Car likely written off, need a new car

[Inzane]

Here's my sad story.

My 2009 335i LCI Sedan, 6spd, RWD, Sport Pkg etc., which I've had from new, factory order was involved in a collision recently. It is likely going to be deemed a write-off from the numbers (repair estimate / vehicle value). I was hit in the driver side rear quarter, and with the nature of the unibody construction, the labour involved with replacing that panel is quite involved.

Regardless of how generous the insurance payout will be (give or a take a couple thousand), it's still a shitty situation. My car must've been a lucky one, the opposite of a lemon, compared to some of the stories and jokes I hear about N54s. Rarely any issues. That said, even before this accident, over the last couple years I periodically wondered to myself what the heck I'd replace this car with (when the time came due) that would come close to the value, performance and driving enjoyment of my E90 335i.

Well here I am. Looks like I'm going to have to come up with something pretty damn quick.

New vs. Used.
I've typically been a new car buyer, either negotiating the best cash deal and using HELOC to manage to balance, or occasionally have used a dealer finance plan depending on the deal. I tend to pick THE car I want/desire and keep it long term, vs. flip 'em every few years.

Buy vs. Lease.
I generally haven't considered the lease option, mainly based on my usual buying and ownership cycle, plus the notion of mileage restrictions, damage penalties, etc.

Cheap interim purchase vs. all in on THE next car
This is the do I buy something on the cheap for now just to get me by for the next season or two and defer the decision of the next big purchase to later, or just get it over with now. That could mean looking for a comparable used BMW similar to what I have or one of its competitors. Of course, I'm not likely to be as lucky with say another N54 car. Shrug.

Buying the next car.
Oh boy. Where to start. AWD is a high want.
Manual or DSG? Up until now I'd been reluctant to give up the manual gearbox, but now I'm willing to give it a try. (I would say hard no to something like a Nissan CVT, but the sequential gearboxes intrigue me).
Needs decent back seat room (at least as good as the rear seat row in an E90 sedan). I have two kids aged 7-8, who will likely be teenagers while I still own this vehicle. It won't be the main family hauler (wife has a 3row SUV). It will be my commute to work car plus dropping kids off at school etc.

I've typically been a sedan guy, buy would consider a smaller to mid-size SUV.

Here are some cars that have crossed my radar:
VW Golf R, Audi RS3 or S4, BMW 3-series (the new gen, not F-series), Infiniti Q50, Mazda 6 (yeah I know, a bit downmarket from the rest)

SUVs:
Porsche Macan (used?), Merc GLA/GLC

Any recommendations based on my situation and preferences would be appreciate.

I was really into the Golf R coming out of the auto show in the spring. It seems to hit a nice sweet spot of performance, practicality, size, etc. The back seat room seemed roughly comparable to my bimmer. It has close to that ~300hp range, AWD, and either a 6spd MT or a DSG. The only issue is my understanding is the R is now out of production (until the mk8) so could I even get a new unmolested one from leftover dealer stock? (I haven't made dealer visits or calls yet)

I'd consider another BMW, but the F series never interested me. I've been hearing the new 3 series is much improved. But is it too early in its model cycle?

Anything I missed that should be on my radar that I might not have considered? Thanks.

[npham]

The manual in the Golf R is shit. If you get the Golf R(I owned a manual), make sure it's a DSG. It won't be able to handle any additional power mods, but it's still fun if you like rowing through gears.

What's your price range? S5 Sportback is the same range as the RS3, and would another good alternative to a mid-sized SUV.

[370Z]

Just curious, what's wrong with the F series? I've had my eye on 2013ish 335 AWD with 6mt's for awhile now.

[ExtraSlow]

Curious if you have pics of the damage?

[03ozwhip]

Just curious, what's wrong with the F series? I've had my eye on 2013ish 335 AWD with 6mt's for awhile now.

Take an E90 for a rip and then take an F series and you'll notice a huge difference in handling and steering feel. You will want an E90 guaranteed.

[Inzane]

The manual in the Golf R is shit. If you get the Golf R(I owned a manual), make sure it's a DSG. It won't be able to handle any additional power mods, but it's still fun if you like rowing through gears.

The manual tranny can't handle more mods, but the DSG can?


What's your price range?

I didn't have a hard budget in mind, although I had not vetted a budget ceiling with the wife yet. lol

I always imagined this next car would be somewhere in the $40k-60kish range. (Perhaps even higher, if the economy wasn't facing current challenges). I'm also a sucker for "a good deal", meaning if the planets aligned on a smoking deal on something just at the skirt of my comfort zone I could be persuaded to push myself that extra bit. (e.g. the summer promotions at BMW back in 2009 were killer, about ~$10k worth of stacked incentives, and was exactly what I needed to nudge me to get the 335i I really wanted, vs. settling for a 328i at the time).


S5 Sportback is the same range as the RS3, and would another good alternative to a mid-sized SUV.

I'm not familiar with that one, but I'll check it out.

[Inzane]

Curious if you have pics of the damage?

I do of course, but I'm not sure I want to post them up yet. I pre-emptively went to the premier BMW certified bodyshop in Edmonton to get the estimate process started (before I even knew it could be a write off), and the insurance adjuster has not even had a chance to see the car yet and weigh in. That happens this week. I don't know how it's all going to play out yet.

Suffice to say the car was hit in the driver rear quarter panel above the wheel. Some slight peripheral damage to the trailing edge of the rear door and leading edge of rear bumper cover, and the wheel. Its believed that the metal behind (referred to as the "wheel housing") the outer body panel is damaged as well. The detailed description of the repair I got involved making two cuts (one part way up the C-pillar, one down below the rear door behind the side skirt) just to remove the quarter panel. The extent of heat treatment and bending etc. required to reshape the panel was deemed a no go and that its definitely a replacement scenario. But the parts costs are small compared to the overall labour.

[npham]

The manual tranny can't handle more mods, but the DSG can?

Yes, at least for the MK7. Basically anyone who has the manual and did any power upgrades had the clutch slipping. I suspect it was the same clutch as the GTI. For the DSG Golf R, they upgraded the clutch pack to hold more torque or could hold more from the beginning.

[Inzane]

Yes, at least for the MK7. Basically anyone who has the manual and did any power upgrades had the clutch slipping. I suspect it was the same clutch as the GTI. For the DSG Golf R, they upgraded the clutch pack to hold more torque or could hold more from the beginning.

Good to know. I was leaning towards the DSG anyway.

[bcylau]

i went through the almost the same decisions just a few months ago. there are really no new manual awd option except for subaru, vw alltrack and jeep wrangler. dsg opens up alot of interesting choices. i loved the golf r as well but i worried about parts availability so i decided against it in the end. here are a few cars i liked in each category

new:
hatch/ crossover/ small suv
macan, gla amg, gla or qx30, golf r , new A6 avant or rs6 avant! , vw alltrack, crosstrek (more budget choice)
sedans:
rs3, s4, c43 4matic

used (manual options):
sti/ wrx, bmw 3 series xdrive, audi a4/s4/rs4, golf r mk7/ mk8, focus rs, mini countryman s, carrera 4s ;)

i think rs3 is the most interesting if you are ok with dsg.

[ExtraSlow]

I do of course, but I'm not sure I want to post them up yet. Yeah, I get it. Posting pics right now won't help you or change the outcome. No worries man. Is the door "frame" area of that door visibly damaged? I'm just fascinated by this stuff.

[bjstare]

RS3.

Or Buster's GLA45 (it's basically new) so I stop thinking about buying it.

[pheoxs]

Hyundai Veloster is the obvious answer

[ThePenIsMightier]

Is the door "frame" area of that door visibly damaged? I'm just fascinated by this stuff.

88044

Weirdo.

- - - Updated - - -
Inzane
If you're considering a Q50, I've got a family member planning on selling a '14 or '15 Q50s loaded single owner with only about 45,000 km on it.
I'll chase more info.

[Inzane]

Hyundai Veloster is the obvious answer

Does that have enough room? I thought it was smaller than a Golf inside.

Since we’re talking about the Koreans, I forgot to mention. Should I be looking at the Kia Stinger and Genesis.. 70?

[jwslam]

The beyond civic: the 2019+ Acura RDX

SH-AWD
~270hp
Spacy
Probably more luxury than your listed Golf R, Q50, and 6

[FraserB]

The beyond civic: the 2019+ Acura RDX

SH-AWD
~270hp
Spacy
Probably more luxury than your listed Golf R, Q50, and 6

Was going to suggest this haha. Love mine so far. Nice and responsive, not terrible on gas and its pretty roomy inside. Can get the heated/cooled front and rear heated seats, the panoramic roof is nice.

[Inzane]

Was going to suggest this haha. Love mine so far. Nice and responsive, not terrible on gas and its pretty roomy inside. Can get the heated/cooled front and rear heated seats, the panoramic roof is nice.

I did some checking on the weekend (articles, YouTube) and it sounds like a nice vehicle. The main Achilles heel sounds like it’s the infotainment system. Something about how you navigate the non-touch screen remotely. How do you find it?

How is the handling (for a CUV) and steering feel/feedback?

[schocker]

I like my golf a lot. I ended up with a CPO 18 but I think there are still some 19s kicking around. It ticked all my boxes (AWD, auto, android auto, all the safety/sensor stuff, good storage) and is a lot more fun than my tsx. Didn't really need something that size so I much prefer the smaller golf. Gripes are: no memory seats nor power passenger, no sunroof (I grew to not mind this), 19s ride pretty rough as they are 35s, no homelink and only 1 usb port. Otherwise it is fulllllyyy loaded. Also decent fuel economy as per vvvv but the tank is only 55 l so more stops than my tsx (75l)

[cam_wmh]

The beyond civic: the 2019+ Acura RDX

SH-AWD
~270hp
Spacy
Probably more luxury than your listed Golf R, Q50, and 6

Having never driven one, what's more luxurious about the RDX than the others?

[jwslam]

Having never driven one, what's more luxurious about the RDX than the others?
Per the post above you:

I like my golf a lot. I ended up with a CPO 18 but I think there are still some 19s kicking around. It ticked all my boxes (AWD, auto, android auto, all the safety/sensor stuff, good storage) and is a lot more fun than my tsx. Didn't really need something that size so I much prefer the smaller golf. Gripes are: no memory seats nor power passenger, no sunroof (I grew to not mind this), 19s ride pretty rough as they are 35s, no homelink and only 1 usb port. Otherwise it is fulllllyyy loaded. Also decent fuel economy as per vvvv but the tank is only 55 l so more stops than my tsx (75l)
The RDX has the memory seats, power passenger (I believe this is on all trims), the sunroof (panoramic, I believe on all trims), the home link, multiple USB (some trims in the back as well).

Furthermore I believe some of these options are not available at all in the Golf, Q50, Mazda6:
Optional heated steering wheel
Vented seats
Heated rear seats
Paddle shifters
AcuraLink app for remote start, etc.

The Android auto is still on hold for the RDX, but not available in the infiniti at all...

[FraserB]

I did some checking on the weekend (articles, YouTube) and it sounds like a nice vehicle. The main Achilles heel sounds like it’s the infotainment system. Something about how you navigate the non-touch screen remotely. How do you find it?

How is the handling (for a CUV) and steering feel/feedback?

The infotainment was a big red flag for me as well going in, I had read a lot of the reviews about the touch pad being slow to respond and not being intuitive. The other issue I had read about was the screen being slow to load and the sync not working well.

It was a bit of a learning curve, but you get used to it pretty quick. Instead of always using a cursor or a wheel, you are touching the location on the pad where you want to click on the screen, although you can drag your finger across the pad and then click of it's more suitable. There is also the secondary pad that controls the second section of the screen. I have no serious issues with the setup and find that it's located in nearly the perfect spot to have easy and comfortable access while driving, switching back and forth between screens is easy and with minimal lag. I actually prefer this one over the Audi, which placed the pad and wheel further from you and I was having to reach past the shift to use it.

Small quirks I have noticed are that it does take a few seconds to load up when you first start the car and if you do want a phone connected, you need to wait until the screen is on to connect.

Handling wise, I find it's very comparable to the other luxury CUVs in the class, maybe feeling a tad more stable in the tight turns. Steering is nice and tight, and the sport/sport+ modes add some weight to the wheel which I like. I'm finding that because it is so responsive, smooth input is a lot better that sharp inputs, even on tight corners.

One thing that I'm not sure about is the slight squeak I get from the brakes on cold starts. One other person on here has experienced the same thing, but Acrua has said that it's normal operation. The things that would be nice would be the surround view camera on all trims and foot opening tailgate, but not deal breakers.

[JustinL]

Hey Bud, Are you still in Beaumont? If you want to go for a drive in my S4, we could meet up. It will give you a good feel for if you like the S-tronic gear box and can fit your family in it.

[Inzane]

Hey Bud, Are you still in Beaumont? If you want to go for a drive in my S4, we could meet up. It will give you a good feel for if you like the S-tronic gear box and can fit your family in it.

Yes. How did I not know you were in Beaumont? Or maybe I forgot, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.

[Inzane]

Answer: 2019 Golf R

[schocker]

Answer: 2019 Golf R

Good choice. I love my R.

[Inzane]

Good choice. I love my R.

I was on the fence about the transmission choice after test driving both at the beginning. But I'm so glad I went with the DSG. With my new job in West Edmonton I have a long commute on the West-South West leg of the Henday everyday and traffic is a slog much of the time.

I do miss my 335i often, but the Golf R manages to tick all the right boxes for me as a worthy successor and validates my belief that wanting and getting AWD was the right call too.

[JustinL]

I have a long commute on the West-South West leg of the Henday everyday and traffic is a slog much of the time.


You poor bastard.

[schocker]

I never tried the 6spd only the dsg as I knew I wanted it for commuting. I use the ACC almost every time I drive now as well and am going to turn on the low speed following and the lane centering now that I found how.
I don't miss my TSX that is for sure outside of homelink, memory seats and sunroof. Ticket all my boxes though, android auto, turbo, awd, some form of safety pack.

[ExtraSlow]

Golf R is nicceee choice.

[mr2mike]

Anything I missed that should be on my radar that I might not have considered? Thanks.

Late to the thread but did you test drive a Honda Fit?
Some may (and I say, MAY) trade for your Golf R straight up. But likely would still have to provide additional cash up front.

[Inzane]

Late to the thread but did you test drive a Honda Fit?
Some may (and I say, MAY) trade for your Golf R straight up. But likely would still have to provide additional cash up front.

This has got to be the most cryptic post I’ve read in a while, or you posted to the wrong thread. :dunno:

[ExtraSlow]

Right thread, don't worry, he's making a joke about my sick whip.

[blownz]

Answer: 2019 Golf R

Had I noticed this sooner I would have recommended the Genesis G70, especially coming from the E90 (I went E90 to F10 to the G70 because I missed the size), but the Golf R is still an awesome choice. Congrats!

I make that same drive as you every day so I will try not to cut off any Golf R's on my commute. :D

[Inzane]

Had I noticed this sooner I would have recommended the Genesis G70, especially coming from the E90 (I went E90 to F10 to the G70 because I missed the size), but the Golf R is still an awesome choice. Congrats!

I didn't look at the Genesis, but I was considering the Kia Stinger GT. (didn't test drive it though).

I was very enamored with the Golf R since I looked it over pretty thoroughly at last spring's Auto Show. Then I lucked out and found one of the rare Spektrum colors and couldn't resist.


I make that same drive as you every day so I will try not to cut off any Golf R's on my commute. :D

Mine is a very bright green, hard to miss.

[Super_Geo]

Here's my sad story.

My 2009 335i LCI Sedan
....
Porsche Macan (used?)
...


My path has a similar starting point, a mid-point you're considering, and a new endpoint.

2012 328i -> 2018 Macan GTS (insurance write off) -> 2019 Tesla Model 3

BMW pros: really good on gas, handled well for a sedan, iDrive system is great. I personally think the F30s are beautiful.
BMW cons: 328i is not fast... just fast enough not to be considered slow. Leatherette sucks.

Porsche pros: I love the look of the Macan GTS, especially when compared to other SUV/CUVs. Interior is a definite step up from BMW. Fast for an SUV, and handles way better than any SUV should.
Porsche cons: so bad on gas... 16mpg on premium sucks. Infotainment on a new MY18 was worse than what the MY12 BMW 3 series had, it's inexcusably bad.

Tesla pros: instant torque makes the car feel like a go-kart. watching netflix/youtube on the screen while waiting in the car is fun. nav using a huge screen is awesome. plugging in means daily commute is always covered.
Tesla cons: lots of planning required for long trips, no buttons makes changes while driving difficult. The car is not nearly as good looking as a 3 series, and downright ugly compared to the Macan.

[370Z]

You'd consider a BMW again but not the Fseries... but need a little more space.

Buy my 2012 X1 28i until you really figure out what you want :)

[Disoblige]

Super_Geo's coles notes: Buy Macan EV when it comes out.

[Inzane]

I personally think the F30s are beautiful.

Once I noticed the leading edge hood line, which basically runs in a STRAIGHT line across on the F30, I could never un-see that.



Infotainment on a new MY18 was worse than what the MY12 BMW 3 series had, it's inexcusably bad. iDrive system is great.

My E90 was a 6MT and no nav. So I never had any "infotainment" or iDrive etc. previously to compare to. But what my Golf has now seems to be pretty decent.



The car is not nearly as good looking as a 3 series, and downright ugly compared to the Macan.

I'm starting to notice more and more Tesla model 3s running around Edmonton and what it says to me when I see one is "anonymous people-moving conveyance".

[EM2FTL]

Once I noticed the leading edge hood line, which basically runs in a STRAIGHT line across on the F30, I could never un-see that.




My E90 was a 6MT and no nav. So I never had any "infotainment" or iDrive etc. previously to compare to. But what my Golf has now seems to be pretty decent.




I'm starting to notice more and more Tesla model 3s running around Edmonton and what it says to me when I see one is "anonymous people-moving conveyance".

Not sure if small sample size or actual trend, but lately I keep lining up with Model 3s at stoplights that want to race. I get it, you have awd and endless torque, the outcome is predetermined. It's actually hilarious when they launch, we're not even in the same performance stratosphere in a straight line.

Congrats on the R purchase, I drove one a month ago and was really impressed with the suspension feel in track mode or whatever it is. Much better steering feel than I anticipated also.

[Super_Geo]

Super_Geo's coles notes: Buy Macan EV when it comes out.

There is 0 part of me that wants to own a Toyota, there is 0 part of me that wants to own a hybrid... but the Rav 4 Prime looks awesome. I think they've nailed product-market-fit.

[gpomp]

The new RAV4 is cool and all but it looks like you're driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee from 2005.