Buying a temporary summer car

[Kelvrick]

Two downsides I can think of with using the new Mazda.

1 - Burning through your warranty pretty quickly.
2 - Gas mileage

Buying a temp car with better mileage isn't going to save you any money. You'll spend more on the car than you save and that doesn't include any headaches or repairs you might ahve to do or the hassle involved in that. Or hassle/time/stress of breaking down.

If you have the money/space for a 2nd car, why not use the opportunity to get something "different." You have a little fwd hot hatch. How about a rwd roadster, etc. Can you swing a little more and pick up a miata or something like that?

EDIT: How about a nice subaru. Now you can take little trips up to Tahoe!
http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/cto/3731608317.html

 

[tweakmonkey]

Automatic CRX? Yuck. What's the point.

Agreed, the slower the car, the more it needs a manual, IMO. A 5-speed CRX (even an HF) is actually pretty fun to toss around town. But with an auto... :'(

 

[thedarkwolf]

And that would be a 3 speed auto wouldn't it? Don't think you would be getting near 50mpg with that. Probably closer to 35mpg.

 

[Throckmorton]

OK Kelvrick's point about saving the warranty is the one valid reason I see to keep 15k miles off the Mazda.

But not using the car because you don't want door dings is pretty ridiculous. It's a Mazda 3 not a Ferrari.

BTW do you really think you'll be getting 24mpg average? How many of your miles will be urban? Shouldn't your highway mileage be pretty high even with the turbo? Otherwise why buy a Mazda 3S vs a sports car? Or a BMW sport sedan that would get at least 30mpg on the highway?

 

[NutBucket]

And that would be a 3 speed auto wouldn't it? Don't think you would be getting near 50mpg with that. Probably closer to 35mpg.

Nah, early 90's I don't think Honda was using any 3-speeds at that point. Time for wiki!

According to wiki there was never an HF offered with an automatic. I guess the only way to tell what the guy is selling is to get the VIN.

 

[JCH13]

OP wants a car to learn how to wrench too... time for a transmission swap! :awe:

 

[thedarkwolf]

Well being a non-HF even with a 4 speed over drive automatic the mileage will be nowhere near 50mpg.

 

[Doppel]

I'd just put the miles on your new car. I think buying an old POS to put miles on that is risky and a genuine massive pain in the ass/hassle.

 

[Hellotalkie]

Update

'Rents are letting me borrow their high mileage wrx for the summer. Awesome.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Update

'Rents are letting me borrow their high mileage wrx for the summer. Awesome.

Parents? Renters? Job people?

 

[Stryker124]

Well being a non-HF even with a 4 speed over drive automatic the mileage will be nowhere near 50mpg.

Regardless the mileage is still way better than the speed3.

OP buy the CRX, and bring with you to Ohio when you come, I'll buy it off you.

 

[sgrinavi]

Update

'Rents are letting me borrow their high mileage wrx for the summer. Awesome.

Awesome solution

 

[Hellotalkie]

Update*

WRX no-go, becoming a company asset.

So I bought the 87' CRX with 159,000 miles. Body is in great shape, no rust. Needs a tuneup. Idle is a little jumpy.

Otherwise I drove it 80 miles no problem yesterday. It's more so when coming to a stop that the car low-idles or stalls. I have a good month to tinker with it.

It's also an Automatic...I really can't complain since most of my commute will be traffic (esp in afternoon).

Bought it for 800, probably could get the same or more when August rolls around.

 

[onza]

He's got "omg" it's a new car syndrome.

 

[NutBucket]

Pretty much this.

 

[KentState]

I would hate putting that many miles on a car that isn't particularly crash worthy. A CRX may have fared better years ago, but everything now is heavier, has more airbags, and crumples better.

 

[natto fire]

Update*

WRX no-go, becoming a company asset.

So I bought the 87' CRX with 159,000 miles. Body is in great shape, no rust. Needs a tuneup. Idle is a little jumpy.

Otherwise I drove it 80 miles no problem yesterday. It's more so when coming to a stop that the car low-idles or stalls. I have a good month to tinker with it.

It's also an Automatic...I really can't complain since most of my commute will be traffic (esp in afternoon).

Bought it for 800, probably could get the same or more when August rolls around.

Good call on the purchase IMO. Hopefully your car is not as beat up asthis one. That car will have no problem selling here. Even if your car is an automatic, the rust free status is huge in the midwest, and un-molested with records is icing on the cake.

If you are more interested in cars that handle, the CRX (with proper tires) might spoil you to where your Mazda3 will feel like a pig. Tires the same, there is absolutely no comparison in handling response when you drop the weight of what you are tossing about. Granted, the first gen CRX was plagued by a primitive suspension setup, (which was fixed and then some when they went full multi-link for the next gen until value brought them back to MacPherson in the mid 2000's). I had an '86 Integra, and it did pretty well with the torsion bars and live axle.

Any immediate plans? You might have dropped hints you wanted to wrench on this, which may or may not be a bad idea depending on whether you want to go all out or just drop a couple hundred here and there. Depending on what motor you have (DC1 and D16A1 are not bad mills), you can market the car really widely if you are just planning on dumping it in August. If you sell it in Ohio, lower CoL dictates it will sell for less here, but you would be surprised what rust-free examples of sought after econoboxes go for in the less banjo picking parts of Ohio. Not sure if I am reading your school/vs. internship options correctly.

As pointed out, HF was designated for the "high efficiency" trim, and a slushbox was not offered. Easiest way to tell which trim you have from the motor: Fuel injected, it's an Si. 12 valve carbed, DX. 8 valve CVCC engine is in the HF.

By modern standards these cars are pretty much garbage, but throw some decent tires and shocks/struts on there, and you are dealing with a measly 1800 pounds of mass. Scream lousy suspension and underpowered motor all you want, 1800 lbs is pretty easy to throw around.

 

[nerp]

Easy to throw around a telephone pole, I guess.

 

[Doppel]

Good luck on the car. Don't let yourself get caught up with any big repairs. You gambled $800. If it lasts any length of time at all you've done well (and it probably will last a while at least).