i need a new car

i am keeping the 240sx but i need a car that won't implode as i waste hours of my life earning a degree that lets me argue pointlessly in front of a dude who wears a black dress.

so yeah.

today i test drove a 2005 Civic LX Sedan, 5 speed. it was pretty fun to drive. the steering, throttle, clutch are all really mushy. getting the rpms where i want them is going to take some time. on the other hand, stalling the car is damn near impossible. i've forgotten what it's like to drive a car that doesn't drown out your thoughts with road and engine noise. the ride is very comfortable and the car actually has quite a bit of pick up in 1st and 2nd gear. it's more then enough to get on the highway.

spec wise it looks like this:
curb 2550lbs
1.7 liter SOHC iVTEC (this is the vtec that gets you real good mileage)
33/37 city highway
115hp 110tq

i was ready to buy it when i rediscovered the mazda 3. the mazda 3 is very similar price wise, except you get 150 extra pounds of weight, and a decent bit of extra power. i'm probably going to test drive one tomorrow.

spec wise
2700lbs curb
2.0 liter DOHC
27/34 city highway
145hp 130tq

but i was wondering if you guys had any thoughts as to which one would be a better daily driver. whatever i get is staying 100% stock.

remember the key here is
#1 reliability
#2 comfort
#3 cost of ownership

i don't give 2 shits about being unique, or if one is more moddable then the other. the extra power of the mazda is nice, but not a deciding factor.

Mazda!!!11!!

CIVIC! I have one and it a great "beater"

One more for the mazda 3. They look better than any civic.

mazda 3!111!!!!

Mazda 3 for sure. Of course I'm a bit biased. My only question is why would you get an i over an s?

Mazda3 ........

Mazda 3 for sure. Of course I'm a bit biased. My only question is why would you get an i over an s?

since its just a commuter car .3 liters of displacment doesn't bother me.

the extra features are probably nice but i don't need 'em. 'nice' stuff goes on the 240sx. ;)

the mazda3 definitely looks to be the favorite. i did some research...

main draw of the 3 is
-more power
-multi link suspension (just like the 240sx )
-4 wheel disc brakes
-4 year warranty vs 3

the disadvantage is
-poorer gas mileage
-questionable build quality

*--------------------------------------*

the main draw of the civic is
-honda reputation
-gas mileage. that would amount to about 70 more miles over the mazda3 per tank

the disadvantage is
-rear wheel drum brakes
-weak performance wise
-double wishbone suspension
-3 year warranty vs 4

don't underestimate the draw of that extra 70 miles per tank...

Yeah, you're gonna like the 3 alot better. They feel very solid compared to civics imop. Civics feel thin and chinsy to me


Civics are SLOW and WAY to expensive for what you get.

I'd go with the Mazda 3. Looks a lot better and you'll be much happier with it as a daily driver. But if you're crazy about Gas Mileage, there's always the Civic Hybrid for about 20k.

As a side note, I know this may sound a bit crazy, but for a daily driver, how about a Cobalt? GM Employee Discount will get you a great deal.

looks like I'm the only one that likes the CIVIC :(

GM Employee Discount will get you a great deal.
and thats why I'm planning on buying a pickup here in the next few weeks.

and thats why I'm planning on buying a pickup here in the next few weeks.



I think that deal ends august 1st

I'd get the Civic. Mom has an 02 never had a problem and just hit 80k the other day. LX(s) are non-vtec unless they changed it from 04 still 115hp.

Employee discount isnt that great. My UPS discount is a lot better and Im sure the true GM employees get a better discount.

i got a car. 2005 Civic LX SE

i test drove the mazda3

i wasn't impressed...

the bad:
-the seating position was awkward and so damn high compared to the road
-the dash instrumentation was annoying
-the a/c didn't blow cold for 10 minutes
-the rear and side visibility felt poor
-the car just felt very heavy and sluggish under hard braking and cornering, unlike the civic (i think i scared the dealer)
-i didn't like the looks of the car in person. ITS HUGE!!! damn!!!

the good:
-the steering response was very good (almost felt like the 240)
-the car accelerates very well. it pulls harder and harder going up the rpms.
-the suspension is comfortable yet reasonably flat in turns for a commuter car

at the end, the dealer was offering 14.3k for the car. this is for a 5speed mazda3 with a/c, no power locks, no power windows, steel wheelies with caps, etc. not a bad deal. if only i actually liked the car.

in the end we went with the civic LX se, which has power everything, keyless entry, 6 cd changer + mp3 player, spoiler, alloy wheels, etc. it gets about 70 more miles to the tank as well.

the mazda3 is probably a better choice for someone who wants a little more performance. i guess owning a FR has spoiled me a bit when it comes to my expectations for a car.