Buying new - Need advise

[Seyda]

I'll get right to it. I'm 19 years old, so I'm new to the new car scene. I've been driving since 15 1/2, and due to the loss of one parent and the illnesses of the other, I usually end up driving him around. Our insurance guy (who we're great friends with) knows the owner of the local Mazda dealership, and he's talked to him for me, said he can get me any car on the lot I want at cost. I've been drooling over the MazdaSpeed3 the moment I first read about it a long time ago. I just love the hatchback look, the performance, and the fact that when I pull up to church or whatever it is I'm doing, it's not an in-your-face kind of car. It seems to really personify the kind of person I am. Plus, nobody I know even drives a Mazda, making mine quite unique.

I would really *really* appreciate anything you guys can tell me, whether it be what to look for while I'm on the lot, advise on what options to get, color, whatever. I don't have any experience in this... I already know that I want to get a 2008.5 GT, and the car I just looked at on the lot today (it's Sunday, just browsing) said it could play MP3s. That's a feature that only the 08.5s have, right?

I know that it's probably going to be too much car for me, especially with my limited experience with stick shift, but it's definitely the car I want. Besides, the way I see it, I want to enjoy the speedy little stick shift four door while I can before I ultimately get tied down in a few years. Lol, it's either this, or a motorcycle, which isn't gunna happen =P

Thank you so very much

 

[BlueWolfCry]

Welcome to the forum! I think the Speed3 is a great car for the buck. There are gonna be a lot of ppl who are gonna say that it shouldn't be driven by a person who haven't driven manuals or it's too fast for a 19 yr old or whatever bs. It's not a ferrari...so I would def go for it!!

As far as the options for the car and etc, I'm not sure about.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the car uses premium gas and with gas at $4+, it's gonna suck filling it up. It's not a gas guzzler, but it's also not the best mpg. Best of luck to you!

 

[justa4banger]

ENjoy paying insurance on the MS3 at 19yrs old........

 

[pointysticks]

i promise not to go into one of those, "you know what i was driving at your age?" rants. i promise.

first off, sorry for the one loss of a parent. btdt. it sucks. is the MS3 going to meet the needs of the remaining parental unit? too low, too loud...the damn bolsters? check first. also i agree with the guy above. call your insurance company and check the premiums. they could be crazy high for you! but i dont know you, or your financial deal. you are getting the car at cost..sweet. but still, make the dealership answer all the ques. you just worry about the color, and the little details...good luck

 

[AutoXRacer]

Welcome to the forum! I think the Speed3 is a great car for the buck. There are gonna be a lot of ppl who are gonna say that it shouldn't be driven by a person who haven't driven manuals or it's too fast for a 19 yr old or whatever bs. It's not a ferrari...so I would def go for it!!

As far as the options for the car and etc, I'm not sure about.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the car uses premium gas and with gas at $4+, it's gonna suck filling it up. It's not a gas guzzler, but it's also not the best mpg. Best of luck to you!

Do you even own a MS3...? I don't think you should be giving advice on a car you don't even own... (not trying to be mean, just real)

With that, I will say I don't recommend this car to a newbie driver, especially someone with limited manual driving. Though, I am not saying don't buy it either... Its your money, you'll eventually have to learn on something, etc...

This car has a good tranny, though you have to treat it with care...kind of delicate but robust at the same time if you know what I mean. It won't tolerate much mishaps. Also, the clutch is strong and able to take hard driving...but with this kind of torque, you need to be very careful not to ride the clutch and to only have your foot on the clutch when you are going to take off or shift...otherwise, get off the clutch. This clutch will easily burn up without even knowing it.

The word of caution with driving this car will be torque steer. When you hammer it, the steering wheel will want to go its own way/jump out of your hands. The car will steer from one side to the other. And lastly, it loves to under-steer, which means if you are going too fast and try to turn, it will keep going straight.

Thats all I can think of... It's a beast in my book and it needs quite a bit of respect if you don't want to end up like a few ex-MS3 owners. Its way too easy to reach triple digits on this car. Also, I fill up every 4 days at +$55 a tank...just something to think about.

Good luck!!!(2thumbs)

 

[mrjoshyman]

im 18, this is my first manual car -- and i would have to agree with the comment regarding the transmission....i would make sure that ur pretty solid @ driving stick b4 picking up this car...

in regards to insurance.....any car @ 18/19 is expensive -- this car isn't too ridiculous compared to others & if you piggy back off your parent's plan you will save some money, not to mention many insurance companies offer discounts for various things: good grades in school, proof of a drivers ed course, a defensive driving course, etc. -- wen figuring out insurance, see what type of discounts you could get.....

most of all GL! -- i love this car & would highly recommend it. But be warned the torque steer is real, & this car has got a lot of power....so if you get it, don't nail it the first day.....slowly adapt to the power/handling of the car....

 

[wisniaPl]

I'm 19 And propably had more cars than other people at age of 30......however my insurance Is way cheaper than it was on dodge intrepid(one way insurence)....I was driving since I was 17....mrjoshyman is right this car got power...at begining this car scared me but now I think its slow and want more power.... I you dont have good insurance rate think about it again...or if you can ask your dad if he can take car on his name(insurance)

 

[Hyun]

Sometimes im not sure if you guys are talking about cars like z06 or grocery getter.

 

[Antoniogut]

im 19 too and i love this car...it is pretty quick..not like z06 quick...but evo quick (just raced one and beat him by a bumper so i dont wanna hear its not evo quick) anyways, insurance isnt TOO bad i have to pay like 160 a month which to me, isnt that bad for full coverage on a turbo car with a past ticket....but yes learn the stick before getting this because it is a bit trickier than most. GL...oh and what color you gettin?

 

[Seyda]

Thanks guys so much!

You make very good points about the insurance. It's a commonly overlooked fact of life. We've been paying pretty high insurance rates the past few years now anyways, simply due to the fact that I fit into the single male age 18-25 demographic. My rates are already high for that simple reason, but it shouldn't get much worse than it is already. I talked to our insurance guy about getting the MS3, he assured me not to be worried. All he told me was to make sure that I don't get myself pulled over. I haven't gotten any tickets yet, which really helps. I have a radar detector, which has already more than paid for itself

I love the interior and exterior, so does my dad, so everything is great there. We can't really find any true complaints with the car, it certainly beats out everything else we've looked at. Yeah the torque steer can pose a problem when one guns it, but it should be manageable. I'm sure that once I get a feel for the car, I'll hardly even notice it anymore, it'll just be apart of the way the car handles. To be honest, I'm 19 here, I'm absolutely thrilled at having the prospect of owning this car! Most everyone else my age is driving piece of junk Hondas', if they can even afford a car at all. So I'm not going to let a little torque steer turn me off =P

I will be honest and say though, I'm very new to driving a manual transmission. I've done it before, but I still have a lot of room for improvement. When I started looking at all the cars available awhile back, I always narrowed what I was looking at down to whether or not it can come in a manual transmission or not. It's just one of those life skills that you can only pick up by actually doing it all the time, and it's definitely something I want to get good at. So while I might not be an expert at it yet, I plan to be! I was even thinking about taking one of those advanced driving courses, just for my own benefit when driving around town.

Lol, I know it's not z06 quick by any means. But it's not a whimp in the slightest little bit either! This car is going to be my baby for the unforeseeable future, so I'll change the oil on it more than what they recommend, and just keep it in overall great shape. I hear that it's important to break in the piston rings within the first 100 miles, so I'll be sure to (safely) do that. What kind of oil should I use by the way? Do you guys change the oil yourself, or just take it down to the Jiffy Lube or some place similar to have it done?

At the lot they have a MS3 GT in Metropolitan Grey Mica, which looks awesome! These pics aren't mine, but it's the same exact car (same rims too!): http://flickr.com/photos/90731180@N00/sets/72157605308447903/
I live in a warm climate, so the grey seems to be a good choice given the color options. They all look great to me though!

 

[AutoXRacer]

As for breaking-in the engine, just do it like in the manual... A little accelerations here and there and gentleness...just vary your driving style. You will get LOTS and LOTS of be gentle until 500 miles and others will say, just floor it out of the dealers... One one has ever agreed on the right way to break-in an engine. The safe bet is to do both within moderation. Don't keep it at a constant speed like driving on the highway for hours or floor it till the engine screams. All the engines now a days come already broken-in.

I personally changed my fluids at 1,000 miles; engine and transmission. I wanted to get all that metal from the break-in out of the engine. I only use Red Line synthetic oil; since I do a lot of racing and daily driving miles. Its a little expensive, but worth every penny. You'll get a lot of opinions on oil. Just choose your favorite and change it on time...

Good luck!!! (2thumbs)

 

[Smokin08]

i'm a mechanical engineer and worked at Ford for a couple years. I used to visit the factories quite often... and i can tell you as soon as that car rolls off the assembly line... a tech gets in it.. and hammers down on the gas and does not let up for a good half mile... these cars are not "babied" like everyone thinks they are, from the moment they are completely assembled... they are hammered on.. so your "break-in" period... really isn't "breaking it in" b/c "Darryl" from the factory has already given it WOT!!!

Just thought i'd share that piece of advice.

 

[mdavis]

ohh no! here we go again, the 'break in' discussion......

Yeah the torque steer can pose a problem when one guns it, but it should be manageable. I'm sure that once I get a feel for the car, I'll hardly even notice it anymore, it'll just be apart of the way the car handles. So I'm not going to let a little torque steer turn me off =P

trust me you'll notice it! you just have to learn to embrace it!

 

[nhluhr]

ENjoy paying insurance on the MS3 at 19yrs old........

There are a ton of kids who drove around in STI's at that age and I promise you the insurance is way higher on an STI than on an MS3 (i know from personal experience).

But either way, I think you should consider something way cheaper and here's why:

You're very young with a long future ahead of you. I KNOW what it's like to lust after a fast car but honestly, you money would be MUCH better spent now on college, investments, etc so that you can EASILY afford something like a MS3 (or even better) in the future. Remember, when you're young you can have fun with just your body (sex, sports, outdoors, etc) but when you get old you have to fall back on 'toys' to have fun (cars, guns, stereos, etc). So have your natural god-given fun now and save money while you're young and then get the 'car of your dreams' to fulfill that lust for manmade fun later in life. You'll be really glad you did!

By the way, you can definitely have a ton of fun in a much cheaper car and make your whole situation better. Look into a used Mazda3 5-door. Sure, it won't be as fast, but it's a terrific car and you can learn to drive stick in it and also be 'in the scene' with it if that matters to you.

 

[Antoniogut]

There are a ton of kids who drove around in STI's at that age and I promise you the insurance is way higher on an STI than on an MS3 (i know from personal experience).

But either way, I think you should consider something way cheaper and here's why:

You're very young with a long future ahead of you. I KNOW what it's like to lust after a fast car but honestly, you money would be MUCH better spent now on college, investments, etc so that you can EASILY afford something like a MS3 (or even better) in the future. Remember, when you're young you can have fun with just your body (sex, sports, outdoors, etc) but when you get old you have to fall back on 'toys' to have fun (cars, guns, stereos, etc). So have your natural god-given fun now and save money while you're young and then get the 'car of your dreams' to fulfill that lust for manmade fun later in life. You'll be really glad you did!

By the way, you can definitely have a ton of fun in a much cheaper car and make your whole situation better. Look into a used Mazda3 5-door. Sure, it won't be as fast, but it's a terrific car and you can learn to drive stick in it and also be 'in the scene' with it if that matters to you.

honestly....i dont think hes gonna listen to this at all lol...i know i wouldnt...

 

[Seyda]

You're very young with a long future ahead of you. I KNOW what it's like to lust after a fast car but honestly, you money would be MUCH better spent now on college, investments, etc so that you can EASILY afford something like a MS3 (or even better) in the future. Remember, when you're young you can have fun with just your body (sex, sports, outdoors, etc) but when you get old you have to fall back on 'toys' to have fun (cars, guns, stereos, etc). So have your natural god-given fun now and save money while you're young and then get the 'car of your dreams' to fulfill that lust for manmade fun later in life. You'll be really glad you did!

Whoa! Wasn't expecting such a deep comment there. I guess it's deserving of a real answer...

I can already afford an MS3, with little worries. If I wanted, I could get something even more expensive. But, I am getting it at cost because I happen to know the right people, and I've also had my eye on this little hatch for awhile now anyways. What I absolutely love though, is that this is almost a "sleeper" car, it's not in your face by any means. I say that in the sense that I won't get all my friends, old and young, pissed off at me when they first see it. Because, let's face it, if I was 40+ years old, working everyday of my life to pay the bills, and I saw a 19 year old driving a nice Benz or Lexus ISF, I'd probably hate his guts. Yeah, it's my right to drive whatever I damn well want to drive, but I don't see the need to be showy in the things I do and the things I own.

I appreciate your insight, I really do. I've already looked at this situation from different angles, and this seems to be a good move. The first two cars I had were fairly old and beat up, but they served their purpose. But by having them first, I really can appreciate the MS3 now, compared to if I had gotten it when I was younger.

Smokin08, thanks! I didn't know they could do that! I always figured it would make sense that they should, but I wasn't sure...

I talked to my mechanic today, he basically said exactly what you just did AutoXRacer. Just drive it like I normally would drive it. He went on and told me about how the pistons need to create a solid ring seal from the start, explaining how all of it worked. He basically finished off by saying that if I drive with a heavy foot usually, don't drive like grandma for a month when I get it, only to come back to him complaining that it's not performing as well as it should when I get back into my regular driving habits. Just drive it like normal... He did also tell me to not use synthetic for a few thousand miles though, that it's too slick on a new engine. Also told me I should probably change the oil like a week after I get it, that way all those metal particles and whatever other crap that gets in there is filtered out. Is this all correct info? I know the guy is knowledgeable in what he does, I'm just wondering how others feel about it. Also too, do you guys change your own oil? Is it a total hassle compared to just taking it down to Jiffy Lube?

 

[chaos4]

i'm a mechanical engineer and worked at Ford for a couple years. I used to visit the factories quite often... and i can tell you as soon as that car rolls off the assembly line... a tech gets in it.. and hammers down on the gas and does not let up for a good half mile... these cars are not "babied" like everyone thinks they are, from the moment they are completely assembled... they are hammered on.. so your "break-in" period... really isn't "breaking it in" b/c "Darryl" from the factory has already given it WOT!!!

Just thought i'd share that piece of advice.

You actually saw them do that on the Mazdaspeed 3 assembly line in Japan? I didn't know they had techs named "Darryl" If that is true, I want to thank the tech that "broke in" my MS3. It has 40,000 miles on it with no service outside of normal stuff, oil, brakes, tires, etc.

 

[LaCroix08]

There are a ton of kids who drove around in STI's at that age and I promise you the insurance is way higher on an STI than on an MS3 (i know from personal experience).

But either way, I think you should consider something way cheaper and here's why:

You're very young with a long future ahead of you. I KNOW what it's like to lust after a fast car but honestly, you money would be MUCH better spent now on college, investments, etc so that you can EASILY afford something like a MS3 (or even better) in the future. Remember, when you're young you can have fun with just your body (sex, sports, outdoors, etc) but when you get old you have to fall back on 'toys' to have fun (cars, guns, stereos, etc). So have your natural god-given fun now and save money while you're young and then get the 'car of your dreams' to fulfill that lust for manmade fun later in life. You'll be really glad you did!

By the way, you can definitely have a ton of fun in a much cheaper car and make your whole situation better. Look into a used Mazda3 5-door. Sure, it won't be as fast, but it's a terrific car and you can learn to drive stick in it and also be 'in the scene' with it if that matters to you.

Good advice, never really looked at it that way.
It's always best to have your parents pay for your car

 

[MSelo]

I think what he is trying to say bud, is that even though you can "easily afford" the mazdaspeed3. In his opinion, why put such a financial burden on one so young as yourself? 20k+ is quite a substantial chunk of change to put towards something so much more relevant in your life than some speedy hatchback. In the end the decision is all you, and I don't want to come off like a ass because I was there once and I know exactly where you're coming from.

 

[nhluhr]

Yeah, most people holding down a decent job can afford this car, but what it comes down to is how the money would be better spent and would it truly make your life better to own it. I am not going to suggest that it's not an awesome car...but at your age, with the burden you already have, you should leave yourself the freedom (from car payments, etc) to do young-people-stuff... Go get your passport, travel Europe, bang hookers in Las Vegas, get into an Alaskan adventure, go to college, drive a beater (so you can tell your future children about it), etc etc. Believe me I know the overwhelming urge to buy a cool car. I fell prey to it when I graduated college and although I won't say that I really regret it because I got a lot of enjoyment out of it, I will say that I missed out on a lot of other things because of it. Buying a hot car definitely takes you down a different path in life but that path will always be available and accessible in the future. Go be young now while you still can!

Know what I mean? A lot of people get caught up in material lust when they should be out there living. Save the material things for later in life when you're old and busted.