# What's the best turbo charged car in your opinion **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [January 1, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531 "2015-01-01T23:07:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![krod619](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@krod619](https://community.cartalk.com/u/krod619)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/1 "2015-01-01T23:07:14Z")
OK so I’m looking to buy a car with a turbo stock all wheel drive and has to be luxurious and have power everything I’m a mechanic so I search for this car with problem and buy it for a lower price and fix it my self however when you think of a car for me think of these in mind THINGS TO CONSIDER \*needs to have a turbo \*all wheel drive \*reasonable price I’m being used like a 2006ish \*not extremely difficult to repair \*durable \*and luxurious ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/2 "2015-01-01T23:20:10Z")
Unless you are a mechanic, I would not ever advise fixing a turbo charger yourself. Most of us will try to avoid turbos, since over the life of the vehicle they cost more in upkeep. That does not mean turbos are bad. If you must have one, diesel cars usually have proven units, as are makes that have had turbos a long time. Manufacturers who have never sold turbos before, I would tend to avoid. Call me conservative, but a Chevy Cruse with a turbo is a car I personally would avoid unless you are trading it after 4 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![krod619](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@krod619](https://community.cartalk.com/u/krod619)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/3 "2015-01-01T23:27:43Z")
OK thanks for the feedback the main reason why I wanted a turbo is because it a newer technology in cars that improves profromance so if its out there for similar price of cars that are naturally aspired why not. Pretty much i want the best car for the dollar but thanks I’m going to do some research on turbo dependability ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/4 "2015-01-01T23:28:47Z")
Cadillac CTS-V. OK, no turbo, but very quick and fairly reliable. If you want a turbo, you are pretty much stuck with a BMW M series, Audi, or MB AMG series. They are not known for their reliability. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/5 "2015-01-01T23:30:39Z")
I wouldn’t buy a used turbo car. There weren’t that many turbo AWD cars in 2006, I can think of none I’d recommend. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/6 "2015-01-01T23:41:44Z")
I just reread OP’s requirement post. Why not just ask for a list of money pits? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/7 "2015-01-02T03:01:02Z")
You might also consider a Lexus IS F. No turbo, but a very quick car that handles well. BTW, Car and Driver anointed the CTS-V the best American car ever built. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/8 "2015-01-02T03:06:15Z")
_"I’m a mechanic "_ Well, in that case, I suppose a turbo might work for you. There’s nothing I’m aware of that fits all of your criteria. Subies are a close as it gets. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 4:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/9 "2015-01-02T04:41:27Z")
The best turbo charged vehicle in my opinion is the one that someone else owns. ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 5:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/10 "2015-01-02T05:22:41Z")
I thought about saying that,but MM beat me to it-however one with a good history and recent turbo replacement.I remember a good many Mustangs and a Subaru or so around here that ended life sans turbo(greatly impaired performance though)but come to think of it(,BION) Volvo turbo systems always seemed to work pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 7:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/11 "2015-01-02T07:02:16Z")
I don’t know that “best” is applicable when you’re referring to a turbo car that has been flogged into a problem so you can buy it on the cheap. If someone is in the boost a lot of the time then everything on the car is taking a beating to some extent. ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 11:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/12 "2015-01-02T11:13:53Z")
I think on one of the episodes of Wheeler Dealer TV show, when the car’s turbo was not working, he just put a new one in. The mechanic on this show is pretty capable and him not attempting to fix the turbo unit was a lesson to me. If I buy a used car with a turbo, I will budget for replacing it and factor that in the purchase price. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 12:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/13 "2015-01-02T12:04:58Z")
A 1.8T Audi would meet most or all of the criteria, Such as the A4 or the TT. ---
**Author:** ![MarkM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@MarkM](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MarkM)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/14 "2015-01-02T15:50:17Z")
Luxury cars with turbos pretty much means German and Swedish cars, and their reliability isn’t very good. If you want outstanding performance there are a bunch of BMW models that fit the bill, with various numbers of cylinders. The turbo versions of their straight sixes are famously smooth and plenty powerful enough for most models. Audi uses turbos in some of their models, especially with four cylinders. Volvo has long used turbos in the sportier versions of their cars, though they aren’t really all that sporty, just quicker. In just about all cases the normally aspirated versions of these cars are more reliable and plenty quick enough. The Japanese are not as big on turbocharging, though there are exceptions from almost every maker. Most of these are not luxury cars, where the Japanese seem to favor greater displacement and more cylinders instead. The turbos are usually dropped into ordinary small and mid-sized cars to give them more performance (at a higher price.) ---
**Author:** ![kmccune](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/kmccune/32/1237_2.png) [@kmccune](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kmccune)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/15 "2015-01-02T17:21:31Z")
There used to be a “Turbo” Metro,my cousin who is a certified diesel mechanic claims turbos arent reall y hard to rebuild(few parts)if the impeller is alright you are good to go,with a few bearings ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/16 "2015-01-02T18:28:50Z")
I agree with @kmccune because I have rebuilt several turbos in my certified diesel mechanic days. They were actually a piece of cake to work on but they were also the size of a breadbox. I would guess though that the smaller automotive turbos would be quite a challenge. I have replaced a couple of those but never tackled rebuilding one. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/17 "2015-01-02T18:40:00Z")
The only thing I can think of is an older Subaru Legacy. They have offered it with a turbo but short of that, look for one with the six and have both power and reliability. [http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/legacy2005.html](http://www.cars101.com/subaru/legacy/legacy2005.html) The Legacy GT is outfitt with as many luxury appointments as you can get in older car. Newer cars in non lux models have much better appointments like bluetooth, standad power everything… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/18 "2015-01-02T21:37:55Z")
If you look at Subaru, consider the WRX. IF you really want to go on the wild side, look at the WRX STi. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/19 "2015-01-03T04:10:21Z")
What “scares” me about the WRX (and other turbos) are all the black marks that suddenly appear on CR reliability poles compared to their normal aspirated brethren. We can debate that they are there because of the people who buy them drive the car, …but they are there. Personally, I still favor cubes over turbo chnging, not becasue it doesn’t work, but because the motor has to be designed for boosting in mind and not just thrwn on to an existing motor. I like Subarus, but would avoid one with a turbo. These aren’t turbos on diesel motors which do a great job on an already overconstruted cast iron motor but turbos on aluminum blocks with all the little tweaks that here to fore have all ready extracted lots of hp per liter. IMHO, many non dedicated gas motors have too little head run for me to feel good about recommending the same motor or similar…with a turbo. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2015, 8:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531/20 "2015-01-03T08:47:41Z")
On my sister’s '99 SAAB 9-3 (230K miles), the turbo, engine, and tranny are about the only things that _haven’t_ been repaired. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/whats-the-best-turbo-charged-car-in-your-opinion/88531.md?page=2)