Alex is from Atlanta and is having a hard time justifying any purchase, as well as giving up is aging 2011 VW GTI. He wants something just as quick, but with better MPGs, upgraded tech and ideally somewhat unique. With a budget up to $60,000, what car should he buy?
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Here is the scenario.
Long time reader, first time writer.
My wife has been subtly hinting it's time for a new car for... quite some time. Apparently she's not a fan of upholstery falling from the ceiling of a car?
I've owned two cars in my adult life. A 2-door manual Acura RSX, bought new in 2001, and a 2-door manual Volkswagen GTI, bought new in 2011. So I tend to buy a new car, keep it for a decade, then buy something else new.
Unfortunately I'm having a hell of a time finding a car that meets my stringent criteria: Any new car has to be strictly better in every way than my old car, or else I feel like an idiot for spending money on something that's a sidegrade at best. Even when my old car is falling apart.
- Four Doors (Sedan, Hatchback, or Wagon) with Enough Room to Baby
- Not Slower than a 2011 GTI
- Not Worse Handling than a 2011 GTI
- Not Worse Fuel Efficiency than a 2011 GTI
- Preferably Manual, but I get that's a stretch in 2022 unfortunately
- New
- A little quirky or uniquely stylish (I love the plaid seats in the GTI)
- I love a good deal. I can spend up to $60k, but if I can spend less or get some crazy discount, I'm excited by that. I'm still in the dreamland that cars are $25k like my GTI was.
- I feel like if I'm buying a car in 2022, it should probably have stop-and-go adaptive cruise control for the Atlanta gridlock
- Will last me for the next decade (ideally without the ceiling upholstery falling down like in this GTI)
It's time for an upgrade though... And I think I'm willing to make some compromises. It can be gas, electric (but no Teslas) , hybrid whatever....Please help!
Budget: up to $60,000, ideally less
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Daily Driver: Yes
Wants: Upgraded tech, good performance, somewhat reliable
Doesn't want: A Tesla
Alex, as the current owner of a 2015 GTI that has treated me very well over the past ten years and is still very enjoyable to drive, I can understand your conundrum. It's hard to justify taking on a car payment for something that isn't substantially better than what you have.
Personally, when it is time for me to move on from the VW, I plan on going in a bit of a different direction, most likely electric. If you can bend on the idea of only buying a new car, the value proposition for used EVs is awesome. You also get a big upgrade in tech, performance, but substantially lower running costs in terms of fuel and maintenance.
As for something unique, most EVs fall into that compact crossover category, but you can get something that stands out in a crowd. One of my favorites is the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally. Starting with the already super quick MachE GT that pumps out 480 horsepower and a whopping 700 lb/ft of torque, Ford added a better suspension setup designed for soft-roading, rally-style wheels, some areo bits, and cool graphics. You can even get these in some great colors. While new ones retail for about $60,000 you should get a pre-owned one with low miles and plenty of remaining warranty. Here is a "used" 2025 with less than 200 miles and a $12,000 savings versus brand new.
You clearly love your GTI, Alex. It seems to tick all your boxes, and its biggest issue just seems to be its age. Within your budget, though, you can fix that one flaw without giving up everything else you love — just get yourself a newer GTI.You want your new car to be a direct upgrade in every way from your current GTI. You know who else thinks about cars in that way? Automakers, when putting out a new generation. A later GTI will be an upgrade from an earlier one, and you don't even have to give up your beloved stick shift.
I found you a white one for just under $31,000, but it's not hard to find manual late-model GTIs for this kind of money. You can pretty much trip over them, so take your time and find an option package and color you really like. It sounds like you'll be keeping it for a long time, so make sure it's the version you really want before you buy.
You know, Alex, if I were your therapist, I'd probably want to dig a little deeper into why you feel like "Any new car has to be strictly better in every way than my old car, or else I feel like an idiot for spending money on something that's a sidegrade at best. Even when my old car is falling apart." The good news for you is, I'm not a therapist, and that's none of my business. We can totally solve your problems by buying a new-to-you car instead.
Reading through your letter, I get the feeling you want permission to buy another Volkswagen GTI, so you should do that. Just buy another GTI and be happy. A newer GTI should be better than your old GTI, and they even added a few physical buttons back with the latest update. But why not go with something better than a newer GTI? I say get a Volkswagen Golf R, since it's basically an all-wheel-drive GTI with more power.
And since you love a deal, I found a car for you that looks like a great deal — a 2018 Golf R with only 22,000 miles on the odometer. At $30,000, it's closer to what you were hoping to spend, but with so few miles on it, it will still feel a lot newer than it actually is. And while it isn't a manual, that will probably be an advantage in Atlanta traffic. Would it be better if it were a more exciting color? Sure, but with a price like that, you can probably afford a wrap.
