New Car for Mommy. Suggestions?

[Den]

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

[96cali]

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! ). The Corvette salesman stepped in and embarassedly corrected what the salesman was telling me. It was hilarious.

[bmwracerchick]

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.

[Den]

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.

[bmwracerchick]

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.

[pnosker]

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.

[96cali]

Originally Posted by Den

Go drive the Acura RDX. According to the review I read, it was the real "driver's car" of the 3.

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

[wasabinuki]

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

[Panzer_M]

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.

[roadrash]

Originally Posted by wasabinuki

Does she want to buy new, or whould she consider a used car?

Originally Posted by bmwracerchick

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.

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



JMJ

[bmwracerchick]

lol thanks roadrash for clarifying that. Panzer I would love her to go with something like a BMW but in all honesty I dont want her having a used BMW and paying for the maintanence later. Plus its cheaper interest wise to buy a new car compared to a used plus a used comes with a warrenty that is better then nothing or the 3 months warranty that come with used cars usually.

pnosker: No i didnt get to drive the m roadster I am still shaking at shifting and in all honesty need to start thinking of a family friendly vehicle as my next car for that next step in life. The cx-7 I drove was actually their demo car that they used for the employees in Orlando to test drive the car in all circumstances (basically defensive driving and performance training so they know what they will be selling to customers) so the car had 12,000 miles on it already. So to answer your question it is the fastest car I have myself ever driven. Before that was my attempt to drive my boyfriends manual GLI with 180hp. The cx-7 really did to me felt more like a car then a SUV and I have driven SUVs of that size and bigger so that I could compare at least. The car does have excellent pick up.

The Acura would be nice but way toooo much money thanks anyways Den. I will still be going out looking talking to different salesmen about different cars and asking for test drives now that I got my first ever test drive out of the way I am not so nervous to say give me the keys I want to drive!

.....to be continued....

[twomato]

Does she like the Volvo V70? At half the price? I bought my mom, and my wife, a Ford Freestyle which is built on the V70 chassis. So far, so good at 2 years old and 30K miles. It would be a new car for her with a good warranty also.

[Den]

Originally Posted by bmwracerchick

l need to start thinking of a family friendly vehicle as my next car for that next step in life. . .

Awwwwwww

Originally Posted by 96cali

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

Base price ~$33k. I think the base model comes pretty well equipped because the only option selected on the one in the comparison test was a $4k 'technology package' w/ a bunch of gizmos that I can live without, and they were trying to test 'full-boat deluxe' models. So I'd skip the Nintendo package and get a base model, probably for less than $30k. If you must have GPS, get one of those hand-held GPS's or just use your phone.

http://www.google.com/gmm/index.html

http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4639088

[bmwracerchick]

Originally Posted by Den

Awwwwwww

lol I forgot to add: that will make me happy that has performance but I can fit any kids I may have drop them off and all the other kids will be like WOOOO YOUR MOM DRIVES THAT! Hells yea mommy mobile be rockin lol

that wont be for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time though

[Den]

This wagon looks pretty damn interesting. Same motor as in the CX-7, but tuned for +30hp and put in a car that's ~800 lbs lighter.

http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...mingMS3&bhcp=1


might not be able to get a big discount though because they are only importing 5,000.