What's next - Mazdaspeed 3 replacement
 

Marisa is getting antsy to replace the Mazdaspeed. Realistically, that means we probably won't do anything until next year at the earliest, but it got me thinking. The car has been extremely reliable and does everything we want of it, but it's got about 160,000 miles on it now so we're expecting it will need some work coming up in the not-so-distant future.

Stuff she likes about the current car:

1) Small size, four doors, hatchback / wagon bodystyle. It's been very functional for hauling around her clients, our dog, and making trips to buy furniture.
2) Manual transmission. She's adamant about no automatics or DSGs.
3) Power. Another turbo car isn't a requirement, but something slow isn't going to cut it.
4) LSD. With the limited slip and snow tires, this thing is unstoppable in the snow. Our previous Jetta with the open diff was OK, but the Mazda blows it out of the water.
5) Reliability. This thing has been bulletproof, other than blowing out both front shocks early on and replacing them with something better.

Stuff she doesn't like about the current car:

1) Fuel economy / range. It averages about 25MPG, but with a fuel tank with 12 usable gallons, 300 miles of range is about all we get. Something better on fuel or with a bigger tank (or both) would be nice
2) It's kind of loud (road noise, boomy engine).
3) The headlights. Her commute in the winter months is a narrow two-lane that is poorly lit and with blind corners. Xenons are sort of a requirement at this point.

Mazda has been teasing about a replacement for this car but I don't see it happening. They just don't sell enough regular 3's to justify a high performance version. The regular 3 is appealing, but it's just too slow. The CX-5 is intriguing, but too slow (and can you even get a manual?).

She wouldn't be opposed to something like an X3 if she could get it with a manual, but I'm not sure either of us want to spend that much money. AWD would certainly negate the need for an LSD. I tend to think all the modern BMWs drive terribly, but she wouldn't notice it and it's not my car.

GTI seems like the obvious choice, now that there is a Performance Pack available with an LSD. The price is also right. I liked (a lot) the one I recently drove. Both of us are worried about maintenance and repairs on a VW after our last experience.

Focus RS is intriguing, but she hates the interior, thinks it's ridiculous to pay close to $40k for a Focus and the mileage will likely be abysmal.

Anything I'm missing? WRXs aren't offered with a hatchback anymore, right?

Does it need to be new? If so, it seems like Focus St/RS, Golf GTI/R and Mini 4 door are the choices. The new clubman seems well executed.

Even if used is an option
e90 wagons w/ stick are unobtainium. I think an x1 w/ stick would be perfect, but it is ugly and all. The new GTi would probably be better than a used a3.

Well, you've excluded the Focus ST, which would at least be a lot cheaper than the RS although it still comes with that awful interior. (K won't even consider the Focus RS for the same reason.)

GTI is the clear leader in terms of a comfortable, decent car with power and a manual and an LSD. And VW is in a *very* different place in terms of the reliability these days.

The Mini just looks so stupid that I'd have a hard time considering it.

There just isn't much out there. We've been having this problem in terms of looking for replacements for the iX. The shell is getting TIRED. It wouldn't shock me if the answer ends up being pay up for another iX.

Yes, new is what we're looking for here. and actually, I totally forgot the Focus ST existed. I don't like the interior either, but I could live with it. Marisa hates it. So it's irrelevant.

Mini is a good suggestion, but the reliability of the whole brand has been worse than abysmal. Take a BMW, make it cheaper, and the result is not surprising.

The X1er is too ugly.

I know VW is better than they used to be. But I have two close friends with MKVI GTIs at 60-80k miles and both of them are developing electrical problems.

The X1 is not available with a manual at all, anyway. But you can get it with RWD. Because *that* makes sense...

Macan with a manual? :)

Is that a thing? I was thinking a used Cayenne (with a manual) but do they offer it on any of the new stuff?

Hmm. Guess not. Thought I'd heard they were going to do that.

I would buy a manual Macan tomorrow, fwiw.

I think the GTI is probably the right car, given all of the various different inputs. It's really in a class of one right now.

The Civic Si may or may not tick the right boxes, depending on final specs:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/honda-c...ier-si-lineup/

Civic Si doesn't scratch the itch of a hatchback / wagon. I bet if I pressed her there are two things on that list that are non-negotiable: hatchback and manual transmission.

I'm not an SUV fan, but I bet we would both positively love a manual Macan.