Frisky Dingo

Viper ACR Scirocco R-Line TDI Cayenne Turbo S SS Sedan Vantage V12 S Roadster

So the last few 'DG' threads got a little action, so here's a new one for you guys. A very simple, but challenging one. Only cars/trucks/SUV's that were discontinued/overhauled in for the 2018 MY are eligible. Rules- 1) Maximum of 5 choices 2) Only 2017 Model Year vehicles can be chosen 3) Your choices must have had 2017 be the last availability 4) Your choices must be models that received ALL NEW replacements in 2018, or were discontinued entirely 5) Any market is allowed 6) These are your only vehicles Enjoy!

Forgot to come back and post this- Durango R/T 640i Gran Coupe 997 C2S 5th Gen ZL1 Vert Wrangler Rubicon

Okay, you probably all knew this one was coming. Yep, we're doing used cars this time. The eternal debate of new vs used will continue to rage, but there's no denying there are bombshell deals on the used market. Cars today depreciate faster than ever, and it puts awesome cars in tangible reach for a lot of enthusiasts. Whether you want a once 6 figure mega lux sedan, or an overlooked performance car that is a hidden gem, they are out there. Rules are simple- 1) USED cars only, must be 2017 MY or older. 2) Maximum of five choices. 3) These are your only vehicles. 4) Choices must be realistic. No crazy low priced scam listings, salvage title cars, etc. Car should be relatively easily found for the price point in question. 5) Any era and market vehicle is okay. So if you can find an imported R32 or whatever for the cost cap, knock yourself out. 6) Price cap is, as before- $36,495. Have fun!

It's not pretty, but it's very, very nice. And apparently it drives damn good, too. Plus, it's better in person.

I know, I know. But here's the deal- it's the only affordable, decently powered RWD coupe left on the market these days. Tempted as I was by a base V8 Camaro/Mustang or BRZ tS, those cars just didn't do it for me. The BRZ is too underpowered, the Pony cars too large and heavy. The 370Z is a no-apologies, throwback sports coupe. It's a bit wild and rough around the edges, but I like it for that. It's really like a smaller, cheaper Vette. For this price point, it was an easy choice.

Accord Touring 2.0T- $35,800 Durango SXT Plus Blacktop- $35,930 Wrangler Unlimited Sport S- $36,480 Nissan 370Z Sport- $35,150 VW Beetle SE Premium Convertible (yes, seriously)- $31,390

So, to expand on the first part of this, we are doing something a little different. In Part 1, you had a total to spend using the New Car Average Transaction Price multiplied to cover 5 vehicles. This round, you will be limited to a per car amount of $36,495. There is no limit to how cheap your selections can be, but they can't be any more than the average price. Rules- 1) Must be New cars on sale NOW 2017 or 2018 Model Year 2) Cars must be available in YOUR market 3) These are your only vehicles 4) You are granted 5 choices 5) I will allow ONE non-mainstream production car- motorcycle, trike, side-x-side, etc 6) MSRP can be NO MORE THAN $36,495; no assumed discounts, incentives, etc Enjoy.

Have you seen how basic a A4 of the same price is as this?? This has a ton more room, more power, and probably more equipment. An A4 Ultra isn't even AWD.

Offset certainly figures into it, but I'm almost certain one of our guys had 255's on a current body style Passat and it rubbed at full lock. Not sure on the wheel specs though. Still, they're winter tires, so I would want to go even narrower on those.

@ccap41 Yeah, the R Line just doesn't have enough equipment to make it an option for a long distance driver for us. No rear-seat vents, and no Push-Start in particular are deal killers. I really like those Audi Peelers (their wheel name), but I wouldn't pay that much money just for some curbed wheels. The tires are too wide to run on a Passat without rubbing. The wheels would look great on one, though. I plan on going with OE CC turbines-

Nice lists, guys.

Yeah, the standard 17's are absolute appalling. And then when you combine that w/ no Lighting Pkg....well, you get this- vs same car w/ Lighting and wheels- and in R-Line- They improved the standard SE for 2018. Wheels are much better- I'm really not sure why we put crappy wheels on cars in 2018. They are such a critical design element. It's like the moment you go below an 18" wheel size, the designs go to rubbish. And don't even get me started on steelies w/ hubcaps.

The reasoning behind my choices- I had to have a 3 row hauler in the group. Kids are getting old enough they want friends to tag along, so I couldn't justify not having something that carried at least 6. Tiguan is too underpowered, Atlas and Q7 were too much equipped as I wanted. Santa Fe it was. A fantastic value, and becoming a rarity- V6 powered! I had to have something to play off road in. The Hyundai took care of family hauling duties, so I was free to choose something more elemental and basic that the usual 4Runner and Grand Cherokee suspects. I love the new Wrangler's look, so it was an easy choice. Sport S w/ a manual is a pretty decent buy I feel like. Plus, this one doubles as a convertible for Sunday drives to get ice cream and whatnot. The GTI would be my daily driver. The car is simply too good to not have one in the collection. It's the best enthusiast daily on the market no question. The 2017 Sport was such an awesome collection of bits, and a one-year only run, so it's my pick. In DSG. These last 2 were my hardest picks. I couldn't NOT have a V8 of some sort. I thought hard about a convertible Camaro SS or 1LE, but decided to go with the SS as an additional possible family hauler. For trips longer than I'd do in the GTI- short on back seat space and cargo room- but without the carrying needs of the Santa Fe, it'd be a nice in-between option. Would be what I took the fam out to a semi-local eatery in surrounding wine country in or something. For the last option, I wanted something as pure and singular as possible. I almost chose a 370Z, but I figured a low power momentum car would be a nice change of pace. Plus, it'd be my sporting convertible for solo twisty road runs on the weekend. Hope you guys enjoyed this one as much as I did. Though it was tough!!

Squeaking in $500 under the limit, here is my garage- 1) 2018 New Wrangler Sport S 2 DR- $32,580 2) 2018 Santa Fe SE Ultimate AWD- $40,600 3) 2017 GTI Sport DSG- $29,095 4) 2017 Chevy SS Sedan 6MT- $46,625 5) 2018 Mazda MX-5 Club 6MT- $33,075

And therein lies the challenge!! Mine is almost done!

We had a Reef Blue SE w/ Lighting Pkg and grey interior that I really wanted because of the color. And I was going to pay a $500 upcharge to get OE VW 18's to replace the SE's awful 17's. Problem is, at that point it would have only been $900 less than the SE w/ Teck Pk I bought. And it already has 18's standard, plus Nav, Remote Start, Htd rear seats, adaptive cruise, front/rear park assist, auto-dimming rear view mirror, and HomeLink garage opener. Was kind of a no-brainer to get the Tech model, even though it wasn't my most desired color combo.

Okay dudes, this place has been deader than a graveyard for a bit, so I thought I'd throw together something new for fun. Average transaction prices for a new cars in December 2017 was $36,495. Link The premise of this one is simple. You will have a garage to fill with new cars that must adhere to that average. Rules- 1) You must have 5 vehicles. 2) Vehicles must be New 2017 or 2018 MY on sale NOW. 3) Must be for sale in YOUR market. 4) Price is based off MSRP. 5) There is no limit to the individual prices- HOWEVER, you must keep the total amount spent less than $182,475 to keep the per car average at the $36,495 limit. 6) As always, these are your only cars. 7) No motorcycles, ATV's, etc, etc. Have fun.

The older generations of 2.0T's are known to have timing belt/chain failures from time to time. It is essential they are serviced/replaced in a timely manner. Other than that, pretty solid. A few minor electrical gremlins, sometimes issues with turbos and ignition stuff. That's about it. That said, that was a fantastic generation of Passat. First rate driving dynamics, refinement, and build quality. Probably the best Passat ever sold on our shores.

Thanks. Not quite what I had planned, but 7 grand off AND 0% for 72 mths was kinda hard to say no to. Going to use this as an opportunity to get some debt eliminated and cut costs. My GTI lease will be up in 1 yr, and I'm going to turn it in to VW. Once I do that, I'm going to focus on improving my 4Runner with new suspension, brakes, wheels/tires, etc. I want to bring it up to good enough shape I have no hesitation in taking it across the country. Or, depending on some other factors, I might trade it in to get back in a newer 4Runner. A TRD Pro or maybe the right Land Cruiser could definitely be a possibility.

Reflex Silver SE w/ Tech. Looks just like this-

Got it!! I award you one imaginary cookie! Now, you wanna try for the specific model?

Damn, I wish.

Not a crossover/SUV. Shockingly.

Almooooost. That was our first choice, but the deal I got, and the fact that this will be rather short term solution made me go this route.