I think I may be lost.
Mar. 6th, 2006 12:51 pmI went in to test drive the '04 Mazda3 that I mentioned earlier. Not only does it have antilock brakes, it also has a 6-disc CD changer, a really nice sound system, a moonroof, and some really nice acceleration and handling. (It's not quite as small as the Focus, but it still turns in a pretty tight circle.) It's obviously not quite as nice as the Civic, being a couple of years older, but it gets an easy five stars. And (as I mentioned earlier) it's already hit the steepest part of its price depreciation. Not to mention that (being a Mazda) it'll retain more value than a Focus would.
I'd still have to either sell Marian or figure out some way to pony up $700 or so for six months' insurance, not to mention a down payment. But this is starting to look pretty feasible...almost scarily so.
ETA: The car checks out through Carfax; no problems reported, and it has a good two years left in the manufacturer's warranty coverage. Incidentally, it also looks like it's been sitting on the lot at Evergreen for something like eight months. I wonder if I can get Terry to knock $1,000 off the price for me...
I'd still have to either sell Marian or figure out some way to pony up $700 or so for six months' insurance, not to mention a down payment. But this is starting to look pretty feasible...almost scarily so.
ETA: The car checks out through Carfax; no problems reported, and it has a good two years left in the manufacturer's warranty coverage. Incidentally, it also looks like it's been sitting on the lot at Evergreen for something like eight months. I wonder if I can get Terry to knock $1,000 off the price for me...