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The new TG was legitimately awful, worse-than-5th-Gear level of awful. Extra Gear was much better.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
That's the problem. It's too good of a car. Nobody sells theirs.
At least not the up-engined model. There's only one or two for sale around here. This is in contrast to the hundreds of options available for a base model.
Having driven the base model myself, I can say the engine fails in the "sporty" department.
180hp is still going to feel underpowered with a car that weighs >3000lbs, what's worse is the 150ft/lb of torque, though. Add a 2nd passenger and a load of groceries and it'll have issues in regular traffic.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
I said the Mazda CX-3. That is a completely different car...it is a compact SUV, similar to the Juke. I'm sure you mentioned it earlier in this thread.
Has she changed her price range? The mileage in the 3 Sport is terrible.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
You know, I misread things a few posts back. My apologies.
She's had some pretty severe price creep. The cars she wants to test drive are now solidly in the $15K range.
Under most circumstances I'd tell her that was ridiculously irresponsible, but she does have a decent support system (family, etc.), just lost her dog, lost her job, and she's pushing 40 without ever having had her own car.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Makes sense about the price range of the CX-3 - it's a newer vehicle. (But nicer in every way than the Juke except price.)
I'm with Lam on the power matter. My Accord is a pretty large sedan with just 189hp (182ft-lb) four-banger......it's not meant to light anyone's hair on fire, but I've never ever "had issues" in traffic with several people aboard, and I'm generally considered to be an aggressive driver - it'll do whatever I need it to short of burn rubber in traffic. There is zero chance the 3 Sport will have issues anywhere short of actively breaking the law.
That said, I'm still not a fan of the idea. Call me too practical, but I think a cheap used compact ~150-hp model in good condition and maybe a couple years of warranty left (on an extended plan) should be the way to go.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
I'm with Lam on the power matter. My Accord is a pretty large sedan with just 189hp (182ft-lb) four-banger......it's not meant to light anyone's hair on fire, but I've never ever "had issues" in traffic with several people aboard, and I'm generally considered to be an aggressive driver - it'll do whatever I need it to short of burn rubber in traffic. There is zero chance the 3 Sport will have issues anywhere short of actively breaking the law.
I find it odd to think that a 180 horsepower car, even fully loaded with passengers and luggage, is supposed to have trouble keeping up with traffic. Outside of America (e. g. in Europe and Japan) cars usually don't have anywhere near 180 hp, and they still do fine on the Autobahn. Just don't pretend it's a sports car and you'll be fine.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Pretty sure she wanted a "sporty" car, and 150ft/lbs w/ 3 people and a load of groceries will feel weak. But hey, drive what you want, that's your business.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
That feels like a completely unnecessary comment. We're talking about a compact car with 180 horses that comfortably seats 4 people for less than $15,000. What's your solution? Another old expensive model with high and inevitable repair costs, like the BMW 3 series or Golf R? Hell, the Fiat 500 Abarth you plugged has a bit more torque with a few less horses, but it won't even fit 3 people + groceries so it's a total wash.
If the Mazda 3 Sport isn't enough for you at this price range, then you're making significant trade offs elsewhere, end of story.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
I just figured we were actually trying to help Subego.
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants
Pretty sure she wanted a "sporty" car ...
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
I'm not saying it doesn't exist - I'm saying it's a rather pointless comment without providing an alternative.
I think it's also a matter of understanding the realities here: proper sports cars have a harsher ride, less ground clearance and other compromises. Many people who want a sports car are better served with a GT car. And many people others want something practical in the end.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Oh, I agree. I mentioned earlier that I generally regret my decision to get a manual......it's fantastic about 15% of the time, but the rest of the time I'm driving in city traffic while trying to balance my morning coffee, or trying to finagle pedals while reaching for my maniac child as she squirts water over the upholstery.
Next time I'll get a nice CVT or DSG with shifters for when I want to feel cool.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
Oh, I agree. I mentioned earlier that I generally regret my decision to get a manual......it's fantastic about 15% of the time, but the rest of the time I'm driving in city traffic while trying to balance my morning coffee, or trying to finagle pedals while reaching for my maniac child as she squirts water over the upholstery.
My brother said the same thing: he hated automatic transmissions before driving tens of thousands of kilometers for work every year. And that's the appeal of cars like the Golf R/GTI or the BMW M5: they are normal cars with occasional sports car performance, they square the circle — which is why they are so iconic.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Even though she's moving towards the newish crossovers. I can't turn off the looking at cars.
The ones which jump out at me are these "sporty" cars from the aughts apparently no one makes any more.
Like, say, a Mazda RX-8.
Anything horrible about this specific car? I kinda think she may enjoy it more than a Juke.
Any general commentary on this type of sports car and why it's gone? I was complaining about how Mitsubishi used to have one, it was a riot to drive, and now it's gone, too.
Rotary engines are... interesting. Honestly, for most people they're not a great solution, it's like a having the performance and reliability of a Ford but with the maintenance cost of a Porsche. Output per liter is amazing, the engine is the size of a breadbox, but they use a lot of oil, are quite inefficient, and if you aren't diligent with service they'll grenade themselves at the worst times. I love my Wankels and have found them to be wonderful cars, but they do need special attention.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
"Average" meaning someone who wouldn't know a wankel from a wanker?
Yeah, those people. As long as you keep to the service schedule they're fine, if more costly than traditional ICEs (because everything for them costs more and only specialized mechanics know how to work on Wankels). You'll have to start thinking of oil as a slowly depleting consumable, instead of just something that's changed at a specific interval.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
I perhaps foolishly passed it along to her without checking here first. I think I can gently let her down with the idea she probably doesn't want the chore of maintaining it.
I also realized it would be no fun for our annual SNOWMAGEDDON.
It does show she can be vectored away from the Juke, though.
I will say one thing for the RX-8, though, the back doors have a very high cool factor.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
Aren't they RWD? A RWD vehicle would be absolutely insane as a daily driver in your winters.
Edit: missed your Snowmageddon comment above. I think you're just starting to get a bit crazy and stupid now. That car is wonderful fun but a useless POS for winter driving.
Are we sure you're not simply living vicariously through this purchase? You appear to be pushing terribly hard for the most impractical solution, at least for a man who just ditched his Bimmer for a cargo van.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
Well you should get winter tires no matter what drive system you have. I guess it's terribly flat there which helps, but pretty much every element of winter driving is made worse with RWD so.....from a safety and enjoyability perspective it won't be ideal at all.
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
Aren't they RWD? A RWD vehicle would be absolutely insane as a daily driver in your winters.
Edit: missed your Snowmageddon comment above. I think you're just starting to get a bit crazy and stupid now. That car is wonderful fun but a useless POS for winter driving.
Are we sure you're not simply living vicariously through this purchase? You appear to be pushing terribly hard for the most impractical solution, at least for a man who just ditched his Bimmer for a cargo van.
I had just made a post saying the recommendation was foolish, and I'm pleased I can let her down easy.
I had just made a post saying the recommendation was foolish, and I'm pleased I can let her down easy.
WTF, man?
It's the fact that you even bothered to go there at all......I think it's a car that checks few of your boxes.
It's not overly comfy for long rides, it's got a small trunk (although the backseat isn't horrendous and I wish more coupes would copy the 4-door layout), it's RWD (as turtle noted probably okay in flat Chicago with winter tires, careful driving and little snow cover....still not as easy or safe as FWD/AWD), it's expensive and finicky to maintain, it's relatively expensive because it was a niche car, it's absolutely horrendous with fuel economy (literally horrendous), and to top it all off it's got mediocre low-end torque so that it doesn't even feel like an overly sporty ride relative to the HP output. (It's not much different the same as the Mazda3 Sport in that respect.....which is to say fine for a commuter car with pep, but lacking if you're making practical trade-offs to get an actual sporty car with handling, etc. Similar to the Subaru BRZ - Toyota FRS in that respect.)
It's a bit of an all-over-the-map suggestion. I guess Shaddim correctly alluded to this earlier in the thread, but it's an "I'm not actually serious" pick - like we're just looking through a list of all cars and pointing to whatever one looks interesting.
I'm probably taking this too seriously, I know. But if someone wants a car, they should write down what it must have, and then what it could have, and then just pick from the results - same as house hunting. Once you go start to go outside the box, it just becomes a real time suck.
To be clear - I like the RX-8 haha! It's a great sporty-car choice for anyone who is obsessive about maintaining and servicing, and doesn't have an overly tight budget or care about the above list....
Mankind's only chance is to harness the power of stupid.
In subego's defense, I think she's the one looking through listings and telling him which ones she finds visually appealing.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin,
but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
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