Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General A possible goodbye

ugh - sorry to hear of the negative equity situation; sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place, w/ the $$ worries and the unreliability of the car.

if i were spending ~$21k OTD and needed a car w/ rebates to offset the neg. equity.....i'd say that an SVT focus wouldn't be a bad choice at all. it's definitely one you'd have to commit to for the long haul due to depreciation and the equity problem, but it sounds like that's not a problem.

i very seriously considered an FSVT before i bought my miata last fall - coulda found barely used '02's w/ under 6-8k miles for about $13-14k at the time, and a test drive of a new one was very pleasing. didn't like the feel of the shifter - it took me forever to find first gear in that thing for whatever reason - but other than that it's a blast. the euro-pkg recaros are very sweet, though even the non-euro seats are great too.

you might also consider the new '05 focus ST - not sure about rebates, but the 2.3L mazda engine is a pretty nice piece....not quite as aggressive styling-wise as the FSVT, but still looks pretty good.

i personally would look seriously at the SRT-4, but there's probably not enough price flexibility to help you out - and plus there are little things that bother me about the car (like the manual rear windows and no cruise control, among others).

i'd suggest the scion tC, but that's a car w/ a fixed MSRP and no rebates....so the negative equity situation presents a problem there.

you don't seem too enthralled w/ the GTI suggestion, but that (and the jetta 1.8t GLI) are also cars i'd consider - should be able to get a pretty good deal on one, and the interior is very nice, the turbo engine is pretty stout, and it has a lot of mod potential for whatever that's worth. VW reliability isn't necessarily the top of the heap, though...

i wouldn't rule out mazdas, either - might be able to swing a good deal on a 3s - 4-door or 5-door - or perhaps even a 6, since the rebates there are pretty impressive right now. if you don't need practicality, i'd earnestly suggest a miata - leftover models can be had for $6-7k off sticker from what i see on miata.net!!! can't beat the fun-to-drive factor w/ a miata, that's for sure.

my .02...

Probably one of the most helpful posts! I think I'll test drive the ST, I think I can get a rebate with that one as well. I did check actually out the GTI, it didn't have a big rebate. I could probably afford that one, but it'd be a bigger stretch.. and I personally hate the way they look. I may go test drive one though, and see what the VW dealer would give me for my car.. who knows, they might not notice any of the crap that's wrong with it. You're right about the SRT-4, not enough price flexibility. I'd pick the SVT over the Mazda3, but the Mazda6 looks nice.. but the 6 cylinder goes about $4k over my budget with the negative equity.

21K.. Get a Dodge Durango. I loved mine. Had the 5.9 liter v8. I could lay the rubber down while driving 30 mph down the street. Just punched and wham .. POWER...
Just my 2Cents...

Look at the new Mazda 3's. Great little cars and the 2.3 are strong motors.

-Andy

My uncle's RAM has lots of funny problems. One day the steering stopped working. I don't think that's a good thing.

edit: PLUS, what the hell are you smoking, those things START at $27. And why would I want an SUV?!

Yeah I don't think splice is looking for a SUV (maybe because he just said so). My dad's RAM has held up pretty well. He has driven it nearly 200k miles. It's a 96 v6 auto. He goes in the woods with it, highway, and city and drives it hard. He had to rebuild the top half of the engine at ~160-~180k miles, but that wasn't a big deal for him at all. Now the torque convertor is somehow cracked and rattling but the truck is still going. Considering the mileage and how hard it's been driven, I would say it's held up very well.

i think you know what you are going to get.....


FSVT.

i'd do it too if i were in your situation.

I think everyone should just agree with me so I can feel good about the decision I'll probably make.