New Car for Mommy. Suggestions?
 

Hey friends! My mom has come to me about new car questions. Since I am the car expert in the family and I am more in tune with todays cars then my parents are she asked me for help. Now I ask for you help and your opinions in case you have more experience. She doesnt want to spend more then $25,000 and she would like a car that is a hatchback but also more like the wagon type cars. Lately american cars arent favorable so I didnt look much into those and she doesnt personally like the cars ( I was thinking a magnum ) So I ventured onto mazda. I would love her to have a BMW x5 or x3 even the 3 or 5 series wagons but its not in the price range. So back to mazda, she likes the mazda3 5-door with all the goodies and that is $20,000 but she would like more horsepower and unfortunetly the mazdaspeed3 is in the price range but only comes in manual. Then there is the mazda6 sports wagon for the base model its $23,000 and that has more horsepower which I would favor her to go for. My question is if you guys have any other ideas, she is kind of picky but after looking at nissan and honda and all those other companies it seems like the mazda is the best, smartest and the cheapest way to go for her. Anyone have experience with these cars, friends with these cars or family? It would be appreciated, I just dont want my mom to buy something that is cruddy.


PS: the new X5...omg sat in one, played with the sound system, looked it up and down absolutely amazing car!

Mazdas are nice but a used 3 or 5 wagon might be in her range. Volvo 850T5R wagons are really nice to but Im not sure what the prices on those would be and it would be used. My personal favorite wagon is the Audi A4 1.8t avant. It is quite possibly the hottest wagon ever created. There was one in European Car or Eurotuner recently that was an absolute track beast. A early 2000s Benz wagon probably would be in her price range too and would be a nice option.

You can get a little bit older 3 or 5 series wagon for less than 25k. Some people have to have a new car though.

I'd say Mazda 3 wagon which is a great little car and pretty quick or wait till the Volvo C30 comes out. The Volvo is a 2 door hatch which i might consider buying myself when it comes out shortly.

I'd look at the Mazda. I drove a Protege 3 and it handled very well.
Just didn't have enough umph to get 3 adults up a hill.
But the Mazda 3 changes all that.

Pointless post.
Classic. If you have nothing to add, don't.

I don't think his C230 suggestion was that bad. The new 6 cylinder should be promising, and a used one would certainly be under 25k.

OK, 1 out 3.
Although I would have no problem with a Mazda.

And why not the other 2? It would be 25k or less.

For god's sake, she's not going to a conversion on a freakin' car.

We dont know that. But ok fine, lets scratch that,

1.) Mercedes Kompressor
2.) VW Rabbit

Used Audi A3 im in love with those cars. Been trying to get my mom to trader her c230 for one forever!

If mommy were to go this route, I'm sure she'd do a better job than certain members' attempt at DASC. ROCK ON MOM!

what are you talking about exactly? my SC works just fine.

This is racerchick's thread.

wow this thread went a little over lol.

Thanks for the other car suggestions guys I am going to look into them now that I am back home for the night. My boyfriend and I went to the mazda dealership because I wanted to look at the cars in person. The wagons would be perfect for her and it would be a comfortable ride for my mom and dad to fit into. My mom doesnt believe in modding cars...thats why nothing has been done of my car really, I finally braved it showing her my headlights tonight so she can see what xenons look like, she thought halogens were the best on the market lol. Anyways, I would love her to go European, but the price range is too much. She would love to have a GTI but its just too small, and the reason she wants a hatch or a wagon is so she can fold down the seats for more cargo room, she is tired of the sedan look of my old lumina that she currently drives. I would love for her to have the Mazdaspeed3 268hp and its the wagon, but it only comes in manual and she doesnt want to deal with that here with all the traffic (I dont blame here thats why I have a auto) Then I looked and sat in the CX7 of course only one was open...typical but it was 11 at night lol. I think that would be a good choice, turbo charged little SUV and it was very roomy and comfortable to sit in. The tag price was 29,000 for the fully loaded so that might be pushing it for her. I honestly wouldnt mind getting my hands on the mazdaspeed6 omg that car is nice looking.

The other thing im going to try to convince her to look at is the VW passat, she is convinced it isnt roomy but she hasnt sat in the new ones. would be nice if I could talk her more so into the GTI or the Rabbit especially since her first car was a Rabbit lol.

Thanks guys for the advice, like I said I will look into the suggested cars and see what would work out for her in her favor.

Does anyone know the reliablility and maintance charges a mazda typically goes through?

Well I have some bad news for you. The Mazda 3 shares the platform with the european Ford Focus (same body, powertrain (for the most part), etc.) as well as the Volvo C30, V50, V70 Coupe/conv., and the Mazda 5. This platform is called the Ford C1 platform, and cars based off of it have been the most recalled car in history according to Jeremy Clarkson, host of UK Car show "Top Gear."

My friend has the 268hp Mazdaspeed 3 and it torque steers like mad when reved high. I'm not sure whether your mom will do that or not, but I can tell you it's not exactly fun to accelerate for 0-60 times.

Wow thanks for the info I had no idea it was built off the ford focus platform, well sharing it anyways. I personally like the mazda6 more, it has more power and looks a little meaner to me. I could always have her wait for the cx-9 make her save up for that one, it seems nice and a stronger engine, but we shall see. Thanks again for the information!

I had +225K miles on my 1990 MX6 and the only reason I got rid of it was it wouldn't pass emissions. I hear nothing good bout VWs.

While this might venture off of your list so far. I found that Hyundai makes some very reliable cars. If she is looking at the Mazda mini-ute, she might want to look into the Hyundai Sante Fe and Tucson. Right now Hyundai is in the top three with Toyota and Honda for reliability

Beacus e it wouldn't be a new car and it's too much work and money. Maybee if she is a car fanatic and loves power but i really don't think she is.

OK don't laugh... Really, I mean it.

Black Malibu Maxx.

I SAID DON'T LAUGH. I saw one on I-55 going North out of Bloomington the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and (in black) it was a good looking car.

We just sold a 00 Passat wagon (GLX 4-motion). Nice, Nice car.

The Jetta wagon looks better than the sedan.

The malibu Maxx isnt a bad looking car but it is soooo tiny inside its unbelievable lol.

If you pay the full tag price, that's your own dang fault for not trying to get them to come down. LOL Seriously though... if that's the car she wants, don't be afraid to make them an offer. There are lots of ways of legit getting the price down.

They have really cool ads? :biggrin:


Niki, what is your mother's car buying strategy? Do you lease the full term then buy, go lease to lease, or pay outright in cash and diamonds?

My suggestion for getting a higher priced car at the price you want is to find a monthly payment you can live with, and shop it around to the dealers in your area. Do anything to avoid haggling (e.g. say "thanks" and leave), and they'll do anything to try and reach your price (when they try and pull you back, leave a phone number).

I believe that is the JD Power survay which only covers the first year. Promising but still a gamble IMO.

1. Your mom could get a really nice e46 325it wagon even CPO for $25k. They ride very nicely and are a decent deal. E46 prices in general are falling with the e90 readily available.
2. Mazda continues to impress the heck out of me. So far it is the only japanese car that gets the "feeling" right. The 6 wagon is a good choice, probably more luxurious than the 3. Mazdaspeed options are prolly overkill for mumsies.
3. Have you driven a Chevy HHR? I rented one for a long drive and was very impressed. Not sure what colors she's into but mine was black on black and it looked sharp. Lots of power from the 4cyl even loaded up. Decked out and new MSRP is around $23k. Give it a look and tell me your take.
4. Saab(GM) also offers wagons and Volvo(Ford) too.

if you want to bring up saab.. you can pick up the "saabaru" 9-2X for cheap money new. They did not sell well and now that the plug has been pulled, any left on the lots are deeply discounted

Given that the Hyundai has a standard 10year/100k mile warranty I don't think there is really a better deal out there in terms of initial quality, cost, and long term maintenance costs.

If it is a rotary mazda engine it is expensive to maintain. A normal mazda probably runs between the cost of a domestic car and your standard cost of ownership on an import. A lot of parts on the mazda are shared with Ford so some of the parts can be really inexpensive.

American:
She might like the Malibu Max(x?) in black, but FWD.

Wierd:
The Saab version of the Impreza (9-2X) has sort of a grown-up interior and is less ugly than the subie.

Big, Nice Interior, AWD
Audi Allroad, Audi A6, Passat GLX 4-motion

Small, Nice Interior, FWD
Jetta wagon

Great all-rounders:
2002, 2003, 2004 E-46 325i wagon
2002, 2003 6-cyl 5-series wagon

The Audi and Mercedes Stubby wagons are also cool.

My Mom likes the Xb, Element, and the Honda step-wagon concept.

October '06 Motor Trend(free subscription)gave the nod to the Acura RDX in a 3-way with Toyota RAV4 V-6 and Mazda CX7. Said the Mazda wasn't bad, just not as good as the others. Toyota came in 2nd. If Mumsy's priority is straight-line acceleration, the Toyota V-6 beats the two I-4 turbos. Dunno if you're really trying to go SUV or the CX7 just caught your eye though.

My personal choice would be an E39 wagon.
http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...5&aff=national

I'm guessing mom does not put a priority on straight line acceleration, she just wants a nice car.

Saw the new Mazda CX-7 yesterday- nice from the rear (all I saw). Saw an HHR in blue this morning- seriously, check it out. But if you do go to a Chevy dealership, call ahead to get the name of the Corvette sales person. Then when you go, see them directly even if you get passed on to one of the leghumpers at the door (chances are you won't). When I checked out the HHR, it took 3 brainless salesmen to answer my question incorrectly (Q:Why no rear disc brakes? A:Because it has ABS! :no:). The Corvette salesman stepped in and embarassedly corrected what the salesman was telling me. It was hilarious.

ok guys here is an update, I am so appreciative of all your comments and suggestions it helps alot. My mom much rather have a station wagon or a crossover SUV that is brand new under 25,000 unless she could afford more it all depends. But no used cars, she had used cars all her life and wants something new for once and she definitely deserves it.

Here is what happened today:

I decided to go down to the Russell Mazda dealership and ask them some questions on the Mazda6 Sport wagon, after talking the salesman who was EXTREMELY nice was showing me the cx7, now I did my research before hand so I knew all the features but he actually went in depth with me. He took his time to show me every feature on the car even though he knew I wouldnt buy but he didnt push me into a purchase and he didnt have that well I dont want to waste my time on someone who isnt buying a car attitude. He showed me a fully loaded one, Navigation, Bose sound system all leather basically the works. After I started to fall in love with the car myself I just had to ask for a test drive to see if it really handled like a sports car and had the speed and performance that it was boasting about. Sure enough he brings me the keys, now get this it looks like a credit card with buttons that arm the alarm, I was like where is the key? He was like this is it, you dont need to put it in the ignition, turn the ignition without the key and bada bing bada boom the car starts. That was impressive, so as long as the key is in the car itself whether it be in your wallet, in the back seat or the cup holder the car will go on. That was a nifty trick. So I go onto US19 I wanted to get the hang of the car, the brakes were far more sensitive then the ti and the car picks up a hell of a lot faster also....with 104 more hp it better lol. So he wanted to take me onto a curvy road to really test the car out, I was nervous at first, I was like are you serious? I never test drove a new car or driven a brand new car in my life I didnt want to wreck it. So on a marked 25mph sharp sharp turn I floored it, the turbo kicks in and I am taking the turn at 45-50mph and it was like floating on air, it was so smooth so responsive I was so impressed. Then on a straight away he wanted me to gun it, he was like dont be scared just go for it, so I did the car pulls back you hear the turbo winding up and it was like someone strapped a rocket to the back of the car and it just flew. I know its not the fastest car in the world but it was the fastest I have ever driven and like I said the car is so responsive, its not sluggish, you dont feel it shift in automatic mode, we went over a really old brick road and not a single vibration just a few bumps could be felt. I couldnt believe this car, I got back to the dealership and I was like omg wow this car just completely changed my view on Japanese cars. So ending my little story this is my thoughts in cliff notes:

CX-7
Handling- very responsive and takes turns like a sports car, you forget its an SUV
Acceleration- like the tortuoise and the hare story, except I didnt stop to take a break I kept going
Comfort- the car rides like the road was practically just repaved, very smooth and it can handle those potholes on the road at 60mph and the car wont tug to the side it just keeps going like it didnt hit it
Interior- What can i say about this interior? The seats are incredibly soft and form fitting to the body, everything is accessible, the center arm rest that opens was made to hold a laptop and has a charger to charge the laptop or whatever you feel is neccessary. The navigation is easy to use and great, the sound being the bose system was phenominal, lots of leg room for both front and rear passengers, the back seats fold down with a flick of a handle right by the rear door (no more climbing in the back seat to fold them down). There is more but too much to list.
Exterior- The car just looks damn sexy, there I said it, the lights are aggressive, the lines and the curves of the car catch your eye with all the different paint schemes, the rear tailights are a little weird but different and thats always fun, nice large sporty rims.
Engine- 4 cyl. Turbo Charged 244hp mmm how much could you ask for

Price of the fully loaded was $31700 thats the one I test drove but it was on sale for $27,000 still not bad for all the features possible included in the car, you get performance, practicallity of a SUV with decent gas mileage (19 city 25 highway) looks great, drives great honestly I might consider one of these for myself after I get my mom to test drive this car. But no worries the ti is staying with me if I do.

No V-6 in the Mazda.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/..._specs_CX7.pdf
2007 CX-7
Turbocharged 2.3L DISI DOHC 16-valve inline-4


The Toyota V-6 mentioned above was 1 full second quicker than the CX-7 in the 1/4 mile.

Go drive the Acura RDX. According to the review I read, it was the real "driver's car" of the 3. It's "super handling AWD" sends more power to the rear wheels than the Mazda or Toyota, giving handling more like RWD.

http://www.acura.com/index.aspx?initPath=RDX


You should be able to get 10-20% off of any car that isn't a red-hot seller. Look in the Fri, Sat, + Sun paper for the best deals and call them up. If they say,"That one has been sold, ask if they have any others at "similar savings."
If they say no, call another dealer of that brand and tell them,"ABC Mazda has this car for ~$25,999(whatever price you saw in the paper), but they don't have it in blue(or whatever color you prefer.) Do you have a blue one? . . . Would you care to match that price?"

Take a guy(the older the better) with you when you are ready to buy. The salesmen who show you the cars are okay, but the finance guys who sit down with you to do the final paperwork will ream you with paint sealant, gap insurance, etc, etc. They will try to BS you and intimidate you. Sorry to sound sexist, but, IMO, guys are just better at dealing with this kind of BS. . . a calculator comes in handy too, and know about how much your total should be, including interest, before you sit down with this guy and start talking monthly payments. Always check what the total of all the monthly payments added up is. If you have your own financing from your bank beforehand, that's somehwat easier, but the dealer may have a better interest rate, and these guys will still try to slide in extras without telling you.

lol thanks Den that was a typo on my part it was late and i was falling asleep I meant to say four cylinder. I know what you mean about the bring a guy thing, i wouldnt go alone I would take my boyfriend he can probably talk down a car that was 26,000 to 20,000.

The M Roadster you wanted to buy wasn't any faster to you and better handling? Did you drive it at all?

Plus, the company formerly known as "Toyo Cork Co." aka Mazda, now is owned 33% by Ford and shares designs with Ford models. The CX-7 is built off the CD3 Platform which is shared with the Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, etc.

The Sport (base) version is only $24,310

I don't know much about this car, but I find it hard to compare to a sports car, especially "the fastest car you've ever driven." I wonder if that test model you drove was broken in yet, or else the future owner might have some issues with the motor.

Isn't an RDX gonna start around $40k??

Mazda's are good cars, but here are some more hatchback options (some have already been mentionied). Does she want to buy new, or whould she consider a used car? If you buy used try to get one that is certified.

Audi A3
Mercedes C230 Coupe (only 2 doors)
Lexus IS300 Sport-cross
Subaru Impreza WRX

2002, 2003, 2004 E-46 325i wagon
2002, 2003 6-cyl 5-series wagon

I say go for these.

maybe even a 540iT, as the price on those have dropped some. but there is nothing wrong with a 6cyl Touring, for a daily driver.

So, just to clarify:
SHE WANTS A NEW VEHICLE.

:biggrin:

JMJ