Choosing a new or CPO car- narrowed down to 4...

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m trying to make a final decision on buying a new (or new to me) car. I’m down to four finalists, but I’m really having a tough time making a final decision!

I currently have a 2006 Mazda3 s 5-door that I use as my daily driver. I bought it new in December 2005. It only has 92k miles on it and it is in near-perfect condition inside and out. During a moment of gratuitous generosity, I told my nephew that he could have it when he turns 15 and gets his learner’s permit (so he can learn how to drive on a manual transmission, just like his mom and I did). The kid turns in five weeks, so the clock is ticking…

I have been in love with the Mazda6 since the 2009 model was introduced. My plan all along was to buy a new Mazda6 s Grand Touring when I gave up my Mazda3. I’ve known for almost two years that 2013 would be the final year for the Mazda6 body style that came out in 2009. So I figured that I would wait for the redesigned 2014 model to show up at dealers and I’d get a great deal on a 2013 model!

And that is one of my four options-

2013 Mazda6 s Grand Touring – $24,990 (MSRP- $32,770)
w/ Technology Package- (Smart Key, Push-Button Start, Power passenger seat, Xenon HID headlights, LED tail/brake lights, Rain-sensing wipers, Driver’s seat 3-position memory, Homelink remote)
Fireglow Red w/ Sand Leather

Pros- Still love the design, 272hp 3.7L V6, 18” wheels, 10-spkr Bose Surround Sound, lots of features, great deal…
Cons- none

But the new 2014 Mazda6 is one helluva a looker!

**2014 Mazda6 i Grand Touring **- $28,650 (MSRP- $30,590)
Soul Red w/ Almond Leather
Fully loaded incl. Nav

Pros- Looks amazing, 38mpg highway, all the latest safety and tech features
Cons- 184hp 2.5L 4-cylinder (only engine offered) is more than adequate (0-60 in 7.4sec) but falls short of the 2013 V6

But here’s the rub….

The other two cars on my short list are** CPO **(Certified Pre-Owned) versions of two premium/luxury brand cars that I have always loved-

2010-2011 Acura TSX V6 - $23-$26k
Less than 40k miles on both
7-year/100k mile Warranty (from original sale date)
Silver or Gray w/ Ebony Leather

Pros- 280hp Acura V6, looks sharp, the most comfortable driver’s seat I’ve ever sat in, awesome 10-speaker audio system, navigation
Cons- Less rear seat & trunk space than the other 3, not much else
**
2010 Infiniti M35 Sport - $27k**
38k miles, 7yr/100k mile Warranty
Liquid Platinum w/ Graphite Leather & Metal Alloy interior trim

Pros- 303hp 3.5L V6, 7-speed automatic w/ paddle shifters, 14-spkr Bose Surround Sound, Nav, Front/Rear Parking Sensors & Camera, 19” hi-po wheel/tire package, sport driver & passenger heated & cooled seats, 4-wheel steering; off-lease in perfect condition, a LOT of car for the money (stickered for $56k 3yrs ago)

Cons- RWD and 303hp is a handful on wet roads, useless in snow or ice; long-term reliability is rated as average, others are above average

To recap-

1- 2013 Mazda6 s Grand Touring
2- 2014 Mazda6 i Grand Touring
3- 2010 or 2011 Acura TSX V6
4- 2010 Infiniti M35 Sport

At this moment, my gut is leaning toward toward the 2013 Mazda6 s GT or 2011 Acura TSX V6….I think, maybe….

BTW, the prices of both Mazdas include an Owner Loyalty Rebate because I am a current Mazda owner ($500 on the 2013 and $1000 on the 2014). My relationship with a good Mazda dealership and a great Mazda salesman should also be taken into consideration. We bought a 2012 CX-9 GT SUV just a few months ago and have a great rapport with the sales and service folks.

What do y’all think???

2

Personally, I like the Infiniti. A buddy has one and I think they offer good bang for the buck and solid reliability. Then again, I think your con about rwd is a boondoggle. If you’re someplace with heavy snow, you need snow tires regardless of which wheels are driven. If you’re someplace that doesn’t require them on a fwd, rwd should be just as good with modern traction control options. My BMWs would straighten right up on snowy roads with the push of a button.

3

I live in the North Georgia Mountains. We average one significant snowfall every 2-3 years. But rain is a different story…

As I mentioned, in addition to the 2006 Mazda3 we also have a 2012 Mazda CX-9. It has the same exact engine and transmission that I would be getting in the 2013 Mazda6 s GT. The CX-9 also has 20" 50-series tires (the Mazda6 comes with 18" 45-series), both of which are great for looks and handling, but suck for traction on anything but dry pavement!

The only real issue I have with the CX-9 is the hyper-aggressive traction control system. If you aren’t deliberately careful when starting off in the rain, ,one or both front wheels will break traction and active the traction control. It cuts power to the one or both front wheels for up to a few seconds! So if you’re pulling out across a lane of traffic, you become a sitting duck!!!

I just hit the TCS OFF button when I drive it in the rain to avoid the risk. I’m betting the Mazda6 has the same or a very similar system…but I can cope with it. If it didn’t cost 2mpg overall and cut almost a full second off 0-60 times, I would’ve got AWD on the CX-9…but I still love it, just not the TCS…

4

Traction in the rain is a function of a good set of tires. Get thee a set of all season Conti Supersport Contacts DWS. I’ve got them on two of our cars. One with 50 profile tires (FWD) and one with 40/35 profile tires (staggered, rwd). You would be surprised how well they stick in the wet. Incredibly good on snow covered roads as well. I just took a ski trip and the FWD car, loaded with gear and people climbed some very steep sections of road like an absolute champ. They are no match for a good set of snow tires but in absence of those, they are second to none.

That’s all I have to say about the tires. Now on to the cars…

I would strike the 2014 Mazda6 off the list. Nice looking car but you’d miss the power. I’d also pass on the Acura TSX. Enough power and it’s a Honda so reliability is good, but it’s the runt of the pack in size and stature and if I may be permitted to say… it’s a chick car.

So it’s down to the 2013 Mazda6 (new) and Infinity M35 (used). If the latter is in excellent condition, I would be tempted to go with the Infinity. Given that it’s already taken the hit on depreciation of a new car and has many good years of service left in it, that would be my choice. I don’t think you need to worry about the RWD thing in the wet/snow. The car has good power but it’s on the heavy side so it won’t be the beast you think it will be IRL. The traction nanny systems are very good on these cars so you won’t have issues like with the lighter 2005 Mazda. Plus you’ll be driving in the lap of luxury. Which is nice.

5

I’m sorry Quicksilver, but you’re 100% wrong :slight_smile:

This. The 2014 Mazda6 made the previous generation obsolete. It’s a beautiful car, and the Skyactiv engine is pretty much fantastic. Every Mazda I’ve driven with a Skyactiv engine has managed to be well sorted and still engaging. They’ve managed to make the electric power steering not suck (!) and their suspension tuning is great. Plus Mazda will let you get the manual transmission with pretty much any other combination (I think, don’t quote me on this). I’m always in favor of rewarding automakers for doing that. I.e., the manual transmission CX-5. Very much unlike the automatic only TSX wagon (boo).

My second choice would be the TSX, although the current generation can’t hold a candle to the previous one, and finding a manual could be tricky. If you’re not getting a manual, this would be my choice, as the extra grunt of the V6 will help counteract the slushbox.

The Infiniti is a lot of money for what you get, and it’s pretty dull. IMO. YMMV.

6

d’oh!! :smack: :slight_smile:

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The 2014 Mazda6 comes in three versions- Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. Currently, the base Sport model is the only one available with a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic. They will offer the 6MT on the Touring model within the next few months.

But whatever I buy will be an automatic. It will be the first time in my life that I haven’t owned at least one vehicle with manual transmission! As I approach the BIG 4-0, my left knee just can’t deal with a clutch in Atlanta grildlock. I’ve had three different surgeries on that knee since I severely injured it playing soccer when I was 17.

As for the TSX, I had a 2007 TSX with 6-speed manual for several years and I adored that car! It was a very hard to find color combo- Milano Red with Ebony Leather (vast majority had Parchment Leather). It was a 3-year lease and I regret not buying it at the end of the lease but I turned it in!?

The V6 is only available with a 5-speed automatic. The TSX V6 and Mazda6 s GT (V6) have identical acceleration stats. Both can do 0-60 in 6.4sec. The Acura V6 is the smoother of the two (it is a Honda engine, after all) but the Mazda’s 6-speed Aisin automatic is preferable to the Acura’s 5-speed auto.

The current TSX was introduced as a 2009 model but the V6 didn’t show up until 2010. Acura didn’t have plans to offer the V6 in the TSX, but quickly changed their mind so they would have something to offer as an alternative to the godawful-looking TL also introduced in 2009! The TSX V6 is actually the same 3.5L used in the base TL. But the TSX lacks the hideous beak/snout from the TL, it has a much more reserved “Shield” grille.

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But…but…but… the Infinity will last longer! It’s right in the name! :smiley:

9

I’m quite partial to Dunlop SP Sport Signature performance AS tires. I’ve had great experiences with the brand in terms of performance and longevity. They just don’t make them in the 20" for my CX-9. It has OEM Bridgestones that I hate, but I plan to replace them Yokohama YK580s soon!

Regarding the 2014 Mazda6’s performance, I’ve discovered something interesting. The Grand Touring model with 6-speed automatic is actually quicker than the Sport model with 6-speed manual, even though the GT weighs 200lbs more! The GT 6AT does 0-60 in 7.4sec and Sport 6MT in 7.6sec.

I wish I had the luxury of waiting a while because the SKYACTIV-D 2.2L TurboDiesel version of the Mazda6 will be available here within the next four months! It sounds very promising…

10

It’s fairly common now for cars with automatic transmissions regularly beat the same car equiped with a manual. Manual is still much more fun and engaging to drive. I’m going to miss my manual when I have to give it up to my daughter who is now 16 and has her learner’s permit. I have a high performance car that I drive on weekends and it’s got a paddle shifter set up. It’s furiously fast but the paddle shift business is just not as satisfying as rowing the gears myself.

I’ll be looking to replace the daily driver that’s going to my daughter soon and I’ll be considering a diesel as well. I’ve got my eye on a 2014 model year VW Golf GTD. It’ll be that or the VW Golf R with a gasoline engine and AWD platform. Either way, I think I’m going to go with the DGS auto transmission with the paddle shifters. Just getting lazy and comfortable in my old age, I guess. Just can’t decide if the premium price for diesel fuel and the higher price tag for a diesel car is cost effective despite the better mileage. I mean, it’ll be years before the savings in fuel will recoup the initial outlay.

11

UPDATE…and then there were 3…

As much as I love the TSX V6, I have crossed it off my list! It is the only one of the four with a timing belt (requires changing every 90k)…I’m not going back to dealing that hassle and expense! I’ve only had timing chains for the last 10 years or so and I plan to keep it that way!

I went by the Mazda dealer earlier today and talked to my sales guy. The 2014 Mazda6 I was considering was sold Friday night. It was one of the very few Grand Tourings within a 300-mile radius of Atlanta that didn’t have the $900 Radar Cruise Control & Forward Obstruction Warning System Package! I don’t want to pay for that package because I’ll never use the Radar Cruise Control and the “Forward Obstruction Warning System” offends me based on principal alone! It is a ridiculous, way-over-the-top safety “nanny” just like Honda’s Forward Collision Warning System! I already have a Forward Obstruction Warning System- it’s called my eyes and a fucking windshield!!!

I had the Infiniti dealer send the 2010 M35 Sport over to my mechanic this morning for a full inspection. It checked out mechanically but there has been some paint work on the right front fender and the hood! It doesn’t appear that either body panel has been replaced or had damage repaired, but they did need repainting??? Carfax and Autocheck are both clean- no accidents…but paint work scares me, especially when my mechanic detected it so quickly! My first thought is that the M35 has a much nicer paint job than the Acura or Mazdas, so the repainted area must be not be up to the same level of quality if it is so easily detectible…

I’m sending in the big guns- my bro-in-law is going by the dealer this afternoon on his way home to check it out. He has worked at the #1 Honda/Acura body shop in Atlanta for the last 24 years. The first 18 years he was THE best painter in the business and now he manages the entire body shop. He is MY paint guru and he can tell me more about what has been done to the M35 and how much trouble it will be for him to make it perfect again! Or if there’s more to the story hiding underneath the paint and I just need to walk away…

12

The Golf R is awesome and I find the understated design to be damn near perfect looking! Everything about it is great except the damn price! $35k is a lot for a Golf!

I haven’t experience VW’s DSG tranny in several years, but I hear that it has been continuously improved and is far better now than it was five years ago! I remember it being rather clunky and harsh/jarring shifts being the norm back when I drove a VW with it. But reviews speak much more highly of it now. Ford needs to take some serious lessons from VW because the DSG they use in the Focus and Fiesta SUCKS!!! The sounds it makes (especially when slowing to a near stop, then resuming acceleration) would scare the hell out of me in any other car! It feels like the transmission is slipping and ready to drop at any tim e! And shift quality under light to moderate acceleration is what I can only describe as “throws you thru the windshield”…it will loosen the fillings in your teeth it’s so harsh!

But it could actually be worse. They could have used that abomination that has spread like the plague throughout much of the auto industry…the CVT! :smack: I hate them, period, end scene!

On the topic of Diesels being cost-effective. You are correct that you won’t recoup the additional cost of buying a diesel and the higher price for diesel fuel the same way you might in a hybrid. It would take far longer for a diesel to pay for itself soley based on fuel savings. But there are several other benefits to diesels that have nothing to do with saving money. Two words that immediately come to mind- Torque and Durability! Diesels have so much more low-end torque than similarly sized gasonline engines that they ‘feel’ much more powerful during normal driving. You may never rev it beyond 3000rpm and it still pulls like a locomotive! The other historical benefit to diesels is that they last forever with decent maintenance.

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Can’t argue with you there. Diesels really do go like a train, and they do tend to last. For me it’ll be down to the test drive to see if the GTD or the R are the better choices. Though the AWD is a plus in the R column. :slight_smile: I realize that $35K is spendy on a Golf but I geek out over most german cars so I’m not feeling like I’d be spending more than what the car is worth.

I feel the same as you about the excessive nanny systems on cars today and the extra electronics that don’t interest me in the least when I’m behind the wheel. I don’t even care about the radio. Most of the time it’s off because I enjoy listening to the engine and exhaust much more.

Hope the paint issue with the M35 is minimal. It sounds like you’re quite serious about that car. So is the 2013 Mazda6 still in the running? Shame they no longer offer the AWD platform like on the older models. Those cars were excellent.

Say… have you given any thought to the Infinity G37x/S sedan? The ones just coming off lease are pretty good value as well and it’s not hard to find one with low mileage.

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**My CX-9 came with a couple of features that I knew I’d never use. A perfect example is “Rain-sensing automatic wipers”. It’s very simple- see rain drops, turn on wipers. The ‘Automatic sensing’ feature has just one speed called “PISSIN’ ME OFF!” They come on too soon and streak the windshield or not soon enough and visibility is compromised.

I feel the same about automatic headlights. In Georgia, even if it’s only misting rain, it’s law that you lights must be on! The automatic headlight setting only measures how light/dark it is outside the car, so they don’t come on in the rain unless it is dark enough…

It also has a Blind Spot Monitoring System that I expected to be utterly useless other than annoying me. To my surprise, I really like the feature now! There are sensors on each rear corner inside the bumper that detect when a vehicle enters a certain range of space. If it senses a car in that space (my ‘blind spot’), a warning light appears on the side view mirror on that side of the car. It keeps me aware of who’s around me at all time, which is good. If you turn on your signal (to change lanes) while a car is in the zone, a warning chime sounds and the light flashes on the outside mirror with an X over it! That part gets annoying, especially when I’m squeezing in and out of Atlanta traffic…if I can fit without trading any paint, I’m going for it…but I can turn it off easily in those situations.
**

**Right now, the 2013 is the front runner! The only Mazda6 that ever came with AWD, to my knowledge, was the 2006-2007 MAZDASPEED6. The AWD system was added because FWD couldn’t put all of the power to the pavement without nasty torque steer and constant loss of traction! That’s why the engine had to be de-tuned a bit for the FWD MAZDASPEED3. **

**For some reason, I have always been in love the 2006-2010 M design and I’m just not that into G37. The M interior is also a notch or two higher in quality of materials and features.

But I actually did test drive a 2011 G25 Journey and seriously considered adding it as a fifth choice to my list! The G25 was surprising fun to drive and the 218hp 2.5L V6 was smoother and sweeter sounding than the G37’s bigger V6. The 7-speed automatic is geared to give it surprising power off the line and get the revs up into the meat of the powerband very quickly! It never felt slow or underpowered in the least.

But I just couldn’t bring myself to buy the base version of the least expensive model from a luxury car brand. When I see a dude driving a Lexus IS250, MB C-crapper, BMW 325/328i the first thought that enters my mind is DOUCHE BAG! There are so many poseurs out there and they look like total tools driving their base model, no options and non-metallic refrigerator white paint BMW!

But I just heard from my bro-in-law. He said that the hood has been replaced and the paint was blended onto both front fenders to match it. It is a very high quality paint job. The only way he discovered it was at dusk using a flashlight. The hood and fender tops had less swirl marks than the rest of the car, that was the only clue. My mechanic probably caught that under the fluorescent lights of his shop!

The fenders have not been replaced, so it wasn’t a hard frontal impact of any kind. Something either fell on the hood, it was vandalized or maybe it ran under the back of a big truck just enough to trash the hood? Either way, it’s not a problem.

So…2010 Infiniti M35 Sport OR 2013 Mazda6 s Grand Touring (new)…**

15

I do love the smell of a brand new car… :slight_smile:

The luxury, fit and finish of the M35 is very tempting though.

I guess it comes down to what you feel most comfortable driving over the next several years to come. Fortunately this is not a decision that has a wrong answer.

Good luck. Let us know what you decide.