So, the reason this car exists started a few months ago. At the time, I owned 2 Miata’s (parts car and bare shell in paint booth), 2 gmt400 trucks (one is my daughters and the other was my daily), a 70 duster, a 71 duster track car project, a 2004 mazda6 wagon (my new daily), and a 2008 mazda5 van (wife’s daily).
In the span of a week, we were down to the 70 duster. My truck ate an engine, the 6 ate the cooling system, the the 5 ate the charging system, daughters truck ate a rear axle, and we were down to the 70 duster as the running car. 8 cars, 1 driving. berkeley.
Unfortunately, this was not an uncommon experience around here. Uncommon in that EVERYTHING failed in the span of a week, at the same time that work was absolutely nuts and the weather was horrible. Let me tell you, 17-year-old tires on a muscle car in 28-degree weather is fun!
My wife and I talked at length while she was handing me tools, and the decision was made to replace the truck and the 6 with a maverick. So, I put a deposit on one the day after thanksgiving. The stop sale was said to be resolved soon, and my boss was willing to let me use my company truck for limited use. FYI, the stop sale still has not been lifted on the maverick.
Wife’s van got fixed first, daughters truck second, 6 wagon, and a new engine in my truck. Wagon sold; truck listed. That was the work of a couple months. While doing this work, I kept digging into more and more issues with the mavericks. Enough to scare me off. Wife and I decided to look into cheap wagons/hatchbacks, as a way to get us a new family car with a warranty and something that I won’t have to work on for some time. My goal was something I like, that ill drive for a couple of years, and something she likes that will replace her van when she is done being a scout leader. Ill keep my truck, fix what’s broke, and well revisit my daily when she steals the new car from me.
So we looked at a long list. Including, but not limited to: kia soul, Hyundai Elantra/Kona/venue, Honda civic/hrv, Mazda 3/cx30/cx5/cx50, Toyota rav4/corolla hatch/corolla cross, and maybe a few more I’m forgetting. It was a LOT of cars. The entire dealership process through this time sucked like the vacuum of space. I’ve been shot directly in the balls with a frozen paintball, and that was more fun. There was one or two salespeople that stood out, but by and large I think id rather deal with crackheads and hobos that have active flea infestations and are squatting in my living room.
We narrowed the list down, after test drives and research, to the cx30, corolla hatch, and hr-v in that order. Weve had many years of fantastic service from our Mazda’s, and are generally Mazda people. We love them. So, I rented one from hertz rentandroll or whatever it was called. Thankfully they have the 2 hour free part, as after an hour and a half I knew it wasn’t for us. Seats were just not comfortable, and it honestly did NOT hold up to rental car usage very well. It was quite hammered for a 1-year old car with 21k on it.
Next, we borrowed my best friends wife’s corolla for a day. Yes, a 22 model le sedan with 80k on it. comfortable, competent, no rattles/squeaks/noises/oddities. Just freaking worked. Seats comfy, stereo goodish, ok power. Cvt didn’t instantly suck my will to live. Wife liked it, and really liked the size. Said it reminded her of her old Saturn sl1. The hatch reminded me of the protege5’s I’ve had, that I dearly miss. Kind of the spiritual successor of the cars we’ve loved from years gone by.
So, the hunt for the right hatch was on.
Initially, I was hell bent on the nightshade package with the blackout trim, the bronze wheels, and the added paint details. I wanted it in black. Until I got to see one.
It was a black blob in person.
They offer it in a dark grey with black roof and silver as well, but I could not find those in person to look at. The final nail was a lack of availability within reasonable driving distance colors other than white, and not being able to find ones that weren't loaded down with crap and Technology and fees that I didn't want to pay within fly and drive distance.
That left me looking at non nightshade cars. I knew I wanted an SE, with zero added options. Or as few as I could get. My thought is that that it makes for less things to break over the next decade. Especially things I can’t fix in the electronics. I planned on silver or grey, as I had seen hatches in that color. Sarah, the sales gal at Scott Clark Toyota over in charlotte was one of the few salespeople I didn’t hate. So I called her to talk through what she could find. She found a few options, and I went down this past Saturday to see what all she came up with. At the same time, I messaged about an “in transit” dark grey nightshade at Asheboro Toyota.
When I got to Scott Clark, Sarah had other customers so I walked around and found my blurple car (blue crush metallic according to Toyota) over in the parts department.
IMG_20250225_163811 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
Window sticker had a maintenance plan, all weather floor mats, and a spare tire as the options. The dealership had added pinstripes (not on the car), widow tint, lifetime engine warranty, waterless wash kit, and other bullE36 M3. Made a 26k corolla a 32k corolla once it went out the door. Talked with Sarah, and her finance manager, and walked out of the dealership. Wasn’t about to pay that much over on stupid upsell crap. Just aint going to happen. I got them down to 29500, but still. Nope.
So, I sent Asheboro Toyota hunting. They comeback with an identical corolla for 26800. Sent that over to Scott Clark, and all of a sudden, they matched it. and as Sarah was one of the few salespeople I actually liked, she got my commission. Turned out that Asheboro Toyota was trying to dealer trade for this car to sell me. So , the sales gal I liked got me the car I wanted for the price I wanted to pay. Everyone wins.
As this was my first ever new car, and the first ever for my wife and I, it was a wild ride. Not a fun process, and I’m not sure it would have been nearly this smooth without this forums help. I’ve learned a LOT from watching y’all over the years, and all the advice you’ve given me with this process has been invaluable.
So, pictures of the new car. You saw the dark, home under the carport pictures with 51 miles on it.
20250226_173821 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20250226_173829 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20250226_173836 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20250226_173854 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20250226_173915 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
I turned off the lane keeping stuff, as it was quite disconcerting to drive with, opted out of all the connected services. Do not have the Toyota app. Hopefully these decisions don’t come back to bite me in the ass later.
The goals are to get it in the shop in the very near term to ceramicoat everything and get a filtermag on the oil filter. Longer term is stereo work (low end is lacking), sound deadening, and 17-inch bronze rfp1s. can’t think of anything else for now, and hopefully there wont be! Hopefully it’s a very boring car that just eats miles, gets good mpg, is comfortable and trouble free for the next 10-15 years.
