Mikelly Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Alex, that's the first I've heard of those issues you mentioned... My stepson's 2004 model has been bullet proof and he's pretty hard on it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleh Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 LOL well remember' date=' this is for my wife, not for me! Unfortunately, she is too concerned with looks. I have suggested other cars to her but generally she doesn't like the way they look and so isn't interested. I actually should have put looks at the top of the list for her, or at least, even with gas mileage and reliability. She'd never go for a solstice, she wants something as utilitarian as it is good looking. As I said, preferably four doors and a nice trunk. Now... *I* may be looking at Solstices when the GXP's come out, depending on my financial situation and assuming I'm not upside down on the loan for my SRT I may trade up to the Solstice GXP. 260 hp in a nice light roadster SIGN ME UP![/quote'] the solstice is a great car. i drove one at a GM event and it was great. alittle underpowered for me, but great handling. what about the mx-5 ? The mazda 3 is also a good car, but when you corner hard, the back wheel gets up in the air...I would personally pick the Spec V. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToplessZ Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Listen to these guys don't let her get that mazda. I do like the Nissan Se-R Great little cars. The si is probably the best out of the three you listed but I would not give 22 for it. I personally also cast my vote for the new Pontiac Solstice. Then in a few years when its on its last legs you could make a sexy lookin hybrid out of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest asad137 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 My gf recently bought a Mazda 3i (the 2.0L, not the 2.3) and it's a really nice car. We drove the Civic (non-Si), but we didn't like the lack of visibility from the long dash and thick C-pillars. We love the interior of the Mazda, and it's fun to drive. The Civic's interior is just...weird. I believe there are a few Mazda 3 2.3 turbo kits out there these days if lack of power is the issue Asad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxilary Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 would you trust boost on a plastic manifold of the mazda 3? the 2.3 has plenty of torque for daily driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240ZR Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 lol plastic is FUN! >_> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 My vote goes to the spec-v. Its a great car good power, brakes, handling, and it rides soomthly. Only thing is gas mileage is not at 30mpg. Sticker is 24/29 so alittle below 30. If you want more gas mileage then the civic non si. If you want looks the mazda3. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TegRacer324 Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Not sure if you were looking for a 4-door, but just as a heads up the 4-door Civic Si was revealed today at the Chicago show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 isnt the Si a first year model? I personally dont car how goods its reviews are..until a production car sees some time on the road and in the hands of actual human beings as long term owners and drivers I just wouldnt trust it. wouldnt you hate to buy a new car and have it in the shop every month or two to have things checked out or fixed? I always thought the SE-r was nice and had some potential. what about the 2.5 impreza? http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview.jsp?model=IMPREZA&trim=25I_SEDAN the front end sucks...but its AWD, safe, and starts at 19k. maybe they have a few 05's left on the lot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240ZR Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 yea but its Honda.... Honda has a good track record... and i believe a lot of the car was recycled bits from other production cars....... I would still get he Solstice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240ZR Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 why are you so hell bent on it being a sport preformance car?? you know can get alot more car for your money if its not the one with the extra horse... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I'm not really 'hell bent' on it... just thinking, it would be nice to turn my wife onto a performance car... she's driven slow *** cars for so long, and never understands my interest in performance cars. I thought... hey here we could kill two birds with one stone... I can show her just how fun it is to have a powerful car, and I can also end up with another fun car to drive for myself. When I went car shopping I was looking at the Civic Si and the SRT-4, but brute strength won out over ... well... anything else, and I got the SRT. I always wonder if I'll regret that decision, but so far I have loved the car. But at the same time, the Si is a great car too that I would love to have. So, get it for her, but really, also get it for me Anyways... I did some looking around and found a TON of horror stories about problems with the Mazda... seems a VERY high percentage of owners have had problems with that car, from fuel pumps failing to overactive ABS, all kinds of rattles in the car... lots of problems. I feel bad because she wanted that car the most, but after I let her read some of the experiences that mazda3 owners had posted, she's off that car for good. Unfortunately, the Sentra SE-R also seems to have more than it's fair share of owners who had problems, and now I'm kinda scared of that car as well. I'm not surprised though... in the last two years, two close friends of mine have bought new Nissans, one a 350z, and one an Altima. Both of them have had serious problems within the first year of ownership. The Z had some transmission and clutch issues, the Altima developed a bad shake in the steering wheel, the trunk stopped closing properly, and I forget what else. Much as I've always loved Nissan, I'm leery of them now. I dunno... we're gonna go look at the Si and also the Civic 4 door right now. In the end it's her decision, anyways. I'll see what she things about the WRX as well but I have never seen one for less than $24,000? Out of our price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 I too have heard alot of problems with the mazda3. The spec-v I have also heard of problems but not that many of 2005 and 6's so maybe they worked all the kinks out. The civic si is a new model so it hasn't had much time for people to complain but if its any where near the old model it should be very reliable. I am trying to find a good car for my sister right now and I'm also looking a the toyota corrola. Not as gutsy as the spec-v or civic si but no slouch. Great reliability and gas mileage. But in the looks department they just look a minivan in the front. On a side note I can't wait for the pontiac solstice gxp. 2900lbs, 260hp, 260lb-tq, rear wheel drive, limite-slip, convertible oh yeah. Only problem its a pontiac:evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
240ZR Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 the 2.5 is not a WRX.. its a 2.5 and they start around 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Don't get anything toyota based, my mom has her minivan, the engine and drivetrain is nice, but they've had some recalls lately with them, and electrical problems. And there choice of tires for there new suspension systems that check and reinflate tires, as well as being used as run-flats have alot of problems with horrible wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savageskaterkid Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Don't get anything toyota based, my mom has her minivan, the engine and drivetrain is nice, but they've had some recalls lately with them, and electrical problems. And there choice of tires for there new suspension systems that check and reinflate tires, as well as being used as run-flats have alot of problems with horrible wear. I've only heard bad things about toyota in the past couple years models, all sorts of problems are starting to show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TegRacer324 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 What're you kidding me? Toyota is probably one of the most reliable cars on the market. Sure they're a little boring, but not much chance of the thing breaking down on you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickedWild Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 My current daily driver is a '94 Corolla with 180k on it and all of those miles have been hard driven. My fiancé drives the ’02 Spec-V (her previous car a Dodge Avenger) 45k on it and the only problem has been keeping tires on it and the brakes are now warped. This was her first “sports car†and her first manual transmission. She has driven the piss out of it (hence the tires and brakes) and I have had no problems with it. The car is a blast to drive and it holds me over when I can’t drive the Z. She went into this car 4g upside down and we now owe trade in value (not retail) on it with a 6 year note. She will be driving this car till it is paid off, then it’s my new dd. I had a lot of the same concerns you did when finding a car for her, but I really wanted her to have a car that she would enjoy driving (me too). It has filled all the bills perfectly and she appreciates my love for cars a little more now that she has a car that’s fun to drive. And trust me going from a Prism to a Spec-V is a fun step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal Poly Zmanaustin Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Anyways... I did some looking around and found a TON of horror stories about problems with the Mazda... seems a VERY high percentage of owners have had problems with that car' date=' from fuel pumps failing to overactive ABS, all kinds of rattles in the car... lots of problems. [/quote'] Where did you read these comments? Just curious. If there was an issue it must have been early in production because the 3 is one of the best cars Mazda has ever built. I know a ton of people with Mazda3's and they all love theirs and have had zero issues. I drove a friends on a 600 mile trip and loved it. This car shares the same platform with the Volvo S40 and Ford Focus in Europe, not the dated focus off the C170 platform sold in the US. Scion Tc is great if you want a heavily car with no road feel at all. Other than that content is good. Civic Si is better than its predecessor, but the dash is just plain bizarre IMO. The rest of the interior is nice but overall does not have all the content of the 3. Read Edmunds.com's review. Nissan Sentra-V: not sure about this one. I have to agree with Mike Nissan has been producing some fun to drive fresh new cars. I have not seen up close or driven this one but suspect it's probably nice and a kick in the pants to drive. I say decide between the Mazda3 and the Sentra-V. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Well I posted this same thread over at srtforums.com and quite a few people came in who said they either own, have owned, or have someone close to them that bought a mazda3, and it seemed about 2/3 of them had problems. I also searched around and found a mazda forum and was doing some reading and there did seem to be quite a few 3 owners who were asking questions related to problems they were having with the car. In order of how common the problems were in the 'sampling' I saw: Squeaky/noisey brakes Lots of interior rattles in low about of miles Ineffective windshield wipers Bad brake dusting of the rear wheels Failing fuel pumps Oil leaks Apparently these cars have quite a few TSB's, and I read three different people comment that when they bought the car the TSB's already known had NOT been done to the car, which IMO (and in the case of my SRT-4 which had one TSB for a ECU reflash) should be taken care of before the car leaves the lot. Anyways, we hit the Honda dealership today... the saleswoman was nice but her manager came over and was being a total prick. I was trying to... I dunno haggle I guess... see how much they would come down off their BS markup on the Si... the saleswoman seemed open but the manager was like no way... he gave us this attitude like "look this is a Honda, everyone wants them, we don't need to sell it to you or come down on the price" I told the saleswoman before we left after her a-hole manager had gone on about his own damn business, that it was very likely we'd be taking our business somewhere else because of his attitude. This is a ploy, of course... she knows we want the car and are serious, and she knows I enjoyed dealing with her... maybe she'll try to make up for her A-hole manager and get the sale by making us a better deal. $2k over markup is retarded... it's just a friggin Civic. Oh and we didn't get to test drive it, either, a-hole-manager-guy said not w/o filling out some forms so he knew we were serious. Anyways, we did take the opportunity to check out the regular Civic four door AND coupe. Me and my wife both STRONGLY prefer the coupe better. Got to take that one for a test drive, and I liked it a lot. Very smooth ride, VERY smooth engine, which was also very responsive and in neutral, revved like it had a 10lb flywheel on it. Wonderful shifting transmission... I didn't find the dual layer dashboard to be 'funky' at all, actually, it lines everything you need to know right in your straight line of sight. The interior felt and looked VERY high quality given that this was a $16,000 car! The only thing we didn't like about the car was the smell!!! The interior smelled more like fresh plastic and rubber than that usual 'new car smell'. I can say right now, w/o having test driven any other car so far, its' like 80% chance we're going to go pick up a Civic coupe. But, we're going to try to get down to the Nissan dealership tommorow and check out the spec V. I let my wife read the comments I found on the Mazda 3 and she SO doesn't even want to think of getting one anymore... and mind you, she LOVES that car as far as how it looks, and that was the car she really, really wanted. We may also look at Corolla's, it is a fact (well, at least according to Consumer Reports) that Toyota and Lexus are the most reliable cars. The Corolla is really boring though whereas even the base Civic coupe felt like it had the potential to be fun. We shall see... this guy should be showing up with the cash for my Z today (thursday) or tommorow... once that's in hand we're ready to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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