Why I Chose My Car.

"Frosted" (frostedbuns)
06/12/2014 at 13:06 • Filed to: None

This may come across as me defending my recent purchase but I want to share the thought process, self-made checklist and variables that led me to buy my car.

For those who don't know, I bought a 2010 Nissan Cube SL about 2 weeks ago. It's not a car I had really considered until I got the chance to look at two of them.

Here's a list of cars I was considering:

Mazda3
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Forte
Kia Rio
Honda Civic Coupe
Honda Fit
Honda CRZ
Toyota Corolla
Scion xD
Scion tC
Mazda MX-5

In that order actually.
My personal checklist
-25-30 MPGs
-Cheaper insurance than an 03 Volvo wagon
-Had to have decent handling
-Good aftermarket support
-Be JDM. Or at least Asian.

I looked at the Rio first about 3 months ago. It's an alright little car but with options it gets pricey and there are just better, bigger cars for that money.

Then I looked at the Forte and Elantra. Not too bad, decent interiors, attractive exteriors. Ride was a bit unpleasant though. Especially when I drove a Mazda3 afterward. These had a great ride and handled corners quite well. The 2.0 makes a lot of noise but doesn't really go anywhere.

The MX-5 took premium fuel. For me that's a deal breaker. I wanted the cheapest I could get and here in NJ, premium is 10 cents to a dollar more depending on where you are in the state.

The Corolla looks cool but it's pretty lifeless. Same goes for the Scions.

A Civic Coupe never popped up in the right price range.
I've shared my story about why the Mazda 3 never happened but I'll summarize here. I looked at a dozen of these. All of them were beat up pretty good for 15 grand. Most of them had been repainted with less than 50k miles. I had a pleasant experience at none of the Mazda dealers I went to.

So here enters the Nissan Cube. It's 12,500$. It has keyless entry, backup camera, keyless startup, a high end audio system. It's the most JDM looking car on the road. It has a CVT that gets 2-3 MPGs better than the Auto or manual options. It's 800 dollars cheaper to insure per year than the Volvo. Thanks to the wheels in the corner, it handles pretty well/there's almost no body roll. It's much more practical than anything else I looked at. It ticked all the boxes. The dealership had it for 3 grand under my budget. It was the perfect car for me.

All I can say is, have an idea of what you want but always keep an open mind when car shopping. You'd be surprised by what you can find.

DISCUSSION (8)

Brian Silvestro > Frosted
06/12/2014 at 13:10

One thing I can definitely agree with is that it looks JDM as fuck yo.

anothermiatafanboy > Frosted
06/12/2014 at 13:11

What year Miata? Making 167 hp out of 2 liters of displacement is a pretty lazy engine, I don't think it needs premium.

EDIT: Well Ill be damned the Mazda website specifies premium. Those bastards!

Roadster Man > Frosted
06/12/2014 at 13:13

That last paragraph is the best piece of advice you can give someone shopping for a car... Don't fall in love and take your time. I wish I followed that advice with my last car purchase.

Frosted > anothermiatafanboy
06/12/2014 at 13:13

2012. Even with low horsepower output, it still has a high compression engine and thus needs premium.

Frosted > Roadster Man
06/12/2014 at 13:15

That's what I did with my XC and a couple of months later I realized I just settled on it and began a slow, hate-filled descent to a point where I just stopped caring about it altogether. I'm glad it's gone now and I wish I had waited longer and bought the right car.

anothermiatafanboy > Frosted
06/12/2014 at 13:16

That is a real bummer. Especially with other more powerful cars exempt from needing premium. Boo, Mazda!

HONDAD > Frosted
06/12/2014 at 14:52

I can't get enough of the Cube's asymmetry! Seriously, it's just such a great thing they did with that wraparound window. I love these cars. How are the back seats? I've got two kids in car seats and will need a car with some decent room in the back.

Frosted > HONDAD
06/12/2014 at 17:31

Its fantastic. Huge amount of room in the back there.