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KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Jack Forge posted:

This is a car for my wife, she's done a fair bit of research and we have a decent offer on the table but I wanted to get the goonion on it as well.

Proposed Budget: 10-15K all cash no financing
New or Used: used / new
Body Style: compact/small sedan
How will you be using the car?: Daily driver, ~70 miles for a work day.

What aspects are most important to you? - overall value, reliability, color (silver) (i know I know), driving feel, milage, smellz (no cars from smokers), perks and features (she really really likes heated seats but will install them on a car that doesn't come with them to get them), and fuel economy.

So far we have a CPO offer for 12k total (tax, fees, tags everything) for a 2014 jetta SE with 39k miles. (they are also "giving" us the nicer allweather rubber floor mats)

She's most interested in that one, followed by a mazda 3 which she's backed away from (was her first pick orginally).

Thoughts?

Do not under any circumstances try to retrofit heated seats to a vehicle - it will be expensive at best and potentially hazardous at worst.

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H110Hawk
Dec 28, 2006

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Do not under any circumstances try to retrofit heated seats to a vehicle - it will be expensive at best and potentially hazardous at worst.

This made me curious and sure enough this is indeed one of form factors of fire hazard you can buy off Amazon:

http://smile.amazon.com/Roadpro-12-Volt-Fleece-Heated-Blanket/dp/B0009Y2CFS

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Do not under any circumstances try to retrofit heated seats to a vehicle - it will be expensive at best and potentially hazardous at worst.

If you're at all capable of removing your seat covers, it's not really either of those things. It's not trivial and you would need to find a safe circuit to power them from / properly route the wiring and switches, which is going to require a decent bit of interior disassembly.

logikv9
Mar 5, 2009


Ham Wrangler

meefistopheles posted:

Proposed Budget: 10-13k financed, around 7k in cash
New or Used: Used
Body Style: four door sedan or possibly a hatchback. Until recently drove an Escort and was fine with that size.
How will you be using the car?: ~30 mile highway commute 1-4 times a week, daily errands, camping trips of 5-6 hrs highway driving every other weekend or so.

What aspects are most important to you? Was in the preliminary stages of looking around until I got into an accident last week, so I've mainly been looking at Priuses and Mazda3s, each from roughly 2012. Reliability and comfort are most important, followed by maneuverability and audio quality(road noise and speakers). I'm less concerned with MPG, as I can often carpool to work. Are there any notable problems with these models that I should be aware of, or massive differences between model years? I'd rather just pay cash if there are only incremental improvements available, but I do have very good credit, so if it makes more sense to finance that is an option. Any recommendations for other models around that price range are welcome too. Thanks for the help.

Edit: What exactly is going on with the Prius C? Prices for that seem considerably lower than a regular Prius- do the have terrible maintenance records or something?

I considered a Prius C when looking for a new car and you can be better served elsewhere. It's small (very small), it's not very comfortable, and it doesn't really have too much beyond the minimal basics in terms of features.

When I asked my dealer, he basically just said the car was built to be as cheap as possible while sitting ontop of Toyota's hybrid platform. Yeah it gets godly gas milage but a normal Prius does that plus more.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

IOwnCalculus posted:

If you're at all capable of removing your seat covers, it's not really either of those things. It's not trivial and you would need to find a safe circuit to power them from / properly route the wiring and switches, which is going to require a decent bit of interior disassembly.

Your average What Car Should I Buy Goons? poster isn't really capable of this type of thing, and heated seats don't command enough of a premium to make it worthwhile. Better to get it done right from the factory.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Your average What Car Should I Buy Goons? poster isn't really capable of this type of thing,

But we're from AI. Of course you can do that.

And we can show you how.

Grumpwagon
May 6, 2007
I am a giant assfuck who needs to harden the fuck up.

Motronic posted:

But we're from AI. Of course you can do that.

And we can show you how.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

What's the problem? The seats are clearly warm.

But seriously.....it's not hard to safely wire things in a vehicle. It takes a bit of know how and a few simple tools.

This seems counter-intuitive if you've been buying shitheaps that teenagers have installed radios and amps in, but I assure you it's not that difficult to do properly and safely if you care to learn.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 03:12 on Nov 6, 2015

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22

Motronic posted:

What's the problem? The seats are clearly warm.

But seriously.....it's not hard to safely wire things in a vehicle. It takes a bit of know how and a few simple tools.

This seems counter-intuitive if you've been buying shitheaps that teenagers have installed radios and amps in, but I assure you it's not that difficult to do properly and safely if you care to learn.

I am an AI poster - your average consumer should buy the poo poo pre wired from the factory. That is the LEAST hard to do.

Phone
Jul 30, 2005

親子丼をほしい。

Motronic posted:

What's the problem? The seats are clearly warm.

But seriously.....it's not hard to safely wire things in a vehicle. It takes a bit of know how and a few simple tools.

This seems counter-intuitive if you've been buying shitheaps that teenagers have installed radios and amps in, but I assure you it's not that difficult to do properly and safely if you care to learn.

You're from AI, you know what previous owner electrical work looks like.

Think about it.

Think of the vampire taps.

Git Mah Belt Son
Apr 26, 2003

Happy Happy Gators

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I am an AI poster - your average consumer should buy the poo poo pre wired from the factory. That is the LEAST hard to do.

Why not bring it to a professional installer? If someone wants heated seats added on it can be done safely and it's not that expensive. Usually around $500 or so. If someone thinks it's worth it at that price, it's their money.

If heated seats are on an option tier that someone doesn't want all of the rest of the poo poo in that package, it's not a terrible way to go.

SUBFRIES
Apr 10, 2008

Having a kid in three months, and it looks like we are going to need a second vehicle. My car is paid off next month and I'll continue to use for my commute (16 miles r/t).

Proposed Budget: $20k~
New or Used: either, most likely used
Body Style: crossover, but willing to check out wagons & small SUVs
How will you be using the car?: Second car for the wife, will be for local driving, possibly a city commute several months later (about 20 miles r/t), and then two to four long road-trips per year (DC to Boston, Cleveland, and who knows where else)
What aspects are most important to you? safety, MPG, reliability

I'm thinking Kia's Sportage or Sorento might be a viable option, and I know my wife likes Hondas and Toyotas. Checking to see what other options might be out there, or even what major changes per model year to be aware of. We have talked about looking at Subaru's, but we haven't gone to test drive anything yet. Thought I would see what AI would suggest, especially since I am not a major car person.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Gently used Forester would fit the bill quite well.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Gently used Forester would fit the bill quite well.

This, also a 2012+ Honda CRV or a Mazda CX5.

SUBFRIES
Apr 10, 2008

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

Gently used Forester would fit the bill quite well.

IOwnCalculus posted:

This, also a 2012+ Honda CRV or a Mazda CX5.

Great, thanks for the suggestions, going to add them to the list to check out.

Would either of you (or anyone here) know how the Forester compares to the Crosstrek and Outback, and how the CRV compares to the Pilot? Is it just size, MPG, and some minor differences?

IKillForPie
Jan 13, 2006

Is that a pie in your pocket?
Just wondering if anyone here has any experience driving a Ford Focus ST?

Been looking at upgrading my 2006 Mazda 3 to something a bit sportier. The VW GTI and Golf R are appealing alternatives (although the Golf R is more expensive than I would like to spend on a car upgrade). This is something that will be used as my daily driver and getting around town for work. I need something for transporting skis/bikes/people and also work samples with lots of storage space in the hatch.

Realistically I would like to spend between $20-25K Canadian on a used 2014 or 2015 model (if it's a Focus ST, otherwise year isn't as relevant) with a second set of winters. Any thoughts or alternative ideas? I was really hoping Subaru was going to announce a new Impreza hatch this year as well which hasn't happened.

I really love the look and styling of the Focus ST and it's definitely pulling me closer over the VW GTI, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I've considered maybe a small truck also, but I really like the compactness of the newer hatchbacks. Thanks

IKillForPie fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Nov 13, 2015

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





SUBFRIES posted:

Great, thanks for the suggestions, going to add them to the list to check out.

Would either of you (or anyone here) know how the Forester compares to the Crosstrek and Outback, and how the CRV compares to the Pilot? Is it just size, MPG, and some minor differences?

The Forester and Crosstrek are both based on the Impreza, I think the Outback might be a different platform or at least a more significant change... but honestly all three of them seem to be splitting hairs to me. I never looked at them that closely, the wife vetoed Subaru right off the bat when we bought our '13 CRV.

The CRV and Pilot have almost nothing to do with each other, by comparison. The CRV is based on the Civic and only comes as a four-cylinder, the Pilot is related to the Odyssey / Acura MDX and only comes with a V6. The most they share is that the new Pilot seems like they stuck a CRV in a copier and scaled it up, and honestly I don't like the look of it. It's a much bigger vehicle with a third row.

I will say on the CRV, they did get a refresh for 2015 that (aside from a top trip addition and some cosmetic changes) mostly gave it the new direct-injected engine and CVT transmission. It doesn't make a significant amount more power than the 2012-2014 with a port-injected engine and 5-speed automatic, but it feels much quicker. Honda has worked some sort of wizardry with that CVT and its ability to change ratios extremely quickly. On the other hand, the 2012-2014 is the final iteration of Honda's long-standing K24 and Hondamatic and should be insanely reliable. I'm at 62k and haven't had a single reliability issue yet with mine.

Taerkar
Dec 7, 2002

kind of into it, really

The Crosstrek is the entry-level crossover for Subaru so it's not going to get as many features as the Forester or Outback. The Outback has the most features, but the Outback's options for engine is 2.4 4-cyl or 3.6 6-cyl while the Forester gets the 2.0XT that's far peppier.

I've been looking at them as well as the CX-5 as I posted earlier and IMO the Outback's in a bad spot for the engines and all. The 6-cyl loses too much MPG for its power. If they had the 2.0XT for the Outback I'd get it in a heartbeat.

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

IKillForPie posted:

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience driving a Ford Focus ST?

Been looking at upgrading my 2006 Mazda 3 to something a bit sportier. The VW GTI and Golf R are appealing alternatives (although the Golf R is more expensive than I would like to spend on a car upgrade). This is something that will be used as my daily driver and getting around town for work. I need something for transporting skis/bikes/people and also work samples with lots of storage space in the hatch.

Realistically I would like to spend between $20-25K Canadian on a used 2014 or 2015 model (if it's a Focus ST, otherwise year isn't as relevant) with a second set of winters. Any thoughts or alternative ideas? I was really hoping Subaru was going to announce a new Impreza hatch this year as well which hasn't happened.

I really love the look and styling of the Focus ST and it's definitely pulling me closer over the VW GTI, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. I've considered maybe a small truck also, but I really like the compactness of the newer hatchbacks. Thanks

There are quite a few Fiesta ST and Focus ST owners in the AI Hot Hatch thread I'm sure they'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

HisMajestyBOB
Oct 21, 2010


College Slice
My 2008 Ford Focus SE was considered totaled in an accident and the insurance company is giving me the $6500 market-price of the vehicle rather than repair for what would likely be more than that. It's kind of inconvenient timing at the moment since I'm graduating from grad school next year and don't have anything lined up yet (most likely I will by the end of next spring, but still). I'm leaning towards getting something on the cheap end to last me a few years, saving some of the money I got, then buying something better and nicer. I'd rather not get a $6000 equivalent replacement because at least with the old car, I knew what was good on it and what wasn't - with a used car, :iiam:

Proposed Budget: $2000-$4000, plus maintenance work/new tires/whatever else might be needed.
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Wagon or Hatchback. Something that can be the cheap family car. Maybe 4-door sedan if it's a decent deal.
How will you be using the car?: Mostly local driving, often in heavy traffic, with occasional (about once a month) longer trips of 50-100 miles. Decent trunk space would be handy.
What aspects are most important to you? : reliability, ease/affordability of maintenance, safety, mpg(city)>25 would be nice but not requirement. Most cars at this price range are 100k+ miles and from early 200s, so something that won't be actively falling apart with that mileage and age. I'm not planning on actually buying something until next month, so I'm spending this time trying to narrow my search.

ShimmyGuy
Jan 12, 2008

One morning, Shimmy awoke to find he was a awesome shiny bug.
Based purely on cost/reliability/gas mileage, what cars tend to save the the owner the most money over the long run? Obviously Toyota and Honda have great reliability, but they come at a large sticker cost with even a large number of miles. You goons seem to always point to the Prius, but is there a particular range of model years that you would point to? I really don't have many requirements when it comes to a car and I am looking to end my FR-S lease soon (realized that was the opposite end of the economy spectrum).

silence_kit
Jul 14, 2011

by the sex ghost

HisMajestyBOB posted:

My 2008 Ford Focus SE was considered totaled in an accident and the insurance company is giving me the $6500 market-price of the vehicle rather than repair for what would likely be more than that. It's kind of inconvenient timing at the moment since I'm graduating from grad school next year and don't have anything lined up yet (most likely I will by the end of next spring, but still). I'm leaning towards getting something on the cheap end to last me a few years, saving some of the money I got, then buying something better and nicer. I'd rather not get a $6000 equivalent replacement because at least with the old car, I knew what was good on it and what wasn't - with a used car, :iiam:

Proposed Budget: $2000-$4000, plus maintenance work/new tires/whatever else might be needed.
New or Used: Used
Body Style: Wagon or Hatchback. Something that can be the cheap family car. Maybe 4-door sedan if it's a decent deal.
How will you be using the car?: Mostly local driving, often in heavy traffic, with occasional (about once a month) longer trips of 50-100 miles. Decent trunk space would be handy.
What aspects are most important to you? : reliability, ease/affordability of maintenance, safety, mpg(city)>25 would be nice but not requirement. Most cars at this price range are 100k+ miles and from early 200s, so something that won't be actively falling apart with that mileage and age. I'm not planning on actually buying something until next month, so I'm spending this time trying to narrow my search.

The advice given in this thread for cars in that price range is that beggars can't be choosers. Really you need to pick the car in the best mechanical condition over stuff like trunk space/mpg/safety/marque.

I suspect that overall, it is most likely cheaper per mile or per year of ownership to get a >$5k car than to get a $2k car and have to deal with the maintenance on it, even over a period of only a few years, but I'll let people with more experience with old cars comment on it. My only experience with old cars is that I bought a 20 year old sub $2k Ford from a friend of a friend which I thought was in pretty good condition and had really low mileage, and I've only put 10k miles on it over the span of two years, and it has had a lot of issues.

silence_kit fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Nov 14, 2015

notwithoutmyanus
Mar 17, 2009

H110Hawk posted:

This made me curious and sure enough this is indeed one of form factors of fire hazard you can buy off Amazon:

http://smile.amazon.com/Roadpro-12-Volt-Fleece-Heated-Blanket/dp/B0009Y2CFS

Before I had learned these are giant fire hazards, I tried one. The comedy not mentioned is that in addition to being a fire hazard these things barely work at all. It's in the category of "As seen on TV" garbage items.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Ingenium posted:

Based purely on cost/reliability/gas mileage, what cars tend to save the the owner the most money over the long run? Obviously Toyota and Honda have great reliability, but they come at a large sticker cost with even a large number of miles. You goons seem to always point to the Prius, but is there a particular range of model years that you would point to? I really don't have many requirements when it comes to a car and I am looking to end my FR-S lease soon (realized that was the opposite end of the economy spectrum).

Are you buying new or used? With a FRS today, even on lease, you've got to be in the ballpark for a new car from either of them.

I actually found the price of a new Honda to be pretty favorable. The low depreciation plays into your favor if you buy new as well.

ShimmyGuy
Jan 12, 2008

One morning, Shimmy awoke to find he was a awesome shiny bug.

IOwnCalculus posted:

Are you buying new or used? With a FRS today, even on lease, you've got to be in the ballpark for a new car from either of them.

I actually found the price of a new Honda to be pretty favorable. The low depreciation plays into your favor if you buy new as well.

I was looking at used, but that is because I am really just looking to get the most miles for my money. I found the FR-S to be fun and all (though the inability to go up into the mountains or drive more than one friend was a bit lame), but I am now just looking budget commuter car for the most part. Do you think i would ultimately be better off price-wise in the long run getting a new car than something a couple of years old (or many years old)?

VideoTapir
Oct 18, 2005

He'll tire eventually.

Ingenium posted:

Do you think i would ultimately be better off price-wise in the long run getting a new car than something a couple of years old (or many years old)?

If you're not buying a complicated, expensive piece of poo poo and paying someone else to do all of the work, then no, you will never save money in the long run buying new. You might be happier with the car you get because you can specify your options, though.

Mid-Priced Carp
Aug 10, 2008
Proposed Budget: $20k to 25k
New or Used: either, leaning towards new
Body Style: sedan or crossover
How will you be using the car?: daily driver.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, safety, cargo space

My '01 Pontiac Firebird, while in great shape for it's age, will not be worth repairing if something big goes wrong on it (again). Having done the small sporty rwd car, I started out looking for a midsize sedan. Being able to transport stuff, after years of driving a car that couldn't hold very much, was relatively important to me. I test-drove a Mazda CX-5 on a whim, which really made crossovers seem pretty appealing. I'm planning to move in the future, and the idea of being able to fit the majority of my stuff in the back and just go really appeals to me. I test-drove a Jeep Renegade a couple days ago, and really loved the way the trailhawk edition drove, but that's way out of my price range, and also silly for what is essentially a bunch of fancy packaging with different struts and springs. Are there any crossovers out there that meet my big requirements, but are also sporty, with decent handling and acceleration, that also aren't hideously expensive?

Throatwarbler
Nov 17, 2008

by vyelkin

chaniara posted:

Proposed Budget: $20k to 25k
New or Used: either, leaning towards new
Body Style: sedan or crossover
How will you be using the car?: daily driver.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, safety, cargo space

My '01 Pontiac Firebird, while in great shape for it's age, will not be worth repairing if something big goes wrong on it (again). Having done the small sporty rwd car, I started out looking for a midsize sedan. Being able to transport stuff, after years of driving a car that couldn't hold very much, was relatively important to me. I test-drove a Mazda CX-5 on a whim, which really made crossovers seem pretty appealing. I'm planning to move in the future, and the idea of being able to fit the majority of my stuff in the back and just go really appeals to me. I test-drove a Jeep Renegade a couple days ago, and really loved the way the trailhawk edition drove, but that's way out of my price range, and also silly for what is essentially a bunch of fancy packaging with different struts and springs. Are there any crossovers out there that meet my big requirements, but are also sporty, with decent handling and acceleration, that also aren't hideously expensive?

Last generation V6 RAV4.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
The various Durangos perhaps? They made some silly ones with entirely too-large engines. You might have to go gently used to get in your price range but those things depreciate like rocks. Alternatively, I think the Ford Edge V6 and such were pretty sporty for what they are (they at least made a Sport trim with stupid big wheels). These are probably better used options.

I would not call an F-body small by any stretch of the imagination since it's 194" long, so that may drive some of your perception of scale - did you think the CX-5 was too small?

Mid-Priced Carp
Aug 10, 2008

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

I would not call an F-body small by any stretch of the imagination since it's 194" long, so that may drive some of your perception of scale - did you think the CX-5 was too small?

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. When I referred to it as small, I meant in terms of the amount of stuff you could fit in it. You're absolutely correct about it being a very long vehicle, but the backseat is practically useless, and the trunk area didn't hold very much either. I actually would prefer a vehicle that is shorter, or at least, that you can see the ends of, instead of simply having to remember that there's an additional 2ft of hood and 1.5ft of trunk that you cannot see while driving. The CX-5 seemed to be a pretty perfect size, but I test-drove an awd version, which adds quite a bit onto the price of the car, even on the used models. I'm assuming here that awd is a big part of the reason the car handled so nicely, but I could be wrong about this. The one I tested was in my price range, but I suspect that is because it started life as a rental car and had 30k miles on it in its first year of ownership. Also, I thought the CX-5 had some nasty blind spots, but maybe that's just more of a thing with this type of vehicle? I also test drove a Jeep Renegade that I really liked, which is smaller than the CX-5 is, but I think what I liked so much about it was more of the nostalgia trip of driving a car that reminded me of the '83 CJ I learned to drive on, rather than its own merits.

KYOON GRIFFEY JR
Apr 12, 2010



Runner-up, TRP Sack Race 2021/22
Get the cx 5 if you liked it (well, get A cx 5) since it's about the best handling crossover out there which has very little to do with the fact that it's awd and a lot to do with the fact that Mazda chassis and suspension engineers give a poo poo about handling.

Leviathan Song
Sep 8, 2010
My 2011 Volkswagen GTI was totaled in a wreck. I planned to drive it into the ground but here I am.
Proposed Budget: 15K
New or Used: Don't care so probably used
Body Style: Hatchback
How will you be using the car?: Commute to work and around town, average 40 miles per day 90% interstate highway.
I also own a 2002 Chevrolet Astro Van that I use for hauling large things around to my fixer upper-house. I'm open to a one car solution but keeping a mechanically sound beater and getting something more gas efficient for commuting seems like the best option. Tags, insurance, and maintenance on the van total to about $300 per year so just the fuel hit of a single larger vehicle would seem to make it a non-starter.
What aspects are most important to you? Reliability, performance, total ownership cost

I test drove a few things last week and I'm leaning towards a mazda3. The fit, civic, scioniM, prius, and golf all seemed a bit sluggish for my tastes. The GTI and WRX are both a lot of fun but I don't really need that much power so the cost and reliability hit seems unnecessary.

thank god for us
Sep 28, 2015

Leviathan Song posted:

I test drove a few things last week and I'm leaning towards a mazda3. The fit, civic, scioniM, prius, and golf all seemed a bit sluggish for my tastes. The GTI and WRX are both a lot of fun but I don't really need that much power so the cost and reliability hit seems unnecessary.

I've been hatchback shopping as well. Test drove the Mazda 3, Golf, Accent, and Impreza. I actually found the Golf to be the lightest and fastest.

The Impreza was a bit of a slug but awd is always nice in the winter. The Mazda 3 is somewhere in between the Impreza and the Golf, but it's nothing spectacular and the interior leaves a lot to be desired.
The Accent is an Accent....

Deciding between the Golf and the Impreza is going to be tough.

Leviathan Song
Sep 8, 2010

thank god for us posted:

I've been hatchback shopping as well. Test drove the Mazda 3, Golf, Accent, and Impreza. I actually found the Golf to be the lightest and fastest.

The Impreza was a bit of a slug but awd is always nice in the winter. The Mazda 3 is somewhere in between the Impreza and the Golf, but it's nothing spectacular and the interior leaves a lot to be desired.
The Accent is an Accent....

Deciding between the Golf and the Impreza is going to be tough.

I may also be a little biased by direct comparison of the golf to the GTI. I can't help but feel that it's a clearly inferior car by direct comparison, a car deliberately kept from it's full potential for the purpose of price segmentation.

The AWD carries a bit of an unnecessary premium in my mind. I drove an Astro Van through Philadelphia winters so a southern winter with at least FWD is easy mode by comparison.

Calidus
Oct 31, 2011

Stand back I'm going to try science!
I have been kicking around the idea of buying a second car. Being able to store my BRZ during winter and work on it while still having a daily driver sounds amazing. I have a set of 5x100 steelies with blizzaks for my BRZ which I wound like to reuse. It seems that limits me to a number of Toyota, Subarus and a few Volkswagen.

Edit
Budget 10k
Anything with 4/5 doors

Calidus fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Nov 18, 2015

Zorak of Michigan
Jun 10, 2006

thank god for us posted:

I've been hatchback shopping as well. Test drove the Mazda 3, Golf, Accent, and Impreza. I actually found the Golf to be the lightest and fastest.

The Impreza was a bit of a slug but awd is always nice in the winter. The Mazda 3 is somewhere in between the Impreza and the Golf, but it's nothing spectacular and the interior leaves a lot to be desired.
The Accent is an Accent....

Deciding between the Golf and the Impreza is going to be tough.

Which trim level of 3 was it? I sat in a couple at the last auto show I went to and the lower trim level seemed pretty dismal but the upper trim level - Touring? - felt pretty nice.

thank god for us
Sep 28, 2015

Zorak of Michigan posted:

Which trim level of 3 was it? I sat in a couple at the last auto show I went to and the lower trim level seemed pretty dismal but the upper trim level - Touring? - felt pretty nice.

I'm pretty sure it was the sport. So the Mazda 3 GS. I like the idea of the console screen being elevated in the middle of the dash, but in practice it seems out of place. I do really like that its not a touch screen though, being able to navigate the screen with buttons is a lot easier.

silence_kit
Jul 14, 2011

by the sex ghost

thank god for us posted:

I'm pretty sure it was the sport. So the Mazda 3 GS. I like the idea of the console screen being elevated in the middle of the dash, but in practice it seems out of place. I do really like that its not a touch screen though, being able to navigate the screen with buttons is a lot easier.

I think Mazda stole that design from BMW. It's really a nice feature of the car. What didn't you like about the interior?

Leviathan Song
Sep 8, 2010
I'm looking at some carfax reports and I see a Mazda 3 with "corporate owner" listed. Is that the warning sign that I think it is? It seems like every car I look at turns up signs of amateur racer or rental as a past owner.

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Sep 28, 2015

silence_kit posted:

I think Mazda stole that design from BMW. It's really a nice feature of the car. What didn't you like about the interior?

Honestly I'm just being picky, in reality I would be quite happy driving a 3. In comparison to other hatchbacks, the 3's interior comes off as a bit gaudy to me. Not that the Impreza interior is particularly understated by any means. Don't listen to my opinion.

I'm going to go for the 2015 golf 5 door manual, should have it by the weekend.

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