Bought a new(er) car

[OCDetails]

I've been a one car family since I sold my Accord in January and just rode my motorcycle from about February till now. Since that wasn't the most fun thing to do on rainy days and when it was freezing all the way into May, I decided that I want to be in a car this year.

I looked around for something that met my fairly picky criteria.

1. The right price
2. Good MPG
3. Not too boring to drive or look at
4. Fairly unique
5. The right colors inside and out
6. Perfect condition
7. Sedan
8. Very reliable and long lasting

The size car I was looking for was sort of Civic-esque. I looked at 3 series Bimmers, the Mazda6, lots of Civics, a few Toyotas, and anything else that seemed fairly reliable. I realized through this that I'm not a fan of car shopping anymore... When car shopping stops being fun then you know you are getting old.

A 3 series would have been nice, but for my budget I would have had to buy a 2000 with 80K+ on the clock and I didn't want to mess with mechanical problems or anything.

The Mazda6 is a dime a dozen. I knew there were too many of these when I found myself at an intersection behind one with one on the left, one across the intersection, and several passing in front of me. That's a little too common for me. The Mazdaspeed6 would have been nice, but again, a little out of my budget.

Civics are nice, but I had a hard time finding one available in the right color combination. I refuse to have a car with beige interior. Blech! That is a detailer's nightmare. Especially an obsessive compulsive one like me. I need something that can get dirty without looking dirty so that I don't loose sleep knowing that there is a spot somewhere that needs cleaning. lol

So it came down to an unlikely choice. I bought a 2005 Corolla XRS. I know I was just mocking the Mazda6 for being a dime a dozen and then I say I bought a Corolla, but this one is different. The XRS has the Celica GT-S motor in it and is a lot different than the average Corolla. Performance wise it is almost exactly like an Integra GSR, which I had and loved. I regret ever selling my GSR back when I did it, so this is sort of redemption for me. The car is nice and simple without being too boring. I bought it from a dealership in Casper, Wyoming and they are driving it out to me next week. So finally I'll be able to go on drives in something other than my Pilot! yay!

Anyway, I'll post pics when I get it and have it shined up, but here are some from the dealership.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic2.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic3.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic4.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic5.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y42/OCDetails/pic6.jpg

[Charlies02GLS]

Congrats on the purchase. Looks pretty good with the tint and ground effects kit on there.

Are those brushed aluminum trim pieces on the interior or painted? Those seats remind me of the Recaro's I've got in the Jetta, hope they're just as comfortable to ride in.

[OCDetails]

They are just titanium looking pieces that I believe are just painted plastic. It adds a little extra to the interior to set it apart from the S.

[Bob]

Nice ride Anthony!

[BlueZero]

Cool! Congrats on the new ride. My buddy had a XRS, he loved it. I rode in it a few times and it's a quick little car. I like your color choice as well. I'm still trying to figure out what car to get too.

[Nimble]

Nice and reliable, but a 2000 E46 3 series need not be a beater. I just picked a 2000 one owner 328i up with only 82K miles for $11.6K That car will hold it's value and give you a rewarding car to drive at the same time....all on a econocar budget. But I'm biased, I only drive BMW's.

[OCDetails]

Yeah, I know I can get a Bimmer for low dollars. For the number of miles I estimate I'll be putting on it (probably 5000 miles a year or less) I just can't justify having a BMW sitting in the garage. I'm also a much better Toyota mechanic than I am a BMW mechanic. I don't have much experience with german motors, so I think sticking with what I'm familiar with is a better idea.

[zoomzoom mazda5]

What engine does the toyota has? If i'm right it might have the same one the matix xrs has a 6 speed. The problems my wife had is the clutch. I had to replace it twice and the belts 3 times also the o2 senor twice. Toyota will not admitted it has a problem with this and a lot of folks have complained about this on the toyota forums. Just make sure it's not the same engine as the matrix xrs 6 speed. The last shop i had it fix knows all about the clutch problems that this model has. Car has 59000 miles on it and it's a 2003 model. Just check it out before you buy it. The volvo s40 or s60 is a great car to buy. I have a 06 mazda5 for over a yr and no problems at all. Hope this helps you out......Angelo....P.S. i just saw that you got it sorry about my post....enjoy it!

[Jose]

I have the S model, and I love that car! Is great on mileage(lately getting around 36MPG) and extremelo comfortable both in the front and back. Maintenance is a breeze and extremely reliable. Great choice IMO!

[OCDetails]

It has the same engine as the Matrix XRS, Celica GT-S, Pontiac Vibe, and even the Lotus Exige and Elise. I guess it just depends on how it is tuned. It is detuned a little bit from the GT-S to this one, so it has only 170 HP instead of 180. The stats and specs of this car are identical to the '99 Integra GSR sedan that I loved more than life. I sold that for the lemon of a Subaru Legacy GT that I bought in '05 and I've missed it ever since. I'm really looking forward to getting this car in a week. The dealership is having a big tent sale this week and all their sales guys are tied up. Next week they need some time to get back to BAU, so they are driving it out next weekend for me.