That is the ideal car, yes. I think it's just about perfect, except they're a little hard to find, and I think they're a little overvalued by their owners (generally speaking, and no offense to anyone who has one). Aside from the 6th cog and the Alcantara, just about everything else can be retrofitted to a normal 330i as things need to be replaced (especially suspension components).

As for some of the other questions:

* I don't have the GTI anymore (the lease ended, and I chose not to buy it out). Part of me regrets that, but I wanted to move on to something else, and a bit cheaper (and preferably, a bit easier to work on... I tend to hate working on transverse engines... yes, this statement is made somewhat hypocritical by virtue of driving a flat-4 car with absolutely zero clearance on either side of it, but I digress).
* On that note, price is flexible. $8,000 is about as much as I want to spend, but I'd go as high as $10k for the "perfect" car/example.
* I have (and am) considering Audis, but in terms of how easy they are to work on, I prefer the BMWs, from what I've seen of both of them. I will grant that the Audis have nicer interiors.
* The car is going to be more-or-less my only car in the winter, and an occasional DD (rainy days, days when I go to happy hours after work, etc.). I prefer RWD, but wouldn't mind the right FWD or AWD car (i.e., aforementioned Audis, maybe a LGT). Snow tires will go on whatever I buy--my first car was a 240SX, and every winter I had it but one was spent with it on summer tires. Admittedly, not a smart move, but it gave me zero qualms with having a RWD car in the winter, provided the appropriate rubber.

Sorry about the delays in posting, really hectic work week.

E39 hands down... they are also easy to work on if something goes wrong...

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b2...s/L1020588.jpg

You're not kidding. I just spend a few minutes looking and it appears that ZHP owners are asking M3 prices for their cars (silly, silly people...) :D

Audi A6 Avant ... nice ride, decent power, AWD, and good space.

This is a nice example: eBay link

ZHP!!! Great car but definitely overvalued