This is going to be a frustrating process. But also, some good news!

"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck) 07/26/2015 at 21:36 • Filed to: car shopping

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There are absolutely no Saturn Astra’s for sale in my area, or state, or coastal region. Options are even further limited because I want the 3-door with a stick. I love that I happened to be wooed by a vehicle that was produced for one year here in the states. But oh, wait, what’s this?

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Here’s one in Tacoma! Low miles. 3-door. Manual. Of course they’re asking for $9-freaking-k! What are the odds this will still be here on the lot in 6 months when I am actually going to be aggressively car buying? ZERO. :( I would prefer it not be red, but can beggars be choosers? NO!!!

Okay, onto the good news. After another vehicle discussion with my wife, where we down to about 5 final candidates for her next car, she actually said that she trusts *me* to just get the car for her myself. Like, she doesn’t want to go to the dealer (or private party), do the test drive, do all the time consuming searching, and says if I just showed up with a new car unannounced one day, she would be happy. She said she’s fully trusting of whatever I decide (!!!), constrained of course by her requirements for a car: 5-doors, automatic, working bells and whistles, very reliable, and if possible blue or black in paint color, along with our budget constraint. So while her needs foil my plans to effectively buy the car that I would want for myself like the snake I want to be, I get to go car shopping for ALL the cars! I like car shopping.

Here’s the refined list, not ranked:

She really likes the Fit and the xB.

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 21:39

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I’ve had my Mazda3 hatch for six years. It’s been nothing short of an amazing car. Let me know if you have any questions!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > mazda616 07/26/2015 at 21:44

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That one is hanging on by a thread, but she really likes the way they look. She really wants a smaller car though, like Fit small. That’s why I’m inserting the Protege5 as a backup. Your 3 was a stick, right?

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 21:45

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My parents had a 3 and loved it. With the 2.3 it’s a very good car. Since you have to get an auto, it’s probably the best one to drive.

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 21:47

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No, mine’s the 5-speed auto. My buddy had one built a month before mine that was a stick, but he traded it in on an FR-S.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > mazda616 07/26/2015 at 21:51

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Has the transmission been good to you? What are the little quirks that may pop up that makes the 3 distinctly “the 3”

cluelessk > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 21:58

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Rust. Just like the Protege.

Fit is probably the best choice. Will keep value better than the others.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > cluelessk 07/26/2015 at 22:03

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I agree and that is her favorite. And it also the most expensive of the group. But you get what you pay for (sometimes).

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:09

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I’ve always loved the looks of the old Protege5 and the 3 and they are supposed to be very nice driving cars as well, but I’ve heard a LOT of issues with rust....that alone would unfortunately make me skeptical unless you had a really good look around at one and it had been well cared for...

The Vibe/Matrix is supposed to be a very good car and very reliable (Toyota quality, of course). There were AWD versions of the Vibe/Matrix available with an auto. trans as well for winter driving! They don’t look quite as nice in my opinion though, but they would be my first choice out of your options. (Kudos on the Astra btw, not a common choice, but they are actually supposed to be quite good cars)!

I’ve never been a fan of the XB’s styling, but they are reliable rides as well and could come with a decent option feature-set.

Nobi > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:16

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Honda Fit.

Build quality is top notch, interior is CAVERNOUS for something its size, mileage is great, it’s fun to drive, holds its value VERY well, extremely reliable, and aside from regular maintenance, adjust the valves every 100k and it’ll run forever.

Under_Score > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:21

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My dad has a 2015 xB. While it’s different from the first generation, if y’all find a nice 2008 or 2009 model, I can say that the second generation is a great car. Only issue is that it gets very poor gas mileage (21, 22), but I think the first gen models are a lot more fuel efficient.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/26/2015 at 22:25

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We are in the PNW, so I’m not too concerned with rust (though I always look for it), but Protege5’s are not too common here. 3’s are everywhere though.

My wife and I share the same opinion with you about the Vatrix/Mibe thing. I want Toyota reliability on a car that my wife will rely on me to maintain (and check the dipstick..........), but she doesn’t like the way the Vibe really looks, and we’re not crazy about the way the first gen Matrix looks, or the second gen Vibe for that matter (her more than I). I think the last-gen Matrix XrS is really cool, as does the wife, but that is reeeeeeally too much money.

The xB remains an option because I used it to distract her from a the Kia Soul. Basically she likes the xB because it’s an even boxier version of a Soul. Toyota-reliability + Box. But finding one with lower miles or one that’s been maintained by someone who cares is a challenge.

In a perfect world? She would have a 5-door Astra auto and I the 3-door manual. But that would be difficult, and expensive.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Under_Score 07/26/2015 at 22:29

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That’s the kick against the xB (and the Soul... and Cube). The fuel economy isn’t as high as we’d like. Her V6 Sable already gets 21mpgs with mostly highway driving. We need a modern 4-banger that actually does what 4-bangers do: drive slow and get better mileage! First gen xBs are reported to get fuel economy, yes. If you can find a decent one.

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:46

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My car has gone through six winters with me and has zero rust. Just saying. Even on the undercarriage. But, I also wash it a lot during the winter once the roads clear.

The transmission is fine. I changed the fluid pretty early because it turned brown. Didn’t smell. Just wasn’t red. And the car shifted fine. Turns out the fluid in these cars turns colors earlier than most. Just what they do. The manual mode on the transmission is pretty nifty but I don’t use mine much.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:48

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Here’s a black one (4 door) just North of us.

http://abbotsford.craigslist.ca/cto/5109959319…

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 22:50

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Also, here’s my spiel on my 3 and the model in general. Suffice it to say I love my car and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Crossing the 75k mark soon.

http://manny05x.kinja.com/honestly-i-not…

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > mazda616 07/26/2015 at 23:01

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Cool thanks, I appreciate the testimonial. The 3 would be affordable and I’ve never heard anything bad about it. If it were just a little bit smaller, just a little bit...

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 23:02

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Another decent option would be a Toyota Yaris hatch...smaller than the others, yes, but they came in 5-door models with decent space when the rear seats are flipped down, are very reliable, have decent styling and get decent mileage. I was actually looking at them hard before I ended up getting a really good deal on my ‘09 Hyundai Accent 3-door hatch as my DD. The Yaris does have that center-mount gauge cluster though, which I always thought might be a bit weird to use day to day.

As a side note, the ‘06-’10 Accent/Rio is an under-rated car in my opinion...no performance machine, no, but I’ve never once felt mine was slow in everyday driving (then again, I also have a manual transmission which helps....my brother and mom both have Accent sedans with the auto and they do feel a lot less peppy with that transmission, but decent enough). My Accent has also been dead reliable for me and my 3-door can hold a decent amount of stuff - they may “feel” a bit cheaper in terms of more plasticky interior bits, but the higher trims had decent options on them, all things considered. I also get about 35mpg on average, so decent fuel economy. If she just wants a reliable daily runabout, you could do worse I think. Just passing it along as an owner with experience, but I see you are not a fan of the Soul (which I also don’t mind, but have never driven one), so I don’t figure you’re interested in the Accent/Rio as an option! :) )

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 23:04

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Everyone always screams RUST OMG RUST YIKES HOLY SHIT NO when you mention Mazdas but I believe if they are taken care of and cleaned, they won’t have any more issues than other cars. Of course, the earlier 3s did have their fair share of rust as did the Protégés. But the ‘07 up 3 doesn’t seem to have as much of an issue. My friend Tiffany has a 2004 Mazda6 with the 2.3 (same engine as my car) and it’s got 330,000 miles on the original engine and transmission. No rust, either. ;-)

Under_Score > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 23:08

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I don’t know how tall y’all are, but my dad is 6’4”, and has a ton of room in his xB. I’m a bit taller, and I fit behind him. Plus, it’s pretty fast. But if fuel economy is a concern, I’d say the Fit. Besides the poor small overlap crash test results, it’s an awesome car.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 07/26/2015 at 23:22

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My boss drives an ‘09 4-door Accent and he has the same opinion. It’s been nothing but smooth sailing for him. However, I don’t feel that is among the candidates in our case. As you know, she has to have the auto which makes lots of littler econoboxes not viable options. If she wanted a manual, I would more strongly consider the soul for sure. Those things are cake to drive and it has enough pep with the 6-speed.

I personally would not mind a Yaris for her. I think another sticking point I forgot to mention was to have a more user-friendly hatch space behind the back row of seats. I would in that case get her explicit approval on something like the Yaris which is notably smaller than the above cars. But then looks are deceiving. Like how the new 3 has very very little room in the hatch but the car is freaking huge. Or how a Toyota Tercel wagon was the most spacious car we’ve ever owned and great for tall people and tons of room in the back.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Under_Score 07/26/2015 at 23:34

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I really do just want to get the Fit since that’s clearly what she likes the best, but I would want a second gen (which I hear have much improved quality over the first gen) and they are not cheap! I know some people on here drive really nice cars or finance car after car, etc., but our driveway holds two vehicles that we paid $4,000 for, COMBINED. So $10k on a car to us is a whole new experience.

shop-teacher > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 23:51

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My wife’s ‘06 Mazda 3 was rock solid, and had no rust through 7 winters. We only got rid of it because we needed something just a little bigger, so we got a CX-5.

AthomSfere > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/26/2015 at 23:54

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Going back to the resale value bit though: It will also resale for the most at whatever point in the future. I bought a new 08 Fit (The year they made it here) and sold it one year later for $1000 less than I paid to walk off a lot MSRP. That’s right, it cost about $2.74 / day to “rent” that car for a year. :)

Trendie > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 00:49

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What about a 2002-2005 Is300 Sportcross?
Only offered in auto, very reliable Toyota 2JZ-GE, 5 door, comes in blue or black(black is more common) and has the nifty ability of being able to fold the front passenger seat flat to allow transportation of longer items.
Only options were black or tan interior, heated seats, Nav, Full Leather interior and LSD, everything else standard.
Hard to find though since only 3078 were brought over and estimates say there are under 1000 left in the US. But they can be had for a decent price and condition if you are willing to hunt/wait for the right one since it is a reltively unknown variant.

Unfortunately the slanted back glass limits the storage of taller, squarer objects in the hatch area and the Mileage is iffy at best ( http://www.fuelly.com/car/lexus/is30… ), 3 Liter inline 6 is a thirsty motor but it is the smoothest motor I have ever had the pleasure to drive.
The CD players on the earlier years are known to jam up as well.

If no then my vote would be for the Mazda3, my uncle has one and loves it!

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Trendie 07/27/2015 at 00:59

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This is another vehicle I want for myself! You pretty much touched all the points about it — another annoyingly rare car that is awesome. I mentioned this a post a while ago, but when I suggested this to her, she said, “Wait, isn’t that the car YOU want?” Foiled.

Spasoje > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 01:17

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What are the odds this will still be here on the lot in 6 months when I am actually going to be aggressively car buying? ZERO.

You weren’t kidding - they already took the ad down!

boxrocket > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 01:24

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I have access to a silver 2003 Mazda Protege5 for around $3500, but I’m in Saint Louis. 71k miles, most panels have some minor damage (college kid's car), but has the stick shift, runs well, and no easily-notable warning signs. Interested?

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 04:10

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there are 4 protégé 5’s in my area, 3 of which are at my school..... idk why but I always see them in Redmond....

I like the protégé the most, followed by the 3. no real driving experience in them, but a kid I know who has one says it's a nice car, so If that helps i'm glad :P

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 06:17

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I'm not saying that it's going to be there in 6 months, but I am saying that if any car is going to still be on a lot after 6 months, a red Saturn Astra 3 door with a stick has as good of odds as anything to actually be there. That's a bit of a niche car, but I dig them a lot too...hopefully it hangs around.

Trendie > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 09:37

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“what? NO! this is the car YOU want!”-You

jkm7680 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 15:07

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Go for the Saturn. Or find another one later down the road, put Opel badges on it and then be my hero.

jkm7680 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 07/27/2015 at 15:09

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Also, these aftermarket pedals look so close together.

jkm7680 > Nobi 07/27/2015 at 15:10

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Those things feel so damn cheap though.

Nobi > jkm7680 07/27/2015 at 16:38

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The materials are lacking inside, I’ll admit, but that’s probably to keep it cheap since they were, up until the current generation, made in Japan(I read somewhere that Honda STILL lost money on every Fit it sold). They’ll never let you down and give you the “more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow” feeling.

jkm7680 > Nobi 07/27/2015 at 16:51

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Opening the door on a Fit gives you a similar sensation to taking the top off of a tin can. It felt like I was about to rip it off, there were crazy rattles inside and all of the plastics felt really cheap and poorly put together.

Nobi > jkm7680 07/27/2015 at 16:54

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You talking a first or second gen Fit?

jkm7680 > Nobi 07/27/2015 at 17:02

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Mainly the first gen one, but the facelift version wasn’t much better.

Nobi > jkm7680 07/27/2015 at 21:24

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The fit and finish on the second gen was much better, but there’s things about it that irk me. I hate how they shoved the engine halfway under the dash, and I think the handling on the first gen is much sharper.

jkm7680 > Nobi 07/27/2015 at 21:35

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It was a bit better, the cupholder near the window was kinda strange though. I’d expect that to melt a lot of ice.

Nobi > jkm7680 07/27/2015 at 21:43

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They did that because since the Fit is so small, a cup holder wouldn't work in the center like everywhere else. There's actually a Honda accessory to install an armrest with a built in cup holder.

jkm7680 > Nobi 07/27/2015 at 21:52

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Interesting, the first gen just felt extremely flimsy and cheap. The second gen improved a bit, but I’d never own either one haha.

Nobi > jkm7680 07/27/2015 at 23:28

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I’d take either as a commuter, and throw a B-spec suspension kit on it.