Yeah, I'll do it again. Will you?

[n8dogg]

Kuro...I call Jinx, you owe me a coke!

[KuroNekko]

I too, continually ask myself the same question. Some days I even consider trading it in but often find myself questioning what I really want/need. As Kurro said, there are many new flashly options out there but even still, I can't find exactly what I'm looking for within the price range. AWD is almost a definite must for me given where I live. This takes away fun cars like the Civic Si, the v6 accord, Z's, Genesis Coupe, the Foucus St, Gti's, Gli's, volve c30 pretty much all the cars I would consider owning given I didn't live in northeast PA. So that leaves me back to AWD and majority of AWD these days are CVT or automatic and I'm craving those 3 pedals again. Where does that put me? Pretty much in a WRX, A legacy GT, EVO, or another car I can't afford lol. It appears to me I'm not going to get exactly what it is I want. I'm going to have to sacrifice either in transmission selection or drivetrain and right now I think drivetrain is my biggest deciding factor. I need AWD so it's more than likely going to not be manual, sadly enough. So what car has decent power 200hp+ that can make up for not having 3 pedals? Truthfully I haven't found the answer but I'm leaning towards Nissan's Juke Nismo RS. Can't beat the quality that Nismo puts out and man do they handle incredible. 215hp at 2800lbs in a crossover. idk we'll see what the future holds.

I'd give the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart a look if you want AWD but over 200 HP without spending too much. Yeah, the Lancer is ancient, but this may get the specs you want without spending WRX money. It's the Lancer that was slotted below the Evo but above the Lancer GTs. It's only available in a DCT but it's actually the same one used on the Evo MR and should be much more responsive than a CVT. It's got a turbo motor cranking just under 240 HP with AWD. They made them until just last year so you can get it up to a MY 2015. Also, there are plenty of aftermarket parts for Lancers given the tuning options for the Evo. I'd personally look at these if I was looking for something with AWD and turbo power without costing too much and being as raw as the Evo or STI.

[Sluggo]

The Lancer Ralliart looks kind of good but I'm afraid it would be jumping from one orphan car to another. I hope I'm wrong but Mitsubishis future in the US doesn't look promising.

[KuroNekko]

The Lancer Ralliart looks kind of good but I'm afraid it would be jumping from one orphan car to another. I hope I'm wrong but Mitsubishis future in the US doesn't look promising.

I agree. They are quite confusing about it too. They keep talking about staying and released the Mirage. Their sales have gone up over the last few years, though still very very low in volume. However, they are closing their only US plant and couldn't even find a buyer. But then, they just redesigned their Outlander Sport which is their best-selling vehicle (and the one that is made at their US plant). They also have a brand new Pajero Sport/Montero Sport in other markets that looks amazing, IMO. The Montero Sport used to be offered in the US and sold decently at its prime. I still see a good number on the roads today given they are quite durable and reliable.
They are also promising to release the Outlander PHEV in the US this year. Oddly, the reason why it was delayed was that it's selling so well in other countries, they can't produce enough to meet demand, apparently.
Mitsubishi is a very confusing auto maker that doesn't seem to know what they want to do in the US, but much like Suzuki, are doing much better in Asia. In fact, it's why they are closing their plants in the US and Europe and planning on building all their cars in Asia. Mitsubishis sold in the US will either be made in Japan or Thailand.

Here's a picture of the all new Pajero Sport/Montero Sport. I personally think it's the best looking SUV I've seen in many years and it's a real SUV, not a CUV sell-out like the Pathfinder or Explorer.

[nytq]

The Lancer Ralliart looks kind of good but I'm afraid it would be jumping from one orphan car to another. I hope I'm wrong but Mitsubishis future in the US doesn't look promising.

I agree. They are quite confusing about it too. They keep talking about staying and released the Mirage. Their sales have gone up over the last few years, though still very very low in volume. However, they are closing their only US plant and couldn't even find a buyer. But then, they just redesigned their Outlander Sport which is their best-selling vehicle (and the one that is made at their US plant). They also have a brand new Pajero Sport/Montero Sport in other markets that looks amazing, IMO. The Montero Sport used to be offered in the US and sold decently at its prime. I still see a good number on the roads today given they are quite durable and reliable.
They are also promising to release the Outlander PHEV in the US this year. Oddly, the reason why it was delayed was that it's selling so well in other countries, they can't produce enough to meet demand, apparently.
Mitsubishi is a very confusing auto maker that doesn't seem to know what they want to do in the US, but much like Suzuki, are doing much better in Asia. In fact, it's why they are closing their plants in the US and Europe and planning on building all their cars in Asia. Mitsubishis sold in the US will either be made in Japan or Thailand.

Here's a picture of the all new Pajero Sport/Montero Sport. I personally think it's the best looking SUV I've seen in many years and it's a real SUV, not a CUV sell-out like the Pathfinder or Explorer.

'PAJERO' REALLY!

TOP DEFINITION
Pajero
Spanish slang word meaning 'He who fiddles with himself for sexual gratification'.
Unknowingly used by a major automobile manufacturer who took the more academic translation of the word to mean 'Straw Dealer'
I've just been to the men's room and I think I heard a Pajero in the cubicle

[KuroNekko]

'PAJERO' REALLY!

TOP DEFINITION
Pajero
Spanish slang word meaning 'He who fiddles with himself for sexual gratification'.
Unknowingly used by a major automobile manufacturer who took the more academic translation of the word to mean 'Straw Dealer'
I've just been to the men's room and I think I heard a Pajero in the cubicle

Yup, that's why the car is called the "Montero" in Spanish-speaking countries including the US.
However, the name actually comes from a feline species called Leopardus pajeros which is the Pampas cat.
Mitsubishi's inspiration for the name came from the animal.

[CG1]

So what car has decent power 200hp+ that can make up for not having 3 pedals? Truthfully I haven't found the answer but I'm leaning towards Nissan's Juke Nismo RS. Can't beat the quality that Nismo puts out and man do they handle incredible. 215hp at 2800lbs in a crossover.

What about the Juke-R? (The essence of absurdity).

[kconklin33]

Yesterday I got the chance to actually sit in the Juke Nismo. My gf took one out for a test drive and will likely be purchasing it this week. Although it wasn't the Nismo RS package, that thing was awesome. The only major complaints I had were no armrest in the center console. The car handled beautifully and really gets up and goes. We drove the CVT AWD model and I can tell you the cvt in them is nothing like what we have. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will get the chance to test drive the Nismo RS in both 6sp and CVT.

[golftango]

I was a former Nissan fanboi....87 Sentra, 93 Sentra, 95 Sentra, 95 Hardbody, 97, Hardbody, 06 Frontier...

But now I cannot stand Nissan...with the exception of the Juke and the Cube. Nissan seems to be doing it right with their CVTs.

[KuroNekko]

The issue I have with Nissan is that they are putting CVTs in everything and theirs aren't the best. While I believe they have improved over the years, Nissan models with CVTs are still among some of the industry's least reliable cars. Nissan's reliability has plummeted since implementing CVTs and it's below every single Japanese brand. They also put them in cars that should not have CVTs like the 4000 lb+ Pathfinder. I think CVTs are okay for lightweight cars that aren't performance-oriented but they don't belong in larger SUVs or larger sedans. Another thing I don't like is exemplified with the Juke. You can either get AWD with the CVT or the 6MT with only FWD. While it can be expected and excused in sedans like the Kizashi, for a CUV, I hate having to make compromises. I think CUVs should have an AWD option regardless of transmission type given they are CUVs. While I understand it's mostly due to sales figures, it's just annoying to have to make compromises in a vehicle that pretends to be more versatile and adventure-ready.
Personally, Nissans other than the Z and the Xterra don't appeal to me much and I'd rather get a used Infiniti.