Automobiles

[Eddie]

We're looking for a new ride.

Single-car family. $15k max, room for small kids, long-term reliability (mostly likely will have used up first 100k on odo). MANUAL tranny, and it has to be at least a little bit fun to drive (I've spent most of my life driving a SUV)!!!

Besides something like an Impreza anything else I need to look at? How are the Mazda 3s long term?

Jason:

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...tml#post343283

Love it. Check out Auto Trader and see what you can find. They're out there. BTW I said B6 in that post but meant B7. I have to believe you can find a B7 manual with less thank 100K miles in your price range.

BTW - Some friends of ours picked up an Acura TSX over one of these and in the end are disappointed over the lack of power.

[christian]

Saw that posted on Advrider. Your buddy did a good job bringing it back to life. Anyone with a pulse who liked motorcycles in the 1990s remembers those and Dr. John. Lust for sure, but not in the cards for me. But I'd rather have the world's fastest tractor than almost any two-wheeled Audi! Well, a 750 F1 Laguna Seca would be fun!

[Riders120]

Should your car be worth more than your bikes?

[davids]

We're looking for a new ride.

Single-car family. $15k max, room for small kids, long-term reliability (mostly likely will have used up first 100k on odo). MANUAL tranny, and it has to be at least a little bit fun to drive (I've spent most of my life driving a SUV)!!!

Besides something like an Impreza anything else I need to look at? How are the Mazda 3s long term?

I just drove a Mazda 3 for a week as a rental, and was very impressed. My only complaints are that it's noisy on bad pavement (better tires might mitigate this) and had a jumble of disparate dashboard lighting. It was a pleasure to drive, both on the long boring stretches of highway between the Bay Area and the Sierras, and on the twisty up-and-down two lanes in Yosemite. And I averaged over 40 mpg for the week.

They have a reputation for excellent reliability.

[Brandon White]

I just drove a Mazda 3 for a week as a rental, and was very impressed. My only complaints are that it's noisy on bad pavement (better tires might mitigate this) and had a jumble of disparate dashboard lighting. It was a pleasure to drive, both on the long boring stretches of highway between the Bay Area and the Sierras, and on the twisty up-and-down two lanes in Yosemite. And I averaged over 40 mpg for the week.

They have a reputation for excellent reliability.

Another surprising thumbs up for Mazda from me too. Had a Mazda 6 as a rental car for a week and was pleased. I think utility wise, the 3 is a good idea.

[hampco]

+1 on the Mazda3 - I'd get another in a heartbeat. It holds an AirCaddy box and/or all the crap I need for short road trips and is fun enough driving around town.

I sometimes kick myself for not testing the Mazdaspeed3 version but do I really NEED 250 hp?

[jitahs]

I drove the Speed3...for me the clutch is too heavy in traffic, steering is heavy at low speed, too much torque steer when you get on it, too thirstierer. otoh the older base 3 is fantastic.

Newer Mazdas come in close to the very top in reliability ratings.

[Jason Musgrave]

cool. There's a 2008 Speed3 here in town that I've been meaning to go drive.

[davids]

Independent confirmation of the awesome bicycle-automobile symbiosis I bought into:

534361_10150905550912410_85299287409_9799846_1757693971_n.jpg 556178_10150905551037410_727486937_n.jpg

If that's not proof I don't know what is.

[christian]

Wait, you bought a TSX wagon? Cool. Do you and the other 11 North American owners get together and drink beer on Tuesdays, and compare notes on the VW Phaetons you used to own?

Just kidding. It's a fantastic car, and its lack of popularity in the US is mystifying.

[Jason Musgrave]

I could be down with one of those - as long as they come manual...

[christian]

Alas, no. Paddly-slush only in the US.

[Jayme]

Independent confirmation of the awesome bicycle-automobile symbiosis I bought into:

534361_10150905550912410_85299287409_9799846_1757693971_n.jpg 556178_10150905551037410_727486937_n.jpg

If that's not proof I don't know what is.

Wait, you bought a TSX wagon? Cool. Do you and the other 11 North American owners get together and drink beer on Tuesdays, and compare notes on the VW Phaetons you used to own?

Just kidding. It's a fantastic car, and its lack of popularity in the US is mystifying.

At least you guys get the choice. Our Outback Sport is about to crap out and the options in Canada are severely limited. TSX wagon isn't available.

Jayme

[rmplum]

Wait, you bought a TSX wagon? Cool. Do you and the other 11 North American owners get together and drink beer on Tuesdays, and compare notes on the VW Phaetons you used to own?

Just kidding. It's a fantastic car, and its lack of popularity in the US is mystifying.

The purchasing habits of people here are frustrating. We couldn't give away Legacy wagons, which work better for 90% of people than the Outbacks they buy to make Whole Foods runs, and a new crossover (with worse fuel economy and less utility than most wagons) is introduced every week it seems like. But hey, it looks like a truck, so you're bada$$, right?

My favorite company car was my 2005 Legacy GT wagon with the 5-speed manual. By far. It was fast enough, reasonable fuel efficient for a 2.5L turbo, rode nicely and had plenty of cargo space. And we sold that config for only one year. I was sad when I had to turn it back in after only 12 short months.

[christian]

My favorite company car was my 2005 Legacy GT wagon with the 5-speed manual.

The whole crew of Subaru dudes I know on Long Island all have that car. And all in the blue/gray metallic color. Before that, they all had WRXs, and before that, identical 2.5RS. They're like a toddler-dad version of the Hells Angels. Or like the guys from Right Said Fred. But yes, agreed, best car Subaru has built.

Want to start a club? We could call it "No elephant-hide plastic fake-tion wagons" and make bumper stickers that say "My other car is a Rubbermaid bin" and "My other trash can is a Isuzu Vehicross" and paste them on Outbacks, XC70s, and other testosterone-station-wagons. Also, we'll beat down owners of that Murano Convertible thing on sight. That can't be a crime.

[cody.wms]

My favorite company car was my 2005 Legacy GT wagon with the 5-speed manual. By far. It was fast enough, reasonable fuel efficient for a 2.5L turbo, rode nicely and had plenty of cargo space. And we sold that config for only one year. I was sad when I had to turn it back in after only 12 short months.

Hey, if you have an NOS one sitting in a closet somewhere at work, leeme know, OK?

I think that my co-workers and I have had the wagon discussion about a million times at this point, and they always go for something bigger, mainly because they plan on having the second or third kid, and need somewhere to stuff them. But I really wish the 05 era Legacy still existed. I wouldn't mind a bit more room than my 11 Impreza, but I don't want an effing truck.

[OnTheEllipse]

I have an '08 Outback. What I really wanted was a Legacy GT, but I had to keep telling myself my priorities were 1)Wagon, 2) Reliability and 3) Fuel Economy...in that order. Sold a turbo Volvo to get all 3 qualities.

There's a V70R and an S4 Avant in my neighborhood. I covet both, but I'd have to double my salary to feel comfortable owning (maintaining) one of them.

Edit: For what it's worth, the Outback is super slow, handles like shit and has the goofiest gearing ratios ever, but I love it. I don't know why.

[rmplum]

The whole crew of Subaru dudes I know on Long Island all have that car. And all in the blue/gray metallic color. Before that, they all had WRXs, and before that, identical 2.5RS. They're like a toddler-dad version of the Hells Angels. Or like the guys from Right Said Fred. But yes, agreed, best car Subaru has built.

Want to start a club? We could call it "No elephant-hide plastic fake-tion wagons" and make bumper stickers that say "My other car is a Rubbermaid bin" and "My other trash can is a Isuzu Vehicross" and paste them on Outbacks, XC70s, and other testosterone-station-wagons. Also, we'll beat down owners of that Murano Convertible thing on sight. That can't be a crime.

That used to be me. 2.5RS (98, Black w/gold wheels that I sold my 944 and 95 Legacy sedan to buy). Sold that about two years after starting here, and then back to back WRX wagons as my assigned cars before the Leg GT got here. Those 1st gen WRX wagons are good cars if you don't have small kids in rear-facing child seats. I put 20k miles on a 2002 and a 2003 without any transmission issues then mostly hogged the STI prototype around here till the 05 Leg GT came.

Outbacks and Foresters pay the bills now. Seriously, can't build enough of em. Crazy.

[davids]

Wait, you bought a TSX wagon? Cool. Do you and the other 11 North American owners get together and drink beer on Tuesdays, and compare notes on the VW Phaetons you used to own?

Just kidding. It's a fantastic car, and its lack of popularity in the US is mystifying.

Yep, my third Acura/fourth Honda. It's a lovely car, very well balanced. It does everything well (OK, except accelerate from a standstill - it does 50 to 80 just fine, thanks) and has no real faults.

I, too, am mystified as to why Americans don't buy wagons. I carried two bikes and two large bags to Ballers' and averaged well over 30mpg (almost 35 from DC to Boston, actually) going 75 with the AC set to 69. 1300 miles and I saw one just other TSX Wagon.

Ergott started shooting some video of it Sunday morning, but then for some reason got distracted until near the very end:

[rmplum]

Hey, if you have an NOS one sitting in a closet somewhere at work, leeme know, OK?

I happened upon this car last month when doing a project in NJ. Just sitting there. I'd hit it.

SEMA 2009: Subaru Builds a 300-hp Legacy Wagon… and We Want It | AutoGuide.com News

The biggest bummer about those 05 Legacies if you can find one is that the stock radio systems are AM/FM/CD only - and they are non DIN and integrated with the HVAC controls. Nowhere to plug in your satellite radio or iPod, and can't just pop in an aftermarket head unit. I was able to salvage a radio and input from a later test car (aux inputs came along for either 06 or 07 model year) and swapped it into my buddy's 05 Obk so he could finally plug in his iPod.