VW GLI, Acura ILX... what else am I forgetting?

My dad is in his early 70s and has been driving an AP2 S2000 since new. He'd already been thinking about switching to something a bit easier and more practical, and then a couple of days ago another driver sealed the deal by plowing into him in traffic. The issue is what to replace it with.

He's looking for something that's still pretty sporty, kind of an "enthusiast" car, but which has four adult-sized seats (preferably four doors as well), a decent-sized trunk, and, here's the part that makes it tough, either a DCT or a really good auto, but not another three-pedal manual. His budget is around $30k and he's probably looking to buy new, especially because he needs to replace the car pretty much as soon as insurance writes him a check, and doesn't have the time to spend searching for the perfect used example of some other car. 

The only two cars that really seem to fit the bill so far are the ILX and the GLI. We checked both of them out yesterday and the GLI definitely seems like the better car in pretty much every single way, it's noticeably faster, nicer inside, much better infotainment, etc. I've been trying to think of any possible alternatives, but they just don't really seem to exist - everything's either quite a bit worse in performance or doesn't have a viable non-manual alternative. (I would've suggested a WRX Premium but if he's already sick of stick he sure as hell won't want to deal with a WRX clutch every day.) Any ideas?

Accord 2.0 T or WRX auto. 

In reply to mr2s2000elise :

Hmm, I guess the Accord could be an interesting option. We'd have to see if it's really got the performance cred though, it's quick but maybe still a bit too bland. The WRX auto is a CVT and I'm really not sold on that idea, especially because Subaru have somehow managed to do the impossible and it gets worse fuel economy than the manual version.

Optima/Sonata 2.0T, Veloster? The ILX is just a rebadged civic, so why not save a few bucks and go the civic route?

Sonata 2.0T. My parents have one and it's surprisingly fun to drive. Transmission seems to hold gears well for sporty driving, though I didn't put it through its paces too hard. 

GLI never a bad idea for his purposes. 

the ILX I drove was pretty underwhelming. 

What about Infiniti "whatever the 4-cylinder turbo version of the Q60 that replaced the G37 is called" - Those might be hovering somewhere around $30k new. 

bobzilla said:

Optima/Sonata 2.0T, Veloster? The ILX is just a rebadged civic, so why not save a few bucks and go the civic route?

The other part of this equation is that the ILX only got the fun Si motor with the Manual for the first year or 2. 

I'm suggest a V6 accord sedan EX-L V6 or Touring 2013+ or a new 2017+ accord Sport 2.0T. 

They'll fall within your budget almost immediately and just get cheaper the further you go down. 

The 2018+ Mazda 6 with the Turbo are also awesome.  Tons of grunt and they feel way more premium than they cost. They're already in budget slightly used and probably right at or above new and they're awesome! 

Thats my 2 cents. 

The main reason for the ILX over the Civic is that the ILX is basically an SI but with a DCT instead of a stick. There's also just an issue of styling and brand image there, he feels more comfortable with an Acura than a Honda Civic.

Sonata T could be interesting, I'll see if we can look at one. Veloster N would be cool, and he's liked them when he's seen them, but unfortunately it seems like stick is the only option with those as well. (Man, it feels weird being in a situation where I'm looking for cars without a manual, usually it's the opposite problem!)

I hadn't realized the Mazda6 was turbo now, I'll definitely check those out. I've thought for a while that the 6 was the best mainstream sedan on the market but didn't really have much in the way of performance. 

Oh, the Infiniti could be interesting but might be out of budget, they seem to start at 35k. Maybe street prices are lower, that could be an option if so. 

The Elantra Sport is available with a DCT, but that transmission isn't all that great.

Yeah, I took a look at the Elantra Sport, but reviews made me look away pretty quickly. It seems like a solid cut below the other stuff we're looking at. 

Alfa Giulia?

<ducks>

Well, I'm still in the honeymoon phase with mine, but a slightly used cooking model one (ie, not a Quadrofoglio) should be within his budget. Four doors, sporty, 8 speed auto (slushbox, not DCT) that seems to be working well.

Mind you, a certain tolerance for Italian cars might be necessary. They're also a tad bigger than the GLI or WRX already discussed.

Honestly out of the cars you listed I'd probably pick the GLI, but then again I'm also not know for my sane car choices so the advice is worth what you paid for it .

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Yeah, the Giulia definitely crossed our minds. I'm a bit scared by the reports I've heard from owners though, lots of guys in my local car group bought them and then had tons of trouble. 

The TLX is bigger than the ILX and more power. Too big?

Lexus ISF?

Cadillac ATS or CTS?

Mazda 6 is definitely cool too

What about the Kia Stinger? RWD, good 8-speed transmission, semi-luxury, and should fall in his price range with the 2.0T. Could stretch the budget just a little to get the twin-turbo V6 as well.

GTwannaB said:

The TLX is bigger than the ILX and more power. Too big?

We drove a 2018 TLX in V6 / AWD format and were very underwhelmed.  The styling was too fiddly inside and out, and the alleged extra power didn't really make it any more fun to drive.  Having had the TSX for 13 happy years at that point, Acura was the first place we shopped.  But the TLX really failed to make our socks go up and down, and we bought elsewhere. 

Leftover 2018 Kia Stinger.

The ILX is pretty small inside, I wouldn't say "four adults fit comfortably" but I'm also kinda tall. Maybe TLX?

In reply to Max_Archer :

to be clear, you have to get one of the top 2 trim levels to get a mazda6 with the turbo. But this should tick every box you're looking for. 

So is he against a hatch? Because a GTi and the above mentioned Stinger could be good options. If it needs to be a standard sedan, there is the Genesis G70 too. I like the Mazda 6 turbo idea as well.

TLX is out of the price range, at least for one of the cooler models (A-Spec etc.), they're like 45k. Too big as well and he didn't like the interior design as much as the sportier-feeling ILX.

I looked for Stingers but didn't find much in the way of deals in the area, and as I think I said earlier in the thread it seems like a shame to get a Stinger and not the GT, which is way out of the price range as well.

Lexus ISF and any Caddy are also out of the range.

I suggested the Mazda 6 and the Genesis but he wasn't into either. Also, Giulia was indeed surprisingly close to the price range, and it's a pretty dang cool car even in base form, but convincing a guy his age who remembers old Alfas to try a new one is a pretty tall order, and it's still an extra 5+ grand over what we were looking to spend.

GTI is cool and I've been thinking about one myself, to replace my now almost 6 year old Fiesta ST, but it's not right for him. A 5-door isn't necessarily out of the question, but the GTI doesn't have a whole lot of space behind the rear seats and he really wants something that he can use for Costco trips etc.

Anyway, insurance adjuster just left and confirmed that the S2000 is indeed totaled, and from the sound of things my dad is pretty sold on the GLI. For the price I'm pretty much in agreement, I feel like it's really hard to beat for what it costs when you sum up the performance, size, interior quality and styling, etc. He also really loves the all-digital dash and huge touchscreen you get on the Autobahn model, something I don't think anything else in the price range has, and I also think he really likes the idea that it's a relatively low-key car but still something with recognizable enthusiast cred. 

<parts vulture mode>

Any tasty parts on the S2k?

</parts vulture mode>

Sounds like you found the right car for him then, congrats.

Someone already mentioned it, but can you get a Hyundai G70 for $30k? I haven’t driven one but have seen them in person and they’re gorgeous. 

In reply to BoxheadTim :

No, it was bone stock, only "mod" on the whole car was a more modern bluetooth head unit. That's the real tragedy of the whole thing, it was a single-owner, unmolested, ~30k mi AP2 in arguably the most desirable color combo, white paint on red and black leather. Real future collector car until this happened. 

But yeah, I think the GLI should be pretty cool, not sure it's exactly what I'd go with but it seems like a pretty good fit for him. Thanks to everybody for the suggestions etc.

In reply to dyintorace :

Not unless you go completely base, they start adding up pretty fast once you put the option packages he'd want on it. 

under$30 Stinger GT