equ perseveration update

[equ]

It's a bit unusual for me to perseverate in advance, a la FC. I generally think about a car for a week and then go buy it.

I guess I'm feeling committed to the latest 330i that I have (second e90 and fourth 330 ). It has nearly 4yrs of warranty remaining and that I spent the better part of last weekend putting a winter tire set together (even dismounting stupid 17" runflat snows were a headache but that's another post). Not to mention I have to see how things go with my new gig and the world in general.

I'm most likely keeping the little croc for the long haul or a bit unlikely but if anything, I'll replace it with something very similar. I am still into skiing and end up driving into snowstorms regularly. While I will ghetto it out with rwd + snows this winter (and maybe next), awd is good for me. Now I generally prefer bmws to audis & subarus but I've tried the xi route, and unless bmw resuspends those cars, I'm just not interested. Very frustrating car, that one, as it feels like a bmw, good steering, good ride, until you hit a real bump or try to steer around quickly. Then it feels like a couch. One constraint has also changed. Used to be that I had one garage spot (1km walk from my apartment). Now, in my new place, I am golden with two parking spots, steps from my front door (Yesss!). The 330's blend in in these areas so one reason for having them, incognito street parking is going away. I could go crazy if I liked, and finally own a theft target car like an sti/evo/b5s4 etc. Except, I'm a little too old and spoiled. The sti & evo are going to make the croc feel less special and not give me a pampered ride on a long 350 mile trek to northern vermont.

If I'm lusting after something from a distance, it's the new s4.

http://www.audiworld.com/news/08/b8-s4-debut/

Steering be damned at least it comes with real tires. I even found the a5 acceptable/appealing, but would like 4-doors, headroom and a non-lame sunroof if I have to have one. With the improved balance and the much improved highway mileage, this car will have fixes my two main gripes with my old b6 s4 avant. The breaking point for me was a on a drive to Montreal, (6hrs/360miles from NYC), I nearly ran out of gas (with 3 passengers) in the middle of vast adirondack park. A sub-300 mile range is just unacceptable for me. And the b6 s4 needed a hit every 200-250.

The cons are that it might be overkill. I have one performance car, it might feel funny to own two. An a4 2.0T with the right options might do the trick (but that doesn't appeal to my gut as much as an s4). Or I could just keep this 330i till kingdom come and live with rwd... Another bright spot in the horizon are the promising reviews for the 2009 wrx 5-door. While I don't think I could love it with those looks, interior and NVH, if I reduced my budget or if equ's gf were shopping, it would be quite interesting. Every single review agrees that the limp 08 has been fixed. At 265hp and 40% higher spring rates and with a better real world ride than the sti, it is quite appealing.

Bmws? I don't see one in the horizon. I'd like to be more comfortable than I am in my e90. If I were to ever buy another one, I'd take the rft's off on day one, I won't even try to get six months out of them. They just make me hate the car.