2010 Mazda3

[Scionix]

So, after saving money throughout high school and summer jobs, I've gotten enough money to go towards buying a car around the ~20k range just in time for college (just turned 18, and I'm going to Texas if anyone cares). The one car I'm really interested in is the new Mazda3, as I wanted something fun to drive for pretty cheap, and so far I haven't seen anything like it in the price range. I'm also looking at making it the first manual car I've owned (I've been driving a 1998 toyota avalon for 3 years D: ), seeing as it's the closest I've ever come to driving anything "sporty" (2.5l model, 6-speed, ~175 HP). Am I making a good decision here? Anyone own/have experience with the new Mazda3? I'm going to test drive one sometime this week (sedan), so I'll have to see how that goes of course.

Any suggestions to help out a inexperienced car buyer would be awesome!

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

If you're looking for something sporty, don't get it. That's like calling an emachine a gaming rig.

 

[Demo24]

Reviews have been generally favorable although not all dig the styling. You don't seem to have an issue with it so not a concern.

Just remember most of the things they try to push on you are a waste of money. I generally don't pay for anything other than the car itself. Just remember you have to figure in some more things than just the price of the car, registration, taxes, etc.

 

[Scionix]

If you're looking for something sporty, don't get it. That's like calling an emachine a gaming rig.

That's why I put that in quotation marks

I'm trying to say I was looking for something fun to drive in the price range, and I didn't find anything better. If you have suggestions, do share!

Reviews have been generally favorable although not all dig the styling. You don't seem to have an issue with it so not a concern.

Just remember most of the things they try to push on you are a waste of money. I generally don't pay for anything other than the car itself. Just remember you have to figure in some more things than just the price of the car, registration, taxes, etc.

Yeah, it's completely stock. Nothing added on at all. As for the styling, I like it, actually. Planning on getting white w/black trim if I end up getting the car.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

If you are going to moving to Texas, don't bother with a FWD car. There's just no excuse if you have no snow. I think that's a sad excuse even with snow, but whatever, let's ignore that misconception entirely.

Get a year old mustang. I'm not a ford guy, but crap, you were about to get a bad ford, might as well get a good one.

 

[Scionix]

If you are going to moving to Texas, don't bother with a FWD car. There's just no excuse if you have no snow. I think that's a sad excuse even with snow, but whatever, let's ignore that misconception entirely.

Get a year old mustang. I'm not a ford guy, but crap, you were about to get a bad ford, might as well get a good one.

Not a huge fan of Mustangs, muscle cars are pretty hit and miss for me, and I don't really like the look of the new Mustangs (The cheapest new one I could find is 22k, which is also a bit out of my price range). Is the "bad ford" remark directed towards the mazda3? If not, you completely lost me there

 

[StageLeft]

What do you do for a living? Are you in school? It's patently obvious that you put too much emphasis on a car if you had to work through high school and summers to "go towards" it. My guess is that the ongoing cost of ownership (payments, maintenance, insurance, fuel) will be a comically huge part of your regular take home.

Not to mention in fact it won't be much quicker than that 1998 avalon anyway, which is no slouch even if it is an old person's car. I drove that generation Avalon (and the one after it) and actually enjoyed both of them.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chev...4c4QQitemZ260585723076QQptZUSQ5fCarsQ5fTrucks

There. Enjoy your new 345 horsepower "sportyish" convertible.

 

[Scionix]

What do you do for a living? Are you in school? It's patently obvious that you put too much emphasis on a car if you had to work through high school and summers to "go towards" it. My guess is that the ongoing cost of ownership (payments, maintenance, insurance, fuel) will be a comically huge part of your regular take home.

Not to mention in fact it won't be much quicker than that 1998 avalon anyway, which is no slouch even if it is an old person's car. I drove that generation Avalon (and the one after it) and actually enjoyed both of them.

I didn't save 100% of my money (I'm not near restrained enough), I put around 1/3'rd away for a car, as I wanted something to call my own to drive (as the avalon is my family's hand me down to break in the teenagers [I have 2 older sisters]).

I'm a high school senior, about to graduate, then I'm moving to Austin to start college. My parents are willing to help me out on the insurance/gas/maintenance, they just can't spring 20k on a new car for me. And besides, not like I'm ever going to have money in the bank as a college student anyway, right?

 

[exdeath]

Get yourself a used MazdaSpeed 3 of the last generation (<= 2008) and pocket the difference if that is what you want. The new style is pretty ugly anyway with it's gaping "happy face" grill, not to mention a regular Mazda 3 is slower, or either way no faster, than that Avalon.

If that doesn't work for you, just be like everyone else and fianance or lease a $60,000 brand new 2012 BMW your freshman year of college and be done with it. Nobody will be the wiser that you are broke and can't afford it. It's the American way.

 

[DVad3r]

This is unrelated but I test drove an 2010 Mazda 5 today and it's a really sweet car! My dad's looking for a replacement for his 1992 Camry station wagon that now has 300,000 miles on it, and the Mazda 5 is the one that fits the bill well.

 

[Sid59]

This is unrelated but I test drove an 2010 Mazda 5 today and it's a really sweet car! My dad's looking for a replacement for his 1992 Camry station wagon that now has 300,000 miles on it, and the Mazda 5 is the one that fits the bill well.

I didn't start my own thread but we bought a 2010 copper red mazda5 and it's fun.

OP, you're in college, just get a beater and enjoy college but if you're he'll bent on a 2010, go for it. Btw, I have a 2009 Mazda3 Gt hatch manual, it's no the fastest but it's fun and practical.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

OP if you're going to college seriously dont drop that much money on something like that. Chances are some drunk moron will fuck it up in the parking lot anyway, or something stupid will happen to it. Just aim a bit cheaper (or get something used) and live with it for a few years unless you can find good parking or something.

I didn't buy my GTI until I moved into an apartment off campus. My old cobalt got pretty dinged from parking in on campus housing parking.

 

[CurseTheSky]

18 and buying a car for $18k? Do you have parents or relatives ready to help you out if you run into problems?

The reason I ask is even with new (or slightly used) cars, ESPECIALLY sporty ones, problems do happen. You might have exactly enough to buy that Mustang / Corvette / Camaro / MazdaSpeed 3 / WRX / etc. now, but God forbid you grenade the transmission a week later, out of warranty of course.

Aim to spend $12-15k and put the difference each month into savings. You never know what's going to happen, and you can still find a pretty cool car in that price range.

More than anything else, price out what insurance is going to cost you.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

He's right, it sucks to break expensive components. That's why when you buy a sportscar, you buy an American one. So you can afford to replace anything.


Also, I don't know if you've gotten the hint from anybody, but a low mileage car that's a couple years old is a huge bargain compared to a new car.

 

[Gibson486]

Time out....

You are gonna buy a new car and you did not even finish high school? Bad idea. just buy a used POS. You are gonna regret when you are driving a new car in college.

 

[Vette73]

Yep buy a used car. There is no good reason at your age/time in life to buy a new car.

Go to college and get the best grades you can then get a new car if you can afford it. There is more to affording a car then just the price tag. Same with owning a home.

 

[amdhunter]

 

[yh125d]

Be smart and buy a 1-4 year old Mazda 3 (if thats what you're set on, its a good choice) with low miles and save the rest. You're gonna be in college, you don't need a brand new car, but you *do* need money. It'd be foolish to spend that much saved up money on a single item when a much cheaper option (10-12k, or less) would easily fill the same requirements

 

[jlee]

$6-8k used car FTW.

 

[rdp6]

OP, save your money. Colleges attract the worst drivers. I have lived in Korea a couple of times and visited numerous other nations, and I thought I'd never say that anything could top the utter disregard for safety that exists overseas until I went to college.

Also, as posted above, even if you are parked, someone will do something to your car. If you are lucky as I was you can prove the identity / fault of the jerk / idiot responsible, but don't count on it.

BTW, with the economy still recovering, it is a great time to invest. Everything is still on sale, especially with wary people near retirement age selling at the first sign of recovery. How does retiring by age 50 and having all the time in the world for track days sound to you? (FYI: 50 is not at all old.) A 20K investment today at age 18 would be like saving ~$200 or so per month from age 22 to (maybe) 40, given some reasonable appreciation.

Drive a beater or mooch rides. A car is a liability rather than an asset for someone who lives on campus.

 

[yh125d]

Yeah, I completely forgot about the bad drivers part


College kids don't know how to park. At all. And lots of colleges have not enough spots for students to park and/or are narrower than normal. And when someone nudges you on their way backing out (when, not if) don't expect them to leave a note. My car was hit 3 times by people backing out in only 1 semester - no notes. And this was with me parking in a remote lot 1/4 mile from the nearest dorm and 1/2m from mine. You DO NOT want a new/nice car at college, even if you like off-campus and only park in commuter parking sometimes.

 

[exdeath]

$6-8k used car FTW.

Hmmm I wonder what you have in mind lmao.

 

[BoberFett]

This forum cracks me up.

 

[ElFenix]

save your money for beer and condoms.