It's time to by a new car...

...and am uncertain what to do.

Several weeks ago I started a thread after I was in a fairly significant auto accident caused by another driver, an elderly gentlemen who when he lost control of a large pickup truck, intended to hit the breaks but hit the gas instead, and plowed into the left front of my Mazda at a high rate of speed. 

Good news is that neither one of us were injured.

Bad news is that today I heard from my auto insurance, whom determined that my Mazda is a 'total loss'.

Obviously I need a new vehicle but am uncertain what to do at this point.  I have been going online and narrowed things down to several vehicles:

*2018 Mazda 3 Touring (manual transmission)
*2019 Honda Civic SI (manual transmission, turbocharged 1.5l, 205hp)

You notice I placed emphasis on a manual, in that I refuse to drive an automatic.  Plan to take some test drives this weekend (also plan to look at the Toyota, Corolla hatchback as well).

Normally I am a pretty upbeat person but am feeling a bit down after stopping by the collision center after work and cleaning the Mazda (all beat up and crumpled) of any personal items.  There is no reason to feel down in that it is just a car which can be replaced.  So really should be looking forward to the opportunity to purchase a new vehicle.  Also should take stock in the fact I am still alive in that easily could have been a fatality accident when factoring the size of the pickup and the high rate of speed it was going. 

But that little Mazda did its job and absorbed the full impact.  Actually, the Mazda probably saved BOTH our lives in that it also cushioned the blow for the other vehicle- if that pickup had missed the Mazda and plowed full speed into the adjacent concrete divider, I doubt the other driver would have made it.  So I guess it is good to count your blessings.

1 Peter 5:7 sums things up best: cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you

I think you have already answered your own question.  No doubt that you enjoyed your Mazda.  I'd be going back with what I loved.

If I had to buy a new truck today, it would either be a new Ford Ranger (had one for 10 years and 220,000 miles) or a Nissan Frontier (my current ride).  Both are fun to drive.

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I think you have already answered your own question.  No doubt that you enjoyed your Mazda.  I'd be going back with what I loved.

If I had to buy a new truck today, it would either be a new Ford Ranger (had one for 10 years and 220,000 miles) or a Nissan Frontier (my current ride).  Both are fun to drive.

Yes, that makes sense- the answer is pretty much in front of me, but the Mazda was a sportier hatchback version and only models I can find with a manual are sedans. 

The very first car that I purchased was an Acura Integra, which I kept for 15 years and 275,000 miles.  After that was a Honda Civic, another 10 years and 175,000 miles.

Honda imo, it'll last a long time if you take care of it. And, turbocharged.

After running errands this morning, I decided it would be a good idea to 'kick some tires'. 

First stop was at a random Honda Dealership with intent to test drive a Civic SI Coupe.  I was immediately greeted by a Sales Associate (a good sign) and explained what I was looking for.  Problem was that the salesperson was not familiar with the product, suggesting it has a 2.0l engine (when it fact it is 1.5) and 200 hp (actually 205). Not a deal breaker but it makes a much better impression to have the details correct with the customer ahead of time.

So how is the firebreathing-turbocharged-1.5l-205hp Civic SI to drive?  It is a blast but perhaps not my cup of tea either in that I am really looking for a commuter car that is a bit sporty as opposed to the performance driven sports car feel to the SI.  Problem begins with the racing seats, while fine for the daily commute might get uncomfortable on an extended road trip.  Visibility to either side is a bit limited (compared to my old Mazda 3) but a right view side camera helps immensely.  Clutch is a bit sticky going from 1st to 2nd, but that is something I could work out given more time with the vehicle.  I could own the car with no problem but am uncertain if it really meets my needs.  Final verdict: I need to give it a second test drive to full evaluate.

Main complaint number 1: The car is listed as 25k online but actually sells for 29k per the sticker price when factoring options such as paint protection, security system, etc.  Why not list the full sticker price online instead?

Main complaint number 2: The high pressure sales tactics.  I told the sales associate all I was interested in doing was taking the SI for a test driven and then go home and think it over.  Problem, however, is that following the test drive he turned me over to another associate who used some high pressure sales tactics in order to 'get my business' today.  I understand the sales people are there to do a job, but if the customer says they just want to take a test drive and walk then respect those boundaries.

Second stop was at a random Toyota Dealership down the road.  I wandered around for several minutes before being greeted by a Sales Associate.  No big deal and not a deal breaker, but it leaves the better impression of being organized if customers are greeted right away.

I showed up prepared and advised the sales person exactly what I was looking for: A Corolla Hatchback with a 6-speed manual in Captain American blue.  He corrected me and advised the name of the color is actually 'blue flame'.  Bonus points for having the details correct.

I had previously checked online, and verified they have such a vehicle available but he showed up with a Corolla in dark blues instead, advising he would have no problem getting a car in blue flame if I was ready to make the purchase. 

Overall felt much more comfortable driving the Corolla compared to the Civic SI.  First, no racing seats.  Second, better side visibility.  Third, not as powerful (168hp as opposed to 205) but still plenty of power.  Fourth, the clutch was much easier to work compared to the 'sticky' SI. 

Compared to the Mazda 3, it felt like the smaller and more compact vehicle (observation and not critique) and generally felt lighter and more powerful.  That said, breaking and handling were not nearly as good.  My gut says that the Corolla would be better both as a commuting and road trip vehicle than the SI, so would have no problem owning one.

Observation number 1: Neither the Toyota nor Civic came with a CD player.  A bit disappointing but nothing that a good music player cannot alleviate.  The Civic came with a 450 watt sound system (according to the salesperson), while the Toyota was not nearly as powerful, but I can upgrade to the XSE model with the better sound system.

Observation number 2: The electronic in the Honda and Toyota were not quite advanced as the Mazda 3.  What I LOVE about the Mazda is how it came with an HD Traffic Monitor, which proved invaluable in the at times crazy Phoenix traffic. 

Overall, I am comparing both vehicles to the Mazda 3 and while I like both, neither quite adds up in comparison to the Mazda, which means it is time to check out a Mazda dealership...

Oh and one more thing, what I appreciate about the Toyota dealership, they let me walk without trying to twist my arm.

My brother has a 2012 Mazda 3 Skyactiv. It's probably the most fun-to-drive and reliable reasonably priced car out there. I love my VW to bits on the road, but it keeps needing repairs and it has weird German glitches. My girlfriend has a first-gen Mazda 3 as well and my dad had a Protegé in the past. Great cars to drive and own. I can't see myself in anything else for my next car.

Dynamis wrote:

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Main complaint number 2: The high pressure sales tactics.  I told the sales associate all I was interested in doing was taking the SI for a test driven and then go home and think it over.  Problem, however, is that following the test drive he turned me over to another associate who used some high pressure sales tactics in order to 'get my business' today.  I understand the sales people are there to do a job, but if the customer says they just want to take a test drive and walk then respect those boundaries.

Dynamis wrote:

...

Observation number 1: Neither the Toyota nor Civic came with a CD player.  A bit disappointing but nothing that a good music player cannot alleviate.  The Civic came with a 450 watt sound system (according to the salesperson), while the Toyota was not nearly as powerful, but I can upgrade to the XSE model with the better sound system.
.....

Oh and one more thing, what I appreciate about the Toyota dealership, they let me walk without trying to twist my arm.

Those "high-pressure" sales tactics have caused me to walk away from several dealerships never to return...as a matter of fact the last car salesman/person I dealt with treated me and my wife so well that I bought two cars from him...then took my daughter and son-in-law to him and they bought two cars from him as well.  A lot of the newer cars are very similar and you better have good sales tactics if you want my (or my family's) business.

Is it common for newer cars not to come with CD players?  Might two cars aren't super new (2014 & 2015), but both have cd players.

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Those "high-pressure" sales tactics have caused me to walk away from several dealerships never to return...as a matter of fact the last car salesman/person I dealt with treated me and my wife so well that I bought two cars from him...then took my daughter and son-in-law to him and they bought two cars from him as well.  A lot of the newer cars are very similar and you better have good sales tactics if you want my (or my family's) business.

Is it common for newer cars not to come with CD players?  Might two cars aren't super new (2014 & 2015), but both have cd players.

Yesterday evening I drove to a nearby Mazda dealership and purchased a 2018 Mazda 3 Touring sedan.  A year ago it retailed for 24k and I got it for just 18k.  Yes, it has a 6-speed manual! 

Similar to the dealership in which I purchased the old Mazda 3 hatchback, no high pressure sales tactics- that is one of the reasons (beyond the quality to the product) is that by and far the Mazda sales associates do not attempt to twist your arm.  After going on a test driven and working through the details, I was out of the dealership in around an hour and a half.

The old Mazda from 2016 did have a CD player but none of the cars I test drove (including the one I purchased) do not come with a CD player.  Tomorrow I might call some car audio shops and check out options for an aftermarket CD player, or simply go the music player route.

Your car has Bluetooth, right? I'd play my music through Bluetooth if I could. No, it's not the best quality, but car stereos aren't fantastic anyway, and you have all the music that's on your phone. I got a 64GB phone mostly because of music.

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Your car has Bluetooth, right? I'd play my music through Bluetooth if I could. No, it's not the best quality, but car stereos aren't fantastic anyway, and you have all the music that's on your phone. I got a 64GB phone mostly because of music.

Therein lies the problem in that a care about quality, more specifically the quality a good old fashioned CD would bring over 'bluetooth' or even a music player.  Correct me if I am wrong, it is much more convenient to pull a CD off the shelf than using either form of media?

It is time to start a new thread...

My car has a flash drive port...so I load up my CDs  as decent quality MP3 files and play them through my stereo that way.

Dynamis wrote:

Quote :

Your car has Bluetooth, right? I'd play my music through Bluetooth if I could. No, it's not the best quality, but car stereos aren't fantastic anyway, and you have all the music that's on your phone. I got a 64GB phone mostly because of music.

Therein lies the problem in that a care about quality, more specifically the quality a good old fashioned CD would bring over 'bluetooth' or even a music player.  Correct me if I am wrong, it is much more convenient to pull a CD off the shelf than using either form of media?

It is time to start a new thread...

To me, it's a hassle to have finite space for a few discs and have to swap them while driving, whereas I can call up any album with Siri or an equivalent.

Oh Siri. The only thing I use Siri for is asking her stupid questions to see what ridiculous answer she'll give. Highly entertaining.  

Jen5 wrote:

Oh Siri. The only thing I use Siri for is asking her stupid questions to see what ridiculous answer she'll give. Highly entertaining.  

You mean like "What's zero divided by zero?" and "Who is the magic man?" 

lol yup. Though I haven't tried "Who is the magic man?"..........yet.    

Whoever he is, you'll never see eyes so blue.

As you may have seen on Facebook, I'm squaring up to buy a Mazda 3 of my own. I have my eyes on a 2014 GS manual hatchback. If all goes well, I'll go get it on Friday; it's located about an hour and a half from where I live. I forgot to actually look at whether it has a CD player, but it definitely has Bluetooth. It was on Kijiji (basically a classy Craigslist), the guy just had a kid so he's upgrading to a bigger vehicle.

Those Mazda 3's are great.  My parents have one and it's been a fantastic vehicle for them.  It also handles very well in the snow since it has a low center of gravity, front-wheel drive, etc.

Yeah, my brother has a 2012 (second-generation) Mazda 3 hatchback and he enjoys it very much. It's probably the best balance of fun, reliability, and practicality out there. My Jetta is fun and mostly practical, but the reliability is missing. It's got 182k miles (293k km) on it, so it's kinda understandable, but still.

The infotainment system was a bit screwy this afternoon, though, when I was showing my girlfriend. It kept jumping around on its own and ignoring my commands and doing things I didn't want it to. It eventually stopped doing it. I wonder if there's dirt trapped in the selector knob or something.

There isn't any dirt in the knob, Dave.

Driven wrote:

The infotainment system was a bit screwy this afternoon, though, when I was showing my girlfriend. It kept jumping around on its own and ignoring my commands and doing things I didn't want it to. It eventually stopped doing it. I wonder if there's dirt trapped in the selector knob or something.

Well, if it gets beyond repair, are you familiar with crutchfield.com?  I've bought and installed a few radios for my cars as well as my family's from Crutchfield.  They give good instructions and it's much cheaper than taking it in.

It isn't beyond repair, just a bit glitchy sometimes. Someday, when I have a bit more loose change, I'll get CarPlay installed and hopefully that'll clean it up a bit. It'll have better access to my phone contacts and a GPS too.