Frisky Dingo

That looks tremendously better than the sedan.

It stays roughly the same as premium fuel here. Seeing as how these cars easily net MPG 8-10+ more than gas models, it's a beneficial move. Not sure it's much of a factor regardless. The people that want these cars are going to buy them, and not much is going to stop them.

On the contrary, we have deposits on nearly every remaining new and used TDI we have on our lot to purchase if VW's fix extends to them. Passing your opinion off as fact doesn't make it so.

Lol, look at Saudi Arabia, who we are in bed with!!!

Manual only. As it should be. If they need to appease the old and "all about the numbers, bro" crowds, put a CVT or auto in the Si. The R should only be for the most discerning enthusiasts. If they need an auto, go buy a Golf R.

Won't deny that one.

Right, but the difference is Jews and Christians aren't blowing themselves and others up because of the religious teachings they're indoctrinated into from birth.

A) It's actually stupid cheap- $33,700. My managers have no idea what the car is. It still has all the mods, and has 19" bronze finish Verde wheels, and Audi Access Roof Rack. Car is in fantastic condition. B) I have. And honestly, aside from the problems people had needing service/repairs, I never really had much against how the old ones drove. My bigger problem with the car is the back seat is cramped, even by this segment's standards, and I don't like the interior. It feels cheap, it's an odd design, and it's just messy/busy. They drive well, though.

These cars badly needed these improvements. Hopefully they keep the price the same, because I feel they were ambitious as it was, especially w/ the STI. This brings the car more in line with being worth the cost of entry. Depending on pricing details, this may reignite my interest in an STI.

I haz it 4 sale.

Also, a few days ago I got to drive a new S3 w/ FMIC, exhaust, intake, Stage 2 APR tune, and meth injection. What a fuck ing animal!! Easily one of the most berserk, manic cars I've ever driven. I honestly think it had too much power for it's own good. Not something I say very often.

All the thanx for making a new fun thread. Porsche is obviously my favorite. Least favorite is a rather hard choice. Hyundai, Lincoln, Kia, Nissan, Acura all spring to mind as front-runners. Oh, and do these have to be new vehicles? And one driver, and one toy/tracker from each brand?

I think karma is just a construct of our minds. I find it seems like people who are less religious/nonreligious subscribe more readily to the idea of karma. Maybe rather than feeling the inclination to use a fictional deity as a moral guide, they substitute a system of rewards the universe pays if one is 'good'. Which is fair enough, I suppose. I tend to think it's a combination of chance, and setting yourself up for certain situations. Most plights and hardships aren't the result of 'bad luck'. They are usually the result of bad decisions, often times many bad decisions over a long time, and often times easily seen coming. It's simply much easier to dismiss the trials and tribulations of our lives as events that were just dumped on us. That said, I've known people who always seem to have good things happen to them. Always in the right place at the right time. In my line of work, for instance. There's always one guy at every dealer who stumbles into deals and just always seems to get lucky. A good friend of mine I once worked with was like that. He was a decent salesman. Nice, genuine, listened to the customer. Couldn't negotiate very well at all. Got too worked up too easily and too quickly. But he would get 'lay down' after 'lay down'. Just deals you wouldn't believe. People who really did actually just get that settlement, and buys that diesel truck they always wanted. And he'd land a 5 pounder on it. Sell all the new cars that had big minis on them- aged units, demos, etc. I worked with him for a year, and I don't think there was a single month where he didn't have a 2 car deal. I can count on two hands how many I've had in my 7 years of selling. He once sold a car to a guy with marginal credit who sent in 5(!!) family members and friends over the course of just 2 weeks. He whacked them all, of course. The flip side is I know/have known people who can never seem to catch a break. People whom I would say are 'good', and didn't deserve it. But people don't always get what they deserve. Some of the shittiest human beings on the planet are the richest, most famous, most successful. They were nothing more than 'lucky' sperm. But those are the chances of life. There's a finite amount of probability that 'x' is going to happen to someone, and 'z' is going to happen to someone, and it just happens. That's it. It just happens. I believe that the people who do good deeds and try to be positive just appreciate the good things more. Their outlook is what gives them their 'good luck' or 'karma'. In contrast, people with bad outlooks focus on the negative things and dwell on them. They let the bad things dominate their existence. And of course, there's lots of people in between. It can be hard to stay positive and appreciate the good things in your life. We're surrounded by negativity, after all. The media feeds off it. You just have to remind yourself to keep a good perspective on life. When I have a bad month and money is tight, or we get blind-sided by a big expense, I try to remember there's some family in Africa or India that doesn't have electricity, clean water, and anything to eat but scraps (by our standards). And that are likely happier than many people around us who have immensely more. Sorry, this was way, way longer than I intended.

I've driven plenty of Verano Turbos over the years. They're okay. They're marginally quieter and more comfortable than a GTI perhaps, but there is still a big gap in the performance and fun-to-drive factors. As for reliability, well, it seems some here are giving the Cruze/Verano more credit than they are due. I'll leave it at that.

You have no clue what you are talking about. A GTI shames a Verano from a material and fit and finish standpoint. And we won't even get into driving dynamics. Even a standard Golf is head-and-shoulders better.

No way would I pay 20K for a Verano when there are GTI's out there for about the same money.

At best, this is slightly optimistic, and even then only for major metropolitan areas. I think we can easily expect such areas to embrace autonomous cars on a large scale, and that they will stand to gain the most of their integration. One thing I keep noticing however, is how ignorant a lot of these 'experts' are to other regions in the country. I don't mean that to be an insult, just an observation. Widespread use of autonomous cars in rural areas with long driving distances, gravel/dirt roads, and subject to other conditions that are not factors in an urban setting is a very long ways off. Much further than 10 years. The logistics of their use just doesn't make sense. That's to say nothing of vehicles' use as workhorses that will further prevent the adoption of this technology. 15 years into the future only puts us at 2032. Anyone who thinks autonomous vehicles will account for even half new car sales at that point is way off base, imo. And in those 15 years, public transportation is not going to expand to the point to make POV's in general superfluous. I feel there's way too many people putting way too much stock in autonomous cars' takeover of the market.

This will completely kill the fun of this car and anyone who says otherwise is lying through their teeth.

Good riddance. Who would have thought that a SIXTH body style of the same damn car was a bad idea?!?!

Ugh.

Sounds like you just need to decide between something cheap and practical, or something more costly and fun to drive. Tough decision; I've been there before. I always went the latter way. Btw, I've got some new Golf Wolfsburgs. MSRP for 23K, have htd leather, sunroof, driver assist, etc. The hot ticket would be a 16 SE or SEL. Could likely find you one of those, too.

Started the morning out right- Just took a 2008 911 S 6MT w/ Sport Chrono, PSM, etc out for a nice warm-up drive. It's been a while since I've driven a 997, and I'm always reminded and impressed by how fantastic they are. I keep telling myself I want a 991 when they come down a little more, then I drive a 997 w/ the right equipment, and I'm like, "Nope, this is the one." Ugh. When the time comes, it's going to be very difficult deciding what to replace my GTI with.

Any update for us @ccap41??

No, it's nothing deep or anything. I just hate the weather, the crowds, the traffic, the commercialism, peoples' expectations of gifts, the lame gifts I get, the insane amount of money my wife insists we spend on our kids. It's just madness. Factor in that I'm not religious in the slightest bit on top, and that just compounds it.