[Notion-Za]

Hey guys.

I have had a change of thoughts with my cars and I want to get back to one car again. Having 2 cars is a hassle and they don't get the care they deserve.

Yes I am of a younger generation which will apply to what happens next.

Driving on the way to porsche to test the new Boxster S I drive past Subaru and think what the hell why not pop in quick.

I test drove the 2012 Sti sedan and I love that car. It's usable, practical and hell of a lot of fun to drive. Yes the interior is not up to scratch compared to it's German counterparts but damn. I don't need a business image at the moment so the looks of the car won't cause damage. It has an awesome care free feel and just eggs you on.

This has started a ripple effect and I am now looking at:
2012 Subaru Sti sedan
2012 Audi TT-RS
2012 E92 M3

Am I just being stupid or is there justice in how I feel? Any one have any long term experience with a TT-RS/STI? No need to comment on the E92 as this is a bimmer forum

Thanks for your time guys,
Notion

[lcrain]

STI kinda doesn't fit in that group. None of them are really all that comparable really. STi sedan will be fun, tunable and the cheapest of the bunch. Not sure if there are any differences in S.A. but in USA the TT-RS and M3 start at about $60k and the STI sedan can be fully loaded for less than $40k (ish, not positive on the prices).

I would drive all of them and figure out which one feels the most fun and fits your lifestyle the most. They all have different attributes and feels. Not one will feel remotely like the other.

My brother just bought a TT-RS and he loves it. I haven't driven it yet, but from what he has told me/what I have read it is an amazing car. Least practical out of the three, but it will be the quickest to 60mph, and the easiest to drive fastest around a track. The turbo 5-cylinder is an amazing sounding engine, sounds exotic at times. It is the lightest of the bunch too, so take that for what it is worth. It responds very well to modifications too. Guys with the APR tune claim supercar performance (up to a certain speed of course). If you can get the DSG, it will be even faster (3.6 sec to 60 vs. 4.1 with the manual, we are restricted to the manual here). I prefer the manual though. This car would be my first choice.

The e92 M3 is a great car and the last of a dying breed. Engines like the s65 will be piston head folk-lore in a few decades when everything has three turbo charges and a million different settings for every single aspect of the car. The DCT is a fantastic transmission, and perfectly suited to the high-revving v8 in the e92 m3. The manual takes a lot of work to keep in the higher RPMs to really maximize the power band of the s65. When you are at a track the s65 feels world class because you are always in the high RPMs. On the street you will feel underwhelmed unless you drive like and a-hole all over the place. Coming from the N54 I think you will miss the torque. But BMW always hits the M3 out of the park. Balanced, fast on the track and this one is actually reliable.

I don't know much about the STi other than it is quick, fun, and cheap (at least compared to the others). It would be a fun car to tune and enjoy being young with. I vote you do something different and go with either the TT-RS or the STi (based on the price/fun ratio alone). The e92 will feel exactly the same as your e93 on the inside and unless you spend a lot of time on the track the S65 is just a loud v8 that's missing torque. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

[Robin_NL]

New Sub is a great car(I had a '99 GTT the granddad of them all)

Originally Posted by lcrain

STI kinda doesn't fit in that group. None of them are really all that comparable really. STi sedan will be fun, tunable and the cheapest of the bunch. Not sure if there are any differences in S.A. but in USA the TT-RS and M3 start at about $60k and the STI sedan can be fully loaded for less than $40k (ish, not positive on the prices).

I would drive all of them and figure out which one feels the most fun and fits your lifestyle the most. They all have different attributes and feels. Not one will feel remotely like the other.

My brother just bought a TT-RS and he loves it. I haven't driven it yet, but from what he has told me/what I have read it is an amazing car. Least practical out of the three, but it will be the quickest to 60mph, and the easiest to drive fastest around a track. The turbo 5-cylinder is an amazing sounding engine, sounds exotic at times. It is the lightest of the bunch too, so take that for what it is worth. It responds very well to modifications too. Guys with the APR tune claim supercar performance (up to a certain speed of course). If you can get the DSG, it will be even faster (3.6 sec to 60 vs. 4.1 with the manual, we are restricted to the manual here). I prefer the manual though. This car would be my first choice.

The e92 M3 is a great car and the last of a dying breed. Engines like the s65 will be piston head folk-lore in a few decades when everything has three turbo charges and a million different settings for every single aspect of the car. The DCT is a fantastic transmission, and perfectly suited to the high-revving v8 in the e92 m3. The manual takes a lot of work to keep in the higher RPMs to really maximize the power band of the s65. When you are at a track the s65 feels world class because you are always in the high RPMs. On the street you will feel underwhelmed unless you drive like and a-hole all over the place. Coming from the N54 I think you will miss the torque. But BMW always hits the M3 out of the park. Balanced, fast on the track and this one is actually reliable.

I don't know much about the STi other than it is quick, fun, and cheap (at least compared to the others). It would be a fun car to tune and enjoy being young with. I vote you do something different and go with either the TT-RS or the STi (based on the price/fun ratio alone). The e92 will feel exactly the same as your e93 on the inside and unless you spend a lot of time on the track the S65 is just a loud v8 that's missing torque. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

In bold:Just the way I describe my ex E90 M3 to the guys who don't believe a 1M is the faster(not saying better, but I think so) car irl.

Cheers
Robin

[Notion-Za]

Thanks for the input guys. Will definitely sleep on this for a while before I jump the gun but lcrain, you really hit the nail on the head. Im not to worried about price(you know what I mean) both will be in reach.

Contacted Audi South Africa today and they may have a model for me to test. Not going to spend that much money without driving the car. Will keep you guys updated as things carry on.

On a side note Subaru offered me R50000 less than what bmw had quoted me on selling the E93 (around $6200 difference). I burst out laughing and got into my car to drive away. Dealer asked me why I was laughing and explained the difference in quotes and he said "Well then go get another BMW." After this I caused quite a scene and reported the incident to the manager of the dealership and its funny how quickly an attitude and quote can change but I told them to go get lost. So I think the Scooby is a dead image to me.