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My next new car?

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shmokes:

--- Quote from: pointdablame on March 17, 2008, 08:41:19 pm ---
I'll bet that the Mazdaspeed 3 will be a million times more fun than a Civic SI.  If you're going to compare cars, at least compare both "performance" versions of the models we're talking about.


--- End quote ---

Oh . . . I didn't do any research.  I assumed that yours was the performance one, hence the bigger engine.  I really have no idea.  The Mazdaspeed might make the Civic Si claw at the dashboard and scream like a schoolgirl for all I know.

On the crash test thing, I say "nowhere near as good" for a couple reasons.  First, when checking crash test ratings, I use the more comprehensive tests done by the insurance industry rather than those done by the government.  They use test off-set crashes which do a better job of simulating real-world crashes than perfectly squared head-on crashes.  In those tests the Honda Civic gets the highest score possible in every category, while the Mazda 3 gets the lowest score possible in side-impact and the second-lowest score possible for rear-end collisions.  But even using only the government ratings, the Civic was the only car in its class with great scores in every test.  Some cars had decent side-impact numbers, but ---smurfy--- head-on.  Some will kill you in a rollover; some can't take a broadside.  If the Mazda 3 only trailed the Civic in one area I would just say that it wasn't as good.  But trailing in both head-on and side-impact is pretty significant.  I might not use the words "nowhere near as good" if I was only looking at the government tests, but according to the IIHS crash tests, I think the phrase is pretty reasonable.  And those are the crash tests that insurance premiums are based on.

pointdablame:
Thanks for that link, that's pretty interesting.  I hadn't seen the IIHS stuff prior to that.  I have the optional side air bags which seem to alter the tests a bit for the better, but that's quite a different story than the 3-4 star side impact stuff I've seen prior.  I guess I should be glad that I drive my car and don't ride in the back (kidding of course).  Its interesting to see now too as I was just in an accident recently, so it's on my mind.

quarterback:
I'm with the general concensus in this thread.  I test drove a Mini Cooper in 2005 and ended up buying a Scion Xa (looks a lot like the Honda Fit).  The Scion was more comfortable (for me, of course YMMV) a hell of a lot less expensive (~ $15,000 out the door) and gets almost 40mpg on my all highway drive to and from work.   

I'd owned three hondas prior to the Scion, two accords and a civic, and would have considered another but the low cost of the Scion was a deal breaker.  Side curtain airbags, low cost, great gas mileage and the fact it is a 4-door instead of 2, all made it the deal for me.

HaRuMaN:

--- Quote from: Havok on March 17, 2008, 09:51:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: HarumaN on March 17, 2008, 03:15:57 pm ---My wife's 99 Honda Civic went for 256K miles before we were totalled by a '64 Camaro.
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And the Camaro had a slight scratch...

--- End quote ---

pretty much

HaRuMaN:

--- Quote from: FrizzleFried on March 17, 2008, 07:39:11 pm ---
--- Quote from: HarumaN on March 17, 2008, 11:03:04 am ---Get a Honda Fit, I did... and I love it.  Not too expensive, great gas milage, and still fun to drive.

Here's a pic of mine parked in my driveway, the color is blackberry pearl:

--- End quote ---

My god is that one helluva pile of ugly!



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Said the doctor to Mama FrizzleFried...

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