Ask Bark: Should I Buy a Stick Sight Unseen?

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
by Mark "Bark M." Baruth

Alex writes:

Hi Bark,

The lease on my BMW M235i runs out next summer and I’m looking at options for my next car. I’m mostly considering the Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, and Volkswagen Golf R, but also the Ford Fiesta ST (since you’ve praised your FiST so much) and Ford Mustang GT (because it’s a Mustang?).

I don’t really like the Golf R because it’s the only car on this list that doesn’t have Recaro seats and, well, it looks almost identical to the much cheaper, baseline Golf.

I contacted my local Ford dealer about the RS and they urged me to put down a $2,000 deposit since they don’t get many units and they’re selling fast.

My hesitation: I’ve never really driven a manual car outside of iRacing (online racing simulator) and an hour I had with a Corolla with 170,000 km on the clock, so I’m not sure that I’d like to drive a manual every day.

What do you think would be my best course of action?

Sincerely,


Alex

Alex, my friend, sit down. We need to talk.

First of all, I hope you’ve enjoyed your M235i. It seems almost impossible they’ve been out long enough that a lease on one could be expiring soon. Man … time flies when you’re old and jaded.

Now, on to your question.

Your list confuses me a bit. You’re thinking of going from a rear-wheel-drive coupe to an all-wheel-drive hot hatch? I’m not saying it’s never been done, or that those cars aren’t cross-shopped all the time (trust me here, B&B), but that would be a massively different driving experience for you. Not only will the driving experience be different, but you’ll notice a difference in the interior. Although the SensaTec in the BMW M235i won’t be considerably better than what you’ll find inside of Focus RS, it will still be … different.

I don’t know what your performance driving history is or what your intentions will be with the FoRS/Golf R/Civic Type R, but your interest in iRacing indicates that you wouldn’t be opposed to driving on track at some point. I think the M235i would show its taillights to any of them. So, that’s to be considered.

Also, the Focus RS cannot be leased (unless you go the Matt Farah route and lease through a third-party), so your cost will go up significantly. I don’t know the specifics yet, but I think the Focus RS isn’t going to be fun to insure either. I’m hearing rumors (that I absolutely cannot substantiate) that there’s more than meets the eye to the FoRS delays, too. I’ll be behind the wheel of one this weekend, so I’ll give you a full report at that point. But for now, I’d hold off on the deposit … again, for now.

I appreciate the interest in the Fiesta ST based on my experience with one, but again, it’s not going to offer the near-luxury experience to which you’ve become accustomed. You’ve already mentioned that you’re a bit image-conscious with your dismissal of the Golf R. (By the way, I’m with you on that, despite the tongue-lashing you’re about to receive from a legion of Civic and Miata drivers.)

So, all that being said — I kinda like your Mustang GT idea. The M235i is essentially a German Mustang, anyway. You can get a premium interior that will probably be nicer than what you had in your Bimmer, and you’ll pay less for it. Also, the GT is a genuinely fast car on track that may be less trendy, hip, or cool than the Focus RS — but trust me, you’d rather be staring at the outline of a horse in pit lane.

Also, if you decide the manual isn’t the way for you to go, there’s no shame in choosing the automatic version of the Mustang. Okay, maybe there’s a little shame — but not too much. While the Mustang’s automatic isn’t as slick as the eight-speed auto of the M, it’s pleasant enough for the daily drive. Don’t get a car that you think you should get. Get a car you’ll actually enjoy. (Note: If you hold off on the Mustang, it might be available later on with a close ratio 10-speed automatic and direct injection. —Mark)

So, no, I wouldn’t throw down a deposit on a car you’ve never driven with a transmission that you’re not comfortable with. I’d go to a Ford store today and drive a Mustang GT. See what you think. My guess is that you’re going to love it.

[Image: Ford]

Bark M. is a blah blah blah yeah whatever you don’t care. Just email me at barkm302@gmail.com. I do the Twitters and Instagrams, too

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
Mark "Bark M." Baruth

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  • Maymar Maymar on Aug 30, 2016

    I feel like we need to verify what sort of commute Alex has. Personally, I abhor 60+ minutes of pure stop and go in anything, and start getting really homicidal, so I'm not sure how much of that can be attributed to a manual transmission. Otherwise, I pretty much exclusively prefer manuals, although I'm admittedly cheap and have mostly had small, low-powered cars that are obnoxiously undriveable with automatics (new ones are better, but there's still that beat of waiting for the transmission to kick down before the tiny engine gives what meager go it has). And, in urban commuting, there's plenty of slowdowns where I can just not upshift and ride the engine braking back down. Also, if Alex is looking for the summer, will the FoRS still be a hot commodity and hard to come by then? It'll have been on the market for about a year, unless Ford's artificially limiting supply, there can't be that much demand for a $40+k Focus.

  • Alexdi Alexdi on Aug 31, 2016

    The answer to this heavily depends on how good the manual in the RS is. I almost bought a WRX, but couldn't get past how hard it was to shift smoothly. I spent hours in a (generous) friend's car testing various RPMs and clutch speeds and still couldn't get it right consistently. A good shift was grounds for celebration. Six months in, even he had trouble with it. Contrast the Golf GTI I took for a half-hour test drive. It was such a pussycat. I was perfectly rev-matching downshifts within five minutes. I wouldn't even consider that car with the automatic, it was so much fun. Even traffic was entertaining.

  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
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