I drive a 328i AWD wagon... but since it is discontinued, an Allroad might be next in a few years.... or the Volvo V60.  Unfortunately the Volvo and Audi both give sacrifice the BMW ‘s rear biased dynamics.  

But not space...

She was asking for it... I mean look at how she was dressing....

The regular Transit is 18’-3” and is slightly shorter than the Excursion which is almost 19’. Yes, there are special extended length versions that are longer....  but 19’ is very long to the general public.  Most parking spaces are 18-20’ long.  Most 8 passenger minivans are around 17’ or less.  

They may not be xenophobic, but they might be ignorant. Ford and GM happen to have headquarters in Michigan with a few 1%ers in suits but they are publicly traded global companies.   They manufacture all over the world and their profits are distributed to shareholders all over the world.   Did you read the referenced…

....but that isn’t even relevant as GM is a publicly traded global company with individual and mutual fund investors literally all over the world. Beyond its headquarters with a few 1%ers in Detroit much of it’s profits are distributed worldwide.

I agree that the 250 hp engine is a little weak... But it is really more of a bargain Caymen competitor than a premium BRZ. The base Caymen starts at $57k and has a 0-60 of 4.9 seconds vs 5.0 for the Toyota. I passed a black Supra today, and as much as I hate fake vents, it looked great in person. Very dramatic…

Understood... but my main point is that there is sooo much more to car enjoyment than 0-60 times. Comparing an economy based AWD compact sedan to a luxury 2 seat sports car is apples and oranges.....

Not fair to compare a “hypothetically tuned” WRX to a stock Supra.   The Supra’s BMW turbo engine also has tons of tunes currently available and can be just as easily boosted and likely has a far more dynamic chassis given it is a RWD BMW.   A rear wheel drive sports car is just very different dynamically to an AWD…

Remember, the Toyota also has a German engine and like all German’s BMW sandbags their numbers just like VW does. The 2 liter turbo in my 328i wagon is well known to make closer to 280 hp and lb ft of torque even though it is rated at like 240. Assuming this Toyota probably makes closer to 300 hp. Of course they…

Regal’s Achilles heal is the transmission which famously robs it of power and performance.  

You mean BMW? It is well known that these BMW 2 liter turbo’s dyno at close to 300 hp at the crank.    There are a variety of tunes available for these engines, but from the factory they are optimized for emissions, mileage and longevity.   Any tune sacrifices a little of each.  

It is a two door with a small cabin and the A3 is a 4 seat sedan with more places for passengers to sit.  I would argue that most people in a 2 seater wouldn’t notice the added speakers.  

That is absolutely the point.  People love bland crossovers.  See the sales numbers for RAV4, Rogue, CRV, etc...

Utterly forgettable crossovers sell in huge numbers.   See RAV-4, CR-V and Rogue sales.  

This is a high performance luxury wagon and is priced accordingly. A corolla hatch is irrelevant to the discussion.

I have been on a lot of cross country road trips... some with kids and some without... and rarely do we drive more than 200 miles without stopping to pee or eat. A lot of Americans who travel do so with kids... so this is not some fringe case.... and older adults need to pee every 3-4 hours also.... pretty broad…

My BMW wagon has it and I use it daily.   Easier than opening entire hatch.  Also I transport my dog frequently and can easily remove him from the back hatch without him getting away.  

My first car was also a shitty malaise era vehicle, but I can recognize that child death rates by automobile are half what they were 30 years ago due to advances in automotive safety and want my kids in something relatively modern.  

Funny. I was born in the mid 70’s and recently caught myself flinging my arm out during a sudden stop with nobody else in the car.   I did some soul searching about just how deep that move is imprinted into my brain.