I have a 2010 Lexus IS350. Very Good car, all the safety features, good on fuel. 

Can fly when you put foot down.

Not aussie or euro car fan. Toyota /Lexus are easy to get parts. 

Only regular servicing to do.

Hi, I am in a similar situation, am soon interested in replacing my current drive and not a lot inspires me, to the extent I will probably throw some more money at new shocks and yet another cam belt and I suspect a new set of front rotors and just stay with the joy I know.

So my current ride (that my wife uses day to day) is a 2009 Alfa 147, and I can hear the protests from a multitude of keyboards starting all ready, why would you want an Alfa, well in my past 45yrs of car ownership a majority of them have been Italian or French, ahhh a near new 106XSi I had before kids was the most fun, an interlude with an XR6 for 7yrs, and while the boys were young a Ford Courier turbo desiel King Cab, which when you have young/teen kids was a magic machine that took us to remote and distant parts of the land with consumate ease, driving fully loaded with bikes, tents, kitchen sink, and all that and never rode any differnt as to doing a morning school run, amazing machines.

Anyway, back to my Alfa, I love it even after 8yrs of ownership, an immediacy in the steering I find no where else, a long throw gear lever harking from days of youth, chassis dynamics few others approach, an entertaining induction thrum long since exorcised from most modern cars. Reliabilty wise at 125k its not cost me a lot, just the normal tyres, a couple of cam belts (it soon due for another as they come around eveyr 50k) and probably due for new front upper arm bush's as they are starting to talk to me.

So looking around, I cannot afford a Giulia which I would love, and even the more affordable Guliietta is very rare 2nd hand at least for the models I would want, so probably stay with my current ride. Other than that, would probably look at a Focus ST or similar perferablly manual if I can find it, again not easy.

Aside of that, my regular ride at work between jobs is lattest series RAV4 both Hybrid and non, or Corollas, both find me looking for a blade to slit my wrists!

Obviously CVT is cheap to build hence the world is full of these crap gear boxs, but really, really what a load of old crock

My 2c

Cyril

Edit should say, other vehicles we own, my every day ride to work a ratty old Mazda Familar wagon, a weekend play thing is an original NA MX5, and another play things an RF900 I have owned now for over 20yrs and is ready to take us for a circuit of the South Island in the next short while, also a GB500 technically my wifes, and recently sold much to my sadness a 2014 CBR600RR, I getting a bit too old for that, but it was a blast over the Rimatutaka's one can never look past a ride that is just short of amazing, these things win the IOM not for no little reason.

One car I had for use as a recent work car that surprised me was a Kia Rio, in particular a 1400 Turbo Dielsel with a 6speed manual, I drove this for around 3yrs in my past job, it was pretty sloppy in the suspension by not poor, just slack, but that engine and gear box was magic magic magic. I had regular clients over in Masterton, so my regular weekly drive over the Taka's was taken at break neck pace that the little Reo lapped up, that little engine gearbox combo was magic. And based on that I would readily look at a Hyundai N series they definitly look the bees knees!!!!!!!

afe66: We had kids, student loans, and a mortgage.

Having said that, I enjoy my leaf hooning from lights ideally next to old guy in polished holden commodore

I own a V8 commodore and have driven a mates Leaf - and while the Leaf was fun - I ain't worried about the traffic light Grand Prix :p

driller2000:

 

afe66: We had kids, student loans, and a mortgage.

Having said that, I enjoy my leaf hooning from lights ideally next to old guy in polished holden commodore

 

 

 

I own a V8 commodore and have driven a mates Leaf - and while the Leaf was fun - I ain't worried about the traffic light Grand Prix :p

 

I suspect that much of the "leaf beating performance car's at the lights" comes down to that it is pretty un-necessary & Antisocial to do a full power launch in a performance car at the lights in a suburban environment.

However I should note there there are big performance differences between different version's of the leaf. My 2014 is 80kW, and is quoted to do 0-100 in something like 11.5 - 13 sec (I havn't tested mine, and online sources vary). Not fast by any means, but sufficient for the vehicle class.

Latest Leaf e+ makes 160kW, and does 0-100 in 7.3 seconds. In my mind those numbers are quite respectable for a hatchback that is not marketed as being a hot hatch. This is on par with a 3.0L RWD commodore wagon, but still much slower than any of the modern performance oriented commodore powertrains. (But it would still be quicker than a 1995 vs commodore 5.0L v8 with 165kW, and doing 0-100 in 7.7sec) 

Somebody has already mentioned earlier in this thread, but best fun for $$ in the EV space with a $30k budget comes from a BMW i3. Used to own one, and miss it a lot (but both expensive & not so practical with a small child). Full carbon fiber body. Standard (non REX) is a 125kW RWD gets a 0-100 of 7.3s, and the i3s (out of the $30k budget) is 135kW in 6.9sec. Quite go cart like to drive, & has a very tight turning circle. Still fairly niche in appeal (more suited to multi car households), so I didn't mention it until now. 

[edit] - One of the major appeals of powerful engines in non electric car's, is that it makes for a nicer, more relaxing drive if the car has the grunt to hold the speed limit up hills without needing to have the engine at high RPM, and the associated noise and vibration. Likely not something that a buyer looking for a fun car cares about, but for me, While my recently sold cira 90kW corolla had enough power for my needs, it did need to be worked hard up steep hills. it it is sure more relaxing to cruise up a hill in my 200kW lexus SUV, at around half power. Obviously with an EV, there isn't really a material impact on noise or vibration from using full power.

Given Mazda makes some of the better/more engaging handling cars as far as mainstream/non European vehicles, that makes sense, and I hope you enjoy owning any driving it.

How do you find the off-the-line acceleration? I’ve got the same engine in a Mazda6, and that’s one thing I do find a little annoying; I assume it’s partly an issue of a delay until the turbo kicks in, and given the other car I drive regularly is my wife’s Leaf, that’s probably an unfair comparison! Once past that point it doesn’t lack for pep (even more so in a lighter car I imagine).

Juat a heads-up, though you probably already know this, that these engines try to burn off the crud in the DPF every few hundred kms, and it’s advisable to head to the open road for about 15 minutes when this happens (signs are the istop lights goes off, fuel consumption rockets, and a hot burning smell)- a somewhat frustrating and time-wasting experience for me as it usually happens on the way to or from work, but probably not an issue if the car’s being used mostly/regularly on the open road.

lxsw20:

Well after all that I got something I wasn't even considering. Mazda Axela (3) 2.2L Turbo Diesel XD-L. Absolute boat loads of torque as you'd expect.  Seems these were top of the line for the Axela, so has sun roof, Bose stereo etc.

jonathan18:

 

Given Mazda makes some of the better/more engaging handling cars as far as mainstream/non European vehicles, that makes sense, and I hope you enjoy owning any driving it.

 

How do you find the off-the-line acceleration? I’ve got the same engine in a Mazda6, and that’s one thing I do find a little annoying; I assume it’s partly an issue of a delay until the turbo kicks in, and given the other car I drive regularly is my wife’s Leaf, that’s probably an unfair comparison! Once past that point it doesn’t lack for pep (even more so in a lighter car I imagine).

 

Juat a heads-up, though you probably already know this, that these engines try to burn off the crud in the DPF every few hundred kms, and it’s advisable to head to the open road for about 15 minutes when this happens (signs are the istop lights goes off, fuel consumption rockets, and a hot burning smell)- a somewhat frustrating and time-wasting experience for me as it usually happens on the way to or from work, but probably not an issue if the car’s being used mostly/regularly on the open road.

 

I find it not bad off the line tbh, but I'm coming from a Kia Rio I was borrowing, so anything is better than that!

Yeap I've read up about the DPF thing, it's something to keep an eye on for sure.

Stu, yeah I'd say you're right. I find full leather overrated, so I quite like the part leather seats in this too.

I don't know what an Axela is, but I used to have a Mazda3 with the 2.2 diesel and it was a cracker of an engine.

I replaced it with a CX-5 a couple of years ago and I opted for the petrol engine because I felt like diesel was on the way out in the aftermath of the VW scandal, but I sometimes wonder if I should have paid the extra $2.5k to stick with the diesel engine. 

Axela = JDM Mazda 3.