Nissan - 350Z
Mazda - Mazdaspeed Protege

The Nissan trip was with my officemate who is seriously considering a new Z car. He test drove it for the first time today. It was a $34K Touring model. He really wants an Enthiusaist or a Performance model though, they're cheaper and have most of the same goodies. The Touring is pretty much an interior package. Since it's a two seater and we must have looked like hoodlums (in suits - go figure - must be the fro), we couldn't take it out together - "store policy :rolleyes: ) He took a LONG test drive because of a gas stop and by the time he got back we were going on a 2 hour lunch. So he talked numbers briefly on a blue Performance model that is coming in and we left. He was pretty impressed with the car. He's got a 2001 3.2 CL which is pretty nice. Fortunately he only owes like $9K on it and he can probably get double that. So he's in a perfect position to buy a car.

Which is the polar OPPOSITE of me at the moment. I'm REALLY happy with my car, don't get me wrong. But at age 4 I had a really bad accident and evidently I took part in some sort of experiment where they fill your veins with gasoline - it's a joke, laugh - in other words I'm a car FREAK who isn't ever quite happy with what he's got. I'll eventually evolve into someone with a 600hp weekend car, but that'll be after a kid or two and a $800,000 house.

But that reason took me over to the Mazda dealer this evening. After reading my copy of SCC, I saw how impressed they were with the Mazdaspeed Protege. They claim that it "Dethrones the Integra Type R as far as they are concerned". And I'm always looking for a good track car, so I went to check it out. Being one of 2000 made, they don't hand out test drives unfortunately. That meant I had to talk turkey first and see how the financing looks. I was ok with that and said if the numbers worked out, I'd buy it, pending test drive.

The numbers far from worked out. My issue is the fact that they won't give me jack or schitt for my trade in. Well that's not quite true, more like they won't give me nearly how much I owe on it. The 'lude was an impulse buy and I got a less than ideal % rate on it. So I owe more than I should and the negative equity would have been horrendous. I'm just going to stick out the lease (next fall) and start back at 0 and I'll be able to get a much nicer car. Speaking of that, the manager gave me a url:

www.mazdarx-8.com

It just looks like an info site to me at first glance, but he told me about a program they are going to do that seems AWESOME. Your order your car and you have an integral part of the assembly process. The car is built specifically for you and supposedly you have more than the normal input into it's creation. The assembly guys even call you and update you on a daily basis if you want. I don't see that option on the site he gave me but he had an internal document that had the details on it he let me check out (I tried to keep it but he took it back :D)

Anyway, that's my automotive day in a nutshell. Jesus I feel like I just typed up an RB thread. :dizzy:

15 views and no replies. I could provide a Cliffs Notes version if you guys want :p

:fro:

Hehe. I'm in the same boat as far as the lease thing goes. I bought my car, and I was WAY upside down on the car I traded for it. But it was for my wife, so I took it, on a lease. So, she drove the hell out of it, and the mileage is about to go over, and I'm 2 years away from the end. So, I dropped 2500 bucks on my twin turbo stealth. why don't you try looking for something like that? Mine has a brand new motor and turbos, but I got it so cheap because it has a broken CV joint. No big deal, an easy fix, and now, when I turn in my lease, no more car payments!:clap:

I think I can stick it out til the lease is over. I am planning on managing the mileage this year, although it looks like that's going to be rough so we'll see. Another possibility is buying out the lease early, which is cheaper than trying to cover the negative equity.

But the bottom line is I've got a car that I really like so I don't really care to be honest. I am curious about how much I can get away with modifying it since it's a lease. I'll uprgade the tires and shocks and maybe put a new exhaust on it. I'll just make sure I keep the old one in the garage so I can stick it back on there if need be.

OH - I just found out my buddy put a deposit on a blue 350Z

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

hey no one reading that had to use the page up/down keys more than twice, so it can't even touch one of my threads :D

listen man, no one understands your desire for a 600Hp weekend warrior than I do, trust me. also it will never get anybetter you will always lust after the next big bad boy car there is. thats why i recommend you just give in to the car freak in your heart and let that guide all of your life goals.
or maybe not...
but I really do recomend the mazda speed protege, they are fun as hell, but If you can't swing one right now thats perfectly fine.
I bet that by the time our lease is up you will have alot more opportunites for a good weekend warrior/daily driver than you do now, all of these cars that we are lusting over are going to be popping up used soon enough and thats just all the better for us. also there are plenty of super fun and super competitive cars that you can put together for pretty cheap that will merit you big gains at an autoX. i will bet dollars to donuts that you have the SCC issue on how to build a silvia, and while the price of s13 front clips has jumped up in the past few months you can still get a really good one for $2,300, couple that to a $900 240sx and a few more pennies for suspension and brakes and you would have mighty nice auotX car, and a major sleeper.

just somthing you might want to look at thats all.

Yeah, I am trying to control the speed freak inside. I've identified the problem, that's step one :D

I'm just trying to balance the speed freak with other priorities at the moment. At 26, I'm doing pretty well (it kind of freaks me out to be making more than both of my parents combined) and the lure of a nice big house is looming, that and kids which you are now familiar with.

Put all that together with a 2001 model year car and I don't have a real good case to buy a new car. I know we could afford it, but I agree with the wife that it's certainly no priority. I also agree that a 3rd fun project car is more likely. Maybe I'll save the cash I have for upgrades and put it towards something like a silvia/240 or maybe a 1990 Miata or something. The Miata classes are real tough around here but I'm pretty confident so we'll see.

Besides, if I can fight off the car switch bug long enough I can buy a $30,000 car rather than dropping my negative equity on top of a $20,000 car! That alone makes it worth the wait.

I'll have to type more next time if I'm going to get to RB length, you're right :D :D :D

Wow, I'm surprised you're wanting to trade the 'lude, but not really I guess--I have ended up w/ a new car about every two years the last few times, just because I see one in a mall and say, what the heck, a test drive might be fun...and the next thing you know I have a new car.

One thing alot of people don't realize and you have to find a dealer that realizes even--you can always trade your leased car in on something else, the same as if you just owed money on a car you purchased (you probably realize that since you tried to trade it). It also makes a huge difference dealer to dealer. My gf had leased a 2000 celica and was way over on miles and it started weighing on her mind, so I told her go try to trade it on something else, and tell them you at least have to break even. Some dealers tried to tell us you can't do that, and some offered a crappy deal, but we eventually found one that took a "no problem" attitude and met her price and it was all nice and easy. Same as when I traded my last car--several dealers tried to screw me, one eventually met my price. I actually got $1000 more than I owed for a payoff on my 2 year old Jetta. Others had offered me as low almost $2000 LESS than I owed, so there can be a huge difference.

I used to have a different car ever 6months to a year but they were mostly cheap $2K cars so I never lose any money. Made money on most actually. But we got raped on trading our 96 Mustang GT in. I'd stick to the Prelude until the lease is up unless you really don't like it.

No, I like it, just have the urge to upgrade.

Scubie - yeah, I'm well versed in trading in leased cars. I traded in a leased Camaro and a leased Civic over the past 7 years or so. Never had any troubles.