OverdrivePrime
Member
So in yet another example of why 2009 can kiss my ass, my Saturn's been given a death sentence by the mechanic. Or rather, there's a blown bearing in my transmission, and I have 3 options: rebuild the transmission and replace the clutch for $2,000, replace the transmission with a used one and replace the clutch for $2,100, or just keep driving my car into the fuckin' dirt and then donate it for a $1,500 tax write-off. I'm takin' door number three, since there's no damn way I'm sinking another 2 grand into a car that I've already spent a thousand dollars trying to rehab this year.
**** you, American car makers, and your ****-ass cars that don't even last 9 damn years. My wife's Toyota is 12 years old, and aside from its missing hubcaps and a messy interior, the thing is still like new. She changes the oil every 6,000 miles or so, we've replaced the tires twice and the battery once (though in retrospect we didn't need to). Other than that, the car has required zero maintenance.
So now I'm looking for a Japanese car. They're made in the USA anyway, so anyone who gives me **** about not being patriotic can help themselves to a mouth full of knuckles.
After much deliberation, I've decided that I want something about the same size as my old Saturn, that can haul my kayaks, has a hatchback, and costs less than $20,000. This is ideally going to be our primary car for the next 10-12 years, and hopefully when Patty's Corolla gives up the ghost in another 8 years or whatever, we'll be able to be a 1 car family. We've looked at new and used cars; to get a car that has a solid 10 years left in it, we really wouldn't be saving any money to get a used car unless we get a Toyota. If we were buying a more expensive car it might be worth it, but when the new ones start at 16-20 grand, there's not much difference.
We've narrowed it down from a list of 12 prospective cars to:
Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (2009 or 2010), 5 speed manual
Mazda 3 Sport (hatchback) (2010) 6 speed manual
Toyota Corolla S (2008-2010), 5 speed manual
Toyota Prius (2006-2010), Automatic 'cause they don't make 'em with a manual transmission
The Mazda 3 was definitely the most comfortable and had the best laid-out interior and ride, and the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport was right on it's heels. The Corolla is probably out of the picture, even though I think its engine is like unto a tiny god of endurance, but the Prius is extremely attractive to me as I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing $5 gas by 2012, and it is amazingly roomy and rides very nice. The Prius isn't quite as fun to drive as the Mazda 3 or Outback Sport, but it's got a surprising amount of zip, and actually had a larger back seat area than the Mazda 3 and Outback sport. Ultimately, I think it's going to come down to which car is more cost effective over the course of its life, and that'll probably be the Prius. I gotta run some numbers and take a few more test drives.
What do you guys think? Best hatchback under $22,000?
**** you, American car makers, and your ****-ass cars that don't even last 9 damn years. My wife's Toyota is 12 years old, and aside from its missing hubcaps and a messy interior, the thing is still like new. She changes the oil every 6,000 miles or so, we've replaced the tires twice and the battery once (though in retrospect we didn't need to). Other than that, the car has required zero maintenance.
So now I'm looking for a Japanese car. They're made in the USA anyway, so anyone who gives me **** about not being patriotic can help themselves to a mouth full of knuckles.
After much deliberation, I've decided that I want something about the same size as my old Saturn, that can haul my kayaks, has a hatchback, and costs less than $20,000. This is ideally going to be our primary car for the next 10-12 years, and hopefully when Patty's Corolla gives up the ghost in another 8 years or whatever, we'll be able to be a 1 car family. We've looked at new and used cars; to get a car that has a solid 10 years left in it, we really wouldn't be saving any money to get a used car unless we get a Toyota. If we were buying a more expensive car it might be worth it, but when the new ones start at 16-20 grand, there's not much difference.
We've narrowed it down from a list of 12 prospective cars to:
Subaru Impreza Outback Sport (2009 or 2010), 5 speed manual
Mazda 3 Sport (hatchback) (2010) 6 speed manual
Toyota Corolla S (2008-2010), 5 speed manual
Toyota Prius (2006-2010), Automatic 'cause they don't make 'em with a manual transmission
The Mazda 3 was definitely the most comfortable and had the best laid-out interior and ride, and the Subaru Impreza Outback Sport was right on it's heels. The Corolla is probably out of the picture, even though I think its engine is like unto a tiny god of endurance, but the Prius is extremely attractive to me as I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing $5 gas by 2012, and it is amazingly roomy and rides very nice. The Prius isn't quite as fun to drive as the Mazda 3 or Outback Sport, but it's got a surprising amount of zip, and actually had a larger back seat area than the Mazda 3 and Outback sport. Ultimately, I think it's going to come down to which car is more cost effective over the course of its life, and that'll probably be the Prius. I gotta run some numbers and take a few more test drives.
What do you guys think? Best hatchback under $22,000?
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