So, today I went back for one more test drive of each car- back to back. I figured a car can look good on paper all day, but that doesn't mean I'm going to like one better than the other. I went into both drives thinking I was going to prefer the GTI. I even went to the VW dealership first. I was wr...

Even though that means you and your wife will have basically the same car? I like that I drive something different from my wife. Gives some variety, even though her car isn't all that fun to drive (base Impreza). She wants an SUV next, so I'm laying the groundwork to convincing her to get a Grand C...

Well, I've taken the time to speak to my "closest advisers" (i.e. the little woman, my brother and a couple of my gear-head buddies) and they all reminded me of a couple of things... When I drove both of these cars back to back several months ago, I stated that I had more fun in the CVT WRX and pref...

Just read a few reviews of the upcoming Golf R.... I found of couple of them to be pretty interesting: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-reviews/2015-volkswagen-golf-r-european-spec ^^^Road and Track stated that they preferred the GTI over the Golf R. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/hatchbacks/140...

Good find! For that kind of money, I would be in too! I'm still jealous of your ability to run 16's....

And I thought my caliper clearance was close with 17's! Tight fit buddy!

I would honestly love to have a Golf R- wagon or otherwise! Unfortunately though, it's going to be priced considerably higher than the GTI/WRX. :( If my budget was considerably higher, I wouldn't even be making I thread- I would just buy the Golf R lol. The GTI w/DSG & performance pack will likely r...

I bought a set of FoMoCo TPMS sensors for dirt cheap on eBay that I installed with my setup. They work just fine. Actually, with Ford's new TPMS system you don't even need to program them for the wheels, as the car automatically senses them. Or at least my car did- as did countless others on focusst...

Thanks buddy! And I agree, tires really do make a drastic difference. Although AWD does have its very noticeable merits: namely acceleration from a stop, especially on steep inclines. But like mentioned in the other thread, apparently there's no inclines that are steep enough to phase the little FoS...

I've found the same thing. I would say that AWD would also be pretty helpful while getting started an a very steep incline, but as it turns out, there's no inclines in my commute that really seem to phase the FoST. I actually drive a RWD V8 on all-seasons all night, and they truly aren't that bad......

Well, after spending the past week with the FoST wearing snow tires, I think you guys might be right. AWD truly isn't needed for commuting through most of the Metro area, as the FoST has done very well. At this point, I'm once again leaning towards the GTI w/Performance Pack. Review of FoST with sno...

So, we've had a decent amount of snow for a November over the past week. As a result, I've now driven the FoST through several inches of snow over the course of about ~300 miles or so. I'd like to report that it did very well; much better than I expected! To be honest, the Traction Control light onl...

Apparently Motor Trend just named the 2015 Golf (to include the GTI) their Car of the Year: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1501_2015_volkswagen_golf_is_the_motor_trend_car_of_the_year/ ^^^I'm not entirely shocked.... I suppose I'll see how the FoST fares the rest of the winter wearing snow ...

I've heard good things about the Dunlop Winter Sports. I'll be curious to know how they turn out for you. Are you staying with a stock size setup, or going smaller? I'm running a dedicated winter setup- Blizzak WS70's, and while they don't hold a candle to the FoST's OEM summer tires on dry pavement...

Nice! I'm a bit jealous that you can get away with running 16's, but nice find! Those aren't all that far off from the stock 235/40/18's diameter wise. The old diameter calculator says with those you'll be going 66.93mph when your speedo reads 65mph; not too bad IMO. Not enough that I would care at ...

Good points, both are very valid. In my mind, I would like to hold onto my next car for a while- preferably at least a few years; and actually try to get my money's worth out of it. Although my grand design in my head frequently doesn't work out that way ha! I've owned 2 cars for over 2.5 years, and...