Possibly trading in my '14 Mirage for a brand new Mazda3

[javensbukan]

Thanks Mark! I think I made the right choice. I tossed the car purchase idea out the window for now.

Talking about space, one thing is I was wondering if my Coleman cooler was gonna fit ok in the 3's trunk. I'm sure it would, but I know it does for sure in my Mirage.

I too have been bitten by the "buy a new car" bug.

My parents have trouble keeping the same car for a year or so, I get it from them!

I've almost test driven a few cars, mostly because I want power locks and AC, something I miss in the dog days of summer in NS when it's 96% humidity and a dew point of almost ambient air temperature *so sticky*, nothing dries here when it's like this, everything feels damp...keeping the windows from fogging is a challenge.

Recently there was a Red Manual 2016 Yaris (XP130) with AC and power everything else that is for sale that i've been tempted to look at, but it's hard to justify when it gets worse fuel economy and has no warranty (not that it would probably need it).

I've also spotted a few Mazda 3 hatches, also tempting.

Still though, it would be nice to have something more substantial and comfortable than my Mirage...such a bad financial move however.

[dspace9]

I too have been bitten by the "buy a new car" bug.

My parents have trouble keeping the same car for a year or so, I get it from them!

I've almost test driven a few cars, mostly because I want power locks and AC, something I miss in the dog days of summer in NS when it's 96% humidity and a dew point of almost ambient air temperature *so sticky*, nothing dries here when it's like this, everything feels damp...keeping the windows from fogging is a challenge.

Recently there was a Red Manual 2016 Yaris (XP130) with AC and power everything else that is for sale that i've been tempted to look at, but it's hard to justify when it gets worse fuel economy and has no warranty (not that it would probably need it).

I've also spotted a few Mazda 3 hatches, also tempting.

Still though, it would be nice to have something more substantial and comfortable than my Mirage...such a bad financial move however.

Bad financial move. And trading in now is like giving my car to the dealership for free basically. And I worked for years to pay my Mirage off. Uncertain times too.

Also, the Mazda 3 did not have AC. I was driving a lot the past few days with my sisters kid, and got me realizing that a new car with no AC, again, is not much of an upgrade.

I love the looks of the new Mazda3 sedan. The hatch I am not as crazy about. They sell more hatchs from just seeing more on the road here in Ontario.

[Fummins]

If I'm gonna buy something that gets noticeably worse fuel economy than the Mirage it had better be nicer than a Mazda3 and it better have ac and the other options mine has. The only new car I'd consider if I had to pick something around 20k would be probably be an ioniq purely based on the fact it has 5 seats and crazy long range in the hybrid model and seems optioned good enough for me. Though after 10 years I have no clue how things like the battery would hold up.

[dspace9]

If I'm gonna buy something that gets noticeably worse fuel economy than the Mirage it had better be nicer than a Mazda3 and it better have ac and the other options mine has. The only new car I'd consider if I had to pick something around 20k would be probably be an ioniq purely based on the fact it has 5 seats and crazy long range in the hybrid model and seems optioned good enough for me. Though after 10 years I have no clue how things like the battery would hold up.

The IONIQ is pretty much an Accent underneath. Same 1.6 Accent engine, but with an electric motor and battery. I guess that gives the IONIQ a lot of torque. I wonder how the car handles with the drivetrain like this? Probably goes quick. Still a lot of money for a fancy Accent. But you get the great fuel numbers, with a more refined car than my Mirage.

[Fummins]

I think you're right. I didn't realize seemed to have grown bigger. I only saw one ioniq on the road, I thought it looked similar in size to the wifes old optima. Must be smaller?

[Mark]

Bad financial move. And trading in now is like giving my car to the dealership for free basically. And I worked for years to pay my Mirage off. Uncertain times too.

Also, the Mazda 3 did not have AC. I was driving a lot the past few days with my sisters kid, and got me realizing that a new car with no AC, again, is not much of an upgrade.

I love the looks of the new Mazda3 sedan. The hatch I am not as crazy about. They sell more hatchs from just seeing more on the road here in Ontario.

Outside of a mortgage, I don't like having to make payments on anything & that includes car loans. If I had a substantial car loan (set up for a long period of time), I wouldn't feel comfortable buying anything else during that time. I have too many other interests to just throw money at cars.

Some people really value what car they drive, & it's their one main thing they like to spend money on. I know several people like this. In some cases, they dump large amounts of money in vehicle leases to keep a relatively new vehicle in their driveway/garage.

My John Deere riding lawnmower is 27 years old, Honda ATV is 35 years old, Kawasaki Mule is 14 years old, & Bolens G174 compact diesel tractor is 42 years old. The Mule was the only item bought new, & it's an affordable 610 (only 400cc) with 4WD.

I planted a deer food plot in my woods yesterday with my Bolens. I compacted the seeds in the ground with my ATV afterwards & checked trail cameras with it. I may start splitting some firewood with my log splitter (with Honda engine) that I have stacked up in a few days. That's all been hauled out of my woods with Mule. When I split it, I will toss it in the Mule and then stack it where I want it afterwards. This weekend, I will be using my Bolens (with 3-point hitch & tiller) to help a friend put in a new food plot. We may need to use my older Troy Bilt Bronco walk behind rototiller in one area if I can't get to it with my tractor.

I'd be more excited to replace my 26 year old McCulloch gas powered grass trimmer than buy a new car!

[javensbukan]

If I'm gonna buy something that gets noticeably worse fuel economy than the Mirage it had better be nicer than a Mazda3 and it better have ac and the other options mine has. The only new car I'd consider if I had to pick something around 20k would be probably be an ioniq purely based on the fact it has 5 seats and crazy long range in the hybrid model and seems optioned good enough for me. Though after 10 years I have no clue how things like the battery would hold up.

If Toyota's Hybrids are anything to go on, the battery itself should be fine...the older ones had an 8-Year Hybrid system warranty, the new ones have a 10 year.

I believe Honda had some issues for some of their older Ni-MH Hybrid batteries (Early Civic Hybrids), but that has been sorted for quite a while.

I'm guessing the battery should be similar in a Hyundai / Kia product?

Hybrids usually are programmed to be very easy on the battery to maximize longevity (keeping it between a certain % of charge, etc.)

A Prius C would be a nice car for me, however because Toyota the resale on them is insane, so it's a hard sell for slightly better fuel economy when gas is 92 cents a litre.

It's kind of insulting that my Mirage is only worth about $2000 CAD if I traded it into a dealership (even though it's powertrain warranty is good til 2025!).

[Mark]

Unless a vehicle is highly discounted, it's seldom wise to buy a new vehicle these days. Example from Edmunds -

"According to Edmunds data, the first year is the most devastating for the value of most new cars. Take as an example one of the best-selling vehicles in America, the Ford F-150 pickup. It sells new for $50,154, on average. In the first year, the truck depreciates by $14,349, losing 28.6 percent of its value. The next year it loses much less: $2,440, or a 6.8 percent drop in value. The third year is even less painful: The F-150 depreciates by $1,690, a 5.1 percent drop in value.

At the four-year mark, however, the depreciation takes a sharp dip. The truck loses $4,765 of its remaining value, or about 15 percent. Further, at four years of age, most vehicles are no longer covered under their factory warranty and major costs loom: Tires or brakes might need to be replaced, for example. These maintenance costs have an effect on the vehicle's perceived value to potential buyers."

vs.

"A 1-year-old F-150 costs about $35,805. Compare that to the new-vehicle price of more than $50,000. If you sold or traded in the F-150 after owning it for three years, it would be worth about $31,675. Your total ownership costs for those 36 months would be about $4,130 or $115 per month. That's one of the cheapest car-buying experiences available."

https://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/d...most-free.html

[dspace9]

my tractor.

I'd be more excited to replace my 26 year old McCulloch gas powered grass trimmer than buy a new car!

I want a small rider (lawn tractor) with a small trailer.. that's on my list of stuff I want for my house.

But back to my car upgrade idea. I started thinking about the money aspect. Let's say I can get another 5 or 6 years out of my Mirage. That makes overall ownership half the cost of what my total ownership cost is today. The longer I drive my Mirage obviously the cheaper it becomes.

People who buy new cars all the time, that gets expensive. Like you all are pointing out: We all have friends / family who do this. I don't get it.

[Eggman]

People who buy new cars all the time, that gets expensive.

The article Mark shared makes it sound easy to have a relatively new car every two to three years or so. Good reading!