FormulaDz92

That's good to hear about the 2.3. My friend has the 2.0 but it's pretty beat and definitely wasn't maintained that well so it's not the best example what Mazda 3's are. I also had a chance to do the Skip Barber Racing School when I was 17 and I remember really loving the mazda 3's that we were all using. As of the Mazdaspeed 6 I would consider it if it were a hatch or wagon (I am aware there is a regular Mazda 6 Wagon).

BOROSUN

focus rs owners are cracking blocks at the head bolt

drift freaq

Ah you did not state your financial ceiling. Here is my take on this. I own a 2012 Focus I picked up for $7250 with 33k on it. It is a daily driver and it's a blast to drive. It is actually a the dual clutch semi auto. Ya because of the grounding issue that is easily fixed the car has a black eye. People complaining about the trans.

I believe I already stated the simple ground issue fix that eliminates most if not all of the issues that people have been complaining about.
It's a no torque converter trans so it does actually behave like a clutch operated trans. I.e. Will go into neutral at stop lights might roll back slightly on a hill till you grab it with a light gas pedal tap.
This is disconcerting to the average driver who has never driven a manual trans car. Though to the ones who like to row our own it's not unusual in the action, only in the fact that so called automatic would behave this way in the first place.

Ya I picked it for the mileage. By the way the manual version shifts like a dream and is one of the nicest clutch and trans set ups of a modern car. The trans shifts smoother than most European cars and the clutch performs great.

I also have spent time behind wheel of the current gen Mazda 3 which came out in 2014. I would say the two cars are neck and neck in the handling department with a slight nod to the Mazda which has a little better handling at the expense of much more body roll. While the Focus has less body roll and slight less handling sharpeners.

Having said all that I can honestly say one would not get in a Focus and say it handles terriblyi. They don't they are a blast to drive and get awesome gas mileage. In my opinion I think a MS3 is going to be out of your budget as most owners selling then know what they have and ask accordingly price wise.

If you are going to pit a 2012 Focus and up against a pre 2014 3 the nod goes to the Focus for better handling and a car you can get into for a better price than a Mazda year and mileage wise.

People around here treat 3's like they are gold when it comes to selling them. Whereas the Focus can be had for a song thanks to all the bad press from the DCC quirkiness that can be easily treated.

Seriously at 8k or possibly a bit less, I you can get into a 2012 -2013 Focus with a manual trans and around 50-70k miles.

The Mazda from the same time period will cost most and it's not as nice a car. If you are talking 14 and up 3's they are a bit nicer than the Focus. Though I like the looks of the Focus better even with the rally type pre Aston Martin grill front.

Looks wise to me the Focus wins over the Mazda. Features wise it's a trade off depending on generation same with handling.


This is first hand experience with both cars, putting mileage on both.




Ah my bad I was tired when I typed that. It's all good and we agree about the trans not so much about the fail safe reliablility I could tell you all kinds of stories like the fact that BMW bolts there diffs up with 3 bolts instead of 4. One front two rear. Ya you can and do break the front diff mount bolt if you do any type of aggressive driving I.e. Drift and donuts type stuff lol.
Or about the way they put coolant hoses underneath the intake mani that are nearly impossible to replace without removing the intake mani. Did I mention it's fricken huge?
Or the plastic radiators that can and do blow up at a moments notice causing you to either stop immediately and get towed or risk immenient cooling system head gasket issues.
Or the plastic water pump ( breaks too) or the plastic thermostat housing. Oh and what about that infamous oil pump bolt that can back out and lunch your engine.
Ya fun cars amazing pieces of performance nowhere hear bullet proof as people would have you believe though.
Nissan hands then their ass in that department. Hell Ford does as well as most Japanese cars. Oh and ya modern Nissan is pretty Yawn. Lol

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silverarrow27

Hyundai Veloster Turbo is a fun car with great gas mileage. Throw on the Pierce Rear Torsion Brace with a new set of "stickier" tires and it's a fun little car. Visually though, it's an acquired taste from what I've noticed with majority of people.

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simmode1

Well, Car and Driver called the Element "Surprisingly fun to drive". I'd be inclined to agree with that.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

But, to be honest, the appeal of the Element isn't about performance driving. It challenges what you mean by "fun" by being fun in other ways.
It's about filling a niche you didn't realize you needed filled. It's about giving you a lifestyle vehicle.
Something you can take camping. Something you can easily load your snowboards or whatever in...
Hell, you can even fit a damn motorcycle in it.


Look at this damn thing. Plastic lined floor makes it easy to keep cleam.
Perfect for pets. Easy as hell to access EVERYTHING. All seats fold all the way down and the rears fold out of the way or can be pulled completely.



Some Element enthusiasts will quit a job, live out of their shit and travel the world in it... haha


But you don't have to be all extra extra with it. They can be cheap AF.
I got my 5spd for $3500, but it was a little rough. But 4wd is also available.
It works well as a support vehicle or you could just make it look nice and chill.
(But disclaimer though: this one got like 263hp and mods out the ass...)


My favorite Element activities? Taking my family to the Drive-In with the rear clamshell all open. Picnics and camping at festivals. Roadtrips, parking it on the beach, loading the bikes up and hitting the trails, etc...

But if you're still single with no kids... you got plenty of room to roll a chick around in here...lol

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FormulaDz92

My financial ceiling / max budget can be found in my first post under "Other Considerations," but I may have added that after the fact. The older focus is now definitely on my list though. The E36 BMW for sure is not.

In response to the other comments the Hyundai Veloster Turbo is definitely way out of my budget although I do agree that it is a very nice can and I actually enjoy the look of the thing. The Honda Element also looks really cool and clearly has an amazing amount of versatility but I still can't see myself in one.

*When I say $8k is my max budget I mean that is the ablolute max I would pay for a fun/fast/premium car. If I were to stay with the slower side of things and get a N/A impreza, Focus, Mazda 3, Fiesta etc. I am looking at more of a $5k max since this option should be the one that allows me to spend the money saved on my 240sx (which is back on the road again )

spooled240

They did, but they only came in auto and they are pretty rare. They are called the sportcross is300.

collegekid

Okie dookie

I have my 240sx and then my DD is a 2000 Impreza Rs coupe 5 speed. Stock besides suspension and clutch. I have a CEL on for maybe injectors but not 100% sure. I havent done shit besides oil changes so it could even be spark plugs or wires or a leaky hose or something (smells like fuel) It gets 22-24 combined mpg which is the same as my girls 2010 mazda 3 auto.

Pros of owning a fun dd
-Fun to drive
-my mpg is ok, slightly less than my moms 06 honda accord (4 cyl auto)
-Fuck it looks sexy
-Can eventually swap it ( I will as soon as I graduate and get a big boy job)

Cons
-Scared to get hit by some incompetent driver
-Car gets dinged no matter how far you park, someone actually went out of their way to hit my car and drove off (dented my fender)
-Every sporty/fun car has some kind of issue with it that you think about (like the Ej engines headgaskets)
-Being annoyed by douchebags who always bug you to buy your car and sometimes leave love letters on your windshield
-Parts are generally more expensive for sporty cars or hard to find
-You always worry about it getting stolen
-You will also most likely die if you are T boned


The others who have posted recommendations above are cool
-I like the Element because of its practicality, I'm really diggin the idea of a small v6 toyota or nissan truck. Getting a subaru wagon would serve you well but you have your XJ Cherokee. Are you going to get rid of that?

I'm personally against getting any fords. I just got back from a road trip with a friend in her 2016 Ford focus 4 cyl auto (not ecoboost) that she bought new, now has 11k miles on it.
Her windshield rubber stripping is coming off on both sides and you can see pollen/mold accumulating underneath, same with her trunk near the taillights. Interior-wise her headliner was half assed and her plastics were getting loose and one came off. Rear right strut was already clunking and the roads near her house are pretty nice. Engine did not seem smooth on power delivery when I drove (felt like turbo lag without the turbo) and it would constantly go up to 3-4000 rpm. We were on the highway so the gearing was something like 2000 rpm at 60 mph and 2750 rpm at 80mph. Gas mileage wasn't that great (compared to my moms honda driving the same) at 70 or 80 mph. This girl takes care of her shit and is not a dirtball or idiot driver. She actually knows to turn the car on and wait a little instead of flooring it like everyone else seems to do.


So my recommendations would be
-Get a boring daily as cheap as you can but still good quality. Don't spend all the money and not have anything left for repairs. 3-5000 should be enough.

-I'm gonna recommend a 2006 or 07 Honda accord sedan, 4 cylinder auto or manual.
My parents bought theirs new in August 05, Haven't done shit besides oil changes, spark plugs once, 2 batteries and a starter. Pretty sure its the same fucking radiator fluid from 12 years ago. You can also get a Camry or corolla/civic too.

I like the idea of a v6 truck, I would get auto but you do you booboo

FormulaDz92

Bummer about the auto.

Enjoy your time before the big boy job. I graduated 1 year ago and got a big boy job right away and although school was rough it was nice to be more flexible with my time. 8:30-5 gets to be a drag.

My XJ gives me a ton of fear of getting T-boned. And yes I would be getting rid of the XJ for the new car. Once I fix a few odds and ends it should be worth 3-4 k. It runs very well and is 4.0L 4wd and a good model year.

Funny, my girl has a '17 Ecoboost Mustang with the same mileage and loves it to death. It's been super reliable we even roadtripped it down to Atlanta from NYC area and had zero complaints. Either you're unlucky or I'm lucky. I think drift freaq would argue your gf is unlucky.

I'm really against a sedan as I said in the first post as well as coupes due to not being able to load them very easily.

Auto? I'd sooner die hahaha. I've owned 5 cars so far and no autos. I'm not starting down that dark path now.

collegekid

1. Thanks man, I start my internship Monday lol! Need money for car stuffs!
2. Holy shit, if you are scared in your jeep then I'm definitely fucked.
3. It was my gf's friend with the focus. We went from PA to TN. My gf has a Mazda 3 Hatch that she loves. I don't like it because of some electronic control unit in the glovebox that went bad and something with the trans control unit ($800 part covered under warranty,some recall, but thinking about the next time itll fail) Also electric steering makes me feel weird.
4. I knew I read that but I forgot to include a subaru wagon in my recommendations.
I'm actually looking to get into a 85-87 GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado or any old ass truck/SUV.
5. Driving auto is a snoozefest but it's more so my own desires coming out instead of telling you to buy it. I would rather avoid a column shifter on a dinky old truck, but you're getting something newer and with a floor shifter. Idk about your wife/Gf but maybe for a daily having auto would accommodate for her.

bardabe

A boring daily will save you a ton of cash if it's reliable. I've been driving a 2015 sentra for two years now. it'll be three in September. I've had absolutely zero desire to mod this thing. it's too slow to get in trouble and over all a good gas saver. However i will not make this mistake ever again. i feel a little part of me die every time i drive that pile of crap. do yourself a favor and buy something you enjoy driving.

I used to have a GSR Integra i used to daily that thing was a fun driver, not sure honestly why i sold it and got into this sentra other than the AC not working and the typical B18 oil burning.... i miss it.

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Review Thread

FormulaDz92

SoCal and no AC? I can understand why you changed from the GSR. Here in NJ it getts pretty hot and humid in the summer too but I've skipped AC for the last 1.5 years and haven't minded too much. Sounds like based on your recommendation I should find something in between boring and fun/fast rather than staying on one side of the spectrum or the other.

drift freaq

Indeed I will say college kids friend of a girlfriend either got a car made on Friday or does not maintain her stuff as much as you would like to believe. One can wash a car constantly and keep it clean looking but abuse it mechanically and trash an interior .

My 2012 Focus had 33k on it when I bought it and was religiously maintained by the previous owner. I've put 6k on it already with no problems and that's in 3 months. It drives like a new car, smells like a new car, looks like a new car. When I was looking for it I came across quite a few 100k plus Focus's still running fine and while they might have had a few more dings and dents or trashed interior they for all reasons where still going strong.
Seriously give me any car and I can return it broken and destroyed in short order if I abuse the hell out of it.
I have also seen supposedly reliable long term rental cars specifically Mazda 3's 2015 completely trashed at 50k due to hard driving abuse.
I have no faith in Collegekids second hand info based off a road trip as regardless of cosmetics he does not really know how that girl might have taken care of it.

Oh and the Focus and Fiestas are world cars and quite popular in the UK and Europe meaning they sell a lot and would have to be reliable.

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KiLLeR2001

Here is my suggestion:

Ford Explorer Police Interceptor. AWD with all the bells and whistles.



https://www.carfax.com/search#vdp=1FM5K8AR3DGA02541

"The PI Utility is available only in all-wheel drive and takes advantage of larger disc brakes, more advanced ABS and traction control systems, a more efficient cooling system and other standard police equipment."

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FormulaDz92

I appreciate the post/suggestion but it violates statute VI Section III of my Rules to Live By: Thou Shalt Not Diveith Automatic Under Pain of Death

KiLLeR2001

I use to be like you, swore off automatics till I die. As I write this post, I have never owned an automatic vehicle in my life. However, now that I'm older, I've come to the realization that I need at least one vehicle with an automatic. With that said, my next car purchase will be an automatic.

ps, it will also be extremely fun.

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Almighty So

^ I still daily a 5-speed but my old auto Cressida was the shit and I see nothing wrong with automatic for a daily driver

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FormulaDz92

Yeah it's possible when I'm older and my circumstances change that I'll eventually daily an auto but right now I'm only 24 and I can't see any reason to. I never spend time in traffic and don't drive in the city almost ever so there's need.

lunchmeat

I've got 14 years on you and was the same way long time ago. Now, if the car will be a daily, it'll be auto. Just makes dealing with traffic easier.
I'll keep a stick in the fun car.

drift freaq

I can completely relate to this. Fun car stick daily stick or auto but auto does have some advantages.

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KiLLeR2001

I'm only 29. I'm not trying to say I would daily an auto (I wouldn't). What I'm saying is that having an automatic vehicle as an option has its perks. 99% of the time I'm choosing manual.

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lunchmeat

The other reason I went auto daily was because I fucked up my left knee when I was a teenager. Years on down the road and it started giving me problems. Having to mess with the clutch in rush hour traffic played hell on it. Getting old just sucks out loud.

FormulaDz92

Oh haha my bad.

Yeah my left leg plays up sometimes and its a pain to use a heavy clutch sometimes. Serves me right for playing hockey half my life. I don't think its about getting older, It's just results of having fun and being unlucky.

TheSnail

My DD has changed drastically over the years. Being in ATL traffic, I have honed in on just driving my beater B3000 for the past 15 years. The toy cars are just for weekends having fun, such as this new one I picked up a few weeks ago.

I will say that it really depends on the commute. My previous commute was 3 miles and that car was an e92 m3. With 9.5 quarts of oil, I could drive to work and back before the oil temps would reach the point where I could push it. Driving it to work like a grandma... whats the point? I might as well drive the old B3000.

On the contrary, my new commute is 25miles. However it is 25miles of ATL traffic. That amounts to 2-3hrs of commuting a day. I just bought a new GTR, but have yet to drive it to work. Why should I? To roll 5mph hours on end in ATL traffic, mixed in with retarded people? Yeah no thanks. I'd rather drive the beater to work and have the toy for the weekend.

To answer your question, it really depends on where you live, and how far your commute is. If your commute is enjoyable, then get buy and drive the car that would bring you the most happiness. Otherwise, just drive a beater to work and enjoy the "side" car that you bought for enjoying.

My 2cents anyway

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mechanicalmoron

There's lots of vehicles that don't need to be, or shouldn't be, manual.

For example, most diesels should be manual, but 6.9 and 7.3 fords are an exception. IDI and PS both.

And, after some dozens or hundreds of thousands of miles of commuting, you really lose your desire to shift every damn time. And after working on and driving some cars, you realize it really all depends on a lot, and often doesn't even matter that much. After all, having a toy car is why you have a daily, right? For taking you places, because driving a toy places is sometimes miserable, even if you could manage.

FormulaDz92

True but I'm thinking of the times I come upon a perfect road and, instead of being is a car that I can enjoy it with I'm stuck in a wallowey lifted Cherokee or some automatic that is constantly shifting when I don't want it to. For that reason, and because I am lucky enough to commute without much traffic has pretty much made up my decision to get something that isn't necessarily fast but something that at least handles reasonably well and is fairly low to the ground. I'm fairly set on something in the neighborhood of a Focus/Fiesta/Impreza/Forester/Mazda3 i.e. subcompact, hatch/wagon that most likely isn't turbocharged unless the right WRX/XT/MS3 falls into my lap.

FormulaDz92

My preferred car of the day is a 2004-07 ish Focus SVT. They're cheap, low miles and sound just the right amount of fun and speed for a daily driver.

simmode1

Last i heard, an Ecoboost swap kit was being developed for it...

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FormulaDz92

Lol there's even a V8 swap kit I heard, but as my daily it would stay pretty stock. Just wheels tires and coil overs.

Check this out: https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6172967476.html

Also this looks pretty mint: https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/6177881378.html

Bubbles

Spot on.

I want to do things and go places, not be worried about scraping this, overheating that, kids leaning, haters scratching, etc....

One for fun and cruising, one for depending on and shutting off your brain.

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