retsujou

Very well, thank you for some of the feedback, I will try to get a little bit more detailed.
Sporty car to me means that it behaves in a tolerable fashion when you put your foot down on the accelrator, it does not mean it is a 420 BHP rear wheel driven monster of a Car. Because of the Winter conditions I would always tend towards a FWD or AWD hence the reason why I looked at the Audi (any model that is which has it).

The roof rack is there because it would be nice to mount extra storage space. We might go camping or trekking and that is when we would need to bring more gear that fits into the trunk alone.

In terms of fuel efficiency I did have a look at the Lexus 400h and it looks like a viable solution, however I wanted to hear more of your impressions. STi and EVO are nice toys to me, I own a Nissan Skyline GTR 34 Spec Nuer when I was younger and while all of those cars are nice cars, they are not exactly what I would want to park on the corporate parking lot

So, anymore suggestions?

dbd33

Pardon me. One Subaru looks much like another to me. Choosing between them is like choosing between gay porn stars.

iaink

A new Skyline would be a nice AWD toy, now its available here. Probably all sold out now though.

So are you looking for an executive saloon type deally?

The Infiniti M35x has AWD and good reputation. Some of the Acuras are very nice (TL comes with AWD option), but really its an impossible question to answer. All you really need is a nice Honda Civic to get around in, anything more than that comes down to conspicuous consumption.

If you want to get bling with Audis etc, there are also VW passats with 4motion, which are the same thing but cheaper. All the 3 series Beemers can be got with x-drive AWD, as can some of the 5s. Mercedes can be had with 4matic. If you want something executive like but without the "knob" factor and price premium the Subaru legacy GT is extremely capable.

The only options here in Canada that you might not be familiar with are the various domestic brands, which dont tend to do awd very well, and tend to focus on SUVs/ crossovers at the executive level, and the premium japanese brands Acura and Infinity (Honda and Nissans takes on Toyotas Lexus brand)

Basically there is a world of choice, it depend on your budget, personality and what image you are trying to project etc, not the road conditions around toronto, they are basically irrelevant to your choice.

dbd33

Something with a trunk and a roof rack that will convey the right impression at work? What impression do you want to convey?

Steve_P

Hmmm.

Does Lexus and corporate parking lot mean anything?

dbd33

To me Lexus conveys "choose the other lane, this car is going to dawdle" and "I don't shovel my sidewalk". It might be a good choice for someone aspirational who's in the mid-rank at an accounting firm.

iaink

LOL, my brother, the accountant, drives a lexus

retsujou

Thank you. I had thought due to the ever increasing amount of Snow and ice in the winter there actually might be some influence given to what choice of car you are on the road with.

To answer your questions. I hate the fact that cars have become a symbol of status and many identify what you drive immediately with what you are. However I am in the delicate position that I will be working for a rather large high tech comany in a fairly important position. So I can either choose for people to perceive me as the cool cowboy which parks his Evo 10 or NIssan Skyline or somone that is a little bit more level headed becaue he chose something less "flashy". That sounds absolutely stupid as a consideration to buy a car, because it needs to be something I like, but it does have an impact, sadly so.

I like the fact that weather should not make so much of an impact, I think I will look and invest into hybrid technologies then and see what Toyota and Lexus can offer me on that.

Thank you all for helping, I appreciate it a lot.

Jingsamichty

And ugly ones at that.

dbd33

That's much less the case here than in Europe though you can still make an impression. I saw a tricked up Japanese Something with the plate UNIX GOD and thought that conveyed a message clearly.

iaink

The prius is fast becoming the "everyman" car...sort of ideal in your situation politically, but not exactly "sporty" Im afraid. Movie stars and soccer mums both just as likely to be found in the green mobile. Not sure you can say that about all hybrids though, it just seem that the Prius has pulled of the everyman thing?


Maybe a prius for the work commute, and a skyline at home for the weekend

However all the canadian / cold weather hybrid test drives seem to bear out the fact that the economy is only marginally better. The batteries just dont like the cold.

Anyway, if you want to see the lay of the land here, this is an excellent site to check oput for reviews etc;
www.canadiandriver.com

and is sister site

www.luxurycarcanada.com

Atlantic Xpat

The other option is to refuse to be categorised and plow your own furrow. In a pontiac Aztek.

Flogger

The biggest tosser i have ever had the misfortune to work with drove a subaru. Was a special day when he crashed it and wrote it off.

Jingsamichty

Have you looked at the Jaguar XKR Coupe? Very nice, and would certainly have an impact in the corporate parking lot. Not sure about a roofrack though.

retsujou

Well my partner would love that she is the speed freak in this relationship

But seriously, I will simply have to make a considerate choice then, as you said the weather does not impact that harshly. Back in Austria I learned driving with an old Saab 900 Turbo and that car was awesome. No matter how cold or how bad the weather is plowed through it and got me home safely.