And now what did you do TODAY?

[luvdunhill]

I dunno, unlimited PTO with vacation stipends?

[aardvark baguette]

amen

[shellylh]

One should always max out with any sort of matching program!

[aardvark baguette]

i always think back to all my high school minimum wage jobs  

helps to put everything i squandered in perspective

tomorrow is a new day and all that

[Absorbine_Sr]

Tried one last visit to Hot Doug's but the line was twice as long as the day we waited like five hours. So we called an audible and went for a nice breakfast.

[CarlSeibert]

TMoney - somebody more or less said it, but I'll second the motion. If you decide to go used, look for a car that's been on the lot for 90 days and a fleet manager who will be straight with you. They'll usually dump a vehicle like that for what they have in it. Some fixable cosmetic flaw can be your friend. My Crown Vic had overspray on the paint. I nabbed it for $7500, paid with a bad check, and $125 worth of Homer the detail man's time later I had a car worth at least $5k more than I paid. I've had it for 10 years.

(I did ask in advance about the check and I did make it good. "How do you want pay?" "Would a bad check be ok?" "Sure. No worries." Point being that people can be amazingly cool if you're straight up in negotiations and expect the best. [/End feel good message])

Disclaimer - on the other hand, some used car salesmen are irredeemable dicks...

Good hunting!

Edited September 26, 2014 by CarlSeibert

[Salt Peanuts]

Accompanied my daughter to field trip with her daycare.  The good time was had by all.

[crappyjones123]

Second time my car just turned off on the highway while I was driving it.

Went looking for cars as well. Purchased a Honda civic a while back which I traded with my mom shortly after for her shitty suv. Paid for the civic in full when I walked out of the dealership. Really wish I hadn't done that now.

[TMoney]

After a long day of test driving I decided to go with the Subaru WRX! I'm super excited. It was an absolute blast to drive. You lose a lot of the tech features on some of the other cars I drove but it feels like you get a more sporty car in return. I just wish I knew how to drive manual so that I might be tempted by the STI version. That being said, I wouldn't be caught dead showing up to a meeting driving a car with a wing on it, so just going regular WRX, no STI.

 

I also really liked the Mazda 6. IMO it was the best looking car inside and out that I drove today, but it just needs a little more ooomph. If they ever do a MazdaSpeed 6 now that would really be something. Mazda is on to something here. I sat in (but didn't drive) the Mazda 3 as well. Its a great looking car, but the 6 felt a lot less cramped on the inside. Sat in a Miata too. It felt great when the top is down. It felt really cramped with the top up. I wish I could get one as a secondary car.

 

The Camry SE was also very impressive. I've always thought of the Camry as being boring, but it was quite a bit more sporty than the exterior would lead you to believe. The V6 had plenty of get-up-and-go and the handling was very good. The 2015 model looks like it is going to be a great buy. I looked at the Avalon as well but it didn't look like it was for me.

 

Also drove the Acura TLX. A bit more pricey, but its a hell of a lot more than an Accord Plus. This car had the best tech of the ones I drove by a mile. In fact, it was really the only car where the tech made much sense to me. On the downside, I did not at all care for the 9 speed transmission. Yeah, it made for smooth acceleration but it killed the sporty feel. Even in sport mode. Still, probably my 2nd or 3rd favorite.

 

Last was the Accord V6. Yeah... I've driven Accords before. The V6 is surprisingly responsive, but the car had floaty handling compared to the others. They don't seem to offer a V6 4-door model with a sporty suspension. I was wondering whether or not a TLX would be worth the price premium over the loaded Accord, but now I don't need to wonder anymore. It absolutely is if you can spring it.

 

At the end of the day, the Subaru is for me. It has a sporty suspension without being too unforgiving, and its an absolute blast to drive around. I can't wait to go bombing around in it.

 

Thanks everyone for all the advice!

 

 

Edit: This review basically matches my impressions exactly.

 

Edited September 27, 2014 by TMoney

[robm321]

Wise decision. Congrats!

[shellylh]

Thanks for the comments!  The WRX is way too young/sporty looking for hubby, the new Acura TLX looks very nice.  We'll definitely check that out when we get around to test driving cars.   We did end up renting a 2014 Ford Fusion (with ecoboost) this weekend and I didn't like it as much as our 2004 Accord v6 so that car is definitely out.  

[n_maher]

Congrat!!

[Dusty Chalk]

Well done!  You thought the Mazda3 was more cramped than the Mazda6, but how did it compare with the WRX?  Not doubting your decision, your impressions match everything I heard about all cars, and I think you made a great choice, just curious...I'm actually glad the 3 is as (not) big as it is, it'll keep me from gaining any more weight, I think.

[TMoney]

Thanks for the comments!  The WRX is way too young/sporty looking for hubby, the new Acura TLX looks very nice.  We'll definitely check that out when we get around to test driving cars.   We did end up renting a 2014 Ford Fusion (with ecoboost) this weekend and I didn't like it as much as our 2004 Accord v6 so that car is definitely out.  

 

If you and your partner drive an Accord and want to eventually upgrade to something a bit more luxurious and refined then I can't recommend the TLX enough (if it is within your budget!). It was a fantastic and refined ride, smooth, quiet, and it had plenty of power. You'd be amazed at how much of a step of it feels from a loaded Accord. It probably ranked 2nd of the cars I drove.

 

That being said, one of my bosses drives a 2014 Acura TL and I just don't think I can show up at work driving a better car than him. I don't think that would go over well. I crossed any BMW off the list for the same reason. It just didn't feel like a good idea.

 

I also thought about trying the Fusion, but there are a number of them that park in my work parking lot and I don't really love the Aston Martin-y looks of it.

 

 

Well done!  You thought the Mazda3 was more cramped than the Mazda6, but how did it compare with the WRX?  Not doubting your decision, your impressions match everything I heard about all cars, and I think you made a great choice, just curious...I'm actually glad the 3 is as (not) big as it is, it'll keep me from gaining any more weight, I think.

 

Size wise the WRX is slightly smaller than the 6, but still larger than the 3. I sat in the back seat of each of em and they all would be fine, I just liked the slightly bigger size of the WRX and the 6. Those Mazdas are darn fine cars. The dealer lot/showroom had only one 6 on display but about a million 3s. Goes to show which one is the better seller . We actually had to drive to their back-up lot to go try the 6 as the only other 6 was the one in the showroom!

 

--

 

In the end, it seemed pretty clear to me that each manufacturer made certain trade-offs to hit the 25-30k sweet spot price point for loaded mid-size 4 door sedans. As such, each car has a slightly different flavor. I was really glad to be able to test drive them all and experience it for myself. You can only learn so much from their websites. There is no bad car in the bunch. The market at the 25-30k price point is just too competitive to tolerate anything sub-par.

 

My preference for something sporty but still fine for the types of long highway drives that I have to do for work lead me to the Subaru. Its pretty clear they traded off some of the cabin tech and some of the other luxuries like lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, etc. that the rest of the competition has. It was a trade-off I am willing to make, but definitely we all will have different priorities.

Edited September 28, 2014 by TMoney

[grawk]

I can't imagine worrying about having a nicer car than my boss. Everyone has different priorities.

[TMoney]

Depends on the boss, natch.

 

Also, boss is a partner, I'm an associate.

Edited September 28, 2014 by TMoney

[blessingx]

He may know his boss.

That said, my mother once after an accident bought the same model and color of her previous car as she didn't want the neighbors thinking she went out and bought a "showy" new car. Yes, my family usually looks at the ground.

[Dusty Chalk]

The dealer lot/showroom had only one 6 on display but about a million 3s. Goes to show which one is the better seller . We actually had to drive to their back-up lot to go try the 6 as the only other 6 was the one in the showroom!

Well, I don't mean to get all Jacob ants-in-pants-y about Mazda3s, but historically, they've been great sellers, the 6s, not as much, although they've steadily been getting better.  And they adjust their manufacturing numbers to try to match anticipated sales, so they may have just not anticipated how much better the 6 was going to sell this year vs. the 3.

 

And thanks for your impressions, I didn't realize the WRX had gotten that much bigger, it (as the Impreza) used to be significantly smaller.  Sounds like you got exactly what you were after.

[guzziguy]

Here are Mazda sales according to goodcarbadcar.net, both the Mazda3 and CX-5 are outselling the Mazda6 so far in 2014 (1st column is ytd July 2014, 2nd column is ytd July 2013, 3rd column is 2013-2014 change, 4th column is July 2014, 5th column is July 2013, 6th colum is 2013-2014 July change):

 

#46 Mazda 3 61,529 61,937 -0.7% 9381 9236 1.6%

#50 Mazda CX-5 59,384 45,880 29.4% 9109 7825 16.4%

#85 Mazda 6 31,967 25,115 27.3% 5049 3447 46.5%

#149 Mazda CX-9 10,931 16,756 -34.8% 1678 2084 -19.5%

#157 Mazda 2 10,032 6394 56.9% 2075 800 159%

#170 Mazda 5 8762 10,023 -12.6% 1547 922 67.8%

#211 Mazda MX-5 Miata 3062 3812 -19.7% 399 663 -39.8%

 

See table at http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2014/08/usa-auto-sales-rankings-by-make-model-july-2014-ytd-sales-figures.html for information of all brands.

 

 

Edit:

 

I agree with your analyses on the Mazda6 and the Mazda3.  While being smaller than the Mazda6, the Mazda3 is much sportier.  For me, the Mazda was the best combination of efficiency, sportiness, luxury, and cargo carrying ability of all the cars I looked at.  It won my my heart.

 

Congrats on your choice.  It seems the best for what you were looking for.

Edited September 28, 2014 by guzziguy

[CarlSeibert]

Went for anniversary weekend at a fancy hotel on the beach. It was only 35 blocks away, but it was very 'vacation'.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Well, I don't mean to get all Jacob ants-in-pants-y about Mazda3s, but historically, they've been great sellers, the 6s, not as much, although they've steadily been getting better. And they adjust their manufacturing numbers to try to match anticipated sales, so they may have just not anticipated how much better the 6 was going to sell this year vs. the 3.

And thanks for your impressions, I didn't realize the WRX had gotten that much bigger, it (as the Impreza) used to be significantly smaller. Sounds like you got exactly what you were after.

The first time I saw the newest WRX I thought that Subaru had brought back the Legacy GT, so it did look bigger to me. I like them.

But our local dealer was sold out till December, and we liked the Turbo Forester too, so we got that rather than wait for a WRX or buy from someone else. We've been loyal and bought 5 Subaru since 2000 from one salesman at the local dealership, as we always get a great discount plus a good trade-in price. I got $4K off sticker (less than invoice) and full blue book trade-in on the old car (private sale woulda brought in about $1500 more in exchange for more PiTA).

Also, didn't know they brought back automatic transmissions to the WRX. My chronic tendinitis makes driving a stick more difficult, due to the clutch! Making me get rid of my 2004 STi.

So Congrats TMo!!!

Edited September 29, 2014 by HeadphoneAddict

[Grahame]

Got poshed up for a wedding in wine country.

[justin]

filed a complaint with the BBB against the BBB for wasting 20 minutes of my time, i'm not paying you $40/mo in protection money

[Grahame]

@ Larry's love fest

[blessingx]

That doesn't look like Lanai... yet.