The test drives continue

"Aaron M - MasoFiST" (amarks563)
11/28/2015 at 14:29 • Filed to: None

Two more test drives today. I test drove a Nissan Juke, first of all. It felt kind of sloppy, but way more planted and powerful than, say, my Mom’s old Toyota Highlander. It’s good for a crossover, but kind of pales in comparison to everything else I’ve driven.

I also drove another 128i, this time with a stick...oh man. This was a revelation. I think this is the car I want. It’ll be easier to justify than the BRZ, but I still need to feel comfortable that I can get away with such a smaller car. That, and have enough extra money in my bank account to immediately buy snow tires with the car.

Beyond just the drive (and it was great, being able to keep it around 3-4k made the car way, way more fun with the stick), this car keeps on having little neat features that surprise me. The first one I tried, it was the heated steering wheel. This time, it was rain-sensing automatic wipers. Coming from a Subaru, I’m used to a car with a dearth of gadgets, so these were all pleasant surprises.

But yeah, this may be the car I choose. I need to figure out what to do with the Subaru for certain and get some financing stuff down, but I’m ready for the next step.

DISCUSSION (7)

Matt Nichelson > Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/28/2015 at 14:42

Congrats! I hope things work out with the 128. Sounds like you found a good one. Be sure to post some pics if you do end up getting it. What color is the one you drove?

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Matt Nichelson
11/28/2015 at 14:47

It’s a dark blue color, with a cream/off-white interior. A 2008, but pretty low miles.

Steve in Manhattan > Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/28/2015 at 15:05

What have you driven so far?

And you should consider resale value - not sure about the BMW’s. But brother-in-law has 6M version and likes it a lot.

boxrocket > Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/28/2015 at 15:10

128 is nice, but they can have issues. I’m not a fan of the staggered wheels for cost reasons, and they come with run-flats which I don’t like the feel of, though they’re not required.

Since you looked at the Juke, try the Mazda CX-3. Lots of gadgets (even a HUD) but not much money. If it weren't for the size and relative NVH to the CX-5, we would have gotten one of those instead of a 2016 CX-5 Grand Touring.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > boxrocket
11/28/2015 at 16:41

I’m a modder at heart, so the tires are coming off. Hell, if I buy the car in the next month I’m going to have snows mounted on the stock rims anyway.

The problem with the CX-3 is the engine choice is fairly lame. I was interested in the Juke for the pep and moddability (stage 1 is 225hp with no parts other than the tune), but the suspension being the way it is, I’d have to mod it quite a bit to get to the stock feel of some of the other cars I’ve driven. The Juke has more cargo space than a lot of the compacts which is nice, but I think I’m going to try to do without so long as I have folding rear seats and the ability to stuff a bicycle in the back occasionally.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > Steve in Manhattan
11/28/2015 at 16:45

Resale value is only working in my favor: All of the 1 series I’ve driven have been less than 17k. I plan on driving the car quite a bit and keeping it a while, as well as modifying it (though with a BMW there are BMW Performance options that have either less negative or sometimes positive impact on resale value if they’re minor enough).

So far I’ve driven the 128i in auto and stick (further makes up my mind that stick is mandatory), I had a short test of the BRZ where it was revealed to be too small, drove a Civic Si, which was nice, and did a very brief walkaround of the new WRX, which I like a lot but is more than I want to spend. The one car I do want to try is the Fiesta ST, but it will cost me a lot of money to step up to the Fiesta ST from the BMW...and that is making less and less sense to me the more I think about it.

Steve in Manhattan > Aaron M - MasoFiST
11/28/2015 at 17:46

It sounds like you’ve done more than enough research. And if you’re driving the car a lot, there’s no point in getting the runner-up car.

Also: brother-in-law likes 128 6M in part b/c wife and kids can’t drive stick. It’s his alone.