What car to replace Legacy GTB?

[FlatPack]

I'm looking to replace my Legacy GTB in the new year, but I'm not sure what to get

Whatever I get will be used for my daily commute (50 mile round trip), as a tow car when I do track days and for longer trips for holidays etc.

So I'm looking for:

• Small estate - don't need the size of the Legacy, but I like the ease of loading stuff I get from an estate.

• Similar performance to what I have now - GTB is 280bhp and Google says 5.7s to 60, but that's probably helped by being 4WD.

• Must be able to tow my kit car + trailer.

• Better economy than my GTB would be good, it does about 27mpg on a motorway run.

• Preferably manual and petrol.

• Anything that'll only run on 99RON fuel is out as having to find Shell / Tesco petrol stations all the time like I do now is annoying.

At the moment I'm looking at E91 330is, but they seem pretty rare... Especially as a manual. So what else is out there? My budget is about £15k - £16k

[Dracoro]

Skoda Octavia VRS?

Hatch is good but they do an estate. You could get an almost new one too.

[zb]

Maybe a bit too big but I'm thinking along the lines of an Audi A4 Avant S4 Quattro (0-60 5.6 secs):

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...


edit: Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 V6 quattro Sport (manual, and 0-60 6.3 secs)

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

Edited by zb on Saturday 17th December 11:41

[Pommygranite]

Impreza wagon
Mercedes AMG C wagon
Evo Station Wagon

[traffman]

For that budget i would love a 2001 Audi rs4 , however the mpg would be dire.

A colleague of mine recently bought a met Blue Skoda Octavia vrs turbodiesel . He loves it , bags of grip and grunt , great on fuel.

[missing the VR6]

You might find a 335I for that?

[FlatPack]

Hadn't though of the S3, but on checking I don't think it has a towing capacity so that's out S4, RS4 and BMW M cars are out for the same reason (as well as being even more thirsty than the GTB)

Octavia VRS would be too much of a step down in terms of performance I think, by the really scientific measure of a friend's being slower than the OH's S2000 in a straight line and the S2000 is slower than my car

[Mars]

You'll miss the Legacy. I'm moving from a 3-litre Rn to a Mercedes ML around Easter. Whilst I'm looking forward to the additional load capacity, increased ground clearance, and better fuel economy, I shall miss the way the Legacy just seems to "better" almost every other car on the road in any weather conditions. It's just so damned fast and assuring to drive.

[chrisispringles]

This and a remap?