Mazda 2 thoughts?

OK, since this thread was pulled from the grave, I will post an update:

She passed on the 2. Thought it was just a bit too small to be a "Real" car.

She also passed on a Mazda 3 because we have a friend whos 3 just had $4500 worth of rust repairs done to the rear underside. Picked up by Mazda, but not acceptable on an 06 car.

The good news for me is that I might get her to drive her car for another year while she thinks about it.

And yeah, since she puts up with my hobby, she could buy a Boxter for all I care!

NOHOME wrote: And yeah, since she puts up with my hobby, she could buy a Boxter for all I care!

There's a lot to be said for that..sometimes, I think the only reason SWMBO puts up with mine is that she's so delighted to find a man that doesn't care about "stickanball" sports that much.

Scares me to death that she might find out I'm really not that much different from "them" one day.. OTOH, she really digs it that she doesn't have to take her stuff to a shop as often as she once did.

Wishin ya well, man.

NOHOME wrote: She also passed on a Mazda 3 because we have a friend whos 3 just had $4500 worth of rust repairs done to the rear underside.

I was looking at a 2008 Mazda3 last weekend and I too thought the underbody was kinda rusty for how new it was. Interesting.

To the OP: If the car is effectively going to be a throw-away, why not lease something? I know you're out of the 5-door-compact market now, but Honda was doing a 0, 0, 0 / $219/month deal on the Fit recently.

In reply to aussiesmg:

That's about what I was thinking. The Elantra has more room, gets better mileage, better warranty, roughly the same price, and (at least to me) looks better than either the 2 or the Fiesta. How do you like the way it drives?

I wish the Fiesta and/or 2 had the tricky folding rear seats that the Fit has.

I wish the Fiesta and/or 2 had the tricky folding rear seats that the Fit has.

I thought "Aw, that's cute" when we bought ours. I use the berkeleying things all the time...and the secret compartment...yeah...that's where ya hide yer weeeeeed man. Naw, but I did hide baby mama's mother's day card in there.

poopshovel wrote: To the OP: If the car is effectively going to be a throw-away, why not lease something? I know you're out of the 5-door-compact market now, but Honda was doing a 0, 0, 0 / $219/month deal on the Fit recently.

Cause we live on a cash only budget. No car or house payments, and plan to keep it that way! She drives a $20,000 car for 8 years, that's cheap motoring on a per/year basis. She has zero appreciation for anything a vehicle has to offer except motion form point A to point B; seriously, I doubt the radio has ever been on in her car. Wait, I take that back, she DOES like the Azenis 615's I stuck on the thing a few years ago!

I did look at it to see if leasing made any sense from a financial perspective.

Cheapest car you are going to lease around here will be closer to $300/month, buying her a new toaster-car for cash will put about 3k in my pocket at the end of the 8 years even after the added expenses of after warranty maintenance.

And yeah,I do realize that a used car would be the BEST bet, but that is my doing in that I figure she deserves a new car every so often.

Now back to my crusty old shop full of MGs and Healeys!

Gotcha!