The Leading Car Candidates to replace my GF's rusty Mazda 3

"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
06/02/2020 at 10:47 • Filed to: None

So in this post:

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I asked you all to guess which is the leading contender overall and which is the leader from a pure driving perspective.

From a pure driving perspective, the Corolla hatchback is the leading contender.

From an overall perspective, the Elantra GT hatch is the leader.

My GF found that the Corolla ‘felt’ the most peppy, felt less claustrophobic and felt more ‘light on its feet’

However, the back seat was the tightest. And because of that, it tipped things in the Elantra’s favour... which felt almost as sporty, but with much better rear seat space.

She went into this thinking the Mazda 3 is what she would get. But the Mazda 3 had the worst outward visibility and felt ‘chunky’. It didn’t have the same lighter sporty feel of her old Mazda.

And the Civic she found drove ‘heavy’. And even though it was the fastest on paper, she said it didn’t feel fast.

One other note.. I was with her for the Corolla, Elantra and Mazda test drives... and I found the Mazda had the nicest engine note and probably was the one that felt the most ‘upscale’.

So if you have a Mazda 3 from the 2000s and just want something new that feels closest to it, get the Corolla hatchback if you don’t care too much about rear seat space.

Now the question remains... what will happen after she test drives the Tesla Model 3 SR+?

Note that she CAN technically afford it. But it will push her payment at least a couple hundred per month above the $500/month limit she set for herself.

Will she love it enough to spend the extra $$,$$$?

Anyone one want to make any bets on that?

DISCUSSION (28)

Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:03

Did she drive the sporty version of the Elantra hatchback with the turbo and DCT?

MrSnrub > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:07

Mazda is really going for the VW-esque solidity lately, which I’m personally ok with since the chunky Germanic feel melded with Japanese reliability is basically my personal automotive holy grail. B ut if you’re really into the lightness of the old Mazdas they’re probably going to be disappointing .

The new Corolla is oddly poorly packaged from what I’ve read, but it’s probably the best bet if you want a car that lasts for 15 years. Though Hyundai usually isn’t too bad in that department either.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:08

Veloster N? lol

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
06/02/2020 at 11:09

I’m directing her away from DCT transmissions in general. It was the base Elantra GT with the non-turbo 2L and 6 speed auto. It’s a combo that I have more confidence will last her another 15 years.

AdamB > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:10

Elantra GT N Line? Sportier than a regular GT

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
06/02/2020 at 11:12

LOL

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > AdamB
06/02/2020 at 11:13

When it comes to the 15 year timeline she’s planning on keeping this car, I’d rather avoid DCT transmissions and stick with the more conventional 6 speed auto.

Chariotoflove > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:14

Surprised to hear that about the Mazda, based on their reputation as driver’s cars. But I haven’t driven a 3.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:14

Subscribed.

If she likes the Tesla, you should help her run the total cost of ownership over 5 years, taking into account total payout , miles driven, avg gasoline cost & avg electricity cost in your area, and expected maintenance costs.

I’m impressed that the Corolla has taken the fun-to-drive crown in the segment. I’m really looking forward to seeing how good the GR version will be.

Also hoping we get an Elantra N stateside.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chariotoflove
06/02/2020 at 11:18

Yup... my GF is surprised too. She went in thinking she would just get another Mazda.

But here we are with the Elantra being the leading contender overall.

Chariotoflove > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 11:22

I surprised myself by getting the car I drive now. Life is funny that way.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chariotoflove
06/02/2020 at 11:55

Which car was that? The Kia Forte?

CompactLuxuryFan > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 12:00

Do you have a garage and have you factored in the charger installation cost? If yes, my guess is she will go for the Model 3.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CompactLuxuryFan
06/02/2020 at 12:05

Yes, she has a garage and a spot where she could install a NEMA 14-50 outlet.

No guarantee she will get the Tesla though as it’s a solid $20,000 to $25,000 more after all taxes, fees and credits.

The fuel savings won’t be enough to justify the cost. The only way she’s gonna get it is she absolutely LOVES it to the point where she’s willing to go over the budget she set for herself.

Mid Engine > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 12:22

My daughter went t hrough the same list of suspects and settled on a Mazda 3. Once she zeroed in on Mazda I thought a Miata would be the call, too small and a bit too pricey. Next I suggested a Stinger but it was way out of her budget, too bad cuz driving should be fun. Her Mazda gets her from A to B without any drama, I guess that’s not a bad choice.

Chariotoflove > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 12:41

K900.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Mid Engine
06/02/2020 at 12:42

One of the things I did was tell my GF that none of these 4 car options are a bad choice as I’ve already researched/vetted them to make sure they are decent, reliable, durable, etc.

It’s purely up to what she prefers.

CompactLuxuryFan > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 12:54

Depending what she likes about it, she could also go for a cheaper electric option. Do you get the e-G olf up there? Or the electric Kona/Niro?

Mid Engine > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 12:57

If m emo ry serves you’re in Canada, so efficiency matters a fair bit too. Gas ain’t cheap with all the taxes, and pretty much all the cars you’re considering are fuel efficient.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > CompactLuxuryFan
06/02/2020 at 13:13

I thought about other BEV options you mentioned as well as the Leaf and Bolt.

The e-Golf is an uncompetitive joke and doesn’t have enough range for me to be comfortable recommending it to her.

The Kona and Niro are nice options. But for what they cost, a Tesla with a proper charging network isn’t much more.

And I won’t recommend the Leaf due to it STILL not having a liquid cooled battery pack.

And the Bolt is good, but a bit on the small side.

But after thinking about it, d ue to how all other car makers take a comparatively half-assed approach to fast charging, if she’s gonna get a BEV, it’s Tesla or nothing.

I’ve seen and read about the hassles and hoops people have to jump through for fast charging for non-Tesla vehicles.

When you have a Tesla, you know you can go to a supercharger and get true fast charging... unlike with other car makers where you might get charging that is almost as fast as Tesla, but often only half as fast, and sometimes crappy fast charging that isn’t much faster than a 220V/50 amp outlet.

And I haven’t even touched on the insanely high rates and fees that companies like ChargePoint (aka “ScamPoint”) try to get away with.

W hile she wouldn’t need the fast charging most of the time. Any car she gets would have to be able to do road trips without hassle.

With a Tesla, she can plug it into a supercharger, take a coffee break at a nearby shop and then have ~200 miles of additional range by the time she gets back.

And she won’t get billed an insane amount for the amount of electricity she drew.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chariotoflove
06/02/2020 at 13:16

Well if you went with a K900, you should have gone straight to a Genesis G90.

I had my GF sit in the back of one at the auto show back in February and try out the massaging feature built into the seat.

She liked that a lot!

It’s ONLY 3-4 times her budget.

But if you have a K900, I’m SURE you could afford a G90!

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Mid Engine
06/02/2020 at 13:32

Correct... in the Toronto area.

At this moment, gas is around CAD$0.90/Liter... which is about US$0.67/Liter. Since one US gallon is 3.78541 Litres, that translates to about US$2.54/gallon.

And that’s fairly cheap around here.

Prior to the Covid thing, I was paying around 25% more.... over US$3.15/gallon or around CAD$1.10/L.

And I have filled up at fuel prices of over US$4.25/gallon or over CAD$1.50/Liter in the past.

Chariotoflove > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 14:33

LOL, yeah I’m a regular Daddy Warbucks on an academic salary.

And I do like the G90 a lot, but the gods of depreciation only smile that broadly on a guy a couple times in a lifetime.

Mid Engine > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 15:22

Y up, I’m from Montreal and people are certainly aware of the fuel prices. The pric es in the GTA sure hav e dropped! In the U.S. it’s cheap so no one cares, milk costs more than gas.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Chariotoflove
06/02/2020 at 15:56

Well you’re gonna get rich publishing, right? RIGHT????

Chariotoflove > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 15:58

Bwahahahaha!

I’m lucky i f a journal doesn’t bill me page charges to print my work!

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
06/02/2020 at 21:37

any consideration for imprezza hatch?

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
06/02/2020 at 23:30

Nope. Costs more and she doesn’t need the AWD.