Overall, while I know there are drawbacks, I'm really liking the idea of the NC. I remember them being fun on the street and would make for a good weekend car. With simple suspension and drivetrain mods, I could have fun making noticeable improvements to it. If and when I eventually get a better sch...

I've been mulling over a future weekend car to tinker with for a while now; ever since I sold my MSM. At first, I thought the debate would be S2000 vs E36 M3, as they both offer a substantial amount of performance for around my projected budget (~$10k or so). I got to thinking: the E36 M3 has a lot ...

That's about how I felt about my FoST with Blizzak's on it- very competent in the snow, better than I imagined it was going to be. The A3 with snows is a tank. This is my first set of Michelin X-Ice Xi3's and I really like them. You got the same tires right? They seem to be a good compromise snow ti...

I've been driving the A3 for a couple weeks now and overall, I'm still pretty impressed with it. It's a damn good daily driver. I've been trying to find faults with the car, but they're really few and far between. I guess the only negative I can find with it is the seat bottoms are just a tad bit sh...

So, I've been driving the new A3 for about a week now. Usually around this time frame, I start finding a few shortcomings with the vehicle. It's actually been the opposite; after getting used to the car's features, I'm actually more impressed with it than I was when I bought it! I'm convinced, this ...

Wow! I bet the FoST still had the new car smell when you traded it. I guess congrats is in order?....... In before the next 6-mos decision process. :P Also taking bets on what your next purchase will be then. I'm picking: - ND Miata - Golf R You know, the new car smell in the FoST went away pretty ...

Nice car. I don't get this recent obsession car manufacturers have though of making the display look like they just glued a tablet onto the dash. Mercedes does it too and it's annoying. I think you're talking about the Merc CLA and the new Mazda 3 is the same- they're just tacked on top of the dash...

I got them to give me $18,700 for the FoST. Considering I paid $19,700 for it, I wasn't too heartbroken. Not bad at all.

I'd like to try and keep this one for a personal record breaking 2.5 years.... You know how that goes!

We'll talk in 6 months haha.

So, after many hours of test drives, research and punching numbers for the 2015 WRX and 2015 GTI, I ended up going with something entirely different: 2015 Audi A3! I also ended up pulling the trigger several months earlier than anticipated due to an offer I couldn't refuse. To explain, after extensi...

DSG Pros: -More engaging when rolling. It's essentially two manual gearboxes, but without the possibility of missing a shift. -Launch control that actually works and is generally faster than its manual counterpart. -The use of real clutches (vs torque converter). They're generally more reliable. -Fa...

Any thoughts on the transmissions in both cars? Aside from the "common sense" answer: they both suck because they're not manuals! They both have paddle shifters that are very responsive, but aside from that, they couldn't be more different! The Subaru CVT vs Volkswagen DSG (DCT) debate: CVT Pros: -T...

So, I had a conversation with a buddy of mine the other day about the WRX vs GTI. I mentioned that I liked the WRX better and he asked me a simple question: “when you drove the GTI, did you have it in 'normal', 'sport' or 'individual' mode?”.... I guess I didn't realize you could manuall...

VW officially announced pricing for the upcoming Golf R- $35,595 plus $895 destination & delivery for a total of $36,490. Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/24/2015-volkswagen-golf-r-review-video/ ^^^Comes standard with 4-doors and DSG. Apparently it won't come with a manual until 2016. Until the...

Ronin, since you've already had WRX and STI, what keeps you from pushing to the STI this time? Price differential? A few things: -Due to the excessive amount of daily commuting I do in traffic, my next daily driver will be an automatic. I'll eventually get another weekend/project car that's a stick...

That's funny! My little lady not only loved the hood scoop, but also really likes the super flared fenders on her WRX. But the real seller was the power and handling. I tried to get her to save a few bucks by driving less expensive cars like the brand new (at the time) Mazda 6 and Jetta GLI. She rea...