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Post by drlj on May 23, 2015 9:32:03 GMT -5
My days of basic car, no AC, stick shift, etc are long gone. I want room, comfort, ease of driving, ample leg room, good stereo, big tires, and a bucket seat that fits my bucket. Screw all that austere crap.
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on May 23, 2015 10:03:06 GMT -5
Mercedes S class are nice.
Mike
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Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 11:21:16 GMT -5
Just back from a Mazda lot -- they had a lot of 3's on hand, I crawled around one, nice interior, for sure. There were sunroofs on several of them, both the 3i and 3s models. I wasn't crazy about the 16-inch wheels, but it's either that or 18-inchers, which come only on the spendiest models. All of the cars at this dealership had all-black interiors, but I would prefer the tan/black combo:
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Post by Rob Hanesworth on May 23, 2015 14:29:59 GMT -5
Bill, does Mazda have you on retainer?
A couple of months ago we bought a 2013 Honda Accord with 12K miles. It had been a demo. Very nice and comfy.
I looked at Civics at the time. Quite nice cars but just a bit tight for my oversized self.
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Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 14:40:18 GMT -5
Bill, does Mazda have you on retainer? A couple of months ago we bought a 2013 Honda Accord with 12K miles. It had been a demo. Very nice and comfy. I looked at Civics at the time. Quite nice cars but just a bit tight for my oversized self. Nah, I just love living vicariously and shopping for cars. I've never owned a Mazda, but the company and its approach have always intrigued me. And I try to stay educated as Black Beauty, with 150+K, is not gonna last forever. Like you, though, I really hope to be able to stay with a mid-size car, rather than a compact. I wish that Nissan still made Altimas with regular auto transmissions, but they are all CV's now (continuously variable), and I just can't live with those. They are a freak of mechanical nature.
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Post by epaul on May 23, 2015 15:21:51 GMT -5
Mazda has always been well thought of by car reviewers. The company has always seemed to follow a slightly different, sportier, and more interesting path than Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. They might have been slowed down in a very competitive field by sticking with the Wankel rotary engine a little longer than they should have, but it was an interesting engine. I'm not Marshall, but if I was, I would be getting the Mazda. Honda has gotten a little dull, and Toyota has always been dull. And Nissan seems to have slipped behind their peers.
Color me Mazda. Or, bang for buck, KIA. I really like the V6 KIA put in my Sorento, smoothest, fastest car I have had in a long time.
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Post by Marshall on May 23, 2015 18:48:15 GMT -5
Stopped by the Mazda dealer this afternoon. Drove a 3. It was nice, but not any better than the others. It's was a sport touring model. i drove the hatchback. Visibility on the hatchback is not as good as a sedan. and the "trunk" in the hatchback (under the cover) has less room than the trunk on the sedan. So, I'd go with a sedan. But out dealership here is quirky. They have nothing with a sunroof in stock. He tried to sell me on an option package that would include the sunroof and fancy Bose speakers and something else for $1,600. But I don't want all that.
Anyrate, the car didn't do anything for me over what I've seen in the other mfrs. I mean they are great looking. And no worse than the others. But Not gonna be my first choice. (I don't like the black interior. EVERYTHING in their lot has the black interior).
For now it's between the Civic and the Elantra.
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Post by Hobson on May 23, 2015 19:44:06 GMT -5
Come to Arizona to buy a car. You are not likely to find a black interior on any dealer's lot. Or a black car.
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Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 21:54:01 GMT -5
One last Mazda plug: You can get a basic Mazda 6 with tons of options for just about the same money as a decently equipped 3 hatch, and it has a beautiful interior, lots of cargo space in the trunk, etc.
Plus the 6 is beautiful -- it's the only current car out there in my price range that I find truly attractive.
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Post by Marshall on May 23, 2015 22:17:17 GMT -5
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Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 22:22:37 GMT -5
It's 11" longer than a 3 (which is the same size as the aforementioned vehicles). I do a lot of parking in tight urban environments. I'm looking for a car, not a yacht. What sad times are these when a basic mid-sized car is regarded as a "yacht" by a Chicagoland architect.
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on May 23, 2015 22:23:26 GMT -5
Marshall. I'll stop screwing around and be serious for a sec. You are a tall guy. Get a lightly used Toyota Avalon and be happy. Comfortable, safe, quiet, and did I mention comfortable?
Mike
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Post by billhammond on May 23, 2015 22:27:38 GMT -5
Marshall. I'll stop screwing around and be serious for a sec. You are a tall guy. Get a lightly used Toyota Avalon and be happy. Comfortable, safe, quiet, and did I mention comfortable? Mike Oh, an AVALON! That is a stretch limo in MarshallWorld!
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Post by Marshall on May 23, 2015 23:37:39 GMT -5
Well thank you gentlemen for your sincerely expressed opinions and concerns. I appreciate the comments even though I will chose to do whatever the damn hell I please. But i do really appreciate it.
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Post by billhammond on May 24, 2015 7:21:06 GMT -5
Well thank you gentlemen for your sincerely expressed opinions and concerns. I appreciate the comments even though I will choose to do whatever the damn hell I please. But i do really appreciate it. So you do NOT want me to check out cars for you at the Maybach dealership? Hey, you wanted a sunroof!
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Post by Marshall on May 24, 2015 21:40:15 GMT -5
Yes, PLEASE ! Check them out. And give me a full report.
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Post by Marshall on May 30, 2015 23:10:53 GMT -5
Well, I sealed the deal. Went out and picked up a silver Civic EX with sunroof, and gray fabric interior. Not the sexiesst of the models I was looking at. But solid, good looking, and highly rated. I was tempted by the Elantra. That was No 2. It looked the best. Handled similar to the Civic. I also liked the looks of the Mazda3, but there were a couple of things that turned me off; some minor things related to the car; but mostly about the dealership.
So, I'm set for the next 11 years I figure.
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Post by coachdoc on May 31, 2015 7:23:50 GMT -5
My son went through a couple of low slung, cheap Civics when they were the low end Honda. He loved 'em. No relation at all to the current model that I can tell. I could barely squeeze my legs under the dash.
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Post by drlj on May 31, 2015 7:46:45 GMT -5
And another Marshall saga comes to an end. Good night everyone and thanks for coming.
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Post by theevan on May 31, 2015 8:00:00 GMT -5
Well, I sealed the deal. Went out and picked up a silver Civic EX with sunroof, and gray fabric interior. Not the sexiesst of the models I was looking at. But solid, good looking, and highly rated. I was tempted by the Elantra. That was No 2. It looked the best. Handled similar to the Civic. I also liked the looks of the Mazda3, but there were a couple of things that turned me off; some minor things related to the car; but mostly about the dealership. So, I'm set for the next 11 years I figure. Good choice. Certainly sexy enough for me...if a car can be sexy. Okay, I'm not even going there. Nope.
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