Just dropping by to say hi and introduce myself. I just picked up a new 2008.5 True Red Speed3 GT last Wednesday and love everything about the car.
I started looking for a car last fall and it's taken me this long to find something I really like. I've been beyond picky and have also been so disappointed with the used car market that I decided to pull the trigger and get myself a brand spanking new car instead.
I'm upgrading from a 1998 ZX2, and I don't believe how difficult it has been to find something that's not a downgrade from my old ZX2 while being both fun and efficient/practical. The ZX2 had some modifications done over the years, and if anyone knows what the S/R versions of that car were, it was pretty much like that plus a couple other minor changes. Being 10 years old and higher mileage it was time to let her go before she became a money pit.
My goals:
- something semi-sporty / fun to drive yet practical as a daily driver
- more room than a 2 door coupe
- decent mileage (I was getting 30 city & 35 highway with the old Z and it's ridiculous that more new cars don't meet or exceed that except for some economy POS mobiles)
- 4 wheel disc (I'm never working on drum brakes again!)
- nice interior (I don't know how new car manufacturers manage to build crappier and crappier interiors from one year to the next)
My choices:
- Mazdaspeed3
- WRX (I like the new hatch, but new they are outside my price range)
- GTI MKV (DSG is a dumb toy, didn't like it at all, but the manual is nice)
- Cobalt SS / Redline (thought about it for a minute but remembered I wanted something with more room to haul crap)
- SVT Focus (I like them alot, but they are hard to find and are now a few years old with a few miles on them if you do find a nice one. Ford is stupid for discontinuing them.)
- I forget what else, cause I'm too happy with the Mazda to care anymore.
Obviously I ended up with a Speed3, and that's how I found my way here.
As she sits in stock form I can't think of 1 single thing that I would change, and that makes me so very happy.
Yes I'd like to mod the car, who doesn't? But for now I just want it to stay reliable and warrantied so I can just drive it. I'm sure the bug will bite soon and I'll get the itch to mod something, and I'm hoping the community here will be as helpful and informative as other enthusiast sites I've been a part of.
Again, greetings to all from another happy Speed3 owner!
-Deuce
p.s. I'll save some pics for later,,, you all know what True Red looks like
I started looking for a car last fall and it's taken me this long to find something I really like. I've been beyond picky and have also been so disappointed with the used car market that I decided to pull the trigger and get myself a brand spanking new car instead.
I'm upgrading from a 1998 ZX2, and I don't believe how difficult it has been to find something that's not a downgrade from my old ZX2 while being both fun and efficient/practical. The ZX2 had some modifications done over the years, and if anyone knows what the S/R versions of that car were, it was pretty much like that plus a couple other minor changes. Being 10 years old and higher mileage it was time to let her go before she became a money pit.
My goals:
- something semi-sporty / fun to drive yet practical as a daily driver
- more room than a 2 door coupe
- decent mileage (I was getting 30 city & 35 highway with the old Z and it's ridiculous that more new cars don't meet or exceed that except for some economy POS mobiles)
- 4 wheel disc (I'm never working on drum brakes again!)
- nice interior (I don't know how new car manufacturers manage to build crappier and crappier interiors from one year to the next)
My choices:
- Mazdaspeed3
- WRX (I like the new hatch, but new they are outside my price range)
- GTI MKV (DSG is a dumb toy, didn't like it at all, but the manual is nice)
- Cobalt SS / Redline (thought about it for a minute but remembered I wanted something with more room to haul crap)
- SVT Focus (I like them alot, but they are hard to find and are now a few years old with a few miles on them if you do find a nice one. Ford is stupid for discontinuing them.)
- I forget what else, cause I'm too happy with the Mazda to care anymore.
Obviously I ended up with a Speed3, and that's how I found my way here.
As she sits in stock form I can't think of 1 single thing that I would change, and that makes me so very happy.
Yes I'd like to mod the car, who doesn't? But for now I just want it to stay reliable and warrantied so I can just drive it. I'm sure the bug will bite soon and I'll get the itch to mod something, and I'm hoping the community here will be as helpful and informative as other enthusiast sites I've been a part of.
Again, greetings to all from another happy Speed3 owner!
-Deuce
p.s. I'll save some pics for later,,, you all know what True Red looks like
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