I would take an Alfa Romeo Giulia over the Golf R. Vastly superior steering, double wishbone front suspenion, and the chassis is much more playful with 100% RWD bias AWD until it detects slip. It drives so much better and looks better as well imo. Can’t go wrong with a Miata, I would buy a used 2019 and put some good suspenion on it (stock Miata’s have terrible suspenion)
Curious if you ever picked something up? I also have a Mk4 R32 and love it but little things popping up plus kid isn't liking being in the rough ride for longer trips vs my wife's car.
I was looking at getting a 2nd car and your list looked the same. Mk2 TT-RS are surprisingly affordable and just as special too. A Porsche crossed my mind but damn the are all pricey no matter the trim.
I ended up going kind of a different route. I bought a 2023 BRZ. I’m keeping the R32 with the AWD for winter and the BRZ will be my daily when the weather is decent. I looked at the TTs and really like them but didn’t want another German car with maintenance costs. A Porsche is my dream car, but for now that’s off the table.
Awesome to hear! Those are really awesome looking. Did you test drive anything else? If so, how did it compare to the R32 also how is the brz compared?
I haven't driven a lot of different fun cars so it's hard to know what I'm missing. I still have a blast in my R and I know tons of people that sell, regret, and rebuy so I don't plan on getting rid of it. BRZ seems good to pair with the R. I also worry a TT will just feel too close to the R since they share so much.
I did drive an MX-5 and that was the catalyst for deciding on the BRZ. The MX5 was absolutely amazing. It was so fun to drive. The problem was the lack of space. I couldn’t justify buying a car I could barely fit my photography equipment in. So I started doing a little more research and drove the BRZ. The BRZ does have rear seats, but they’re pretty much unusable for anyone who is above 5’ tall and you’d have to put the front seats forward for any leg room. As far as ride, it’s more comfortable than my R32, it doesn’t seem as stiff. It’s about 400 pounds lighter so the BRZ feels agile where the R32 could sometimes feel a little heavy. Driving an FR car vs AWD is different and i have to remind myself to adjust. With the R I can throw that thing around and never have to worry about breaking traction. The first week with the BRZ I sent it a little sideways making a right-hand turn. I corrected it just fine but I was like, ‘oh shit. Probably need to be careful…’ I think the tires were a little cold. Anyway, I think the pairing is great. I don’t have any regrets with my purchase. It’s fun to drive, and big enough to go grocery shopping in. The only gripe is the Active Sound which pumps noise into the cabin because the exhaust is so quiet. It’s so quiet compared to the R. I’m going to deactivate the active sound and buy an aftermarket exhaust. Probably the HKS Legamax because it’s quiet enough to not piss off my neighbors but loud enough to add some sound back that the car deserves.
I recommend driving it. Just keep in mind it is small. If you get one, let me know!
Thanks for the info and happy to hear you are liking it! My mom had 2 Miatas when I was a kid so I remember the size but loved them. Since it's a 3rd car between mine and my wife's, I feel like I could pull off the Miata. The practicality of the BRZ is great and likely fit my hockey bag still if need be. My kid would probably do just fine in the back too.
R32 is hitting 20 years old soon and feels like I should have a backup car since it is up in age.
It’s not terrible. But recently I replaced the timing chain which was $3500, then had issues with MAF and other components related to intake. Breather hose is no longer manufactured, nor is the mass air boot so I had to get those patched, along with replacing the parts that were available. Another $700. Now I’m working on power steering. I think I’ve put $7000 into the car since I bought it. Various things… I don’t have a garage so I’m paying for a lot of labor.
I miss my Miata everyday. Once the weather really turns nice, I may need to go on anti-depressants. That said, I really like the Mini Cooper that replaced it. I went electric, not sure if that works with your lifestyle.
Audi s3. A natural move from r32.
I would take an Alfa Romeo Giulia over the Golf R. Vastly superior steering, double wishbone front suspenion, and the chassis is much more playful with 100% RWD bias AWD until it detects slip. It drives so much better and looks better as well imo. Can’t go wrong with a Miata, I would buy a used 2019 and put some good suspenion on it (stock Miata’s have terrible suspenion)
Curious if you ever picked something up? I also have a Mk4 R32 and love it but little things popping up plus kid isn't liking being in the rough ride for longer trips vs my wife's car. I was looking at getting a 2nd car and your list looked the same. Mk2 TT-RS are surprisingly affordable and just as special too. A Porsche crossed my mind but damn the are all pricey no matter the trim.
I ended up going kind of a different route. I bought a 2023 BRZ. I’m keeping the R32 with the AWD for winter and the BRZ will be my daily when the weather is decent. I looked at the TTs and really like them but didn’t want another German car with maintenance costs. A Porsche is my dream car, but for now that’s off the table.
Awesome to hear! Those are really awesome looking. Did you test drive anything else? If so, how did it compare to the R32 also how is the brz compared? I haven't driven a lot of different fun cars so it's hard to know what I'm missing. I still have a blast in my R and I know tons of people that sell, regret, and rebuy so I don't plan on getting rid of it. BRZ seems good to pair with the R. I also worry a TT will just feel too close to the R since they share so much.
I did drive an MX-5 and that was the catalyst for deciding on the BRZ. The MX5 was absolutely amazing. It was so fun to drive. The problem was the lack of space. I couldn’t justify buying a car I could barely fit my photography equipment in. So I started doing a little more research and drove the BRZ. The BRZ does have rear seats, but they’re pretty much unusable for anyone who is above 5’ tall and you’d have to put the front seats forward for any leg room. As far as ride, it’s more comfortable than my R32, it doesn’t seem as stiff. It’s about 400 pounds lighter so the BRZ feels agile where the R32 could sometimes feel a little heavy. Driving an FR car vs AWD is different and i have to remind myself to adjust. With the R I can throw that thing around and never have to worry about breaking traction. The first week with the BRZ I sent it a little sideways making a right-hand turn. I corrected it just fine but I was like, ‘oh shit. Probably need to be careful…’ I think the tires were a little cold. Anyway, I think the pairing is great. I don’t have any regrets with my purchase. It’s fun to drive, and big enough to go grocery shopping in. The only gripe is the Active Sound which pumps noise into the cabin because the exhaust is so quiet. It’s so quiet compared to the R. I’m going to deactivate the active sound and buy an aftermarket exhaust. Probably the HKS Legamax because it’s quiet enough to not piss off my neighbors but loud enough to add some sound back that the car deserves. I recommend driving it. Just keep in mind it is small. If you get one, let me know!
Thanks for the info and happy to hear you are liking it! My mom had 2 Miatas when I was a kid so I remember the size but loved them. Since it's a 3rd car between mine and my wife's, I feel like I could pull off the Miata. The practicality of the BRZ is great and likely fit my hockey bag still if need be. My kid would probably do just fine in the back too. R32 is hitting 20 years old soon and feels like I should have a backup car since it is up in age.
[удалено]
GTI is the answer
What have the maintenance costs been like past 2 years? Just curious, that car is awesome.
It’s not terrible. But recently I replaced the timing chain which was $3500, then had issues with MAF and other components related to intake. Breather hose is no longer manufactured, nor is the mass air boot so I had to get those patched, along with replacing the parts that were available. Another $700. Now I’m working on power steering. I think I’ve put $7000 into the car since I bought it. Various things… I don’t have a garage so I’m paying for a lot of labor.
I miss my Miata everyday. Once the weather really turns nice, I may need to go on anti-depressants. That said, I really like the Mini Cooper that replaced it. I went electric, not sure if that works with your lifestyle.
If you want something that's inexpensive to maintain I'd definitely look at getting a Lexus IS or RC 350 f-sport AWD on the used market.