>The Mazda 3 uses regular inline-4 engines. Nice ones, too.
>

I test drove a 3 with my brother, nice little car. For around $23k you can get
leather seats, navigation with premium sound, the bigger engine, etc...it's a
hell of a deal. I'd probably think about one to replace my GTI if I wasn't dead
set on waiting another year to year and 1/2 for either an MKV S3 or a BMW
1-series.
Steve Grauman

 

>The Mazda 3 uses regular inline-4 engines. Nice ones, too.
>

I test drove a 3 with my brother, nice little car. For around $23k you can get
leather seats, navigation with premium sound, the bigger engine, etc...it's a
hell of a deal. I'd probably think about one to replace my GTI if I wasn't dead
set on waiting another year to year and 1/2 for either an MKV S3 or a BMW
1-series.
Steve Grauman

 

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:19:49 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:

>
>"Cam Newton" <ccnewto@telus.com> wrote in message
>news:41be056d.16527094@news.gv.shawcable.net...
>> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:42:03 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Cam Newton wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 15:50:42 -0500, Mike Smith
>>>> <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dan J.S. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> "Asfwindsor" <asfwindsor@aol.com> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:20041207155725.07572.00001849@mb-m01.aol.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am considering a used 3 Series, maybe the Xi model or an Audi
>>>>>>> Quattro A4.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thoughts, opinions and facts are appreciated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> H Castorp
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Both unreliable. Get a Lexus IS.
>>>>>
>>>>> Too bad it's so ugly.
>>>>
>>>> The IS 300 is too small, no ski sack, flip/fold down seats, FWD...
>>>> shall I go on? Get the Corolla XRS for 1/2 the price if you are stuck
>>>> on a small car.
>>>
>>>The IS is rear wheel drive... and the new one will be AWD...
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> I am thinking too much weight for the frame with a new AWD system.
>> Everybody is onto AWD but Audi was there first.
>>
>> Why not an Volvo S40? Or save loadsadough and go with the Mazda 3.
>
>Mazda has problems with the rotary engines... Volvo, I guess, but that has
>an old man image, like a Cadillac...
>
>
I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3
with a bigger marketing budget, nothing more. And Ford quality to
boot. Volvo is not anywhere near where it was nor where it thinks it
is. When i went to kick tires at the local Volvo shop the guy said the
S60 was = to an A8. I guess he had never seen an A8. The S60 on a good
day is an A6 stripper.

 

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:19:49 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:

>
>"Cam Newton" <ccnewto@telus.com> wrote in message
>news:41be056d.16527094@news.gv.shawcable.net...
>> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:42:03 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Cam Newton wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 15:50:42 -0500, Mike Smith
>>>> <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dan J.S. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> "Asfwindsor" <asfwindsor@aol.com> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:20041207155725.07572.00001849@mb-m01.aol.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am considering a used 3 Series, maybe the Xi model or an Audi
>>>>>>> Quattro A4.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thoughts, opinions and facts are appreciated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> H Castorp
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Both unreliable. Get a Lexus IS.
>>>>>
>>>>> Too bad it's so ugly.
>>>>
>>>> The IS 300 is too small, no ski sack, flip/fold down seats, FWD...
>>>> shall I go on? Get the Corolla XRS for 1/2 the price if you are stuck
>>>> on a small car.
>>>
>>>The IS is rear wheel drive... and the new one will be AWD...
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> I am thinking too much weight for the frame with a new AWD system.
>> Everybody is onto AWD but Audi was there first.
>>
>> Why not an Volvo S40? Or save loadsadough and go with the Mazda 3.
>
>Mazda has problems with the rotary engines... Volvo, I guess, but that has
>an old man image, like a Cadillac...
>
>
I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3
with a bigger marketing budget, nothing more. And Ford quality to
boot. Volvo is not anywhere near where it was nor where it thinks it
is. When i went to kick tires at the local Volvo shop the guy said the
S60 was = to an A8. I guess he had never seen an A8. The S60 on a good
day is an A6 stripper.

 

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:19:49 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:

>
>"Cam Newton" <ccnewto@telus.com> wrote in message
>news:41be056d.16527094@news.gv.shawcable.net...
>> On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:42:03 -0600, "Dan J.S." <me@hyperx.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Cam Newton wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 08 Dec 2004 15:50:42 -0500, Mike Smith
>>>> <mike_UNDERSCORE_smith@acm.DOT.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dan J.S. wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> "Asfwindsor" <asfwindsor@aol.com> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:20041207155725.07572.00001849@mb-m01.aol.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am considering a used 3 Series, maybe the Xi model or an Audi
>>>>>>> Quattro A4.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thoughts, opinions and facts are appreciated.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> H Castorp
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Both unreliable. Get a Lexus IS.
>>>>>
>>>>> Too bad it's so ugly.
>>>>
>>>> The IS 300 is too small, no ski sack, flip/fold down seats, FWD...
>>>> shall I go on? Get the Corolla XRS for 1/2 the price if you are stuck
>>>> on a small car.
>>>
>>>The IS is rear wheel drive... and the new one will be AWD...
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> I am thinking too much weight for the frame with a new AWD system.
>> Everybody is onto AWD but Audi was there first.
>>
>> Why not an Volvo S40? Or save loadsadough and go with the Mazda 3.
>
>Mazda has problems with the rotary engines... Volvo, I guess, but that has
>an old man image, like a Cadillac...
>
>
I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3
with a bigger marketing budget, nothing more. And Ford quality to
boot. Volvo is not anywhere near where it was nor where it thinks it
is. When i went to kick tires at the local Volvo shop the guy said the
S60 was = to an A8. I guess he had never seen an A8. The S60 on a good
day is an A6 stripper.

 

In message <41bf4245.97639207@news.gv.shawcable.net>
ccnewto@telus.com (Cam Newton) wrote:

> I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3

Are you sure about that? The original S40 and Mitsubishi Carisma were
based on the same platform.

--
Peter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily')

 

In message <41bf4245.97639207@news.gv.shawcable.net>
ccnewto@telus.com (Cam Newton) wrote:

> I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3

Are you sure about that? The original S40 and Mitsubishi Carisma were
based on the same platform.

--
Peter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily')

 

In message <41bf4245.97639207@news.gv.shawcable.net>
ccnewto@telus.com (Cam Newton) wrote:

> I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3

Are you sure about that? The original S40 and Mitsubishi Carisma were
based on the same platform.

--
Peter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily')

 

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 20:54:15 GMT, Peter Bell <peter@invalid.org.uk>
wrote:

>In message <41bf4245.97639207@news.gv.shawcable.net>
> ccnewto@telus.com (Cam Newton) wrote:
>
>> I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3
>
>Are you sure about that? The original S40 and Mitsubishi Carisma were
>based on the same platform.
>

Well, that us kinda my point: re-use, recycle, refurbish and
re-market. If I want a Mazda 3 I will buy one.

I appreciate the economic necessity to re-use various bits of h/w by
car assemblers and lord knows, there is a bit in my B6 A4 that started
as a VW product (mostly in the engine, I believe) but if this keeps on
going there will be five car assemblers with four models each. I can
hardly wait. By then at least my license will be revoked due to age (I
am thinking of a few decades in the future).

One item of note: when I was looking at the G35X in the spring the
sales guy sales: all Nissan parts. So why would I buy a G35X if I can
get a Maxima (RWD) for a bunch less? To me, he made a mistake. The
Audi sales guy made a point of saying: all Audi, not VW parts. I
didn't want to task him on the engine. I just had to let that one go.
>--
>Peter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily')

 

On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 20:54:15 GMT, Peter Bell <peter@invalid.org.uk>
wrote:

>In message <41bf4245.97639207@news.gv.shawcable.net>
> ccnewto@telus.com (Cam Newton) wrote:
>
>> I was being facetious about the Volvo. The S40 is a tarted up Mazda 3
>
>Are you sure about that? The original S40 and Mitsubishi Carisma were
>based on the same platform.
>

Well, that us kinda my point: re-use, recycle, refurbish and
re-market. If I want a Mazda 3 I will buy one.

I appreciate the economic necessity to re-use various bits of h/w by
car assemblers and lord knows, there is a bit in my B6 A4 that started
as a VW product (mostly in the engine, I believe) but if this keeps on
going there will be five car assemblers with four models each. I can
hardly wait. By then at least my license will be revoked due to age (I
am thinking of a few decades in the future).

One item of note: when I was looking at the G35X in the spring the
sales guy sales: all Nissan parts. So why would I buy a G35X if I can
get a Maxima (RWD) for a bunch less? To me, he made a mistake. The
Audi sales guy made a point of saying: all Audi, not VW parts. I
didn't want to task him on the engine. I just had to let that one go.
>--
>Peter Bell (Note Spamtrap - To reply, replace 'invalid' with 'bellfamily')