Hello ive had my j for bout three years and i really like it, now its an 03 sedan red with 110,000 miles on it (my second car ever). the thing is its starting to get really bad engine sludge and some rattles and it needs new struts which i already bought and paid for tokico hp blues and ksport springs. the thing is im thinking about getting a new car. Im really paranoid about dumping a couple thousand into a car thats not worth it. im no tuner by any stretch i have some 17 inch wheels and 1500 dollars worth of audio in it for fun and have used this site for so much never done a thread before. anyways the dealer said my car is worth 2000 (idk). these are the cars im set on 05-08 mazda 6 wagons, mazda 3 hatchbacks, impreza wagon or a 4 door rabbit maybe gti. want something sporty but not an insurance nightmare, gotta be four door as this will eventually be a family car too. my biggest qualifications right now are slapstick and wagon, in the 10,000 dollar range. I'm kind of at a loss this will be the first car i go out and buy on my own, and id really like some help from some people that have been around the block. From reading stuff on this site for 3 years i know threre are some knowledgeble people on here. Thanks to whoever posts.
If you are really considering a new(er) car, make sure you can afford the payments first off without putting yourself out. As far as what the dealer is offering you, I would try and bump that up to 2500 or so, that is negotiable if you are buying the car through them, or try to sell it privately. Take everything that is aftermarket off, as they wont offer you more money for anything. I would take all of the audio out that is easy taken out and either reuse it in the new car or sell it off. You can sell the suspension setup on here or somewhere else. The new wheels may be useable with the new car depending on what you get or you can sell them off and put the stock wheels back on it, I know the subaru is 5x100 and I think the VW is as well.
I may be biased but I say go with the subaru, they hold their value great, will run forever, and are AWD, which is great year round (especially for a daily driver).
ya i gotta do alot of work first as far as tearing everything out i guess. i love the subarus as well its just hard to find one for the right price. i want a hatchback/ wagon. but they all seem alot closer to 20,000 than 10,000. if they are in my range there older and harder to finace. the awd would be optimal though as i live in western pa. i thought 10,000 was alot for a car but it doesn't seem like it gets you very far. Thanks for the input at first i thought i was up a $hitcreek with having aftermarket stuff. the only other thing is i painted some off the dash pices red so i have to go junkyard diving, stupid idea.
Yes, that is the fallback of holding their value well is actually bringing yourself to make the initial purchase. $10k does seem like a good chunk of change until you start looking around and realizing anything newer or lower mileage creeps up into that 13-15k range. Best bet will most likely be the mazda 3 hatch for that price, you will have to go like 06 or older with a subaru for under 10k.
As far as painted dash peices I would just leave them, mine was painted when I traded it in, no need to do more work to not get anything out of it.
ok ive started to look into mazda 3 hatchbacks alot more now. i just don't know how long they last. i rented one for a trip to florida and reallly liked it it seemed like it lacked power for its weight but i think if i go with the hatchback it comes with a little bigger engine. i really love the automatic or manual modes, that way my fiance can drive it too. maybe my next car after that will be a subaru. my gramdma just got a new legacy and its really sweet.
