i'm shopping for a car... turbo stationwagon or a coupe?

[taxico]

motorcycles have been a bigger passion of mine but i'm no longer allowed to ride a bike in singapore so i'd like to buy my own car.

i want something with grunt and am toying with the idea of a pre-owned 911 with a recently renewed COE or a new RX8.

my wife on the other hand, wants a safe vehicle like a renault or volvo.

i was thinking of a compromise in the form of a turbo-charged "full sized" station wagon; subaru legacy, mitsubishi lancer evo or the like...

we do not currently have kids, but plan to squeeze one out in a year or two. i want to keep this car for as long as i'm staying in singapore (minimum of 2-3 more years) so i think it's possible to fit a kid and car seat in a 911 or RX-8 for a number of years...

my wife and i now both walk to work. we however, will drive around for meals/groceries on weekdays (rarely) and for errands/family visits on weekends (mostly).

i enjoy driving, especially up north. my wife will probably never drive it as she hates driving/parking in singapore.

my budget cannot go beyond $175k but my wife prefers a much lower budget. i'm not extremely well dialed into owning cars in singapore and i know it's a money wasting exercise... still!

my car ownership history (none in singapore):
74 datsun bluebird
82 chevy camaro
97 volvo s40 t4

my wife's car history:
daewoo hatchback... of some sort.
06 lexus rx350 (singapore)

for a variety of reasons, i don't want to keep the lexus. if you have any experience with the above, including selling the car when you leave the country please chime in (i'm _not_ keeping the lexus).

[sundaymorningstaple]

for a variety of reasons, i don't want to keep the lexus. if you have any experience with the above, including selling the car when you leave the country please chime in (i'm _not_ keeping the lexus).

[BillyB]

motorcycles have been a bigger passion of mine but i'm no longer allowed to ride a bike in singapore so i'd like to buy my own car.

i want something with grunt and am toying with the idea of a pre-owned 911 with a recently renewed COE or a new RX8.

my wife on the other hand, wants a safe vehicle like a renault or volvo.

i was thinking of a compromise in the form of a turbo-charged "full sized" station wagon; subaru legacy, mitsubishi lancer evo or the like...

we do not currently have kids, but plan to squeeze one out in a year or two. i want to keep this car for as long as i'm staying in singapore (minimum of 2-3 more years) so i think it's possible to fit a kid and car seat in a 911 or RX-8 for a number of years...

my wife and i now both walk to work. we however, will drive around for meals/groceries on weekdays (rarely) and for errands/family visits on weekends (mostly).

i enjoy driving, especially up north. my wife will probably never drive it as she hates driving/parking in singapore.

my budget cannot go beyond $175k but my wife prefers a much lower budget. i'm not extremely well dialed into owning cars in singapore and i know it's a money wasting exercise... still!

my car ownership history (none in singapore):
74 datsun bluebird
82 chevy camaro
97 volvo s40 t4

my wife's car history:
daewoo hatchback... of some sort.
06 lexus rx350 (singapore)

for a variety of reasons, i don't want to keep the lexus. if you have any experience with the above, including selling the car when you leave the country please chime in (i'm _not_ keeping the lexus).

I'll say what you probably don't want to hear!!

Sounds like you're justifying / almost convinced yourself that a pre-owned 911 will tick all the boxes!! Go for it. They are an awesome motor and the ironic thing is - for a developer like Porsche - they haven't changed much over the last 15 years in terms of drive. Body shape has evolved somewhat, so have the extra's, but the handling and drive quality hasn't changed excessively.

You'll certainly enjoy those drives up North, and you are correct - a baby seat is about the only thing you'll fit in the back!! Once the little one grows a pair of legs, simply swap it for something more practical.

And to sell it to your other half - think along the lines of; Darling, just think of how much quicker the grocery shopping will take, think of those dreamy drives along the twisted roads of Singapore, and think how much quicker we'll be back from our trips so we can spend more quality time together!!

[Asdracles]

You'll certainly enjoy those drives up North, and you are correct - a baby seat is about the only thing you'll fit in the back!! Once the little one grows a pair of legs, simply swap it for something more practical.

That's so mean!! You should never abandon a pet, even less a baby!!

[BillyB]

You'll certainly enjoy those drives up North, and you are correct - a baby seat is about the only thing you'll fit in the back!! Once the little one grows a pair of legs, simply swap it for something more practical.

That's so mean!! You should never abandon a pet, even less a baby!!

Ha ha!! Very sharp....

[ScoobyDoes]

You can't go wrong with a Legacy GT (talking from experience), at least on those trips North you'll have enough space to put more than just an overnight bag! 270hp and 300Nm of torque with full 4WD plus I think they're about 50-grand less than your budget.

Even if can you put a baby seat in the back of a 911 I'm not sure how you'll get enough in the car even just for you overnight, let alone the milk bottles, nappies, cleansers, toys, spare clothes, Push Chair etc.

And I'm not totally sure you'll get a baby seat in the back of a 911...... the tunnel might make the seat area too narrow. Additionally I wouldn't want to know what your back would feel like trying to lift in/out 8-10kgs in a car park through a half open door.

This is where the RX8 would be better, with the suicide doors...... but they're called 'suicide' for a reason. Also, I wouldn't want to know what your oil bill would be for it, i hear they can drink a lot.

[taxico]

sunday: yeah... i know... but...!!!

billy: i'm indeed lusting for a 911 and i've actually budgeted for a half-decent 911 but... the child seat conundrum has appeared... i probably shouldn't be using an infant seat in a 911 and i'm not even sure if a rear facing seat will fit properly so i might have to (might) wait 2-3 years after the baby is born before taking the plunge. i know they make great seats for kids >2 years old... but i'll have to take a baby places and it seems like most people don't think it's a good idea.

scooby: indeed i know the pains of taking things out of a 2 door car. the rx-8 is also quite a zippy for a 1.3 liter car... but space (or rather the lack of it) is still a problem - i actually keep a lot of junk in my car for someone who doesn't drive daily.

for now i'm researching between the legacy gt and an evo 9 station wagon before deciding which will be the better choice to go head to head with the rx-8. the porsche, however, is still at the back of my head.

sunday: i know!!!!!! but...!!!!

[ScoobyDoes]

for now i'm researching between the legacy gt and an evo 9 station wagon before deciding which will be the better choice to go head to head with the rx-8. the porsche, however, is still at the back of my head.

The Evo Estate would certainly be the more sporty but you'll have to see if it's a little hard - you don't want the kid's teeth falling out as soon as they come in. You'll also have the problem of even finding one here and you might need to specifically arrange for a dealer to import one for you. I think I've only seen two units on the road here in my time, maybe three.

The Legacy GT is softer but quick and maintenance/insurance etc. is a doddle. I've not driven the newer version but certainly the last one has a gearbox that sucks, it's far too slow to change even in 'Sport' mode and the +/- buttons will come in for a bit of work.

If you are going down the route of a parallel import of an Evo Estate, maybe you might want to consider a JDM Legacy STi instead, which I feel would be better than the GT.

[carpuff]

Such bragging rights for your car's circuit and acceleration.. I'd rather be with a Station Wagon more often than not. Dream of owning a Cadillac!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Why?

[taxico]

for now i'm researching between the legacy gt and an evo 9 station wagon before deciding which will be the better choice to go head to head with the rx-8.

actually, i meant to say: deciding which is a better choice when compared with the rx-8...

...not that i'm trying to race an rx-8. i hope this clears any confusion out there...