So I’m looking to replace my current 2018 WRX with a Ford product due to the fact that in a week I’ll be a direct Ford employee instead of a contractor. Of course, this has opened the flood gates on what to get next.
Bit of back story, I’m in my mid/late 40's and love cars. Grew up in an automotive family. Mom, Dad, sis, wife, FIL, BILs, etc. all work/worked in the automotive world.
Love pretty much anything on the road. Hell, I can find something good the majority of vehicles out there. Love modifying cars (not so much these days but I still go down the aftermarket rabbit hole) Love racing of all kinds. I like to autocross and do the occasional track day. I’ve gone down the route of daily driver and project car and daily driver/autocross car and all things in between.
Before the WRX that I got because I tried to escape the supply chain/logistics automotive world, I had a Fiesta ST. Before that was one of the first Focus ST off the assembly line (I probably walked by it in the plant since I worked there at the time). Since hindsight doesn’t wear thick ass glasses like I do in real life, it’s obvious that I should have kept the Fiesta but who woulda thought I’d boomerang back into the automotive world getting a job with an OEM directly.
Now back to the “dilemma” at hand...what do I get to replace the WRX?
I’m all over the place with my next vehicle. The current contenders are:
Fiesta ST - Most fun autocross vehicle since my JDM STi swapped ‘98 Outback Sport. Seeing posts from CarsOfFortLangley of his ST w/those aux lights makes me want to do something similar. Sure, it’s econo-boxy in terms of the door panels and touch points but I don’t mind that because its’ purpose wasn’t luxury. To me, it’s a known quantity and that’s why I go back to it. I’ve found a couple reasonably priced examples that would keep costs down and save for a new Bronco.
Focus RS - This ticks a lot of boxes for me since it’s a fun, fast turbo AWD daily driver. I’ve watched, read and heard (even from Ford Performance engineers) about how horrible the damper tuning is on it. I test drove a beautiful example; 43k on ODO, 6k on new engine due to HG issue, never modded (couple BS , single owner Ford engineer who’s detail oriented (I’d probably say obsessive if I really knew him), no flaws at all...dare I say almost BAT worthy.
My friend and I debated whether or not the RS would hold it’s value mid to long term). I think it will, he does not. Thoughts on that?
This car will NOT help me save for a new Bronco but would be a fun car to autocross and something unique.
Escape SE Sport Hybrid - Sorta out of left field huh??? When it came out, I “poo-poo’d” the styling as generic. The kind of generic you see from an advertisement with a car but they have to photoshop out the emblems. This car intrigues me because of the hybrid technology as well as the advanced driver assists like adaptive cruise and self parking feature. My wife said “NO Escape” but it’s interesting interesting.
Utility Police Interceptor - DON’T CALL IT AN EXPLORER...the copsplay idiots on FB will get super pissed and call you antifa. Ever since HS, I’ve thought it would be cool to own an ex-cop car. Maybe it’s the skate punk sub culture I grew up in. I like the idea of cop shocks, cop brakes and the extra room of an SUV. I also like the looks of it with a push bar, steel wheels and lug caps. My buddy said what about the “cop funk” or worse the “prisoner funk” that’s probably imbedded into the panels. Also, is it the right time to be a left leaning person driving around in a vehicle that looks like “the man”?
Thoughts?