Originally Posted by Go Frogs
I read this entire thread, because in a way, it is me. After test driving an '18 BRZ Limited (in WR Blue no less), it is making me rethink what the #1 car on my "next car list" should be. I really like driving and the BRZ delivered. This car will be my daily driver in SW Ohio to include the possibility of snow/ice like recently. (How good is it at being exposed to salt?)
I currently drive an '04 GTI (Mk4 1.8t flavor) and because of my virtually flawless 14 year & 130K mile ownership experience with it, I thought a current Golf Sport Wagon-S w/4motion or Alltrack-S [all w/3 pedals] was my hands-down next go-to "dad-mobile". A GTI-S was a very close second; but wagon wins for being able to put more junk/bodies in the back, plus wagens are cool, like bow ties.
I really wanted a GSW TDI 6spd, but we all know how that went down.
My price cap is $30k.
The GSWs/Alltracks can be had for under this amount; same for the GTI-S. Another reason for choosing (sticking with) a VW product is the profuse aftermarket surrounding that brand, so any "shortcoming" in the car could be remedied w/any number of aftermarket pieces/parts that are out there...nothing wild, just along the OEM+ flavor.
However, the test drive in the '18 BRZ really opened my eyes. Granted, the BRZ is not w/o its faults and the biggest one, for me anyway, is the fact that the driver (front) seat(s) don't return to their original driving position after being flipped forward after letting someone in the back. My 14yo 2-door '04 GTI does this, so why not the BRZ/86? My 7yo son would need to ride in the back occasionally as the wife can't always pick him up from school or shuttle him around to other various engagement; thus the gripe about the seat action...I guess it won't be too much of an issue...
I am an undertall person and can actually sit behind the driver seat when it is in my driving position (I can also sit in the back seat and not hit my head on the glass). My son would have enough room in the back so I think that he would be fine.
So now the BIG question is -- stick with VW, a brand I am familiar with in both feel and functionality and I see myself as a hatch/wagon guy...or...jump ship and plant my derriere in a Subaru that can add a bit more spice to the daily commute if I choose not to take the highway to/from work. The trunk is big enough for what I haul (I just like the hatch flexibility) and it would seldom see more than 1 person. i haven't had a RWD car since the '72 Datsun 510 wagen I drove in HS or the hand-me-down '80 Volvo 244 GL [crank sunroof FTW] I drove later in HS.
I know comparing a pedestrian FWD/AWD hatch/wagen to a RWD sports car is not normal, but that is what I'm doing. Each car wins in different categories. The VWs offer 4 doors and larger trunk space, but the BRZ pushes most of the sensible, tangible features aside for more intangible ones, like the ones that release endorphins and other things that bring joy and happiness. I can drive all of the cars stock, but I believe I would enjoy the BRZ the most, even in its stock form.
Our other go-to roadtrip, haul-the-kid-around, grocery-getter car is a CX-5 so space isn't an issue, just towing a trailer.
First world problems, I know, but this is a very real world comparison. And now, the Veloster-N adds one more variable to this equation.
Cheers.
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