Other Vehicles You Are (Fo' Real) Contemplating...

[Dirk Diggler]

I'm in the same boat, I hate having debt. The mortgage is all I have and I'd like to get that done with before buying another car I don't need.

If I were to buy something tomorrow I'd be looking hard at the new fancy Prius. They're obviously not available as a manual but their cvt is proven to be reliable and they're a little sportier than they used to be while still having higher mpg rating than the Mirage.
I'd avoid Kia like the plauge. They're better than they used to be but they're still just lipstick on a pig imo. The wifes sorento has been ok so far but I'm sure that'll be short-lived once the warranty runs out. It already has a valve cover starting to sweat and when I left it outside for less than a week the thing wouldn't start(-30c) so I had to boost it with my Mirage.

Prius has an eCVT right? Completely different from a traditional CVT found paired with ICE?

[Mark]

When I replace my Mirage, I'll be test driving the cheapest new cars avaiable still with a manual, and without emergency braking. So right now that is the Kia Rio base 6 speed, and the Subaru Impreza base. But Impreza is a lot more money than the Rio.

A new car would be a big expense for me right now. I want to be mortgage-free first. But say tomorrow, my Mirage goes kaput, and I also had more money to spend, I would want the Mazda CX-3 CUV, or a VW Taos.

But spending over $30k on a car that is for commuting to work, seems like a lot of money.

Oh yea, I also don't like auto-engine shut off when idling, so I think I would go Mazda, instead of Taos.

I will have trouble parting with my Mirage, which I have been driving for 9 years exclusively. Except for rental cars (Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-3, Lancer Sportback, Mitsu RVR).

But that day will come. I don't want another Mirage just cause I want to try something different.

If everyone had your wisdom, the world would probably be in a better place. A home is an investment. A car is not.

When I see that a good number of people have stopped buying Ford's high price vehicles, I don't feel bad for Ford at all. I think the automobile market is a bit out of whack, & I would like to see that trend reverse some (or at least level off).

"Average Age of Vehicles in the US Increases to 12.2 years, according to S&P Global Mobility. The average age of light vehicles in the US reached an all-time high in 2022 as the vehicle fleet climbed to 283M passenger cars and light trucks." May 23, 2022

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/average-ag...140500200.html

If you think about it, we (all Mirage/G4 owners) are driving cars that are younger than the national average. Canadian vehicles, however, may be a bit younger. I haven't seen current data, but I also haven't looked that hard.

If I had to replace both of my vehicles today, a used (under 60,000 miles) Mazda CX-30 or CX-5 (AWD/non-turbo) would be on my short shopping list. 2,662 appear (didn't sort out the turbo ones, however) within a 250 mile radius, & they start around $16,000 (depending on the year & mileage). I may be throwing in the manual towel next time I buy a vehicle, but I would lean toward a proven automatic transmission. I would also make an effort to find a private party vehicle where I can meet the owners first. As good as my new Mirage deal was, a private party purchase can be just as good or better. There are others who also take good care of their vehicles. It doesn't take long to figure that out either.

I could afford a vehicle payment, but I wouldn't enjoy throwing that much money at a new vehicle these days. I have too many other interests. I'd rather buy a new chainsaw, and they are a lot less $$$$.

I see myself going back to one vehicle, but I hope I don't have to go down that road for another 10 years or so. In the meantime, it's nice having two nice paid off vehicles.

Last thought (sorry I'm bored today/snow storm) - Sometimes you buy something & a year later you wish you had waited to buy something else instead. 5+ years later I have never had that feeling with my Mirage. If Honda had sold the Fit for $12,000 brand new the next year, I may have felt that way. Nothing has come along that I would feel better about today.

If anything, I really don't like anything new today. That includes the Mitsubishi dropping the manual option here this year. I'm not overly concerned, however. Now that I know how dependable they are, & I wouldn't fret over buying a used Mirage today.

[precisionxt]

The 88 Cavalier Z24.... with digital gauges....and 5 speed. I will never not want this car and will keep looking for an opportunity until I can't drive anymore.



I wouldn't mind a Mirage Cyborg either! Such a cool looking hatch.

[7milesout]

The Z24 is cool. And, while in college, I wanted a Honda Civic VX hatchback sooooo bad. Never did get to get one. Was always too broke. It looked similar to the Cyborg, just not as ... sporty / racy. I'd still love to have a VX, but I'm sure they're all Fast-N-Furious'd out.

[Cobrajet]

If I found the right one...

[Ares]

80 Series Land Cruiser

My grandfather (in the Philippines) imported one back in 91. It was special as it was 5spd, rear AC, drink cooler, tripple lockers, an integrated-from-factory winch, and an integrated step ladder on the D pillar for roof access. She was with the family for over 20 years, was converted to LPG and back to gasoline, and rolled over 1mil kms with nothing but basic maintenance. IIRC, engine, transmission, and driveline were all original (minus gaskets and stuff).The FJ80s here in US boomed the past couple of years but seems to be settling down now. While the wife approved purchase, I opted for the PassPort instead since it had safety features and albeit horrible gas mileage, it's better mileage than the FJ80.

As far as bikes is concerned, I told myself that my next one would be a ducati. I just like how they look and sound but I never could bring myself to buy one. I've sold my leather riding jacket, though still have the mesh one. Trying to sell the onepiece track suit as well since I dont think it'll happen anytime soon.

It would be ideal that the next vehicle would be a mirage replacement. Something inexpensive but would be trouble free and last 100k+ miles over 10yrs. So basically a unicorn.

[Dirk Diggler]

I'm still considering the Outlander Sport in spite of that Mitsubishi tech saying they're not as reliable as the Mirage. It's $3k to 5k cheaper than it's competitors on avg after all fees/taxes, it's engine has been around a long time, it comes with a spare tire, and I like the way it looks. My only complaint would be I'm forced to have AWC now if I got a new one. Completely unnecessary when half of America rarely even sees ice on the roads.

[Mark]

I'm still considering the Outlander Sport in spite of that Mitsubishi tech saying they're not as reliable as the Mirage. It's $3k to 5k cheaper than it's competitors on avg after all fees/taxes, it's engine has been around a long time, it comes with a spare tire, and I like the way it looks. My only complaint would be I'm forced to have AWC now if I got a new one. Completely unnecessary when half of America rarely even sees ice on the roads.

2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5S has about the same MSRP as the Outlander Sport 2.0S (146 hp).

2.5L engine (191 hp) with a 6-speed automatic transmission (zero CVT worries). Superior interior in my opinion. Comes with a donut spare tire I believe.

I do like the looks of the Outlander Sport. Since I became interested in Mitsubishi somewhat, I have always thought the Outlander Sport looks the best. When the Eclipse Cross appeared, the Outlander Sport looked ever better!

There's no harm in test driving a 2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5S. Mazda vehicles look a bit more classy to me inside & out, and I say that in comparison to most everything else (not just Mitsubishi). Plus, Mazda vehicles go Zoom Zoom!

I do like the more rugged look of the Outlander Sport over the CX-30, but the engine/transmission on the CX-30 would trump that for me.

A fully loaded CX-30 with a turbo (227 hp) is quite pricey, but I wouldn't want a turbo anyways. 191 hp is decent power for a smaller SUV.

Just sharing! Nothing wrong with a Outlander Sport either. Heck I wish I owned the older 5-speed manual Outlander Sport. If their manuals had come with AWD, I may even own one already.

[Dirk Diggler]

2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5S has about the same MSRP as the Outlander Sport 2.0S (146 hp).

2.5L engine (191 hp) with a 6-speed automatic transmission (zero CVT worries). Superior interior in my opinion. Comes with a donut spare tire I believe.

I do like the looks of the Outlander Sport. Since I became interested in Mitsubishi somewhat, I have always thought the Outlander Sport looks the best. When the Eclipse Cross appeared, the Outlander Sport looked ever better!

There's no harm in test driving a 2023 Mazda CX-30 2.5S. Mazda vehicles look a bit more classy to me inside & out, and I say that in comparison to most everything else (not just Mitsubishi). Plus, Mazda vehicles go Zoom Zoom!

I do like the more rugged look of the Outlander Sport over the CX-30, but the engine/transmission on the CX-30 would trump that for me.

A fully loaded CX-30 with a turbo (227 hp) is quite pricey, but I wouldn't want a turbo anyways. 191 hp is decent power for a smaller SUV.

Just sharing! Nothing wrong with a Outlander Sport either. Heck I wish I owned the older 5-speed manual Outlander Sport. If their manuals had come with AWD, I may even own one already.

I looked at a the CX30 just now, at a Mazda dealer near me. They had 26 of them available but only the 1st 2 were MSRP of $24k, the other 24 were around $29k? I wonder if they're just attention grabbers that aren't really there as they didn't have actual pictures of the cheaper 2? $24k for a Mazda is a great deal but I wonder if it's for real?

[Ares]

I'd love a reasonably priced Outlander Sport. The challenge with them is they're not as much as a good value today than they were 4-5 years ago. Furthermore, isn't that the same vehicle from 2016? The Mitsubishi "value" has been lost in their pricing as of late.

Would have loved a loaded Outlander PHEV but they dont sell it with cooled seats (IIRC) and the passenger footwell is small compared to the Passport.