Considering three cars to replace my Accord, all around the same price range, low-mileage E90 M3, 2013-2014 IS350 F Sport, 2015 Golf R. Whatever I end up with I'd like to keep for 10+ years, using it as a daily driver and occasional track time.
The E90 M3 speaks for itself, but the fuel economy is really awful. It doesn't seem like there are too many weak points with this car unlike the turbo I6 models (I understand the S65 bearing issues weren't as big as they've been made to seem).
The new IS350 F Sport has been getting outstanding reviews, consistently beating both the current 335i and A4. I'm sure it drives well and will be faultlessly reliable, but I've driven other cars that reviewed well like the G35, but somehow Japanese cars just never feel as good to drive as German cars. This IS350 is always reviewed against the F80 335i, but is it as good as the E90.
Golf R didn't come to mind until recently. To be honest, this car really hits the spot for me. DSG unlike auto trans in the IS350. Good AWD system. I'm a big fan of five door cars for the usability. Seems to be an outstanding driving car based on the reviews. Solid engine with great low and mid-range torque while returning 30mpg. This is the car that seemingly does everything. I have two hang-ups. One is that I'm not sure how grown-up this Golf will feel compared to the other two. The fact that this model has always competed against Sti's and Evo's irks me. I'm past that stage in life now. And VW forums are just awful, the times I've visited them. My biggest concern is long-term reliability. I'm not sure how it'll hold up to 200k miles, even compared to an M3.
The E90 M3 speaks for itself, but the fuel economy is really awful. It doesn't seem like there are too many weak points with this car unlike the turbo I6 models (I understand the S65 bearing issues weren't as big as they've been made to seem).
The new IS350 F Sport has been getting outstanding reviews, consistently beating both the current 335i and A4. I'm sure it drives well and will be faultlessly reliable, but I've driven other cars that reviewed well like the G35, but somehow Japanese cars just never feel as good to drive as German cars. This IS350 is always reviewed against the F80 335i, but is it as good as the E90.
Golf R didn't come to mind until recently. To be honest, this car really hits the spot for me. DSG unlike auto trans in the IS350. Good AWD system. I'm a big fan of five door cars for the usability. Seems to be an outstanding driving car based on the reviews. Solid engine with great low and mid-range torque while returning 30mpg. This is the car that seemingly does everything. I have two hang-ups. One is that I'm not sure how grown-up this Golf will feel compared to the other two. The fact that this model has always competed against Sti's and Evo's irks me. I'm past that stage in life now. And VW forums are just awful, the times I've visited them. My biggest concern is long-term reliability. I'm not sure how it'll hold up to 200k miles, even compared to an M3.
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