Ugh... another "what car" thread...

Well, it proves that I can't get any of those cars any cheaper than what the "Internet Price" is.

So, now I'm thinking about picking up something new. Since Honda doesn't have any Si Sedans in the country yet, that's out. Mazda is running a promo with 0% financing on all 2011 3's, and $500 cash back if you already have one in the household, which we do. I found a regular 3 hatch in white and with the Grand Touring package (aka fully loaded) with a stick, and MSRP is $24k. I wonder how low they will go...

If that applies to the MS3's too, then I might look at those. Used MS3's seem to be through the roof on pricing.

Seems that used MS3s are cheaper than used Civics, according to a prior post you made.

Ha, just checked TrueCar.com (not trying to canoe the thread) to see what the bottom line prices are for some of these, and I can score a MS3 Sport or a Mazda3 GT for less than I'm paying right now for the WRX. Also, they are less than what the used ones are going for.

Sound excellent.

What about a 2011 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V? 200hp 2.5L, 6 speed manual, 28 mpg highway, and you can get one for $18,000. Add 2K if you want a limited slip and Nav.

Not a fan of SE-R Sentras after the early 90's ones. Definitely not a fan of the newer ones.

Also, I went to see a friend of mine the other night who is a Subaru tech. Here's what he said:

The A/C stuff he said was very common. The stupid belt assembly is $100 and they don't cover it under any warranty. He said it's usually $1k+ to do out of warranty, so $150 to do it is getting out easy.

The clutch stuff is also common. The clicking in the pedals is the clutch safety switch and the brake light switch. They loosen up over time, and make noise. There's no way to make that go away. The squealing throwout bearing and squeaking clutch pedal are due to the clutch fork not being lubricated. Under the intercooler, there is a rubber boot over the clutch fork. It's seriously right there, and easy to get to. You pull the intercooler and the boot and spray it all with lubricant. He said you can usually get enough down in that area that it will lube up the throwout bearing too. If I were to bring it to the dealer, that would cost me well over $1k and not be covered either.

The rattle under boost that I hear can be one of three things: a loose heat shield in the splash shield, the air intake scoop rattling, or the wastegate door bouncing off the inside of my downpipe. If it’s the first two, it’s no big deal. If it’s the wastegate door, then the only solution is to get a bigger downpipe. The rattling shifter is due to the linkage. Pretty much, I have to take it all apart and lube everything. The rear shaft fits into a “stay bushing” that bolts to the back of the tranny tunnel, and if the rod is hitting the body through the bushing, then I need to put something there to stop it. It’s a real pain to take it all apart again. I already replaced all the bushings in the shifter linkage except the ones in the universal joint up front, so I'm not too happy about doing it again.

I'm going to try my hand at fixing the above stuff and have that compressor done under warranty. I am still entertaining the idea of getting rid of this car, but instead of replacing it with a car, I may get a truck. I'm thinking about getting a Nissan Frontier with the Pro 4X package. I'm sick of borrowing other people's trucks all the time and I am increasingly needing a truck after buying my house.

Suzuki Kazashi with RRM Turbo kit?

Or, since he mentioned a frontier, how about the Suzuki... Equator!

I like the looks and the price of the Frontiers better. They are putting on some great deals on those right now. Besides, there are not many Suzuki dealers around here anymore. They are going the way of the dinosaur.

I'll leave all the turbo kits and that stuff to my "toys". Whatever car or truck I get next will hopefully be simple and N/A, but still be interesting to drive. I like turbo cars and all, but for a daily driver, they can be a pain.

Well, just a little over a month after posting this, I decided to take the plunge on a Mazda.

I ended up going with a white on black 2012 Mazda3 S Touring with the Bose and moonroof package. (it replaces the S Sport in the lineup). I drove one last night and I was pleasantly surprised. It handles very well and while it isn't exactly fast, it's still fun to drive. Power wise, it felt on par with the last generation Honda Civic Si, which is not a bad thing, except it has more torque. The 0% financing deal they had going on was the frosting on the cake, and the price was great. The deal ended today, so I was in before the lock!!! I pick it up on Monday night.

I'll definitely miss the power of the WRX, but I won't miss the 21mpg on premium I've been getting lately, the interior rattles, the awful noises coming from the engine and transmission, the terrible shifter, the creaky and squeaky clutch pedal, and the overall crappiness of the car. I really don't need a car like the WRX as a daily driver, as I have other toys that either are or will be faster and more fun to drive in the driveway anyway. I'm really disappointed in this car, and I probably won't ever buy another Subaru because of it (at least a new one, I still want an old Bugeye 02-03 again)

1st "mod" to the new car is finding some spare wheels for snow tires. Will older Mazda3 and Mazda6 wheels fit? I see them cheap on Craigslist up here all the time.

Congrats!

Is that the 2.5 model?

In my old 2.0/4spd mazda3 we avg'd 30 and got 35-42 hwy.

I doubt yours will hit those numbers but id be looking for 27/37 on the high side, thats way higher than the wrx.

Let us know what you actually get.

Yep, it's the 2.5L four. From what I've been reading, it should be good for about 28-30mpg on the highway, which is a huge step up from the 21mpg on 93 octane that the WRX takes. I could have waited for the Skyactiv cars, but no one knows when they are coming, and from what I've been reading, there's no manual transmission option on those cars.

Well, I got it.

The WRX is gone. When I got to the dealer, the inner passenger side door handle stopped working too! What a POS. Unbelievable.

Anyway, the new 3 is nice. They changed the front end a bit so it looks a lot less goofy. The white looks amazing, unlike the white that Subaru uses on their new cars. It’s a pearl white, but looks great.

Quick observations: -The stereo actually isn’t bad. It has a small subwoofer that’s mounted to the spare tire, which is kinda funny.

-The white and blue gauges are a welcome change. They are easier on the eyes at night.

-The data center is cool. I can set all sorts of strange settings, including turn signal volume and service reminders. The fuel computer is cool and much more advanced than the WRX mpg gauge. And hands-free Bluetooth rules.

• So far, with me sitting on the entire length of Route 24 (MA people know that it's THE WORST in the AM) all morning in bumper to bumper traffic, I’m getting close to 25mpg, which is better than the Subaru gets when I’m hypermiling. I was getting over 30mpg up until then. MUCH better!

-Seats, steering wheel, shifter, and pedals are all nice. They all feel “right”. Traffic is no problem with this clutch; it is very light and has good feel.

-Engine makes great sounds and has more than enough power for putting around. It’s definitely on par with the Si (my benchmark) as far as being fun to drive. It handles great too.

-Headlights are nice. The fog lights actually make a difference too, unlike the ones in the WRX.

Overall, it’s a much better daily driver than the WRX. Color me impressed. I think I’ll be very happy with it!

Side note: I told the general manager of the dealer (Cape Cod Mazda, and a great dealer, btw) about the fact that the answer is Miata. He loved that!

Congrats! Last Friday we picked up a new Mazda2 across the country from you in Boise, ID (live 300 miles from there, but that was the closest dealer with a manual transmission touring model in the green color my wife wanted). So we got in on the 0% financing as well--of course they've extended it now until the end of Oct. but couldn't take that chance. It's going to be my wife's around-town commuter, but it's an amazingly fun car (the steering reminds me of the Mazdaspeed Protege I bought new). Got 37 mpg on the 300-mile trip home and hoping for significantly over 30 in mixed driving--quite a change from 18 mpg in the mid-size 6-cylinder SUV she was daily driving. The Mazda3 would have been her choice for looks and interior space as well as extra power. Given the cost and mileage difference, plus still having the SUV when extra space is needed, it made our choice easy. Definitely Mazda3 hatch if it was her only vehicle.

rom what I've been reading, it should be good for about 28-30mpg on the highway

Uhh... it should be able to do mid 30s no problem, i would think. I cant see how a car like that would barely hit 30 on the highway. I still stand by my prediction.. do some straight, no-traffic highway and see if you dont hit 37.