My next vehicle purchase - fun vs responsibility vs stupid

[MongGrel]

Mazdaspeed3

Those are also uncommon and only come in manual. I want an automatic. I live in dense traffic zones and don't feel like riding a clutch or burning through a clutch all the time.

I just have an older Mazda 3 Hatch with a 5 speed auto.

I'd still rather have it over a Civic, but haven't really car shopped in awhile I guess.

 

[TridenT]

Alright. Checking out this POS GTI tomorrow. If I don't get it for the price I want then I'm walking out and giving up on GTIs. I'll go test drive some Prii, Hyundai Sonatas, and some Kia Optimas. Maybe I'll get one with a 2.0T but I might not. Reliability on those is questionable apparently. Which is sucky because they sound way more powerful while having the same/similar MPG. :/

 

[TridenT]

Ugh. Jesus. The gti was terrible. So many broken pieces parts and problems with it.

Checked out a Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Limited. (No nav) Nice car but feels too grown up and mellow. I felt completely disconnected from the road and the car.

After that I wanted to drive a Miata with the top down.

 

[SearchMaster]

See if you can find a used Focus ST. I have one, and it is a fun car but quite practical as well. The resale value on them is not good at all, so you might be able to find one with <30K miles for ~$15-16K. I've seen people selling them in that price range on forums.

Only comes in manual though.

 

[jlee]

See if you can find a used Focus ST. I have one, and it is a fun car but quite practical as well. The resale value on them is not good at all, so you might be able to find one with <30K miles for ~$15-16K. I've seen people selling them in that price range on forums.

Only comes in manual though.

Shit, really? I was seeing ~$20k when I was looking at them a few weeks ago.

 

[TridenT]

Shit, really? I was seeing ~$20k when I was looking at them a few weeks ago.

I'm not seeing them for $15-16k through what I'm looking at. But, I'm not eyeballing forums. Most I see are $20k+.

It's also a 2013. I feel like the depreciation on the car is going to be too steep for my tastes. I want a 3-5 year old car.

 

[skyking]

I was looking at 335D's. Pretty impressive. C&D fell in lust with theirs for a couple of years.
I see them around 18K, a little above your budget. A few grand puts them in the low 13's and if you keep your foot out they get high 30s on the freeway.

 

[McLovin]

Not if you're over 5'10" tall.

And as someone who is 6'4" and had to squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze into Fenixgoon's Miata, you are correct.

 

[McLovin]

Ugh. Jesus. The gti was terrible. So many broken pieces parts and problems with it.

Now you know what a German vehicle that isn't maintained looks like.

 

[Fenixgoon]

And as someone who is 6'4" and had to squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze into Fenixgoon's Miata, you are correct.

we made it work! :thumbsup:

 

[z1ggy]

My Mazda3 hatch (2011) was $16k, feels fairly sporty, is meh on the quickness, and is practical. If you're looking for a decent car for ~$15k that isn't a POS, it's really not a bad option to consider.

 

[SearchMaster]

Shit, really? I was seeing ~$20k when I was looking at them a few weeks ago.

Here's one that he sold for $15250 (though I misremembered - it had 50K miles not 30K) - http://www.focusst.org/forum/focus-st-discussions/40465-i-can-t-give-away.html

There was another post there that I can't find now, where the guy had upgraded the turbo and was looking for $16000.

The resale value is poor enough that I'd be surprised if someone wanting $20K wouldn't take $18K or less if offered. It's a shame because it really is a well-done car by Ford.

 

[jlee]

Wow. I...might have to look into them. They're definitely going (well, listed) for more around here: http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/cto?srchType=T&query=focus+st

 

[skyking]

LOL, your PM box is full

 

[jlee]

Oops. Fixed.

 

[TridenT]

Drove a Prius. Really wasn't that bad. I was expecting worse but it actually goes around just fine. Yeah, it's slow. CVT also makes the same sound the whole way while it increases in speed. It's painfully slow after 40mph and you can hear the engine screaming just to go from 70-80mph to overtake and frequently it's loud just to stay at 75mph.

It's also a weird driving position in terms of the seating and roof. This is the first car that I've ever felt really tall in. I don't know if the seat was just elevated somehow but damn was I nearly hitting the ceiling in it.

Visibility is poor out the rear, as usual complaint of the Prius. Side mirrors are so-so. Honestly, I don't know if anything will ever beat my old Civic in that regard. I felt like I almost never had a blind spot in that thing. But, overlooking my shoulder (especially on the right) showed a ton of visibility.

Highway road noise is significant. Drowning it out with the stereo is doable. Although the stereo isn't super great. The seats felt firm and a bit weird. Like the cloth had a weird smooth/sticky-ness/tacky-ness to it? (Probably some chemical the dealer put on it?)

I could easily see the car being decent for just getting from point A to B while being fuel efficient and reliable. It wouldn't be an enjoyable car though. People talked about the steering being weird but it felt really quite normal. I couldn't tell much of a difference in the easy going driving. The steering wheel felt surprisingly small too (a big plus in my book).

Power mode definitely had an effect. 25% throttle becomes 100% throttle. The CVT stays in a more rev-inducing range, quite loud at 75mph. However, just around town I couldn't tell much difference when flooring it. Seemed the same. So maybe it's just the 0-50% throttle range that differs a lot. Regular mode felt typical and eco mode definitely makes the off the line speed lacking and dampens the throttle significantly.

From what I could tell this was a 2010 Prius II or III. It wasn't a IV because no leather. For all I know, it's a I. The dealer said online that it was a IV but it's definitely not. So, that docks significant points in my book because I did want a IV if I could find one. (I couldn't tell from the pictures that it wasn't leather)

No sunroof either. The car does feel claustrophobic at times with little to no way to manage that. Cargo space is supposedly great but the trunk/hatch area starts out quite high from the bottom of the car. (Batteries) It just felt higher than I remember seeing before.

Overall, if I can get it for a decent price then maybe I'll get it. It's not a terrible car and it's zippy enough for when it counts and most maneuvers I'll be doing in town. (0-30mph)

I'm going to go look at some Ford Fiesta's though. Way different car but supposedly more peppy. I'd look at the ST Fiesta and Focus but they're not cheap enough. Fiesta's around here can be found for $10k.

 

[jlee]

Buy another Civic.

...

why?

...

Drove a Prius. Really wasn't that bad. I was expecting worse but it actually goes around just fine. Yeah, it's slow. CVT also makes the same sound the whole way while it increases in speed. It's painfully slow after 40mph and you can hear the engine screaming just to go from 70-80mph to overtake and frequently it's loud just to stay at 75mph.

It's also a weird driving position in terms of the seating and roof. This is the first car that I've ever felt really tall in. I don't know if the seat was just elevated somehow but damn was I nearly hitting the ceiling in it.

Visibility is poor out the rear, as usual complaint of the Prius. Side mirrors are so-so. Honestly, I don't know if anything will ever beat my old Civic in that regard. I felt like I almost never had a blind spot in that thing. But, overlooking my shoulder (especially on the right) showed a ton of visibility.

Highway road noise is significant. Drowning it out with the stereo is doable. Although the stereo isn't super great. The seats felt firm and a bit weird. Like the cloth had a weird smooth/sticky-ness/tacky-ness to it? (Probably some chemical the dealer put on it?)

I could easily see the car being decent for just getting from point A to B while being fuel efficient and reliable. It wouldn't be an enjoyable car though. People talked about the steering being weird but it felt really quite normal. I couldn't tell much of a difference in the easy going driving. The steering wheel felt surprisingly small too (a big plus in my book).

Power mode definitely had an effect. 25% throttle becomes 100% throttle. The CVT stays in a more rev-inducing range, quite loud at 75mph. However, just around town I couldn't tell much difference when flooring it. Seemed the same. So maybe it's just the 0-50% throttle range that differs a lot. Regular mode felt typical and eco mode definitely makes the off the line speed lacking and dampens the throttle significantly.

From what I could tell this was a 2010 Prius II or III. It wasn't a IV because no leather. For all I know, it's a I. The dealer said online that it was a IV but it's definitely not. So, that docks significant points in my book because I did want a IV if I could find one. (I couldn't tell from the pictures that it wasn't leather)

No sunroof either. The car does feel claustrophobic at times with little to no way to manage that. Cargo space is supposedly great but the trunk/hatch area starts out quite high from the bottom of the car. (Batteries) It just felt higher than I remember seeing before.

Overall, if I can get it for a decent price then maybe I'll get it. It's not a terrible car and it's zippy enough for when it counts and most maneuvers I'll be doing in town. (0-30mph)

I'm going to go look at some Ford Fiesta's though. Way different car but supposedly more peppy. I'd look at the ST Fiesta and Focus but they're not cheap enough they don't come with an automatic transmission. Manual is okay but just not for how I'm going to be driving a lot of the time.. Fiesta's around here can be found for $10k.

 

[tortillasoup]

Drove a Prius. Really wasn't that bad. I was expecting worse but it actually goes around just fine. Yeah, it's slow. CVT also makes the same sound the whole way while it increases in speed. It's painfully slow after 40mph and you can hear the engine screaming just to go from 70-80mph to overtake and frequently it's loud just to stay at 75mph.

It's also a weird driving position in terms of the seating and roof. This is the first car that I've ever felt really tall in. I don't know if the seat was just elevated somehow but damn was I nearly hitting the ceiling in it.

Visibility is poor out the rear, as usual complaint of the Prius. Side mirrors are so-so. Honestly, I don't know if anything will ever beat my old Civic in that regard. I felt like I almost never had a blind spot in that thing. But, overlooking my shoulder (especially on the right) showed a ton of visibility.

Highway road noise is significant. Drowning it out with the stereo is doable. Although the stereo isn't super great. The seats felt firm and a bit weird. Like the cloth had a weird smooth/sticky-ness/tacky-ness to it? (Probably some chemical the dealer put on it?)

I could easily see the car being decent for just getting from point A to B while being fuel efficient and reliable. It wouldn't be an enjoyable car though. People talked about the steering being weird but it felt really quite normal. I couldn't tell much of a difference in the easy going driving. The steering wheel felt surprisingly small too (a big plus in my book).

Power mode definitely had an effect. 25% throttle becomes 100% throttle. The CVT stays in a more rev-inducing range, quite loud at 75mph. However, just around town I couldn't tell much difference when flooring it. Seemed the same. So maybe it's just the 0-50% throttle range that differs a lot. Regular mode felt typical and eco mode definitely makes the off the line speed lacking and dampens the throttle significantly.

From what I could tell this was a 2010 Prius II or III. It wasn't a IV because no leather. For all I know, it's a I. The dealer said online that it was a IV but it's definitely not. So, that docks significant points in my book because I did want a IV if I could find one. (I couldn't tell from the pictures that it wasn't leather)

No sunroof either. The car does feel claustrophobic at times with little to no way to manage that. Cargo space is supposedly great but the trunk/hatch area starts out quite high from the bottom of the car. (Batteries) It just felt higher than I remember seeing before.

Overall, if I can get it for a decent price then maybe I'll get it. It's not a terrible car and it's zippy enough for when it counts and most maneuvers I'll be doing in town. (0-30mph)

I'm going to go look at some Ford Fiesta's though. Way different car but supposedly more peppy. I'd look at the ST Fiesta and Focus but they're not cheap enough. Fiesta's around here can be found for $10k.

I prefer the 04-09 Prius. The 10+ Prius feels too cramped in the driver's seat.

 

[Crono]

I briefly entertained the idea of getting a Prius when I was shopping around for a new car last year. I like fuel efficient cars, but I ended up going with the Mazda3 (2014 sedan, gorgeous in soul red) and couldn't be happier. I get not-quite-Prius efficiency on highway with 40 mpg, and it's more fun to drive and looks better. Not heavy at 2800 lbs, handles great especially into corners, good brakes, comfortable seats, good front and rear view (particularly when compared to the Prius). Only downside is it isn't as quick as the car I had prior (V6 Mustang) but on the plus side I always feel like I can take it to the limit and not feel like I'll crash into a tree. There is road noise (same with most or maybe all Mazdas, including the Miata) but it doesn't bother me and I'm almost always playing music or podcasts, anyway.

Other cars I strongly considered was a used BR-Z, which I nearly bought and kinda wish I did and the Hyundai Veloster (turbo). The aforementioned Genesis is nice, but an overpriced (in my opinion) successor to the old Tiburon which is the only other Hyundai I ever really liked or considered. I also looked at the Focus and Fiesta, which are in the same "small, fun, and relatively fuel efficient" category of vehicles as the 3.

I like the utility of the Prius, but it's too bland for me to ever consider seriously again. The next car I get will either be an Elise or a full plug-in electric car if prices have dropped in 2 years (when I plan on selling/buying). Hybrids have lost their appeal for me. I would love to have a Model S or even better the range upgraded Tesla Roadster if I could afford it... been lusting after the Roadster since Tesla announced it and really proved they were a viable electric car company.

 

[Demo24]

We've several priuses at work and while they are incredibly reliable, they are god awful dull. You hit on a lot of my issues with it, visibility (even out the front and sides), comfort (no the seats are just like that, and I find the steering wheel uncomfortable to hold), noise (stereo I think is bad for energy conservation), ride quality is pretty bad, and its really not got that much utility. Power mode does nothing other than keeping the engine on. In city driving it will shut down and bounce between the two. This is a problem as it creates quite a delay when leaving from a stop and I've found it to be dangerous if I need to try and go semi quickly. So in town I often put it in power mode so its significantly more responsive. Normal mode is fine for creeping along in traffic though. Generally means I only get about 30mpg in the city (not my gas ), which is really no better than my mazda 3 which is way more fun to drive, comfy, and usable space. Seriously your budget nearly gets a base brand new one, and the updated model is really nice.

 

[tortillasoup]

We've several priuses at work and while they are incredibly reliable, they are god awful dull. You hit on a lot of my issues with it, visibility (even out the front and sides), comfort (no the seats are just like that, and I find the steering wheel uncomfortable to hold), noise (stereo I think is bad for energy conservation), ride quality is pretty bad, and its really not got that much utility. Power mode does nothing other than keeping the engine on. In city driving it will shut down and bounce between the two. This is a problem as it creates quite a delay when leaving from a stop and I've found it to be dangerous if I need to try and go semi quickly. So in town I often put it in power mode so its significantly more responsive. Normal mode is fine for creeping along in traffic though. Generally means I only get about 30mpg in the city (not my gas ), which is really no better than my mazda 3 which is way more fun to drive, comfy, and usable space. Seriously your budget nearly gets a base brand new one, and the updated model is really nice.

If you're getting 30mpg in a Prius, you're doing something wrong.

 

[Ns1]

So in town I often put it in power mode so its significantly more responsive. Normal mode is fine for creeping along in traffic though. Generally means I only get about 30mpg in the city (not my gas ), which is really no better than my mazda 3 which is way more fun to drive, comfy, and usable space. Seriously your budget nearly gets a base brand new one, and the updated model is really nice.

gee I wonder why you're only getting 30mpg.

 

[TridenT]

Drove another prius today. I was ready to buy it before I saw it. Paint was messed up, filthy inside, cruise control was broken (dealbreaker!), and it just looked like it wasn't taken care of. Totally sucked.

After that, I tried to get to test drive a Miata but the one I wanted was already sold... (sad) and then a dealer I stopped at only had new ones. :/

Ended up test driving a 2011 Honda Civic Si. Relatively fun car. Bit heavy on the steering and it does do that stupid rev hang thing. (Annoying if you like to run through first gear really hard and then coast or jump some gears like I do) Definitely has that screamer noise to it though. It likes to get to 7500+ rpm, which is great.

However, the car had been in an accident and had mismatching tires (3 different brands and tires)... There's a 2012 Si that's on the market for even less than what they were asking. So, I might check that out tomorrow. However, the 2012 isn't known for being a screamer and that's disappointing. It's got more torque (good) but only 7k rpm. More MPG (good) but 7k...

Also, the one I'll be looking at tomorrow is also a coupe like the one I saw today (annoying). I think it's white too. Lame. I liked the red one I drove today but too much money and too many problems. :/

I might get an Si just as an in between places car. It's a decent-ish compromise. I'm still searching for GTIs and so forth but they're just not popping up on the market, at all.


EDIT: Nvm, I don't think I'll bother checking out the 2012. The dealership has some of the worst reviews I've ever seen.

 

[TridenT]

I'm looking at multiple cars right now. Unfortunately, the Phoenix market blows. SF has a better market but I can't view the cars if I'm up there. (I don't have a way to go see them)

Looking at NC Miata GT w/ manual and sport package. Prefer PRHT but not a big deal. None here for a decent price in Phoenix. (There's two but they're both $13k+. Too much for my blood. Rather find one for $8-10k.) Also looking for a 2010+ Toyota Prius w/ <80k miles. Preferably CPO. Also hard to find for <$14k. Considering Honda Civic Hybrid but honestly the battery packs on those things fail so often that I'm just not considering it anymore. Pretty much all of the ones being sold have bad batteries and are out of warranty. (They're still asking way too much for them too)

Looking at regular civics, still too expensive. Everyone asks $2k+ over KBB.

Looking at honda accords but they're also expensive and shit MPG.

Overall, I don't really want to buy a car right now unless it's a fun car or ultra practical. That's where the Miata/Prius comes in. Just can't find one locally for a good price. I'll add a trunk cargo rack to the Miata too. Get an extra carry on suitcase there.

 

[Demo24]

If you're getting 30mpg in a Prius, you're doing something wrong.

gee I wonder why you're only getting 30mpg.

I don't do that all the time, and the average is still roughly the same on the trips I take power mode doesn't seem to drastically effect mpg. Granted highway does improve it. Still, lifetime average on one of our priuses is just 38 over 45k miles, and very few of those were driven by me (so slower and more normal Prius driving).

The simple reality is its just too underpowered, so anything more than a walking acceleration (or the need for more energy from HVAC, etc) turns the engine on and mpg goes down to regular car levels.