Cliffs:
- 23 year old looking for used car in $10-14k range; hate SUVs / hatchbacks, prefer coupes but "need" sedan due to 5 year old; always driven domestic (but read below)
- Test drove new 2009 V6 Fusion SE as a reference; loved it but new is too pricey
- Test drove used Mazda3 2.3L with 97k miles; loved it, but mileage too high
- Test drove used 2008 Focus SES with 30k miles; not a fan of angry hamsters fighting light headwinds
- Test drove used 2007 V6 Mustang; hated it, just like I suspected.
- Looking in the area for '07 or '08 used V6 Fusion SE, but also considering Mazda3 S; sales rep calling me back tomorrow to report findings.
To give a brief background, I'm 23 years old, and after pulling some strings and playing my cards right, I'm going to be graduating with a Bachelors of Science (Computer Science) in two weeks. I'm currently driving a 2003 Malibu LS with 69k miles and a fair share of problems and minor annoyances. I don't need a "new to me" car, I want one. I wouldn't shed a tear ridding myself of the commonly known problems with the Malibu, though, like the leaking head or intake gasket (oil in the coolant, yay), shudders during every upshift, etc. Most of my experience has been with GM cars, and taste wise, I prefer cars and large trucks; I despise SUVs, hatchbacks, vans, wagons, etc. Passenger wise, I have my girlfriend and her 5-year-old son; while I prefer coupes, they're not the most practical.
Earlier this week, I test drove a 2009 Fusion V6 SE. It was out of my price range, but they let both my dad and I drive it since we were both looking. The 221 HP 3.0L V6 definitely had a smoother power band than both of our 2003 Malibus. The Malibus have great torque on the low end but very flat mid range; they pick up nicely around 3.5-4000 RPMs, with the sacrifice of gas mileage of course. The roads were a little wet, and I actually was having trouble not spinning the tires, speeding, and feathering it around the parking lot. For a family sedan, I was impressed with the power. On the other hand, the 6 speed auto was also nice step up from the 4 speeds we're used, though does shift a bit sloppy. The interior wasn't bad; not the best I've seen, but not too cheap feeling or tacky like many cars I've been in. The materials reminded me somewhat of an older Lincoln or Chrysler for some reason. In the end, I reluctantly walked out of the dealership wishing I could take one home without test driving a single other car.
Today, I went back down to the dealer hoping to find a used 2007 V6 Fusion SE with under 40k miles (prefer under 25k) for around $12k, give or take. Unfortunately, there's dozens of used I4 Fusions available, but hardly any of the sixes. I know the I4 is more than adequate, but I also know myself, and in the end I'd find SOME reason not to be happy with it. The sales rep called several dealerships within a ~100 mile radius, got a few hits (most of which were already sold), but ultimately couldn't find anything right off the bat. In the mean time, they convinced me to test drive a few other cars.
The first car was a 2006 Mazda3 with 97k miles. I told them I had no interest in something with that high mileage, but they wanted me to try it anyway to get a feel for it. I've always driven domestic cars, and other than makes or models far out of my price range, I haven't been overly impressed with anything foreign that I've been in yet. With that said, when I climbed into the car, I already had a bias against it. I was LOOKING for a reason not to like it. For a car with 100k miles, I would have never know; the ride was outstandingly smooth and the car looked great. If they told me it was brand new I wouldn't have second guessed it (other than the fact that it was an '06). The 2.3L felt very torquey for an I4, and the transmission, while automatic, was actually fun to play with ("sport shift" or whatever they call it). The handling was probably the best out of all the cars I drove, and the car looked sharp to boot. The interior, while plainer (in my opinion) than the Fusion was still very pleasing; I liked the gauge cluster in particular. After driving it for only 5-10 minutes, I feel silly for having the bias I had before. I... liked this car? Amazing.
We were still waiting for other dealerships to call back, so they convinced me to jump into a 2008 Focus SES sedan - I had been considering one any way, so why not. The interior was actually very pleasing, better than the Fusion SE in some ways. The handling, like the Mazda3, felt much more responsive and refined than the larger Fusion (or my Malibu). The problem came as soon as I pulled out onto a semi-busy street... the power. Or the lack thereof. While the Mazda3's 2.3L 160 HP I4 felt like 160 horses at a gallop, the Focuses 2.0L 140 HP I4 felt like a bunch of angry hamsters fighting desperately just to get out of their own way. Ok, I guess that's a little carried away - the car actually did exactly what it was supposed to - get me from point A to point B. But man, the first time I put my foot into it, watch it drop back into 1st and jump up to 5k RPM, I wanted to laugh. All that noise for what seemed like nothing. For someone looking for a cheap car with decent gas mileage and a decent interior that has no interest in power, it would be great. For me, well, I'm not sure how I could switch between the Mustang and that when the weather got bad. Maybe if I could fit two of those 2.0 I4s in the engine compartment...
Finally, since we had time to kill, we jumped in a 2007 (08?) V6 Mustang, automatic. Again, I had a huge bias against it already; if I'm going to get a two door, I want something sporty. If I'm going to get a Mustang, I want a manual V8. I sucked it up and gave it the benefit of the doubt anyway. The V6 wasn't as peppy as the Fusion, though the 5 speed automatic seemed to shift a lot cleaner than the Fusion's 6 speed. The interior, while not horrible, wasn't as nice as any of the above cars. The "classic" styling didn't do much for me - when you have the real thing sitting back at home, it just seems so overdone. When I told the sales rep I was restoring a '66, he actually apologized - maybe he figured everyone in their early 20s swoons over driving a Mustang. While the GTs are very nice (and very out of my price / sane insurance range), The V6 was nothing to write home about.
Finally, we sat down to discuss more options and follow up with other dealerships. I had him call on a few Mazda3s while he was at it, though they tend to be priced a bit out of my range for anything decent (2.3L "S" mode, ~30k miles or less). He asked me to make a choice between the two cars - V6 Fusion and Mazda3 - so he could focus on one or the other. I reluctantly asked him to keep looking for a good deal on a Fusion, and left it at that. He's going to call me before noon tomorrow to let me know what he's found and we'll go from there; in the mean time I'm going to do more research of my own so I know exactly what to expect for a price. Overall, all of the reps I've talked to have been very honest with the pricing, though not as flexible as some dealerships. We'll see what happens, I guess.
- 23 year old looking for used car in $10-14k range; hate SUVs / hatchbacks, prefer coupes but "need" sedan due to 5 year old; always driven domestic (but read below)
- Test drove new 2009 V6 Fusion SE as a reference; loved it but new is too pricey
- Test drove used Mazda3 2.3L with 97k miles; loved it, but mileage too high
- Test drove used 2008 Focus SES with 30k miles; not a fan of angry hamsters fighting light headwinds
- Test drove used 2007 V6 Mustang; hated it, just like I suspected.
- Looking in the area for '07 or '08 used V6 Fusion SE, but also considering Mazda3 S; sales rep calling me back tomorrow to report findings.
To give a brief background, I'm 23 years old, and after pulling some strings and playing my cards right, I'm going to be graduating with a Bachelors of Science (Computer Science) in two weeks. I'm currently driving a 2003 Malibu LS with 69k miles and a fair share of problems and minor annoyances. I don't need a "new to me" car, I want one. I wouldn't shed a tear ridding myself of the commonly known problems with the Malibu, though, like the leaking head or intake gasket (oil in the coolant, yay), shudders during every upshift, etc. Most of my experience has been with GM cars, and taste wise, I prefer cars and large trucks; I despise SUVs, hatchbacks, vans, wagons, etc. Passenger wise, I have my girlfriend and her 5-year-old son; while I prefer coupes, they're not the most practical.
Earlier this week, I test drove a 2009 Fusion V6 SE. It was out of my price range, but they let both my dad and I drive it since we were both looking. The 221 HP 3.0L V6 definitely had a smoother power band than both of our 2003 Malibus. The Malibus have great torque on the low end but very flat mid range; they pick up nicely around 3.5-4000 RPMs, with the sacrifice of gas mileage of course. The roads were a little wet, and I actually was having trouble not spinning the tires, speeding, and feathering it around the parking lot. For a family sedan, I was impressed with the power. On the other hand, the 6 speed auto was also nice step up from the 4 speeds we're used, though does shift a bit sloppy. The interior wasn't bad; not the best I've seen, but not too cheap feeling or tacky like many cars I've been in. The materials reminded me somewhat of an older Lincoln or Chrysler for some reason. In the end, I reluctantly walked out of the dealership wishing I could take one home without test driving a single other car.
Today, I went back down to the dealer hoping to find a used 2007 V6 Fusion SE with under 40k miles (prefer under 25k) for around $12k, give or take. Unfortunately, there's dozens of used I4 Fusions available, but hardly any of the sixes. I know the I4 is more than adequate, but I also know myself, and in the end I'd find SOME reason not to be happy with it. The sales rep called several dealerships within a ~100 mile radius, got a few hits (most of which were already sold), but ultimately couldn't find anything right off the bat. In the mean time, they convinced me to test drive a few other cars.
The first car was a 2006 Mazda3 with 97k miles. I told them I had no interest in something with that high mileage, but they wanted me to try it anyway to get a feel for it. I've always driven domestic cars, and other than makes or models far out of my price range, I haven't been overly impressed with anything foreign that I've been in yet. With that said, when I climbed into the car, I already had a bias against it. I was LOOKING for a reason not to like it. For a car with 100k miles, I would have never know; the ride was outstandingly smooth and the car looked great. If they told me it was brand new I wouldn't have second guessed it (other than the fact that it was an '06). The 2.3L felt very torquey for an I4, and the transmission, while automatic, was actually fun to play with ("sport shift" or whatever they call it). The handling was probably the best out of all the cars I drove, and the car looked sharp to boot. The interior, while plainer (in my opinion) than the Fusion was still very pleasing; I liked the gauge cluster in particular. After driving it for only 5-10 minutes, I feel silly for having the bias I had before. I... liked this car? Amazing.
We were still waiting for other dealerships to call back, so they convinced me to jump into a 2008 Focus SES sedan - I had been considering one any way, so why not. The interior was actually very pleasing, better than the Fusion SE in some ways. The handling, like the Mazda3, felt much more responsive and refined than the larger Fusion (or my Malibu). The problem came as soon as I pulled out onto a semi-busy street... the power. Or the lack thereof. While the Mazda3's 2.3L 160 HP I4 felt like 160 horses at a gallop, the Focuses 2.0L 140 HP I4 felt like a bunch of angry hamsters fighting desperately just to get out of their own way. Ok, I guess that's a little carried away - the car actually did exactly what it was supposed to - get me from point A to point B. But man, the first time I put my foot into it, watch it drop back into 1st and jump up to 5k RPM, I wanted to laugh. All that noise for what seemed like nothing. For someone looking for a cheap car with decent gas mileage and a decent interior that has no interest in power, it would be great. For me, well, I'm not sure how I could switch between the Mustang and that when the weather got bad. Maybe if I could fit two of those 2.0 I4s in the engine compartment...
Finally, since we had time to kill, we jumped in a 2007 (08?) V6 Mustang, automatic. Again, I had a huge bias against it already; if I'm going to get a two door, I want something sporty. If I'm going to get a Mustang, I want a manual V8. I sucked it up and gave it the benefit of the doubt anyway. The V6 wasn't as peppy as the Fusion, though the 5 speed automatic seemed to shift a lot cleaner than the Fusion's 6 speed. The interior, while not horrible, wasn't as nice as any of the above cars. The "classic" styling didn't do much for me - when you have the real thing sitting back at home, it just seems so overdone. When I told the sales rep I was restoring a '66, he actually apologized - maybe he figured everyone in their early 20s swoons over driving a Mustang. While the GTs are very nice (and very out of my price / sane insurance range), The V6 was nothing to write home about.
Finally, we sat down to discuss more options and follow up with other dealerships. I had him call on a few Mazda3s while he was at it, though they tend to be priced a bit out of my range for anything decent (2.3L "S" mode, ~30k miles or less). He asked me to make a choice between the two cars - V6 Fusion and Mazda3 - so he could focus on one or the other. I reluctantly asked him to keep looking for a good deal on a Fusion, and left it at that. He's going to call me before noon tomorrow to let me know what he's found and we'll go from there; in the mean time I'm going to do more research of my own so I know exactly what to expect for a price. Overall, all of the reps I've talked to have been very honest with the pricing, though not as flexible as some dealerships. We'll see what happens, I guess.
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