Another new car search, changing my mind?

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MedigoFlame

MedigoFlame

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As some of you know, I purchased my current daily driver, a 2004 Mazda 6 Sport Wagon (In Glacier Silver in case you wanted to know the name) back in September. It had it's faults here and there, being from a sketchy used car dealership up north. But I managed to live with it just fine. Got new tires and fixed a misfiring issue that happened not long after I purchased the car... (About a month or two)
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But Maine winter's can be harsh on a car, especially one that can be prone to rust. So the Mazda's been having some rust issues and more recently, problems with the catalytic converters. It's a known issue that I figured was a possibility, but little did I know that it'd be rather difficult to diagnose the actual fault with the car. At the moment the car's been cleared of it's code and has been running alright. But I'm already feeling rather fed-up with it's issues and it's Ford relations. (No offense to Ford fans) It's a fun car and I love it, but I feel like it won't help me out in the long run as I'd hope. So now, I'm on the search for a new(er) car. Well...maybe not new, but something different.

I'm 20 years old and planning on moving out, possibly with my older brother, to an apartment. And I can get picky over what I want, but knowing that, it's not always the best choice... I had a friend offer $6,300 for the Mazda, but he's living in New York at the moment and won't return until June. So I thought I'd start my hunt now and gain some knowledge over some of my own ideas for my next car. At the moment, I'd say my budget would range from the $8,000 to $9-ish grand. Although my parents did suggest that they would offer to help me out if I REALLY wanted a brand new car, but of course, I'd have to pay them back over time.

Now...personally, I'm a big wagon fan and I'd love to get one. But they can be hard to come by, more specifically in...somewhat of my criteria.

-Wagon (Well...it doesn't really have to be one, but I love them...a lot)

-Manual or Automatic (if auto...I'd like to have a manumatic option for it as the Mazda's manumatic tranny was quite enjoyable, despite not being the quickest reacting shiftable auto there is) I also need to improve my manual driving as I'll be honest...I've only driven stick about three or four times in my life. I can drive at speed, but start and stop is something I need to practice on.

-Japanese (Because of the "obvious" want for reliability, unless there are any other brands that are proven to be as reliable as them. I wouldn't know as well, if I'm honest)

- All Wheel Drive/Four Wheel Drive (Preferably, but I can take the other drivetrains. It's just that Maine winters can be harsh)

- Somewhat...modern-ish. Nothing from the 90's.

But one of my worst personal problems is wanting cars that are uncommon...

My own list of what I want (and would love to get information on from anyone who has some knowledge on the cars)

- Saab 9-2X (Aero or base...but leaning towards the turbo. Although...how's insurance and reliability?)
- Fourth generation Subaru Legacy Wagon (GT...maybe?)
- Acura TSX wagon (Still quite pricey, but my parents may offer to help on that)
- Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Wagon (Preferably the Ralliart spec, but I know nothing about Mitsubishi reliability and quality)
- Lexus IS300 SportCross (Good luck finding one of those! Ugh, those are rare!)

Overall, I know that these cars can be hard to find...so you can go ahead and tell me that I'm being ridiculous and unreasonable when it comes to these uncommon cars. I refuse to go for crossovers or SUV's... Sedans are alright and coupes are not quite what I'd need. Also, I've had friends ask "Why would you want a wagon, even if it's just for moving, what other reason do you have for wanting to own one?" All I can say is...I'd rather have space and car feel than space and...a rolly stupid softroader feel...

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read my...first world problem of finding a car I want rather than what would be reasonable that I'd "need." :p 👍
 
I'm just gonna go ahead and suggest you consider the E46 325Xi Touring, because it fulfills the manual and all wheel drive criteria, is modern-ish and is fairly uncommon. Of course, you'll have to snoop around BMW forums (Bimmerfest, Bimmerforums) to decide if the reliability's up to par with your needs.

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I'd love to get a 325xi or preferably a 5-series Touring, but the biggest concern with those would be maintence. I could get work done for a decent price and even do some DIY stuff myself. But parts alone I would suspect wouldn't exactly be..."cheap." I'll be sure to look it up into more detail though.
 
MedigoFlame
I'd love to get a 325xi or preferably a 5-series Touring, but the biggest concern with those would be maintence. I could get work done for a decent price and even do some DIY stuff myself. But parts alone I would suspect wouldn't exactly be..."cheap." I'll be sure to look it up into more detail though.
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The E39 ('97-'03) 5-Series Touring wasn't available with all-wheel drive in the states, for what it's worth. The newer E60 ('04-'10) was available in all-wheel drive, but only as the 530xi and 535xi, both of which are still above $9k.
 
Yeah, I remember the E39 was never AWD in the US. And getting help for a new E60 would be out of the question with my parents. :lol: I do get a friend who wants me to get a B5 Audi A4 Avant...

I honestly don't care too much about rarity, but I suppose I'd be one of those "car hipsters" as my friends call me...
 
The Ralliart Sportback is a great car, but that seems like it would be getting a wagon just to get a wagon. The Sportback is a fairly clumsy looking hatchback more than a proper wagon. I'd just assume getting the regular RalliArt, as it is easier to come by and doesn't have a pointless hatchaback. (And it's much better looking.)

I think the Legacy is your best bet for a proper, fun wagon. Doesn't even need to be the GT model.
 
@disinfected, I was thinking more of the early 2000's generation than the later Sportback hatch.
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This falls below the $8k range, but I'd be happy with one.

Edit: I really do like the looks of the fourth gen Legacy wagon. And I would be fine with a non turbo model. Did they come with the H6?
 
All the US models had the 2.5 H4 if I am not mistaken.
 
Ah ok, I suppose I could look those up and see how they do. I remember the late 90's and early 2000's 2.5's were known for issues...

Also...if I decide to be a little less stubborn, I suppose a ZHP 3-Series would be interesting. But still...I don't know. X_x
 
I know, I forgot to add to the first sentence... "If I decide to be less stubborn, I suppose I could take a sedan." :p
 
Well, it doesn't quite fit your criteria, but I'd look at a late w211 (2006-2009) Mercedes E350 wagon. It has optional 4WD and, according to KBB, could cost about $13k. The 3.5L V6 is a strong, reliable engine. AFAIK it has an auto 7-speed.
edit- looked it up, apparently the RWD has 7-speed auto, the 4WD has a 5-speed auto.
 
As much as all Subarus are awful, I'd say go for the Legacy.

(Well, not the car, moreso the drivers. )
 
Well, it sounds like a Subaru Legacy would be the best bet for what you want in a car. With your budget, you should be able to get into a pretty nice 4th gen Legacy. The only thing is, I don't know how easy it would be to find one in manual.

MedigoFlame
I do get a friend who wants me to get a B5 Audi A4 Avant...
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I would avoid B5 Audis... They'll be fairly expensive to own and fix unless everything major's been recently replaced and you have receipts to prove it (Not necessarily much more than BMWs, but BMWs aren't cheap...).

MedigoFlame
@disinfectedEdit: I really do like the looks of the fourth gen Legacy wagon. And I would be fine with a non turbo model. Did they come with the H6?
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The Outback (based on the Legacy) was available with the 3.0 H6 engine. Non-Outbacks had only the H4 engine.

MedigoFlame
Also...if I decide to be a little less stubborn, I suppose a ZHP 3-Series would be interesting. But still...I don't know. X_x
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A good ZHP is still above $9k, unfortunately. :(

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If you really want to go to the deep end and get something totally different in wagon, you may want to think about and consider an E30 Touring. These were never imported to the US officially, but since they are starting to turn 25 years old, people are starting to import them. These were available in both RWD and AWD versions, and auto and manual, and the Touring has a fairly spacious trunk. As these become more common in the US, prices should be dropping and right around your budget. The only downsides are 1) it is an old BMW, 2) still fairly rare and hard to find, 3) lacking modern creature comforts, and 4) the AWD (iX) versions are horrible on gas.
 
@ildd, I wouldn't really be able to afford one and my parents would refuse to help out with a Mercedes.

@Bopop4 I do like the Legacy and I can definitely agree on the Subaru community being...far from the types that I enjoy being around. Especially in Maine. (Kind of why I'd prefer a 9-2X over a Impreza)

@Crash I was never a fan of B5 A4's, but knowing how much of a fan my friend is of his A4...he obviously had to suggest that. The E30 Touring on the other hand would be a pain to find and as you listed, I suppose it wouldn't be that ideal. But man I love the shape of those!
 
MedigoFlame
I'd love to get a 325xi or preferably a 5-series Touring, but the biggest concern with those would be maintence. I could get work done for a decent price and even do some DIY stuff myself. But parts alone I would suspect wouldn't exactly be..."cheap." I'll be sure to look it up into more detail though.
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The good thing though, is that due to it being one of the entry model E46 models, reliability is actually really good. It's not a model meant to be strung out, but a nice commuter. Maintenance fees will always be a dark horse because of BMW labor rates, but see if you have any specialist shops in your area & you should be fine as they purposely cut their rates below BMW's to bring business in. You'll just have to see if they're reputable & get you parts at a decent rate.
 
@Beeblebrox237 I wouldn't mind an Outback. My only real problem I suppose, is Maine's tendency to have what my friends and I call...the New England tax. Everyone up here wants a Subaru and the prices are high...

@homeforsummer I love the 9-2X! I was surprised when I finally looked up a little more information about it and found out that it was only sold in North America. Just find them so tempting...
This one actually just appeared on the neighboring New Hampshire state craigslist.
2005 9-2X Aero with a 5-speed (despite the listing saying auto)
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http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/ctd/4454987774.html

@Leonidae@MFT I never quite considered Volvo's... But would be interested.

@Mikeybc Couldn't afford a new Jetta Sportwagon and even if I asked my parents for help, they wouldn't.

@McLaren I never really thought of that. Finding a BMW specialist, but I never really hear of many around here. The only specialists I've heard about are for Volvo, Saab, Subaru, and Lexus...
 
The Saab 9-2X is awesome if you can find one and they should be fairly reliable since it's a WRX wearing a Saab costume (think little Japanese man wearing a Viking helmet). If I could have found one that didn't have a ton of miles on it I probably would have ended up with one instead of the Volvo.
 
@Joey D, I've found several out and about New England. (Unfortunately none actually in Maine) The black one I posted was interesting (95k and had a stick)...and there was another silver automatic in New Hampshire. I feel somewhat spoiled by my 6 with it's shiftable automatic, despite it being sluggish, I oddly enjoyed it. But the 9-2X automatic doesn't really have it. So...automatic or manual? X_x

Also...being Subaru related, I suppose I should be concerned with the 100k service that they need with the water pump and timing belt.

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http://nh.craigslist.org/ctd/4430356267.html
 
I may just ease up my requirements... Maybe I could consider other body styles or drivetrains...

Although I really do want an IS300 Sportcross, but the closest one I found for sale is in New York...
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http://www.capitalcitiesbmw.com/used/Lexus/2004-Lexus-IS 300-Albany-219532ef0a0a000268af56fbaaf5198c.htm

I suppose a sedan would do as well...

Edit: I just remembered! My friend's dad works at the local Lexus/Scion/Toyota dealership. And as I've purchased parts from him before as well as my friend for his IS300, he could give me some discounts. :D
 
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If you find the right car and it comes out clean after having it checked out by a reputable place, don't be averse to traveling and driving the car home.
 
Looking it up, taking the highway with some tolls, it'd be four hours to get to the BMW dealership with the grey IS300. But, being out of state, I wouldn't know where to get it checked out... I suppose I could feel somewhat relaxed as it's at an actual dealership, rather than a sketchy wholesale one. At the same time, it would be difficult to get the price down I suppose.

Unfortunately the green one was already sold... :(
 
MedigoFlame
Looking it up, taking the highway with some tolls, it'd be four hours to get to the BMW dealership with the grey IS300. But, being out of state, I wouldn't know where to get it checked out... I suppose I could feel somewhat relaxed as it's at an actual dealership, rather than a sketchy wholesale one. At the same time, it would be difficult to get the price down I suppose.

Unfortunately the green one was already sold... :(
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Well, I know that BMW doesn't just take in every car. It should be good... I don't think you should worry too much if this is the car you want. Just look carefully inside and out, up and down... and then make them show you the CarFax :sly:
 

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