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Car search

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Arkaign said:
We have tons in TX that are in minty shape with zero rust, could always take a cheap flight down and drive back 🙂
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I personally have had great experiences with traveling for cars. Haggling over the phone requires less time and posturing. You either make the deal right then and there or the deal is gone. Most dealerships will go lower over the phone and internet since its a sale they are more likely to lose on price vs local.


A first gen g35x thats been well maintained is a good buy at 80K. the 30k maintenence if you do it yourself is about 300 if you install the interior air filter yourself. Those things are super reliable so if carfax or the PO has records I would take that over a cloth mazda snore machine..


BTW they mod nice and cheap too...
 
I'm selling my 06 Legacy GT. Details in sig. Just in case 😉

You'd need different tires by winter though - RE760 Potenza's don't like snow.
 
I've found a 2005 G35x at a local used car lot next to a body shop. The car has 110k miles, cost is marked at $13000. It's black, black leather, wood trim, Bose, sunroof, new tires. There's a scuff on the right front corner, some marks on the hood, hood doesn't open fully, a chip on the windshield, a few things like that. It was unlocked, and the interior was in pretty good shape, needs a good cleaning.

I like it. A lot. Despite the problem that it is a used car lot, has over 100k, and is way out of warranty, it's really nice. So I should be able to get a test drive of that tomorrow afternoon before going for the final check on the Mazda.

Despite how reliable the Infiniti should be, the Mazda has nearly nothing for miles, and something of a warranty on it, so as a durable commuter, there is an indication I should take that. :/
 
Why not a newer GTP Comp G?

The last Gen Mazda 6 are a tight fit - smallish back seat but handle well.

2005 Saab 9-3 Aero or 06/07 2.0T - great handling FWD car and the 4cyl turbos get great mileage and plenty of TQ.

Altima 3.5 - or SER if you can find one in your price range.
 
Fmr12B said:
Why not a newer GTP Comp G?

The last Gen Mazda 6 are a tight fit - smallish back seat but handle well.

2005 Saab 9-3 Aero or 06/07 2.0T - great handling FWD car and the 4cyl turbos get great mileage and plenty of TQ.

Altima 3.5 - or SER if you can find one in your price range.
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1) They handle terribly, the car is a foot longer than its predecessor, the interior is awful, and it feels totally dead.

2) Back seat is a place to toss my backpack or a coat or something. As long as it seats comfortably in the front, the back doesn't really matter.

3)

4) Couldn't find an SE-R in the range, and the 3.5 Altimas are all high mileage.
 
They're rare as hell, but sometimes you see the Saabaru 9-2x for cheap. It's a WRX in Saab skin with a slightly better interior and a couple of STI parts in it.
 
1) I'd hoped I'd get to the G35x, start it up, and hear this godawful squealing so I could eliminate it.

I didn't. It feels like it's half its age, which seems normal for an Infiniti. 0-40 felt like about 2 seconds, it's so freaking fast, stops on a dime, and handles tightly. The mileage, total lack of warranty, and used car dealership bits scare me. The only problems I found in the car were that it takes a lot of effort to steer it, the wheel has a lot of resistance, which makes fast maneuvers difficult. Also, the seat is a little marginal on comfort. To me, lumbar support is bad, multiple segments for the back of the seat is bad. One smooth piece to the seat, no lumbar operation, is perfect. The simpler the better, as long as it has the basic eight power motions. The wheel resistance is bothersome, the seat worries me, knowing my father bought a new car in '01 and had to sell it because of how much the lumbar was a problem to him.

2) The Mazda 6 handles nicely, the steering is incredibly responsive, the car is fairly quick, nothing like the G. The basic cloth seats of the car feel so much better than the leather versions of itself. Simple, no support, and voila - it becomes perfect. Am I doomed to econoboxes and stripped sports cars? It felt as if I could turn it inside my car, and with one finger on the wheel. Downside was... I hated the manual transmission. Absolutely hated it, and I don't understand how/why people use them for DD's. Those of you who do, congratulations, if you're happy, be happy. I stalled the thing a dozen times in ten minutes, but I know that goes away... it's more that it just isn't fun to me, it seems more like a pain in the ass, especially with creeping traffic.

In short, I'm pissed off enough at the car search to just want to buy a goddamned bicycle, and I still can't decide between going after a high-mileage G with a few cosmetic issues, or waiting to see if the next used Mazda 6 comes along. To compound the waiting game difficulty, my car is getting worse. They're wildly different cars, and I'm finding decision making impossible.

*apply head to desk*
 
MotF Bane said:
In short, I'm pissed off enough at the car search to just want to buy a goddamned bicycle, and I still can't decide between going after a high-mileage G with a few cosmetic issues, or waiting to see if the next used Mazda 6 comes along. To compound the waiting game difficulty, my car is getting worse. They're wildly different cars, and I'm finding decision making impossible.

*apply head to desk*
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The perfect answer has been posted twice: Forester XT. It's quicker than most, has plenty of room inside, and AWD.
 
MotF Bane said:
2) The Mazda 6 handles nicely, the steering is incredibly responsive, the car is fairly quick, nothing like the G. The basic cloth seats of the car feel so much better than the leather versions of itself. Simple, no support, and voila - it becomes perfect. Am I doomed to econoboxes and stripped sports cars? It felt as if I could turn it inside my car, and with one finger on the wheel. Downside was... I hated the manual transmission. Absolutely hated it, and I don't understand how/why people use them for DD's. Those of you who do, congratulations, if you're happy, be happy. I stalled the thing a dozen times in ten minutes, but I know that goes away... it's more that it just isn't fun to me, it seems more like a pain in the ass, especially with creeping traffic.

In short, I'm pissed off enough at the car search to just want to buy a goddamned bicycle, and I still can't decide between going after a high-mileage G with a few cosmetic issues, or waiting to see if the next used Mazda 6 comes along. To compound the waiting game difficulty, my car is getting worse. They're wildly different cars, and I'm finding decision making impossible.

*apply head to desk*
Click to expand...

Mazdas tend to have a lower clutch effort, which throws people for a loop, and their clutches engage earlier in the pedal travel than most and bites hard, this also throws people for a loop. It gets a lot easier though, especially when it's driven a little bit aggressively.

You could always get the G and add some lumbar support or even replace the driver's seat. Food for thought.
 
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