What car have you found the most difficult to replace?

[white_goodman]

As above, have you ever found one of your vehicles really difficult to replace? What did you replace it with in the end? Perhaps your looking to replace your current vehicle but don't know what to replace it with.

I have yet to find a car that was as good an all-rounder as my 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon. However, I had to sell it when we emigrated and the family had started to outgrow it anyway. If we had stayed in England, it would have been replaced by a newer Forester XT or Legacy Spec B manual estate or possibly a Saab 9-5 Aero Estate.

However, I couldn't source any of those vehicles where I moved to and bought a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0 Limited instead. I've never really been a fan of 4x4s but always liked the look of the older Jeeps and moving to a country where it snows a lot, thought a 4x4 might be a good idea. My wife used to drive the Jeep and I had a normal car as well but I became quite fond of the Jeep and when we decided to get my wife a new vehicle, we traded in the car and I kept the Jeep for myself!

What do I like about it? The 4WD capability and the high ground clearance. It's also extremely comfortable, smooth engine and gearbox and it's fully loaded (heated seats, climate, 10-disc CD changer etc).

What do I dislike? Not that quick, handling in corners a bit wallowy and poor fuel consumption.

It would be nice to get some performance and handling back and get better fuel consumption but to make a worthwhile upgrade i.e. at least 5 years newer and lower mileage, I'm looking at a difference of at least $15000. So what to get? These are the kinds of vehicles that I have considered.

1. Volkswagen Golf GTI - when I worked for VW when the mkV GTI came out, I thought these cars were awesome all-rounders but I would be losing the security of 4WD and the 4WD capability that I have now (Fiesta/Focus ST also an option). Definitely quicker, better handling and better on fuel though!

2. Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ - A RWD coupe seems very appealing but perhaps a foolish choice bearing in mind the climate here and I car pool with two others so having to get out to let people into the back is a bit of a pain (not buying it for them though am I)!

3. A newer Grand Cherokee (I don't like the generation after mine but quite like the latest one with the 3.6 V6 from 2011) or a V8 Range Rover/BMW X5 c. 2006 to fall into my budget (the BMW might do the performance/handling thing quite well but is it any good in the snow?)

4. A proper 4x4

I think these are both really cool and available with a manual gearbox (which I like) and the Wrangler has a removable roof but a bit crude for long distance work i.e. worse than my current vehicle in this respect?





5. A newer Impreza WRX/WRX STI or Evo (but at 34 am I bit too old for one of these now?)

6. A more grown up 4WD car: Chrysler 300, Cadillac, E60 5-Series, A6 quattro, W211 Mercedes E-Class would be nice.

7. Some kind of V8 Ford/GMC/Dodge pickup - V8 power, comfortable, good on gravel roads and snow but expensive to run and no boot!

8. A smaller SUV - something like a RAV4 doesn't really appeal but would be perfect. The smaller Jeeps (Compass/Patriot) look quite need but don't know if they're any good and only 4 cylinders.

9. Lease a new, smallish FWD car (Focus, Civic etc) and spend more money on house rennovations/family holidays instead!

If I came back to England, I would not be buying a pickup or large SUV (running costs too high), so maybe I should go for one of those while I have the opportunity.

Lots of options there! I can normally narrow my choice of next car down to two or three options but this time, I'm really not sure which way to go!

Any advice on which way to go would be most welcome and feel free to help others with their new car dilemmas as well.

Edited by white_goodman on Monday 27th January 15:40

[Heaveho]

I've owned an ' 03 plate Evo 8 since it was 8 months old........I've spent a fortune on it, modifying suspension, brakes, and engine, to the point where it's now irreplaceable, regardless of how ridiculous it becomes to carry on with it. That's nothing to do with the money it owes me, as an occasionally driven toy, I simply adore it!

[SidewaysSi]

I should really get rid of my DC2 Integra but nothing I have driven this side of a GT3 can match it. Especially for £3k ish. Requirements are hardcore road racer, 4 seats, a "proper" gearbox and total reliability. Bloody thing still gives amazes me after 5 years of ownership which makes replacing it extremely hard..

[Urban Sports]

My first S2000 so I replaced it with another S2000, I never used it, I should have bought a Boxster.

[GroundEffect]

SidewaysSi said:

I should really get rid of my DC2 Integra but nothing I have driven this side of a GT3 can match it. Especially for £3k ish. Requirements are hardcore road racer, 4 seats, a "proper" gearbox and total reliability. Bloody thing still gives amazes me after 5 years of ownership which makes replacing it extremely hard..

I was about to post the very same car.

My DC2 was perfect.

I miss it 5 years later.

[Tickle]

GroundEffect said:

SidewaysSi said:

I should really get rid of my DC2 Integra but nothing I have driven this side of a GT3 can match it. Especially for £3k ish. Requirements are hardcore road racer, 4 seats, a "proper" gearbox and total reliability. Bloody thing still gives amazes me after 5 years of ownership which makes replacing it extremely hard..

I was about to post the very same car.

My DC2 was perfect.

I miss it 5 years later.

When I bought my DC2 the guy I bought it off said "look after it, it will be the best car you own"

... he was right you know!

[SidewaysSi]

GroundEffect said:

SidewaysSi said:

I should really get rid of my DC2 Integra but nothing I have driven this side of a GT3 can match it. Especially for £3k ish. Requirements are hardcore road racer, 4 seats, a "proper" gearbox and total reliability. Bloody thing still gives amazes me after 5 years of ownership which makes replacing it extremely hard..

I was about to post the very same car.

My DC2 was perfect.

I miss it 5 years later.

I know. I had pretty much made up my mind to get a dull BMW but been driving it this weekend in the rain with barely legal tyres and it is so much fun! I have other crazy cars in the garage but this is as good as them and the fact you can get 4 people in it means it is pretty much irreplaceable.

I was doing some Internet research on it and only now realised it is was homologated for Group N racing and that Honda made a loss on each one due to the fanatical focus on lightweight they put into it. I was thinking about replacing it for an E46 M3 but it was shocking how much of a boat that car felt in comparison.

So now it is not for sale and I will be ordering some Yoko AD08s this week for it

[Limpet]

Volvo S60 T5 - I got rid because my mileage went crazy and it wouldn't do more than 26 mpg, but in every other aspect it was pretty much perfect. Built like a proper old-school Volvo, near faultless reliability, all the performance you could reasonably use on rush hour South East roads, made a great noise, was comfier than my sofa at home, had loads of toys to play with, had the best factory stereo system I've ever heard, and the handling was fine unless you wanted to corner it on the door handles. Nothing I've had since, and I include my current F30 320d, was as nice to get into after a long day, or as pleasant to just "be in". "Satisfying" is the word I keep coming back to when I think of this car.

[BRMMA]

I have no idea what i could replace my Gransport with that i could possibly afford. i can't think of anything as special yet as practical as it for a similar price, there are obviously the German AMG/M/RS cars but they're IMO not as special and i don't desire one like i do the maserati, then there's the DB9 but that doesn't have usable rear seats and IMO isn't as good to drive

[crosseyedlion]

Probably my BMW e38 750il, replaced with a superb e34 540i but I always found myself lusting for the power delivery, comfort and overengineered-ness of the 750. I know I'll never be quite satisfied until I have an equally brilliant uber-luxury car. So im trying a different tact now, a hot hatch. Quite enjoying it so far

[zeppelin101]

My last 200SX. I decided I needed something "grown up" and yet 2 1/2 years later, here I am back in another one. Absolutely no intentions of shifting this one on though, not driven anything that is as hilarious this side of an Exige S!

[GravelBen]

I'm on my 4th Subaru wagon, the current Legacy I've had for about 5 years and put 50,000 miles on. The only thing I can think of that would do the same job better is a newer one, and they cost more.