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Have you driven the MS3 first? It supposedly has really annoying tq steer, so test drive it before really putting it on your shopping list.
I agree with Mitch about the CPO and PPI, although I do recommend making sure every button & switch works. Make sure the tires have lots of tread left. I bought a CPO car once and later realized the rear defroster wasn't working. It was covered under warranty but still cost me the deductible and the annoyance of having to bring it back, drop it off and pick it up again a couple days later.
Good point about pushing every button, if you are paying CPO price you should be getting tires that have, IIRC, more than about half tread.
If stuff does not work when you turn it on, enough of that and move on to another car. For me, tires are by definition never a deal breaker, just a negotiating point on price. The inop rear defog you have to take in for a fix (and how good is the fix?) or live with, but the tires on the car will be history in a couple of years if you drive it much.
Nothing like bringing along a car guy (or gal) who is a friend of yours but has no financial interest in the deal. Related to the expression "The lawyer who represents himself in court has a fool for a client" - it's easier to be objective when you are not involved.
In case you are wondering how to check a rear defog on a clear warm day, a couple of clues it's working are to listen to the engine, when you turn it on you will hear a slight change in tone as it puts a fairly heavy load on the alternator, and/or, run it for a few minutes and the rear glass should be warm, warmer than adjacent un-heated glass.
Thank you both for good info, and yeah, I'm fairly knowledgeable about any and all equipment relating to cold (ie rear defog), my old car always changed it's motor tone just as you turned it on, then adjusted it with the auto choke.
...That car was always fun in the winter, cold air and max autochoke made for quite the drive compared to summer performance.
Again, thanks for any advice, I really appreciate it.
As it stands right now, it seems the two most obvious choices is either a brand new Mazda 3 s Sport (2.5L 167hp) hatch for which I got a price quote out the door for $20500.
The other alternative is a 2006 Impreza 2.5i (170hp) with 45200 miles on it. It's in pretty decent shape (performed perfectly on a 45-60minute testdrive, brakes straight, tracks true, etc) seems to mechanically be perfect, does need new tires and maybe pads on the read and has a scratch on the front, right fender/wheelarch that's been poorly repaired (non matching paint, not properly sanded etc tiny dent still on the flare of the arch). Price on it isn't fantastic, but it is reasonable as $10500 out the door.
Here's where it gets tricky: The special from Mazda this month is 0.0% APR financing for up to 60 months, so I can make a down payment of the same $10,000 as the Subie costs and have a monthly payment of just 210 a month for 48 months... For that you obviously get the roadside assistance, warranty etc, plus the added features of a newer model. Downside is, it doesn't have Xenon headlights and Climate control (at the trim level I'm viewing), two things I swore to have on any new car purchase...
I'm LOST! It's getting to crunch time on the purchase, the registration runs out on the old car this month and the wife doesn't want to renew it, which I understand, as it's money out the window.
I actually wanted a GTO and was looking for them, until I saw the insurance rate on one. It's nearly double that of the Mazda and Subaru (including WRX and Mazdaspeed), we just won't be able to swing nearly $200 a month just for insurance.
I actually wanted a GTO and was looking for them, until I saw the insurance rate on one. It's nearly double that of the Mazda and Subaru (including WRX and Mazdaspeed), we just won't be able to swing nearly $200 a month just for insurance.
When I went from a 12 year old Lincoln Mark VIII to my new GTO in 2005, my insurance went up about $400 a year. It's nowhere close to half of what you're suggesting you'd be paying. That's with better-than-necessary full coverage. No tickets or accidents on my record, excellent credit, and I was 38 when I bought it. Maybe that's the difference, but are you sure that insurance rate is right?
As it stands right now, it seems the two most obvious choices is either a brand new Mazda 3 s Sport (2.5L 167hp) hatch for which I got a price quote out the door for $20500.
The other alternative is a 2006 Impreza 2.5i (170hp) with 45200 miles on it. It's in pretty decent shape (performed perfectly on a 45-60minute testdrive, brakes straight, tracks true, etc) seems to mechanically be perfect, does need new tires and maybe pads on the read and has a scratch on the front, right fender/wheelarch that's been poorly repaired (non matching paint, not properly sanded etc tiny dent still on the flare of the arch). Price on it isn't fantastic, but it is reasonable as $10500 out the door.
Here's where it gets tricky: The special from Mazda this month is 0.0% APR financing for up to 60 months, so I can make a down payment of the same $10,000 as the Subie costs and have a monthly payment of just 210 a month for 48 months... For that you obviously get the roadside assistance, warranty etc, plus the added features of a newer model. Downside is, it doesn't have Xenon headlights and Climate control (at the trim level I'm viewing), two things I swore to have on any new car purchase...
I'm LOST! It's getting to crunch time on the purchase, the registration runs out on the old car this month and the wife doesn't want to renew it, which I understand, as it's money out the window.
Seems like an awful deal on the '06 Impreza 2.5i... that car was like, what, 17K brand new? And you're going to pay almost 10K before TTL on this 4.5 year old base Subie in bad condition that needs tires as well as brake pads?
IMO, first decide what your budget is, what your priorities really are (e.g. Xenons) and then get the best car possible. If 20K+ OTD is too much, spend 18 or whatever your comfortable budget is. The much cheaper car will look like a great savings at first, but then you may realize how much you hate it and hate having to throw money at it.
Obviously the above doesn't apply to people who view cars as appliances. But if you gain any satisfaction at all out of driving, figure out what you really want and try to compromise as little as possible.
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