Made where? I know a ton of people with VWs, and almost without exception the ones made in Mexico are pieces of junk and the ones made in Wolfsburg are generally solid. Btw I think most or all Jettas, Passats and Beetles are made in Mexico these days; the GTI is definitely still a Wolfsburg product, however.

I call bullshit. Check out the interior — specifically, the leather pattern on the right-hand door — on a genuine E30 M3 (in pic - yes, it's refurbished, but still essentially the same). The one here looks like a standard E30 325.

Wait, one honorable mention: my old '87 Prelude, even given its geriatric styling and handling, remains one of my all-time favorite throw-around cars, although in hindsight I really wish I'd bought a CRX Si instead (and if I did, I'd *still* own that bastard!).

I remain partial to my '96 Integra Type-R. I know the follow-up RSX is supposed to be better in many ways, but then again, so's the Bimmer E46, and I've had a *hell* of a lot more fun in my '04 M3 than in any later 3-series. The Type-R was a *beast* on the autocross track, where it spent much of its time.

I'm an unabashed fan of the entire series, even though I know it's ridiculous as a whole (well, okay - parts 2 and 3 sucked), and I am REALLY looking forward to the new movie. Btw I'm not sure the entire cast from the original is in it; aside from a possible split-second shot when they're blowing up the plane, Jordana…

Concurred. Only a couple of months ago I was pulled over in NW Houston en route to Cypress. I was driving like a bat out of hell and didn't even notice that I flew completely past a cop, which I otherwise *never* do. I was going at least 90 mph (in a 60- or 65-mph zone), and was convinced I was getting a ticket for…

I see no valid argument for spending nearly ten grand on a non-classic car that primarily served as a Japanese, '60s-'70s version of a Town Car livery vehicle. If I'm spending that kind of bread for a 40-year-old foreign car, it will be for a German one.

Maybe my friends just have good taste, but the frattiest guy I know drives a Mazda 3. The *coolest* fratty guy I know drives a FJ60 LandCruiser.

That's a targa roof, not a convertible.

I had a 135i convertible, but only because I *really* wanted a convertible with the twin-turbo engine and *really* hate folding hardtops, which eliminated the 335i from consideration.

Also have five under my belt. Including three Ferraris. :-) (No, I'm not counting them individually as part of the five.) Two of the Ferraris were sticks; one was a 360 Modena with an F1 tranny. Honestly, the stick-shifts were a total pain in the ass, and the F1 transmission had a whole buttload of issues as well…

I completely agree, and as it so happens, my best friend just took delivery of his Tesla S a couple of months ago. He didn't even *consider* the 40 kWh model because of its lack of real-world power (like most people he took the promises of a 160-mile range with a grain of salt, more so since we live in Texas and…

Clearly y'all aren't from Texas. The worst drivers here are indisputably Suburban/Tahoe/Yukon drivers, which are usually driven by the same soccer moms as minivan — with all the same distractions — except they have much less visibility (my mom has an old Miata, and she's been hit no less than FOUR times by large SUVs…

"Never mind the fact that it's often caused by drivers mixing up their pedals"

Hey, I totally see your point. I hesitated years ago when buying a first-gen Audi TT knowing it was built on a Golf platform, though in the end I was sold on its (then totally unique) style. Still, the S3 sounds like it will have little commonality with VWs, and certainly less commonality than the CLA has with the…

Just when I thought this ... thing couldn't get any more horrific, I read these words: "the Cherokee does in fact ride on a Fiat platform that is also used in the new Dodge Dart." In other words, one of Jeep's two iconic brands — which are supposed to represent outdoor prowess on a level shared only with the Toyota…

I concur, and I'm surprised the Durango ever "fell off Travis's radar." Surely he remembers that the Durango and Grand Cherokee share the same platform, one stemming from the previous-gen ML-class Benz (development of the vehicles obviously started before DaimlerChrysler broke up).

There's one that's caught my eye over the CLA, though it won't be here until next year: the S3. 0-60 in 4.9 sec., priced at $39K well-equipped, typically gorgeous Audi interior, arguably the best-looking Audi aside from the A8/S8, and unlike the Benz it'll have a REAL AWD system. As I've said elsewhere, remember that,…

For the record, BMW only started it last year when they introduced the 2.0-liter turbo for every _28i model (and the M1 and, I assume, Z4 and presumably M3).

Screw the 135i with a manual: with the DCT option it ties the CLA 45's 0-60 time of 4.6 sec., per C&D: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2011-b… - and per BMW, the 135is is 0.2 sec quicker, which would deduce a 4.4 sec 0-60 time.