if only i could. i always thought that a semi truck would be the ultimate vehicle. totally practical

 

So cars with no back seats don't accomplish anything and have no soul??

 

the back seat thing was something seperate.
the OP was saying that they didnt want a honda and wanted something with soul. i assumed they said that the mini actually had soul and the honda doesnt. which is wrong in my opinion, and leads me to my other statement. a car has to accomplish something to have soul.

 

Okay. It was mixed in with the back seat thing. Don't agree with you, but that's life.

 

i'm assuming about the soul thing. to each his own. disagreeing is what keeps forums interesting

 

I'm not about to suggest the backseat of a MINI is paradise - not even if you have a margarita with you back there - but it beats a decent number of other 2-door cars in its class for accessibility and rear passenger room. If the MINI backseat sucks, there are others that suck worse.

If room in back is a major concern, though, there's always the option of waiting for the Clubman to debut.

 

Maybe one with a capital M

 

I don't understand. What kind of accomplishment are you looking for? Hondas are reliable but boring to drive and quite a bit bland. MINIs are the opposite, lol.

 

My pick would be any 4-door with enough room to do the wild-thing in the back seat.

 

dang, ive never heard of a guy that does it with back seats.

 

princeofwaldo... look wat you did. you killed the thread!

 

honda brought underground tuning to the mainstream. without them, and others, we wouldnt be on this site. (which is payed for by vendors selling aftermarket products. at least i think thats who pays for it)

 

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article...2&in_page_id=2

 

ok, maybe the second guy. dang...

 

I do not doubt that Honda tuners are many but I think the group that deserves credit for bringing underground tuning to the mainstream would be the dry lake bed hot rodders of the 40 and 50's like So Cal Speed Shop. They created the car culture that has evolved into what we enjoy today. Those guys were on the cutting edge way back in the day. That scene saw a dip in intreest with emissions and the 70's gas lines and several others have com on the scene and rekindled the interest in performance tuning but it all started post WWII on the dry lake beds of So Cal.

 

i agree. i meant the tuning of small 4 cylinder economy cars. and also the "you-ification" of cars. i guess that has its roots in the hot rods too though.

 

Do what I did and get the Civic Si Sedan. I love it. It handles amazingly and is pretty quick. Doesn't seem any slower than my old MCS.

I don't like the Mazda. It looks great but the shifting/clutch is jerky and I think would get old. The Civic is the smoothest 6 speed I've ever driven and they are only $22k.

A3 is very nice but will be closer to $28k for the same 200hp.

 

The A3 is a very expensive version of the Golf....aka: Rabbit. I'm not too keen on the MS 3. The regular version somehow seems more of a balanced car to me. The Si sedan is interesting, but lacks a hatch back. That kills it for me.

 

There is a lot different about it then a Rabbit, besides a better interior and options the entirely different body/height makes a difference and from what I understand a Rabbit does not drive the same. Also worth considering is that it seems like Audi service is better then VW.

IMHO the A3 is a nice balance of sporty handling and semi luxury in a handsome small 4 door hatch, and as there are less of them on the road then the Mini,a nd certainly Honda or Mazda, they are actually more unique As for very expensive, I don't know about that, as I understand it they start at about 25k (MCS territory) but buy slightly used and you can probably get a loaded 06 for that and avoid taking the depreciation hit

 

cool, you got a new car, huh? i kinda like those civic si sedans, they
look nice with those 17's and slightly lower ride than my EX with 16's.

Honda did a great job on the 8th gen civics, 7th gen was a joke inside
and out. i finally got that annoying motor mount fixed under warranty
a few weeks ago and it's been great.

 

the civic's trunk is pretty big. MUCH bigger than the Maz3 sedan's trunk.
volume wise closer to a trunk size of much larger sedans. but i know, it's
good to have at least one car in the family to carry those real bulky
things.

if you dont mind the milage, legacywagons in the GT Limited trim might
be something worth looking too. the ride quality is top notch. i have
the 2.5SpecialEdition which imho is the "best bang" package out of them all
at $22.5k or something. and it was loaded, standard with 17" wheels and
pretty much all the goodies you'll need for a family wagon. and in the
winter time, the AWD is a very nice feature to have.

 

Well I looked high and low and could not find anything with MCS fun with 4 doors so I got the MCS! After I finally got to try one out with my daughter with me to make sure she could get in/out OK the cast was set. That Mazdaspeed 3 sure is interesting with 263 hp on tap but from what I read the refinement is not there-I never could find one to test drive.

 

I know a man who did this scam exactly. The kicker is, just now, he's having to give the car to his daughter!

 

maybe wait for the civic typeR if that ever hits the states. i forgot that
you were looking for 'mcs fun' originally.

MCS drives very unique so not sure if you will ever find an alternative.

 

the GTI was the 2nd on the list... MINI is always the first