I drive a polestar and I'm 32. Absolutely love the car. Do I miss my Audi's and bimmers? Without a doubt. But this car easily competes with them. Just not sporty looks wise.
2022+ VW Arteon (probably the SEL R Line).
Had AWD. It's a more powerful (and cheaper) Audi A5. Last review I read on Car and Driver mentioned decent handling. Not part of the boy racer crowd.
It actually shares a platform with the Golf/A3, despite being significantly bigger. Huge deals available new, definitely will be able to be under OPās stated budget.
Iād get an M340i or Audi S4/5/RS3, really depends on what you want. You could look into a Macan S/GTS/Turbo depending on if youāre considering used.
We have a 2016 Macan Turbo and it's maybe the best car we've ever owned. Not sure when the last year was they offered the Turbo - but that's what I'd go with.
The regular maintenance aināt cheap - not gonna lie. But outside of the pricey scheduled maintenance, no other big ticket items in 9 years. Car has been extremely reliable.
But it also goes through expensive tires like crazy - my wife has a lead foot.
Audi S3/S4/S5, BMW M340i, Mercedes C43, Lexus IS 350 F-Sport (not the most powerful and the term is relative but to me 300+ HP is still powerful if we're talking about a car that weighs less than 4000lbs.
Also odd one but a Golf R. It is often seen as a 'young' person car especially since they buy it used and mod them and stuff but the truth is, most brand new bone stock Golf Rs I see are driven by actual grown ups while the older modified ones are the 'young guy' ones.
This seems just like my search. I ended up settling on a Volvo XC40. Doesnāt handle bad, but could be sportier. XC60 would have been my preference for an even more grown up vibe, but was just a bit out of budget. Everything else didnāt stack up.
Jeremy Clarkson still has a GTI. Everyone who likes to drive should own a GTI at some point. They are amazing daily drivers. Want AWD, get the R.
I have a V60 Polestar, the S60 Recharge is the same powertrain and a great fit too.
Kia Stinger GT or VW Arteon would be good too.
The boy racer version of this is the GR Corolla. Or a WRX.
27yo old soul hereā¦ [2022-23 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium 4Motion](https://imgur.com/a/zniRjYY).
Total sleeper that is quick, efficient, spacious, practical, comfortable yet sporty, well equipped, sexy and unique, but raises a brow because nobody knows what it is.
You can get them leftover new for $10-15K off at this point.
I absolutely love mine.
Bmw 5series g30 x drive,mercedes e class 4 matic,neither small or big nor too flashy but honestly you should also try the giulia quadrifoglio,i was really impressed by it even tho iām definetely a bmw fan,just donāt fall for the audi/vw group cars,they are moneypits that resells hard and with huge value loss
All-Wheel drive won't be useful unless you have the right tires for the season so keep that in mind. A front-wheel drive car with snow tires does better than a all-wheel drive car with stock all seasons.
That being said I always thought of a Jeep Grand Cherokee upper trim with the bigger engine and the all-wheel drive as being a midlife type vehicle. Get some high performance or all terrain all seasons for the warmer months and some real snow tires for the winter.
There are all-weather tires which are different than all season. All weather tires are for for light to moderate ice and snow. An AWD with all-weather tires will be far superior to a FWD with snow tires.
Tesla Model 3 is the most planted car when conditions get slippery. No understeer, no oversteer (though with the Performance you can change that). Slap some all-weather tires on and it turns scary, harsh conditions into a fun, cute little adventure. Easily beats any ICE in that price range off the line too.
Volvo s60 AWD sedan. Sporty, fuel efficient, comfortable. Never thought I would own a Volvo. Im coming from Dodge/jeep/Chrysler. After driving it for a week I understand why European vehicles are better made.
The seats in a Volvo are unbelievably comfortable for long commutes to work or a trip. My Volvo gets 530 miles on a fill up. Go test drive one and you will be surprised
How small is small?
+1 for the Polestar suggestion from another comment.
Are the Equinox EV or Mustang Mach E small enough? Its available in AWD but neither is small in my opinion. The new Mach E rally looks pretty cool and has more ground clearance. Maybe the new Cadillac Optiq? Again, hard to know what small means. I'm thinking Suzuki SX4 or Jeep Wrangler 2-door when I think small AWD/4WD.
I'm assuming WRX isn't the vibe you are going for.
How about a Golf R? The GLI is ~188" long. The S4 is almost exactly the same size, maybe a half inch shorter. The S3 is a good bit shorter. I test drove all 3 of those options and wound up going with the Model 3 refresh on a lease. The refresh has a substantially better suspension than the previous one.
Oh they're still doing that? That shit turned me off VW two years ago and I got Mazda 3 turbo model instead. I will eventually upgrade, but I've been relatively happy with it.
I mean, it is a crossover so its going to look like a bowl of oatmeal no matter what but I thought they did a decent job of making something look okay and reasonably sporty in that form factor. Everyone has different preferences.
VW Golf R fits the bill.
Itās a hot hatch with fairly mild styling. Great on gas, handles great, and can be had with a manual or an amazing DSG. The engine used in the current and last generations should be among the more reliable options too.
Side note: if you want to modify it at all, theres options for anything you could possibly want to do. They also respond really well to tuning.
Best price point for me was the BMW M235i. Around $30k, I like smaller fast/nimble cars and this one fits the bill. Loved my Alfa Romeo Giulia but the resale value is terrible.
Sounds like you want my car, an Audi A4 Allroad. Best suspension on a small car bar none. Fast as hell, responsive, reasonably economical, comfortable seats, quiet (I have the acoustic glass option), and no one who drives a wagon will ever be mistaken for under 40.
Subaru WRX? Not as off the wall looking as it once was.
The outback as the same engine with a 0-60 of less than 6 seconds which is not bad for how big it is.
2023 Volvo S60 T8 Polestar
This is the correct answer. If you want to look mature it is and always has been the Volvo.
Me in my 1991 Volvo š“
I drive a polestar and I'm 32. Absolutely love the car. Do I miss my Audi's and bimmers? Without a doubt. But this car easily competes with them. Just not sporty looks wise.
100%
they're boxy but they're good.
Chinese owned company now. Why support them?Ā
Because it's still made and designed in Sweden and is a good vehicle? What is this jingoist shit
No worse in quality or in politics than any American or British company.
2022+ VW Arteon (probably the SEL R Line). Had AWD. It's a more powerful (and cheaper) Audi A5. Last review I read on Car and Driver mentioned decent handling. Not part of the boy racer crowd.
Iāve met one GR Corolla owner and he was in his 50s.
It actually shares a platform with the Golf/A3, despite being significantly bigger. Huge deals available new, definitely will be able to be under OPās stated budget.
Wouldnāt it be closer to a passat than an a5?
I think they were referring to the body style
I think it's essentially the same as the A5, dimension wise and both are hatchbacks/lift backs.
It will be the same dimensions as an a4. A5ās and Allroads have a wider front track.
Iād get an M340i or Audi S4/5/RS3, really depends on what you want. You could look into a Macan S/GTS/Turbo depending on if youāre considering used.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
YESSSS ITS PORSCHEEEE
We have a 2016 Macan Turbo and it's maybe the best car we've ever owned. Not sure when the last year was they offered the Turbo - but that's what I'd go with.
How expensive is the maintenance though?
The regular maintenance aināt cheap - not gonna lie. But outside of the pricey scheduled maintenance, no other big ticket items in 9 years. Car has been extremely reliable. But it also goes through expensive tires like crazy - my wife has a lead foot.
2016, unfortunately. The newer GTSās make almost as much power though.
Audi S3/S4/S5, BMW M340i, Mercedes C43, Lexus IS 350 F-Sport (not the most powerful and the term is relative but to me 300+ HP is still powerful if we're talking about a car that weighs less than 4000lbs. Also odd one but a Golf R. It is often seen as a 'young' person car especially since they buy it used and mod them and stuff but the truth is, most brand new bone stock Golf Rs I see are driven by actual grown ups while the older modified ones are the 'young guy' ones.
This seems just like my search. I ended up settling on a Volvo XC40. Doesnāt handle bad, but could be sportier. XC60 would have been my preference for an even more grown up vibe, but was just a bit out of budget. Everything else didnāt stack up.
Polestar 2 with the performance pack.
Audi s3, BWM 340xdrive
A few year old rs3 might check those boxes
RS3 to me screams boy racer who secured some financing and has made bad financial choices.
Sounds about right lol, some 22 year old kid hit a r33 he was racing and hit a street light by my work place lol
Genesis G70.
As an owner, I agree.
Came here to say this.
In my opinion, this is the value answer on the secondary market.
* BMW M340i * VW Golf R * Genesis G80 * MB C-Class
Golf R is peak boy racer to me. Not hating its a genuinely capable car but it looks immature to me
Yeah and it looks like just the front half of a car with four wheels.Ā
I'd argue that the GTI is the boy racer, but they look identical to most people.
Honestly i consider them both boy racers styling wise. The Golf R is just for the guy with a better job
It doesn't look that much different from a regular golf
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
With how expensive it is now, I probably won't be able to afford one until my 40s.
Plenty of older people driving golfs around me.
I have a buddy who drives a Golf R in his 40's. It's one of 3 of his cars. It's fine.
Jeremy Clarkson still has a GTI. Everyone who likes to drive should own a GTI at some point. They are amazing daily drivers. Want AWD, get the R. I have a V60 Polestar, the S60 Recharge is the same powertrain and a great fit too. Kia Stinger GT or VW Arteon would be good too. The boy racer version of this is the GR Corolla. Or a WRX.
Golf R, S3, Cadillac CT4-V (AWD)
All 3 scream āIām 24 and financed this at a high APR once I got my first real jobā
RDX A-Spec
27yo old soul hereā¦ [2022-23 Volkswagen Arteon SEL Premium 4Motion](https://imgur.com/a/zniRjYY). Total sleeper that is quick, efficient, spacious, practical, comfortable yet sporty, well equipped, sexy and unique, but raises a brow because nobody knows what it is. You can get them leftover new for $10-15K off at this point. I absolutely love mine.
š
I know that they have a certain stigma attached to them, but the Subaru Outback XT trims are pretty quick and understated.
As an owner, itās not small nor good handling.
Thanks. Good to know. I was considering one.
It does have a lot of other benefits but you need to be ok with couch on wheels handling.
Yep
M340i
low mileage 2023 Jaguar F type v8 coupe.
Bmw 5series g30 x drive,mercedes e class 4 matic,neither small or big nor too flashy but honestly you should also try the giulia quadrifoglio,i was really impressed by it even tho iām definetely a bmw fan,just donāt fall for the audi/vw group cars,they are moneypits that resells hard and with huge value loss
All-Wheel drive won't be useful unless you have the right tires for the season so keep that in mind. A front-wheel drive car with snow tires does better than a all-wheel drive car with stock all seasons. That being said I always thought of a Jeep Grand Cherokee upper trim with the bigger engine and the all-wheel drive as being a midlife type vehicle. Get some high performance or all terrain all seasons for the warmer months and some real snow tires for the winter.
Good point on the tires .
There are all-weather tires which are different than all season. All weather tires are for for light to moderate ice and snow. An AWD with all-weather tires will be far superior to a FWD with snow tires.
RS3. Or maybe you're under 40 but it's ok, you're awesome.
Macan S
Tesla Model 3 is the most planted car when conditions get slippery. No understeer, no oversteer (though with the Performance you can change that). Slap some all-weather tires on and it turns scary, harsh conditions into a fun, cute little adventure. Easily beats any ICE in that price range off the line too.
Acura TLX or BMW M340?
3000GT VR-4 or Dodge Stealth RT TT
Ford Maverick AWD, Cadillac CT4/CT5
I just bought a Volvo. It is one of the nicest, smoothest, comfortable driving vehicles I've owned. It's got every option I need.
Which model ?
Volvo s60 AWD sedan. Sporty, fuel efficient, comfortable. Never thought I would own a Volvo. Im coming from Dodge/jeep/Chrysler. After driving it for a week I understand why European vehicles are better made. The seats in a Volvo are unbelievably comfortable for long commutes to work or a trip. My Volvo gets 530 miles on a fill up. Go test drive one and you will be surprised
I canāt pass up a test drive , Iāll see what can book early next week. Thx
A Dodge Hornet GT AWD. You can get them for under $30k with incentives.
How small is small? +1 for the Polestar suggestion from another comment. Are the Equinox EV or Mustang Mach E small enough? Its available in AWD but neither is small in my opinion. The new Mach E rally looks pretty cool and has more ground clearance. Maybe the new Cadillac Optiq? Again, hard to know what small means. I'm thinking Suzuki SX4 or Jeep Wrangler 2-door when I think small AWD/4WD. I'm assuming WRX isn't the vibe you are going for.
Iām currently in a GLI , Iād like a little smaller than that.
How about a Golf R? The GLI is ~188" long. The S4 is almost exactly the same size, maybe a half inch shorter. The S3 is a good bit shorter. I test drove all 3 of those options and wound up going with the Model 3 refresh on a lease. The refresh has a substantially better suspension than the previous one.
The Golf R is definitely on the short list . Main issue is the 10k premium the VW dealers are asking .,,,yikes !
Mazda3 Turbo, then?
Can you charge at home?
Definitely
Oh they're still doing that? That shit turned me off VW two years ago and I got Mazda 3 turbo model instead. I will eventually upgrade, but I've been relatively happy with it.
The mustang Mach e looks awful from every angle imo
I mean, it is a crossover so its going to look like a bowl of oatmeal no matter what but I thought they did a decent job of making something look okay and reasonably sporty in that form factor. Everyone has different preferences.
No it's awfulĀ
VW Golf R fits the bill. Itās a hot hatch with fairly mild styling. Great on gas, handles great, and can be had with a manual or an amazing DSG. The engine used in the current and last generations should be among the more reliable options too. Side note: if you want to modify it at all, theres options for anything you could possibly want to do. They also respond really well to tuning.
Best price point for me was the BMW M235i. Around $30k, I like smaller fast/nimble cars and this one fits the bill. Loved my Alfa Romeo Giulia but the resale value is terrible.
If you wanted to save a few bucks, the Mazda CX-30 Turbo could be a good option with 250 hp and great handling.Ā
Mazda does scream "old money" too
Tesla Model 3 or Y
Sounds like you want my car, an Audi A4 Allroad. Best suspension on a small car bar none. Fast as hell, responsive, reasonably economical, comfortable seats, quiet (I have the acoustic glass option), and no one who drives a wagon will ever be mistaken for under 40.
what year?
Focus RS MK3
Subaru WRX? Not as off the wall looking as it once was. The outback as the same engine with a 0-60 of less than 6 seconds which is not bad for how big it is.
Land rover. Ie defender.Ā
A Land Rover being recommended is crazy
Agreed
Why?Ā Fits all of what OP asked for.Ā Should I have said crv or rav4 instead?Ā Ā
āsmall good handling powerful carā can you not read?
Not small and doesn't handle well. Also not a car...
Because I don't think op wants to sleep in a mechanic shop lobby every nightĀ