Which car? VW Alltrack / Merc GLK350 / Other?

Hello all,

My wife is thinking of parting with her 04 Forester XT 5 speed for a something a newer. 

She wants to stay in a wagon/suvish type vehicle, no smaller than the Forester, preferably with a manual trans and not a complete dog. She does 10-12k miles a year mostly around town but a 5-10 mile highway stretch to work. 

We have test drove and ruled out the new Forester (no manual in XT trim) and Tacoma six speed. For some reason a +$50k five year old CTSV wagon doesn't seem to fit the criteria.

After the test drives the top runners are the VW  Golf AllTrack and a off lease GLK350.  Both can be had for +/- $25k.  

Alltrack 

Pros - Overall very impressed.  Huge sunroof, manual, decent power (APR plus tune ads 60+ how/tq and has a warranty). Nice interior/infotainment.  Drives a class above it's price point.

Cons - Ok looking exterior.  2018 models come with a 6 year/72k bumper to bumper but reliablility is a concern.  No tow rating.

2014/2015 GLK350

Pros - She loves the looks.  Very quiet and comfortable.  Plenty of power.  Huge sunroof.  Can tow.

Cons- Mercedes image. Auto. Limited/no warranty. Reliability concerns.  Crappy / aged infotainment with little apparent solutions.

Any thoughts on these reliability wise?  

Anything other cars I'm overlooking?

Mazda CX-5 Sport (with manual) woudl probably be my choice in that category. They made the manual last I checked, at least.

Crosstrek?

Most of the small Jeep line (Compass, Renegade, etc) come in manual.

Super lame that no Turbo Fozzie with manual any more.

irish44j said:

Mazda CX-5 Sport (with manual) woudl probably be my choice in that category. They made the manual last I checked, at least.

Crosstrek?

Most of the small Jeep line (Compass, Renegade, etc) come in manual.

 

Super lame that no Turbo Fozzie with manual any more.

Unfortunately the new redesigned cx5 doesn't come in manual anymore. The older ones did in base trim. She had rented an auto while on work and walked away with a "meh" reaction. 

Doesn't like the looks or size of the Renegade (too small). I should mention we've got two 50-60lb dogs.

She likes the Crosstrek but it's quite a bit smaller than her Forester and we drove a new impreza manual (same drivetrain) and we're not impressed. She liked the new Forester 2.5 in manual OK but after driving the Alltrack she eliminated it. 

I have the same feeling about the lack of the Forester XT manual or WRX wagon option.  I'm pretty sure one of those would have been the answer. 

What did you end up getting to replace your WRX?

Nothing really to add except I too am disappointed that the Forester XT doesn't come with a manual. If it did I would be in one right now. I can't do a CVT in any vehicle, I don't care how good it is (supposed to be).

I just bought a2014 BMW X3 with the n55 6cyl turbo for wifey.  Auto but it is a nice auto, for real. Good space, fast, smooth, handles better than a Subaru. Did I say fast?

Decent fuel mileage too. More space than a 3 series wagon.  Can tow 4400lbs.  Good reliability based on my research.  Makes excellent noises.

The VW is a class below for sure and pricey by the time you add power seats which was a requirement for us.

N55 X3 with a JB4? A 400-horsepower cute ute sounds wicked fun tbh.

She's pretty hung up on driving a manual.  I can understand since I do 40-50k mostly boring commuting miles a year in a Cruze and opted for a manual to retain a slight amount of entertainment.

Really the only reason the Mercedes is on the list is she likes the looks of them that much. 

On the Alltrack the warrantied APR tune takes it from 170hp/199tq to 234hp/274tq which should put it close to the Forester. 

I've seen a slightly used BMW x3 with a manual and my buddy runs his pretty hard with little trouble and decent mileage

I had forgotten about the x3. 

Quick survey shows they are around but scarce in manual. As best I can tell 2010 was the last year for them so they have a similar age and miles of the Forester.

Nissan Frontier Crew Cab 4x4 can be had with a manual... You might be able to find one new or close to it at that price point.  

I liked the looks of the GLK too, but the X3 handles better, is bigger, faster, better mileage, better tech, much better trans. 

I like manual too,but in a non track car it is somewhat pointless.  She should test the BMW 8 speed, then decide.  It rev matches, pulls timing between shifts and keeps the turbo on boil. 

A $200 JB4+ tune gets you 350 HP.

Aspen said:

I just bought a2014 BMW X3 with the n55 6cyl turbo for wifey.  Auto but it is a nice auto, for real. Good space, fast, smooth, handles better than a Subaru. Did I say fast?

 

Decent fuel mileage too. More space than a 3 series wagon.  Can tow 4400lbs.  Good reliability based on my research.  Makes excellent noises.

The VW is a class below for sure and pricey by the time you add power seats which was a requirement for us.

Not sure an x3 has more interior space than a 3 wagon. My mom's x3 feels smaller inside than my brothers focus hatch.

Edit: Tried to look it up. "Cargo volume" was 71/61/40 (x3/3wagon/focus hatch), but epa interior volume was larger on the focus than 3 wagon (114 to 108), x3 apparently not listed for interior volume. I guess we'll never know. Maybe they count cargo volume in SUVs differently than in cars? 

Robbie said:

Aspen said:

I just bought a2014 BMW X3 with the n55 6cyl turbo for wifey.  Auto but it is a nice auto, for real. Good space, fast, smooth, handles better than a Subaru. Did I say fast?

 

Decent fuel mileage too. More space than a 3 series wagon.  Can tow 4400lbs.  Good reliability based on my research.  Makes excellent noises.

The VW is a class below for sure and pricey by the time you add power seats which was a requirement for us.

Not sure an x3 has more interior space than a 3 wagon. My mom's x3 feels smaller inside than my brothers focus hatch.

I traded my e91 for the F25 X3, rear seat has more room, cargo is 2" longer and much taller.

Edited above post