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

[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.

[7milesout]

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.

Is it the 2.4L? The Mirage is such a little badass...

[Fummins]

Is it the 2.4L? The Mirage is such a little badass...

Hell no! Her previous optima had that ticking time bomb in it(owned it before we met). The current trash can has the v6 3.3L I think? It's nicer to drive than my car but I still wouldn't buy one. It gets about the same fuel economy as my dually(almost 20mpg when driven like an old lady and not towing heavy) and cost more than $1000.

And it looks like today is high miler day in the shop. Had the highest mileage car in the fleet in cause the oil filter was seeping, that's a first. Had the second highest mileage in for an intermitant battery light. The highest mileage with original drivetrain(cvt and engine), a 2017 with 491k kms was in for an oil change. The second highest original drivetrain car is on the way for an oil change. It's got around 475k kms. These things are junk.

[Mark]

Hell no! Her previous optima had that ticking time bomb in it(owned it before we met). The current trash can has the v6 3.3L I think? It's nicer to drive than my car but I still wouldn't buy one. It gets about the same fuel economy as my dually(almost 20mpg when driven like an old lady and not towing heavy) and cost more than $1000.

And it looks like today is high miler day in the shop. Had the highest mileage car in the fleet in cause the oil filter was seeping, that's a first. Had the second highest mileage in for an intermitant battery light. The highest mileage with original drivetrain(cvt and engine), a 2017 with 491k kms was in for an oil change. The second highest original drivetrain car is on the way for an oil change. It's got around 475k kms. These things are junk.

For someone not used to small cars, which may be our next generation growing up, a Mirage may seem like a tin can going down the road. It's actually quite amazing how darn dependable they really are. I'm old enough to remember the Yugo!

For the younger forum members -

"Built by state-owned Zastava Motors, the Yugo was a generic version of the decade-old Fiat 127. The age of its design and low Yugoslavian manufacturing costs meant the car could be sold for $3990 in the US market and still make a substantial profit." Apr 26, 2018

[Fummins]

For someone not used to small cars, which may be our next generation growing up, a Mirage may seem like a tin can going down the road. It's actually quite amazing how darn dependable they really are. I'm old enough to remember the Yugo!

For the younger forum members -

"Built by state-owned Zastava Motors, the Yugo was a generic version of the decade-old Fiat 127. The age of its design and low Yugoslavian manufacturing costs meant the car could be sold for $3990 in the US market and still make a substantial profit." Apr 26, 2018

Driving a small car wasn't on my radar when I got my license. They were "death traps" so I bought a 70' Ford truck with lap belts with the fuel tank behind the seat and drove it as fast as it'd go like a moron. Gas and tickets kept me broke for a while. I just realized that I have been car poor ever since I bought that truck up until a few years when I bought my white Mirage....I wonder how much money I could have saved over the last 25 years(provided I didn't piss it all away on something else) if I had just bought a new corolla or civic instead?

[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 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?

[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.

[Basic]

Early 80's mazda B2000 / Ford Courier
Attachment 24769

I need to get my B2200 diesel out of the barn and on the road again. Such a great little truck.