I would go with an STI in a conservative color and remove the badges and the ridiculous rear wing. I have a saab 92x right now and one of the main reasons was that I was getting an impreza drive-train but I didnt have to buy a bunch of flat brimmed hats to wear sideways and constantly drift around every corner like I was in a rally stage.
Me and my wife just went through this exact scenario. Ultimately we chose an 08 WRX. That being said I love the fun factor of the car but everything else makes me glad its my wife's DD not mine. We got a really good deal through a Subaru dealer on an off lease 1 owner dealer serviced car with 60,000km and we were under $20,000 out the door.
I did a ton of research before purchasing and was quite hesitant to purchase a Subaru after reading all the problems online. They have a multitude of major well known issues with engine failures and other small annoyances so beware. These are some of the issues we researched before purchasing which now our vehicle has developed in the past 90 days.
The engine knocks on cold start up so you need to idle for 5min+ when temps are -5 or below. I thought there was something seriously wrong so we took it to the dealer. They started 4+ cars on the lot and they all but 1 made the same noise. We had SOC document the concern and have in writing that if the car has a ring-land issue or excessive oil consumption they will cover it now up to 200,000km.
The rear hatch has a recall for rust that was not performed by the previous owner so SOC is replacing the rear hatch as part of the recall.
The clutch pedal clicks on and off due to a crack in the fire wall that the dealer has acknowledged where they will need to remove the dash to weld the spot welds back together.
These issues would drive me up the wall if I had to drive it daily. I'm very particular when it comes to my vehicle and any little noise that is happening with my vehicle makes me uptight that I am or the car is doing something wrong.
All that being said it is hands down the funnest vehicle I have ever driven period and don't regret the purchase. The dealer support has been fantastic and I feel they really car about their customers which makes dealing with the issues not really a big issue at all. I used to work for a European importer and have been involved in the tuning scene for over 20 years which has allowed me to drive a majority of the enthusiast style vehicles. The pure rawness of the WRX is what does it for me. It's a bare bones AWD sport compact with jam plain and simple. You can drive it normal and go unnoticed or you can rev it out and beat on it and it will bring a smile to your face when you hit 2500+ rpm.
I have owned a few BMW's and I never had to many problems with them (never had been stranded by one with even over 350K km on the clock)
That being said, the 335d is a newer car in north america, but has been proven to be very reliable in Europe.
They jam those motors in a few BMW's, so it will be just as reliable as a 335i minus any motor issues, or HFFP issues.
I have done a lot of research on this car because $30K is a lot of money to spend on a used car, and i can't find to much to worry about, here or over seas.
If you are going to test drive a 335i, do me a favour and take out a 335d out for a spin, you won't be disappointed.
rbjeepthing - Really good insight, thanks for your help! I will definitely have to read up more on the known issues if I continue down the WRX path. There is something very appealing about them though... styling aside. A friend of mine has one and has trashed on it for 5 years now and it still runs perfectly. Not the most luxurious by any stretch but that engine and handling is fantastic
vrus - Audi has 217k on the clock and i've just lost confidence in the reliability... I don't want to be worried driving up to the cottage. Plus its a 5-speed auto, so while it has been fun to drive for the past few years, i'm ready to go back to a standard transmission!
I'm liking the Accord idea personally... came across an 06 Black/Black 6sp coupe with 150k for $8000. Seems like a good deal and would be a reasonably fun car to drive for a minimal investment!
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