Starting to look at new car options (1:1)
 

My current '05 Mazda3 is getting high in the miles (75k) and so I'm starting to look around for new options. 75k is not really high, but I'm not exactly gentle on my cars; I tend to treat the gas pedal like an on/off switch rather than a variable control. :smile:

After looking at several vehicles, I'm kinda torn between a Camry XLE v6 and a MazdaSpeed 3. Both have similar HP and torque figures; the Camry has slightly higher HP (268 vs 263) but slightly lower torque (248 vs 280) than the 'Speed3. The Mazda is about $3k cheaper and looks tons better IMO. But, Toyota reliability is tough to beat. The Mazda has a turbo, which tends to need more maintenance than a normally aspirated engine. The Camry is still nice, and will probably attract the law a lot less. I'm not too concerned about resale value since I usually just keep the vehicle as a beater, or just a second car.

What would you do?

Nuff said


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._WRX_STi_2.jpg

the mazda looks fun... and 75k isnt that many miles i have over 200k MORE miles on my truck than your mazda3 currently has

onthe other hand a camry will last 200k+ miles easily, one of my buddies has 310K miles on his old camry and hasnt had hardly any problems.

lol.. My 02 Mazda has 160K and it still in its stride. @ 80K, I'm not sure I had changed the 1st set of brakes. Drive mine like a race car/ deer battering ram as well. Great cars.


The mazdaspeeds are wicked tho. Camry is boring. Subbys are ok, but my wife has an impreza and I hate it. Nice specs, but the most uncomfortable car I've ever driven. Nothing ever seemed placed quite right, the gear box sucks, and I just don't like the feel of the car driving. Alot more mech probs than I've had w/ my mazda of the same year, and a few more miles. IDK, to ea his own.

I personally like the mazda speed 3. I have a legacy now but think my next car will be a hatchback.

@freeze: Yeah, the subey is a fast car, and AWD, but it looks like poop and kinda pricey for what you get IMO.

@rootar: My Mazda, even though it only has ~150HP, is fun to drive. Small, nimble car that's eaten its share of Focuses and Civics with fart can mufflers, and one even had a NOS sticker. :lol: Despite the Camry being boring, it still has the power I'd like, but I bet the handling is not as good. And Toyota reliability is a definite plus.

@Finn: I have changed the brakes on mine already (almost $1k!) at ~60k, so that should be good until around 120k I figure. From past experiences with Chevy's/Ford's (and Mazda is a Ford after all), things start breaking down around 100k, and I'd rather not be on a long range trip when that happens.

I stopped at the Toyota and Mazda dealerships and the Mazda is definitely better looking in person. Pictures online don't do it justice. I guess I'm leaning towards the Speed3. The only thing I'm hung up on is the reliability factor of the added complexity of the turbo, intercooler, etc.

My 2cents, It's a lot considering some say I have no sense ?

I'm a big Mazda fan myself, owned several and never was dissapointed . Working in the automotive field for the lat 25yrs I tend to lean towards the Camry.
Reasons;
Mazda parts will be exceeding higher in cost in comparison,general maintinance and labor will also be higher.
Toyota, if and when it'll ever give you problems rest assured they will be minor. Not over engineered like a Honda or Mazda.
The Speed wins the cool factor hands down though.

The Mazda's are fun to drive. Awesome brakes and lots of ummphhh for the money.

The Toyota will be quieter and is a grown up car. You can always swap out the tires and rims, drop the front by an inch and you have a frun handling car that won't break down.

Go around the Hyundai (I hate the badge as much as other people here) dealership, ask to test drive a Genesis sedan.
http://www.autospectator.com/cars/fi...-Genesis-1.jpg
The V8 has TONS of power and 100K mile warranty has not been beaten yet. I was quite surprised after I drove one.... I hate Hyundai's.....

If a big saloon type car doesn't do it for you, test drive the coupe instead. Best bang for your buck right there. Optional LSD is offered, can you say driifftoo?

lol, well, the Genesis might be a decent car, but it sure as hell better be for $38k. The cars I'm looking at are in the mid $20k range. If I was going to spend that much, I might as well spring a little more for a BMW 135i.

ive always been a ford guy and since the new style mustangs came out you could always get an olderr one 07-08 will hella low miles and for a great price.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false


just a thought

You need to get the 2010 Mazda speed 3, I read an article in I think Sept car and driver, some good upgrades over yours and was going to tell you to get it.. funny you posted wanting one a couple weeks later.. its fate !!

I'd stick with the 3 unless you're set on buying a new car. Mazdas are great cars and despite driving the piss out of yours 75k is still nothing.

Between those two choices, I also vote speed3. I had the same car as you but traded it for a 09 Mazda6 for the wife and my car is 05 Mazda 3i. If you're only running for 75k miles then I don't think the reliability issues you mentioned should be a problem. One thing though, the Mazdaspeed 3 is said to have some pretty bad torque steer. Not sure if that's improved in the new models.

yeah they fixed the torque steer..

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t_drive_review

What about a Malibu?

Ah jeez, buy american!

Toyotas are overpriced for what you get. Parts are expensive, and the dealerships basically have you when something craps out. Toyota sells on name, alot like HD. Not that I would buy a mazda either. I stick with american product, mainly ford. Like their trucks. At least the money goes back to the US, and not china/japan/wherever. Anyways, buying a new car is a bad idea. Get a used low mileage example that still has the warranty. Most failures happen before 25k miles, and you let the 1st owner take the major depreciation hit.

I also buy all of my cars outright, no loans... Same with the house. So I guess i am not the best person to give advice, as I may as well be living on mars with my spending habits. Credit blows, nuff said.

And I will take a subaru any day with the lightning. Thats right my truck just stopped your rice rubber, and it made the corner faster too. Turbo cars are fun, but nothing beats a blown 8. (nothing that asia can make anyways).

If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, why not a new Ford Taurus SHO or the Fusion GT (or whatever they're calling the SVT Fusion)? 30ish MPG on the highway, probably get 20 in town with your binary throttle foot, 365 HP, AWD, all the goodies.

Linc are you saying your truck can corner faster than an STi?

Don't take this the wrong way, but you are by far one of the most opinionated people i've ever come across on the web and life lincpimp. Stop with the hate already, its stastically shown and proven that Ford and in fact, all USA car makers can nowhere even come close to the resale value, reliablity and dependability of Japanese cars, namely Toyota and Honda. I've owned Ford, GMC and Dodge and they were all pure and utter crap to my Honda's, Toyota's and Subaru's i've owned.

My Civic will be putting along with narey a problem 10 years from now while your Ford truck sits in a scrap heap, rusting and waiting to be remade into something better.

Though I know next to nothing about about the Mazda that car would get my nod. Camrys aren't anything special... I drive a '97 i4, my mom drives a '00 i4, my dad drives a '05 V6, and my sister drives a '09 i4. Sure they are extremely reliable but the handling just ins't there.

However, if you are the type who likes to surprise people, then the Camry is the perfect car for that!

i hate both.. but if i had to vote it would b the camry.. i actually like the way they look.. i'm kinda old school myself.. i wont drive a car that has a brain.. anything pre 1990 FTW!!.. carburated motors FTW.. i drive a 1986 Dodge RamCharger (the SUV not the truck) talk about driving a safe vehicle? haha let someone driving a new car pull out in front me of my truck and see who drives away.. i'll have to clean the paint offa my chrome bumper and i'll be off!!.. ok nuff rambling Camry FTW!

eh,go buy yourself some old muscle and build from there,nothing like a good gas-guzzler to do a burnout in front of the tree huggers!--josh

:lol: i second that!

^^ glad someone does,my teachers at school hate my 76 trans am,with a stroked 462,loud and fast,especially with my HSP (holy sh#$ package :D )--josh

Give me a regular road with some straights and corners and I will make it to the end faster than a sti. Not a track, cause neither vehicle is a track vehicle, just a regular 2 lane road. If you look at skidpad numbers the sti does pull a higher G than the lightning, but the truck has more usable power. I have driven both and prefer the truck, plus I can pull a trailer and put a sportbike in the back (only thing I would buy japanese over american). I have also raced a few sti, and the truck is faster in a straight line.

The only thing the sti will do better is gas mileage (and fit 5 fat chicks) but I am not really interested in that with a performance car. As far as Brian's choices go, the mazda will be more fun, and the camry will be more comfortable. I would take the camry, as a boring, slow, soul-less car might as well be comfortable...

No offense either, but at least I do not link everything I find on the web to this forum... Its an rc forum dude... I think the term is relevance????

And yes, I am opinionated on a few subjects. If we had a brain surgery thread I would not chime in, as i have not had any experience in that matter. Same would be true if you were discussing giving birth or the menstrual cycle, yet again i am in the dark there too.

I have a 23 yr old f250 sitting in the yard, had it since i was 17. No rust yet, and it gets washed every time it rains, and the grass has grown up to the axles in the summer... I know a little about paint (18yrs at a body shop will do that) and I know how well the american mfgs coat the metal.

Your little civic is a cheap car, pure and simple. It has thin sheet metal, a little dinky engine, and a transmission with internals that look like toy parts. It does not weigh much, and gets good gas mileage. It hums and drums, lets in alot of road noise, and will develop worn front strut bearings, and shot rear axle bushings at around 130k miles. And the cv axles wil not last to that either. Neither will most of the suspension parts. That is the nature of the beast. It is build to a cost point, and you had better believe the jap geniuses that make it are squeezing every last cent out for profits.

At least my "rusty POS truck" was built here in the US with parts made here and in canada (I would rather give the canadians my money that the japs) and the profits went to americans as well.

Anyways, I have owned a variety of cars, and have worked on everything under the sun for the last 17 years. I have driven pretty much everything made in the way of cars and light trucks. Ford rules the truck arena, statistics do not lie that they are the best on the road. As far as rust goes, hondas are about the worst for corrosion protection on the backsides and inner structure areas. So don't bring up rust dude. Eyeball the next few 90s accords you see, everyone of them rusts just behind the rear tires about level with the trunk floor...

I will say that the american mfgs missed the boat on small cars, but they were too busy selling the fat and lazy big ole trucks and suvs. And just because something has good resale value does not mean it is worth a crap. It just means the unwashed masses read a consumer digest report and flocked like sheep to the same conclusion.

You can dislike me if you like dude, that is your right! Just do not call me out for having an opinion, and the desire to stand up for it. Too many sissy boys these days who just roll over...

And how are those smc packs treating you...

+1^^^ lots of jap cars are pretty reliable,if you get into a good price range (25,000+) but so do american cars which defeats the purpose of buying jap econo car,i guess were just not into building noisy tuna cans with crotch rocket engines ;D .just get something turbo V-8 powered,perfect power to weight ratio and easily upgradable.--josh

Lets end this quickly.

GO BUY A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED AUDI. Nice a4 sedan., you get awd the best there is. Handling that no one can match. did i say the best interoirs on the market for the last 12 years. Great resale value. Plus the feel of a german beast. There is my 2 cents.

Sorry io love my Audis and have owned just about every car out there.

better yet,an R8 V-10,time to nut up or shut up! LOL--josh

This is funny actually as i love my american muscle.

honda in fact puts out more hp per liter than any manufactor out there today. That says something dont it.

Plus why not have the same power as a v8 or even v6 when getting a 4cyl as it cost less to maintain. any way you look at it.

Now say you cant make big hp numbers with 4cyl and than i really get to laugh at you being my eagle talon was up to about 450 hp on pump gas daily driven. And could still drive around in the snow.

The average person couldnt handle the price tag of over 200k for a r8 get real. Most people coulsnt afford my A6 4.2 v8 model. but used i got a great deal with a warrenty to 100k.

You've been smoking again haven't you

I have an STi & have driven a Lightning also & there is no chance - not even a glimmer of hope that your truck will corner better than an STi. You MAY get to 60 faster if I stuff the launch but once we're at a corner it's bye bye truckie

The STi has a lower COG, better brakes, better gearing in a manual box, awd, better tyres...your dreaming

I have to agree on this have driven both and the lighting is not going to get enough traction to take a sti from light to light maybe in the real long haul over 1/2 mile.

you can make big numbers,but from what i've seen 1000hp is severly taxing anything as small or smaller than a V-6,and last time i checked,there wasnt anything that will top a 6000HP top fueler is there? now i have no problem with jap cars my bro has a 500+ HP 240Z with 16 grand on the motor alone, but its easier to make big numbers with a V-8,my 462 pontiac is at 550HP for 2500$,my .02--josh

just a joke,i wasnt serious.i really dont advise buying anything new anymore to begin with.just a jk.--josh

stock to stock id say truck for 0-60 just for brute torque (on good tires) and STI for cornering (on good tires) its all about useable HP and the trucks down low where an STI is top end.and you really cant factor in factory tires as certain dealers us different tire/rim combos.--josh

My vote goes to GM. Their business model may not have been the best, but they made good cars for the most part. In particular, anything with the 3800 series II engine ('96 and later). I am speaking from experience, I've owned (for 6 years) a now 15 year old Bonneville that's <300 miles away from 200K. :smile:

A lightning, while fast, has NO chance against an STI stock for stock.

Sorry linc, that's reality...

I don't feel like getting in a huge car debate, but I have to address one thing that's really bothering me.

You say Ford is the best truck out there? I highly...highly doubt that. Yes, they may have the biggest following, but just cause a ton of people buy them it doesn't make them good. When we went to look a trucks, we drove a Ford, and it felt terribly underpowered and the transmission was TERRIBLE. Shifts were laggy and jerky and it even bounced off the rev limiter under full acceleration (what automatic tranny lets you bounce off the rev limiter!?).

Plus, for 2009, Ford came LAST in the edmunds comparison test for full size pick-ups. That says something. Back in 2003, it tested third. Ahead were Dodge and Nissan. At one point Ford may have been the best, but not anymore...

Anyway, back on topic:

Brian, of the two cars, I would go with the speed. Yes, the turbo and related systems add complexity and also repair cost, but if you plan to leave it stock, then the warranty should cover it. I think the Speed is a sick car, my only gripe is the front wheel drive (can't launch hard).

A car you should really consider getting is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe (yes, it's a Hyundai, I know...) but my brother's friend got a base 2.0T model and it really is an awesome car. The amount of standard features is nuts! I think you you can get away with a 3.8 V6 model for about the same price as a MazdaSpeed, and it will be just as fast (if not faster).

dont trust edmunds,just look at consumer reports,i havent seen the one for ford trucks,but no comparison is better than the average guys.and which truck did you drive? the general rule for trucks is drivability,towing,useable torque,pick any 2--josh

P.S-- IMHO GM makes the best trucks,nothin beats a duramax or a vortec,dodge and nissan = lots-o-rust