Cars: 2015

[bostonewe]

Re: Cars: 2015

I looked long and hard at the Crosstrek (I really like the styling), but I didn't find it as comfortable to sit in or shift. I was looking for something long term and there was a lot out there on headgasket problems at 100,000 miles with Subaru.

[state of hockey]

Re: Cars: 2015

Did test drives today. Drove a Mazda 3 Touring, Subaru Impreza Sport, and Nissan Altima S, and then stopped because I couldn't deal with another car dealer. Didn't bother with Hyundai, Honda or Toyota, although they were on my list. The Nissan is at a "no haggle" dealership, but that's about the only thing it has over the other 2. Deciding between the Impreza and the Mazda. Mazda had more pickup, but no 4WD (but I've never had it, and I'm still alive). Impreza is about $4,000 more (Mazda has a $2,000 discount right now), and I don't see much different besides that.

Anyone have experience with either of these?

I love my 2017 Mazda 3 2.5T. Definitely could have used AWD last winter, though that is primarily because of the tires. I'm not sure what the Mazdas where you are have for shoes when they roll off the floor, but the ones I have SUCK in snow. I'm getting some snowshoes for the upcoming winter which will make a huge difference. Everything else about the car has been great. They really upped the interior over the last few years, but it still doesn't break the bank.

I honestly don't give a rip where the car is made, but I know some do. I'm betting the Impreza is built in Indiana, while the 3 is built in Japan. (98.5% Japanese parts, according to the window sticker when I bought it)

[Twitch Boy]

Re: Cars: 2015

My mechanic son is very leery of the Subaru (and Nissan) transmissions.

Run FAR FAR AWAY from the CVTs. I've heard of nothing but problems with those, possibly as low as 40K miles.

Other than that, Subaru is admittedly The Official Car of (insert state with inclement winter weather of your choice here.)

[Jimjamesak]

Run FAR FAR AWAY from the CVTs. I've heard of nothing but problems with those, possibly as low as 40K miles.

Other than that, Subaru is admittedly The Official Car of (insert state with inclement winter weather of your choice here.)

Alaska must definitely, one of the most popular beyond lame *** Ford F-150s.

[MarkEagleUSA]

Re: Cars: 2015

Run FAR FAR AWAY from the CVTs. I've heard of nothing but problems with those, possibly as low as 40K miles.

Early ones, yes, but the current ones are very good. My '14 Crosstrek has been flawless at just under 40k. There were suspected problems but Subaru stepped up and extended the warranty on the CVT to 10 yrs/100k just in case. Other mfg's have had issues as well. CVT technology in general seems to get a bad rap.

Truth be told, many of the "problems" stem from driver error because a CVT takes some getting used to compared to a regular automatic. Once you get the hang of it it's fine. I had my car back at the dealer within a month because I thought something was wrong. I have a bit of a heavy foot and standing on the throttle the car would basically just wind out in 1st or 2nd gear. After a great explanation of how the CVT works from the Subaru tech during a test drive, I found that rolling into the throttle actually makes the transmission more responsive. A CVT shifts very differently from a traditional automatic.

[jen]

Re: Cars: 2015

Run FAR FAR AWAY from the CVTs. I've heard of nothing but problems with those, possibly as low as 40K miles.

Had mine for 9 years, 122,000 miles - not one problem.

[jen]

Re: Cars: 2015

I love my 2017 Mazda 3 2.5T. Definitely could have used AWD last winter, though that is primarily because of the tires. I'm not sure what the Mazdas where you are have for shoes when they roll off the floor, but the ones I have SUCK in snow. I'm getting some snowshoes for the upcoming winter which will make a huge difference. Everything else about the car has been great. They really upped the interior over the last few years, but it still doesn't break the bank.

I honestly don't give a rip where the car is made, but I know some do. I'm betting the Impreza is built in Indiana, while the 3 is built in Japan. (98.5% Japanese parts, according to the window sticker when I bought it)

Thanks. I am leaning toward the Mazda. I noticed the lack of pickup of the Subaru when I took it on the freeway. When I was driving the Mazda, the salesman said "go ahead, put the gas all the way down", and I did, and it was FUN. I think I'll use that more often than I'll need AWD. You are making me a little nervous with the snow comments, though.

My boss actually just bought a CX5 - she used Mazda financing, and is going to re-fi at a lower rate. This is where car dealers always get me - they offer 0.0% APR or some other incentives based on financing (Mazda has $2000 off right now). I can't (or don't bother to) calculate the math to figure out how much I'm giving away.

edit: looked around for more snow info - other people report having problems as well, and that snow tires are basically a necessity. This makes me lean a little toward the Subaru now.

edit2: how can one tell if people on the internet actually know how to drive in snow? lots of people saying you should ALWAYS put winter tires on your car, otherwise it'll be terrible. I have never used winter tires. My last 2 cars have been fine (2001 Chevy Lumina and 2009 Nissan Sentra, so not AWD or anything). Is the snow really going to be a problem, or are these people idiots? Yes, it slips some. It's SNOW and ICE. Don't drive fast.

[state of hockey]

Thanks. I am leaning toward the Mazda. I noticed the lack of pickup of the Subaru when I took it on the freeway. When I was driving the Mazda, the salesman said "go ahead, put the gas all the way down", and I did, and it was FUN. I think I'll use that more often than I'll need AWD. You are making me a little nervous with the snow comments, though.

My boss actually just bought a CX5 - she used Mazda financing, and is going to re-fi at a lower rate. This is where car dealers always get me - they offer 0.0% APR or some other incentives based on financing (Mazda has $2000 off right now). I can't (or don't bother to) calculate the math to figure out how much I'm giving away.

edit: looked around for more snow info - other people report having problems as well, and that snow tires are basically a necessity. This makes me lean a little toward the Subaru now.

edit2: how can one tell if people on the internet actually know how to drive in snow? lots of people saying you should ALWAYS put winter tires on your car, otherwise it'll be terrible. I have never used winter tires. My last 2 cars have been fine (2001 Chevy Lumina and 2009 Nissan Sentra, so not AWD or anything). Is the snow really going to be a problem, or are these people idiots? Yes, it slips some. It's SNOW and ICE. Don't drive fast.

Most are just idiots.

I couldn't drive my car twice. Both times are when it dumped well over a foot. I just felt like I had to slow down a bit more than I'd like to, so I'll be getting snow tires.

[The Rube]

Re: Cars: 2015

The only time I've had issues is when it's a busy intersection in a storm, and the cars basically form ice at said intersection. And then no one really goes. Sure, driving is a bit difficult, but once you get going, it's alright.

[alfablue]

Re: Cars: 2015

Thanks. I am leaning toward the Mazda. I noticed the lack of pickup of the Subaru when I took it on the freeway. When I was driving the Mazda, the salesman said "go ahead, put the gas all the way down", and I did, and it was FUN. I think I'll use that more often than I'll need AWD. You are making me a little nervous with the snow comments, though.

My boss actually just bought a CX5 - she used Mazda financing, and is going to re-fi at a lower rate. This is where car dealers always get me - they offer 0.0% APR or some other incentives based on financing (Mazda has $2000 off right now). I can't (or don't bother to) calculate the math to figure out how much I'm giving away.

edit: looked around for more snow info - other people report having problems as well, and that snow tires are basically a necessity. This makes me lean a little toward the Subaru now.

edit2: how can one tell if people on the internet actually know how to drive in snow? lots of people saying you should ALWAYS put winter tires on your car, otherwise it'll be terrible. I have never used winter tires. My last 2 cars have been fine (2001 Chevy Lumina and 2009 Nissan Sentra, so not AWD or anything). Is the snow really going to be a problem, or are these people idiots? Yes, it slips some. It's SNOW and ICE. Don't drive fast.

IMHO, people like to make other people panic and they also want to feel better about themselves for one reason or another.

My driving reference is for SE MI, so you know what snow that means... For just over 20 years of my commute, I put real snow tires on my car. For most of those years, I was winter commuting in a Miata, and the snow tires really made it an amazing snow car. It helped that I also put darned good summer tires on it in the off season - and those tires would suck bad in the snow.

Then it got old enough to retire after 200k miles. Since then, I've had a new Fiesta and new Focus, both with the factory installed all season tires. And have not once in 4 winters had a problem. Modern all season tires are really good- provide darned good grip in the dry, and surprisingly good grip in the snow and ice.

One other thing I've learned over the years- there are plenty of people who find ways of hurting themselves. To the point where they will go out of their way and pretend that they are Sebastian Loeb in the bad weather, when everyone else is doing 10-15 mph less. Some people make it a goal to point out how stupid they are.

[jen]

Re: Cars: 2015

Now I feel that maybe the "Mazda 3 sucks in snow" people are being alarmist, and it'll be about what my Sentra is in snow (which is - fine, because I am cautious). But what if it isn't? What if it really sucks, and I have to put winter tires on my car every year? I am not signing up for that. I was awake until 1 am thinking about this, so I need to make a decision soon. The Subaru has about the same horsepower my Sentra has (and I don't consider the Sentra "slow"), so it's not a downgrade. Gah. They are just too close to pick.

[The Rube]

Re: Cars: 2015

Think about the cars people were driving in winter 40 years ago. Then think about all the new technology and improvements since then. Just saying.

[walrus]

Re: Cars: 2015

Now I feel that maybe the "Mazda 3 sucks in snow" people are being alarmist, and it'll be about what my Sentra is in snow (which is - fine, because I am cautious). But what if it isn't? What if it really sucks, and I have to put winter tires on my car every year? I am not signing up for that. I was awake until 1 am thinking about this, so I need to make a decision soon. [emoji14] The Subaru has about the same horsepower my Sentra has (and I don't consider the Sentra "slow"), so it's not a downgrade. Gah. They are just too close to pick.

How often do you drive in snow? Back roads, interstate, in town, do they treat them? Etc. In Maine all season tires work for some. I drive a lot on all types of roads, snow tires are a must.

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[state of hockey]

Re: Cars: 2015

The Mazda 3 does not suck in the snow. The tires Mazda puts on them aren't great at it. If that's not something you're willing to deal with and the cars are really close in your mind, getting the Subaru is provably worth it for the peace of mind.

[jen]

Re: Cars: 2015

How often do you drive in snow? Back roads, interstate, in town, do they treat them? Etc. In Maine all season tires work for some. I drive a lot on all types of roads, snow tires are a must.

I'm not driving in unplowed rural areas or anything - but my neighborhood usually gets plowed later than most others. I've always used all seasons, and never had reason to get winter tires (and my cars have been small). There's one tricky hill in my neighborhood, but I avoid it when it snows. I'm not really asking if I need winter tires in general, but if there's something specific to the Mazda 3 that makes it unusually hard to deal with in snow, compared to other cars like it. Like soh mentioned about the brake shoes, and I've seen a few other things mentioned by random internet strangers (something about higher torque?)

The Mazda 3 does not suck in the snow. The tires Mazda puts on them aren't great at it. If that's not something you're willing to deal with and the cars are really close in your mind, getting the Subaru is provably worth it for the peace of mind.

This is kind of how I am leaning now - I'm going to regret a car that might have snow issues more than I'm going to regret not upgrading the engine from my current car. Now I just need to keep the same decision until 7 pm or so.

Which trim do you have? I think the Touring comes with all seasons, and it looked like the lower trim didn't.