I’m looking to buy a new vehicle. I’m 65, female and on my own. I’ve always driven a two-door coupe, Honda or Toyota, purchased new.
I want dependability. I keep vehicles for at least 10 years with only 5,000-to-10,000 kilometres a year. I prefer rear- or all-wheel drive, a smaller vehicle and automatic.
I love my current vehicle: a 2014 Scion tC with only 67,000 kilometres on it. It has been a true gem. I want to stay away from an electrical vehicle. Any suggestions? – Margaret
Mark Richardson: If Margaret loves her Scion tC and it only has 67,000 kilometres on its odometer, then why does she want to replace it? My best advice is to keep it and carry on loving it for at least another decade.
Miranda Lightstone: I agree, but I can also understand Margaret’s desire for something more updated and less likely to require major mechanical maintenance. Margaret is on her own and wants to ensure she has a reliable ride. At 12 years old, the Scion is going to start showing its age, even with that low mileage.
Richardson: Fair enough. We usually recommend staying with the brand that’s made you happy, but Scion hasn’t existed since parent-company Toyota killed it 10 years ago. Back then, the front-wheel-drive tC was sold alongside the rear-wheel-drive Scion FR-S, which were both sporty coupes. When Scion folded, the FR-S was replaced by the Toyota 86, which was later given the full Gazoo Racing treatment to become the Toyota GR86. So that’s the first car I’ll recommend to Margaret to consider.
2024 Toyota GR 86 beside the Cabot Trail, N.S.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Lightstone: That was going to be my suggestion, as well. I’ve yet to be disappointed by an 86 over the years. It’s dynamic, nimble and looks great. It’s not particularly practical in the winter months, though, and the 86 suspension can be a bit harsh on rougher roads.
Richardson: I do wonder if it’s too finicky of a car for Margaret. I think she may be happier with the more road-refined Subaru BRZ. The GR86 uses the same Subaru engine and they both make 228 horsepower, compared to the 180 horsepower of her beloved tC but, to me, the BRZ is smoother all around. They’re both about the same price, starting at close to $36,000 before taxes.
Lightstone: My thoughts, too. Driving the GR86 and BRZ back-to-back shows just how differently the two are tuned, despite being fundamentally the same car with the same engine under the hood. The BRZ offers the rear-wheel drive Margaret likes, but with much more overall ride comfort than its Toyota twin.
2026 Subaru BRZCourtesy of manufacturer
Richardson: It’s curious that she says she prefers either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, yet the Scion tC that’s given her such satisfaction is front-wheel drive. She also says she likes Hondas, so maybe she should consider the Honda Prelude. It’s front-wheel drive and has the smooth road manners of the BRZ. It’s much more costly though, starting at $53,000 before taxes.
Lightstone: For that price, Margaret will get more interior- and trunk-space in the Prelude. She’ll get a competitive rear-wheel-drive coupe for about the same price with the Nissan Z, too. But if she’s venturing into a higher price bracket, I’d sway her toward a Volkswagen Golf R, with all-wheel drive. With a base price of $54,942 before taxes, it’s not far off from the Prelude, and I know how fun the Golf R can be to drive.
Richardson: Wow – the price goes up quickly when you’ve got a blank cheque to work with. Sure, the 328-horsepower Golf R is terrific fun, but the Golf GTI costs $15,000 less – back down to BRZ and GR86 prices – and produces a more-than-adequate 241 horsepower for its small hatchback size. It’s front-wheel drive, but Margaret should take one for a test drive.
Like the R, the GTI sports new design elements, including a standard lightbar and lighted VW logo, new paint colours and wheels.Emily Atkins/The Globe and Mail
Lightstone: The GTI is a fun hatch to drive, no doubt. And truthfully, Margaret is already used to front-wheel drive, despite preferring rear or all. I’m going to offer up one more slightly pricy option though that may just tickle her fancy, and stick to a brand she mentions being drawn towards: The Toyota Corolla GR.
Richardson: If you’re suggesting the VW Golf R, you should certainly suggest the GR Corolla with all its hot hatch power and compact size. I think it’s more than Margaret is looking for, but why do you think she should consider it?
Lightstone: Every time I’ve driven a Toyota Corolla, I am reminded why they are the top-selling car worldwide, with more than 57 million sold internationally over the years. I was skeptical about the GR at first, but after spending time with it, I realized that somehow they managed to blend the reliable, steadfast, well-known Corolla with a bit of a pocket-rocket.
Under the hood of the GR Corolla is a 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine that pumps out 300 horsepower.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Richardson: Come on – the performance-oriented GR Corolla is a very long way from the steadfast, well-known Corolla that shares its basic frame. It’s like the Honda Civic Type R boy-racer, which doesn’t even bother calling itself a Civic anymore. And it’s expensive, up there with the Nissan Z and Prelude.
Lightstone: I’ll partially disagree with you there. The GR Corolla is very much a Corolla at heart and has that centred soul that, truthfully, the Civic Type R lost in all the boy-racer updates. If it’s a fun-to-drive, yet somehow-civilized-and-easy-to-live-with vehicle Margaret is looking for (with all-wheel drive), then the GR is a solid, but not the only, option.
Richardson: It’s a $53,000 option all right, and I’ll give you that it’s more subtle in its design than the Type R, but we’ve gotten away from the rear-wheel-drive, two-door coupe that Margaret is hoping for. We’ve not yet considered the $41,000 Ford Mustang.
Ford Mustang EcoboostCourtesy of manufacturer
Lightstone: The Mustang is a fun car, no doubt. And even in base trim, it comes with a 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine that’s good for 315 horsepower. I will say, though, the Mustang feels heavy and much, much larger than anything we’ve mentioned above.
Richardson: The Mustang drives in a different way from the Toyota and Subaru. It weighs at least 350 kilograms more, and it’s almost half-a-metre longer. It feels more planted on the road for it, and it’s not so eager to be thrown around corners. Which kind of describes the Scion tC, too.
Lightstone: I think we’ve given Margaret a wide range of vehicles that will give her the drive experience she’s looking for, so now she just has to get behind the wheel of her top three and make that final decision. I stand behind the Subaru BRZ as my No. 1 option, but if she’s willing to stretch the bank then the Volkswagen Golf R is the clear winner here.
Richardson: I’ll agree that the BRZ is a more forgiving vehicle, but she really should take the Toyota GR86 through a few corners before making her decision. And if she wants a little more practicality at a reasonable price, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is a better choice.
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