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Looking to buy a used car
Jasconius
sword criminalmad onlineRegistered User regular
sword criminalmad onlineRegistered User regular
The time has come for me to upgrade my ride. I am looking for something a little more sporty than my mid size sedan (2000 Saturn LS 2). Definitely pre-owned.
The Mazda Rx-8 has really caught my eye, I have really no experience driving a stick shift so I am more interested in the auto edition.
Has anyone had one of those or hear anything anecdotal about them?
Any other similar cars by other manufacturers I should keep an eye out for within my price range? (10-15k).
The Mazda Rx-8 has really caught my eye, I have really no experience driving a stick shift so I am more interested in the auto edition.
Has anyone had one of those or hear anything anecdotal about them?
Any other similar cars by other manufacturers I should keep an eye out for within my price range? (10-15k).
this is a discord of mostly PA people interested in fighting games: https://discord.gg/DZWa97d5rz
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
Jasconius on
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The point of having something sporty is to make driving fun. Buying a sporty automatic is like buying a computer game, then setting it to 0 players and watching it be played. You lose half the experience of driving.
I seriously cannot recommend enough learning to drive stick if you want to enjoy a car.
That said, I'd look into Mustangs (according to kbb.org you can get an 05 GT for ~$15k), Civic SI's (way sportier than you'd think), Miata's (same), Acura Integras, and Subaru WRX's. All are very fun to drive.
Best thing, actually, is to go find some car dealerships and start test driving, get a feel for what you like and what you don't.
Yes I've been to Edmunds and read up on the model I am looking at.
To Than, I hear you loud and clear and I am aware of the principles, I am actually going tomorrow to look at two different RX-8's, one is manual, one is auto. I've only driven manual around parking lots and while I know it's not that hard I'm not confident that I would enjoy it as much (ie get tired of it). But that's why I'm going to check out both.
I'm bringing a friend who drives stick and she's going to help me test drive it.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
Seriously, if I can do it, anyone can do it. And if you enjoy driving, you'll enjoy driving a stick even more.
This is to say nothing of the slight gas mileage advantage, and the huge maintenance advantage (stick shifts cost way less to replace/maintain).
I heard that about the maintenance recently, but what's the science to that? I mean, other than the fact that manual transmissions are cheaper, do they wear less somehow?
I may force myself into getting the manual because the trim is much more awesome than the auto.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
You'll know it's gone because it will slip, that is, when your foot is off the pedal the engine will rev up (as you hit the gas) without the car speeding up.
The clutch is basically a brake, if that helps understand how it works, so it will wear out over time. Generally I tell people to assume that the process of learning to drive stick will use up a clutch, so prepare yourself for replacing it.
There are fewer moving parts in a manual transmission, and it's much simpler and cheaper to replace.
I've heard that about clutches, Yod, but I didn't wear out a clutch when I learned, and like I said, it took me a long-ass time.
Talk to your friends and family. See if someone is willing to teach you. Buy them booze/gifts/dinner if necessary. For what it's worth, I think knowing how to drive a manual should be mandatory.
Here's a good primer on how manual transmissions work.
Regarding the RX-8:
Do some research on the rotary engine inside it. Basically, you're dealing with an engine that's radically different from the normal V or Straight system. From memory, the RX-8 is a 1.8L - which is small, but due to the rotary build, gets a lot of high rev power. Also, it is designed to burn oil, so take that into consideration. More or less, every other time you fill up, you're going to need to add oil.
Jalopnik has a pretty accurate review of the RX-8 here. Take a few minutes and read it. Basically, it's a pretty cool car with some significant quirks.
From personal experience:
I test drove an RX-8, and while I enjoyed it, I was not blown away. I ended up buying a 2005 Infiniti G35 Coupe (6 speed manual), which I've had for just over a month, and fucking covet. I love it. Hard. And fast. Frequently. If you're able to put off your purchase and save a little more, I'd vehemently suggest looking into the G35. Because it's sex. On wheels.
And whatever you do, don't buy an automatic.
It's really not as much trouble as people make it out to be.
Yeah, the hills in SF can be a bit of a bitch until you get used to them (or, failing that, learn to drive around them or something). I personally feel that the trade off is worth it. Yes, it's not too much fun in gridlock, but on open highway / curvy backroads / et cetera, it's absolutely worth it. Once you've become comfortable with a 5 (or 6!) speed, there's no going back to a slushbox automatic.
Also, you generally get a few more MPG out of a manual. Not a huge difference, but with gas as costly as it is, anything helps. And for some models, you'll get more horses with a manual, as the auto-tranny can only handle so much power. For example, my 6-speed G35 has 298hp, whereas the automatic version has 280hp.