hadvw

Thanks for the offer.. Unfortunately, wrong coast - I'm in NorCal

For most of those, I worry about reliability/cost of repairs. Volvo seems to generally have worse-than-average reliability, from what I read. Audi and BMW are infamous for expensive repairs, JUST out of warranty. Still, they do have a compelling product. The "Options Zoo" for BMW really made it hard to make sense of 1) what options I'd want. There's Sport, so I think I want that, then there's M-Sport, but it's different in different years, and ALSO different between AWD and RWD, but then in AWD, if you also get package X and Z, but not Y, you get the better suspension and the LSD, but only in this one year. But don't get package Q, because it's not as good as advertised, etc.. My wife hates the orange-tan color of the "premium" leather and I agree - it looks 70s-vinyl cheap. 2) the general comments about "AWD models don't get the good suspension, in fact, base AWD suspension is worse than stock RWD" for the 535ix, IIRC. 3) which options are actually on which car when looking at cars.com, autotrader, carmax, cargurus, etc. It seems impossible to trust the actual list of packages or search for it. Is there some kind of comprehensive VIN decoder for BMWs that lists every option on a car when built/ordered, not just general details? They all seem to list "Sport", but it's never clear if that's actually sport, m-sport, or just "BMWs are sporty". Might be easier just to get a used M3 - a lot less options, in general, it seems. 4) Somewhat surprised there's no aftermarket "flex fuel" option for the 3.0 turbo engines (or maybe I just missed it). I know the Burger tunes offer some fixed percentage, but I can't even see myself getting out the E85 tester at the pump, much less my wife.. Who are the biggest tuners for BMW aftermarket? I know of Burger (or is it Berger?) and Dinan (not far from me, but expensive, and I hear, not very good anymore?). There's an E85 station around the corner, so I'd love to try it out with a boosted car. Keep using it for my wife's '15 Town and Country FFV just to show them there's demand I know that a Q50 3.0t may also not be 100% bulletproof, but offhand, it would seem repairs would be cheaper in general. Level10 does a "bulletproof 7EAT" for the older cars - I would imagine they would be able to do something with the newer ones. I think, overall, the '16 CTS V-sport I looked at with 8k miles for ~$43k probably would have fit most of the criteria, but the family didn't like it to sit in. And the wife kept hinting that she didn't like the idea of a Cadillac, since we're not old yet (her mom drives an '00 Caddy) Maybe I need to look at AMG CPO + extended warranty..

Golf R is around $40k :-) If I wasn't so scared of repairs on VAGs (had 3 in the past) and the general glass-like nature of the DSG (they've had several issues in the past), I would be really interested in one, or an S3. As it is, seems nice, but I'm still very hesitant.

Thanks for the info. Curious if a Q50 on coils + good tires outruns a 3.6 Legacy? I heard the AWD is nearly as good as Subaru.. What direction would you go in?

Yeah, looking at a sedan/something to replace the LGT wagon. Would love an E63 wagon, but that's a little too expensive :-) Already have a '15 Town and Country for the long trips/hauling lots of cargo. Any other thoughts on a fun sedan with reasonable room? Ideally with good folding seats and trunk space and with AWD, or at least LSD in the rear. Good auto a must, otherwise I'd already have an STI. I test drove a Charger Scat-pack, and the seats/room were ok, but I got tired of chirping tires at every turn. Also seemed slow to respond to the throttle, but I didn't drive it that much. Family also didn't like the CTS-VSport we sat in. Lexus GS-F is still too expensive, haven't seen them under $53k used. That doesn't leave too many choices. Sat in an SQ5 and an S3. Family liked both (wife preferred the SQ5). Didn't drive one. Still trying to decide if I can forgive VW for dieselgate, AND break my "never again VAG" vow (had 3 in the past).. Maybe thinking about waiting for a 1-year-old RS3.. I know the 7EAT in the Q50 isn't the best. Hoping that with AWD it can hold up ok, and not overstress. Still not set on a Q50, just near near the top of the list for "if the LGT broke today and I had to get a car".. 1-2 year old models seem to be available for a really good price..

Hmm. Guess I always thought of the G35/G37 as pretty reliable.. Seriously looked into a G37x a couple of years ago..

Here in NorCal, dealer offered $5-7K lease cash on various GT models and they said I could buy out the lease after 1 month, effectively getting $5-7k off MSRP for a purchase. Family didn't like the seats that much - preferred the Q50, so I'm looking at a 3.0T AWD Sport. Delicious has a tune for them that puts them over 400 hp.

As far as I know, Doc Crowley had a USDM 2006 legacy GT with a dead 5EAT and tried to put a 2005 USDM legacy GT 5EAT into it. Same model of car, just one year different. I do not know about engine code, transmission code and whether they matched up. I also don't know what you got in Singapore, so I can't say for sure. What I'm saying is that from the 2005 Legacy GT in the US to the 2006 Legacy GT (same car on the outside, some everything, more or less), Subaru made internal/ECU/TCU changes so that you could not just swap parts from one year to the other. I wish you the best of luck - and I mean that. I'm just trying to answer your initial question with as much detail as I have.

Ah, finally found Doc Crowley's post - at least one of them - read this thread: http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/p0735-167489.html

Read this first: http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5333533&postcount=1177 HexMods is considered THE guru for the 5EAT. Now, in this case, it was putting an '06 5EAT into an '05 car, IIRC. You're going the other way. However, his comment of "it will be a hybrid of the two" probably still applies. EVEN if the part numbers are the same, I would think. Unless it's really a late '05 and you have an early '06? I guess it depends on how much work you can do yourself - if you can swap over JUST the gears or something, then it's probably fine. If you're paying someone else, you don't want to end up paying them to do the research..

As far as I know, if you want to do a straight swap, it needs to be the same year.

I'm sure it'll be fast, but I can't help but fear for the DIY crowd or the mod/racing crowd. No way I'll fiddle with something this complicated..

All depends on where you live. Bay Area (NorCal), we're consistently between $3.00-3.40 for 91 octane (highest we can get) over the last couple of years. E85 fluctuates between $2.30 and $2.60 or so.. Yeah, California hates cars

Sammyshoe, what are your mods (specifically injectors)? 5eat or 5mt?

And they're there precisely because the dealer wants MSRP+ (i.e. $50K) for them..

New BMW X2 actually seems pretty interesting, if there's enough legroom in the back..

Well, sure.. But, $57.5K is HIGHER than MSRP for RS3/S4, just for starters, depending on what you're after. Pretty much at the same level as 540i/AMG C43, loaded MKZ with 3.0TT @ 400 HP is around $50k, etc.. ATS V-sport with 100 more HP starts around $61-62k (and you know they go out the door with a significant discount). Charger SRT 392 is also around $50k (if you just want a big V8). Lightly used LS460/GS F (2016 w/ 10-20k miles) are available in the high $50s. That's the problem I see - this is their "we're just as good as all the other starting-luxury/sporty brands" model - except they've always made their $$$ on giving MUCH BETTER value than the competition up to this point. Now, they're giving you EQUIVALENT value, and asking you to "choose Hyundai". btw, Kia Stinger's supposed to start around $47k, IIRC.

Yeah, just not anywhere near the LGTs pricetag. 3.3T AWD starts at $57.5K.

I think on Gabo's tune, he has one boost limit for "normal" and one for "SI-sport" or sharp, or whatever it's called (I have an '05). Meaning those ECUs already have provision for multiple boost/fuel tables, and I think they have MORE space for lookup tables, so it's easier to fit everything into those tables..

There is a top-feed conversion for the LGT, but I suspect what they're saying is those that CAME with them, because, as you suspect, there's an ECU difference: '07+ LGTs have the "SI-mode" button.

That's what I've long suspected, once they started saying "some" models: '07+ 5MT/6MT. So if I want a flex-fuel 5EAT (most of my driving is stop-and-go), Delicious sounds like my only option..

Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said OBXT. I actually don't know for sure.

In short: MY05 LGT or MY05 OBXT will fit. No other years will fit - someone on here tried to put an '06 into an '05, and had to give up due to too many ECU error codes. I would assume the same with FXT - too many mismatches in the ECUs. I wouldn't take a chance on an FXT 5EAT..

Yeah, saw that car on nasioc.. Seemed like a steal - I'm just not at the right point in my life for something like that..

Yeah, but it's still got the same huge center console that's downright opposed to anyone actually BEING in the car for long periods of time.. I sat in a prev gen Genesis, and the console actually dug into my thigh. It's like it's actively trying to discourage you from actually putting your foot onto the accelerator. I'm not skinny, but at 6'1" 230 (at my worst), it's not like I'm UN-representative of many in the western world.. At least those who could drop $40k+ on a Hyundai. I like to move my legs around on longer trips, manspread a little now and then, etc.. Will definitely give the Stinger a look, but if it's anything like the G80 I sat in 3-4 years ago.. Forget it.. They don't want me as a customer..