[Anakin23]

I briefly considered the Pt Cuiser but it's such a novelty car to me, like the VW bug or something. I've heard that it's a pice of sht too and that owners have had a lot of problems with it. I haven't seen anyone under 40 driving it.

(PS talking in this forum is making me want my tc even more, one more week or so.....bleh!)

 

[Kwiksilver]

yeah i don't like the pt cruiser. i think it is a real crap of a car. but i see them all over the place here in california. not sure if that's the way it is everywhere. hang in there man, a lot of us know what you are going through with the waiting.

what color are you getting? and any mods?

 

[Anakin23]

There are a lot of PT's here in Colorado and I've seen two Scions... one xB and one tC.

I'm getting flint mica... thought I was being original... oh well. I'm getting floor mats/cargo mat, bumber protector, side curtain airbags for now. I really wanted the 6cd changer but it's a graduation present, dad didn't think it was necessary. bleh

 

[FrostbytetC]

I agree with T in that the tC is "sporty" but definitely not a sports car. When considering getting a new car, I was more or less hung up on a Celica. Then when I was test driving cars to see what I liked which included a VW Golf GTi VR6, VW Jetta 1.8t, 2004 Eclipse, Subaru WRX, Celica GT, Celica GTS, Mazda 6, and a few others I got frustrated in just about everyway possible with one thing or another then fell back onto the celica. Well I decided that It would be in my best interest to buy new celica as opposed to a used one so i called the only other toyota dealership in the area I hadn't tried yet in search of a 04 celica. They told me that had none, and i was just about to hang up and give up, when he told me about the tC. I didnt know what to expect, but I got in my car and drove out there........ I guess you could say it was love at first sight. I was lucky to drive to the dealer, test drive it, and put a deposit down on it. I had the tC a week later when i found out i got the last one if buffalo up until about 2 weeks ago! I couldn't be happier!

 

[bender2929]

I had my heart set on the Ford Escape hybrid next year, but a careless driver changed those plans. I almost would've bought this year's model - if it had come out in time.

I narrowed down my list to a Mazda 3s, Subaru wrx, and RSX. tC wasn't even on the list until I saw some other threads (e.g. Mazda 3s or ...

).

Threw out the RSX cuz I thought it was too common..

Tossed the wrx cuz of price, look.

The choice between M3 and tC was tough but in the end I thought the tC looked better.

It's just as well - I'm perfectly happy with the tC, and in the meantime hybrid technology will continue to mature

 

[wolo]

I was looking at a baseline Civic or the Mazda 3.

 

[basilisk4]

Originally posted by Anakin23@Aug 31 2004, 10:37 PM
Mazda is moving toward the gen Y marketing strategy too... with the "zoom zoom" (implies fun to drive, fast, etc). Comparing the Mazda 3 and the tC I found that they really are similar, besides looks but with price and features and all that. My prof says though that Mazda has a reputation for being "a #### box". Would you agree??? I had a Protege for a long time and was happy with it. In my opinion I'd put the quality of Mazda and Toyota on the same page, the reason I went with the Scion is because the few more standard features it offered ... and at the risk of sounding cliche, the opportunity to be part of something new.

Love Toyota but have to disagree with my prof and say that Mazda does have a good chance at stealing market share away, at least if they go up against Scion. Or maybe it will be that Scion takes away from Mazda... either way I'd put them in the same class and say they're competitors.

First of all, it seems to me that it's not really so much about Mazda competing with Scion as it is the other way around, since Scion is the newcomer.

I agree with your professor that Mazda has a reputation for being crap -- they have always lagged behind Honda and Toyota in terms of reliability (and sales). I also disagree that Toyota is not selling cars to people in their 20s and 30s -- they're just not selling cars to the type of people who want to buy a Tiburon, Civic Si, or the like and turn it into a self-proclaimed street rod. There are plenty of people who are not old but who need a reliable car, and that's why Toyota sells so many Corollas and Camrys -- just like Honda sells plenty of Accords and Civics to people who don't fancy themselves tuners.

Not that I expect to persuade those of you with diametrically opposed opinions from mine, but I don't believe that Mazda is on anywhere near the same page with Toyota in terms of quality and reliability -- I don't even think they're in the same book. Mazda is such high quality that they had to go to Ford for quality tips -- Ford, by the way, owns one third of Mazda's worldwide operations and one half of Mazda's operations in North America. I don't see any way it can be argued that that fact doesn't lower Mazda's potential quality right off the bat.

I agree with you, though, that Mazda has a good chance of competing with Scion, because on the surface, they are both aimed at people who want a hot looking car that doesn't cost $30,000 or more. However, I think that Scion is clearly more deep than that -- the reason that I think Scion has the potential to be extremely successful is because not only will they grab car buyers who want style above all else, but Scion is also extremely attractive to people like me, who want a great looking car but don't want to pay a lot AND don't want to sacrifice quality. "A car that looks this sweet AND has Toyota quality? That's unbelieveable." That was my thought process when I learned about the tC.

So, while I'm sure that Mazda has loyal buyers, I think that Scion stands a great chance of competing with Mazda for customers in the low-end, "cool" car market.

 

[basilisk4]

Originally posted by Kwiksilver@Aug 31 2004, 10:48 PM
i couldn't agree more.

have you seen the videos playing in the dealers? i make fun of them. i'm keep saying, yeah, like people are really like that. riding around in the xB and doing hand and arm motions to the music and stopping to breakdance on the street.

Remind you of any Eclipse commercials that played for a year solid just a couple years ago?

 

[basilisk4]

Sorry for the three separate posts, but saying all of that in just one would've been even more rambling and hard to follow that the other one already was...

Anyway, as far as the other cars I considered, the only cars I seriously considered were the 2004 Accord V6 Coupe, the 2004 RSX, the 2004 Celica, and the 2004 Corolla. To be honest, I didn't really consider the Corolla very much because I had a '99 Corolla and didn't see the point in paying thousands and thousands of dollars to replace my car, which still worked quite well, with essentially the same thing. (As a side note, I'm currently driving an '04 Corolla with 4,000 miles on it as a loaner, and it drives EXACTLY the same as my '99 did, only it's slower. Wow.)

The RSX got thrown out pretty early on because of insurance costs. The Celica got knocked out even earlier because of that, the price, and the fact that I'm not thrilled about how it looks from the rear.

The Accord Coupe was what I was going to buy for months. I test drove one back in February or March and decided that was the car I wanted, and had my heard set on it in spite of the price, until I learned of the tC. After that, I went from being dead-set on the Accord Coupe to totally rejecting it in favor of the tC, in about a day. Why? The tC has the EXACT same performance numbers, according to various reviews I read, looks totally hot, and costs $7,000 to $8,000 less. That was a no-brainer.

I considered the TSX as well, but it was just too expensive and for no good reason. I mostly like the way it looks, but it seems too high up and too narrow for me.

I briefly looked at the Mazda 3, but I just don't see how there's any comparison to the tC. The 5-door is just plain an ugly piece of crap, and the 4-door, while it looks better than the 5-door, still doesn't compare with the tC in terms of looks. It also does NOT compare in price -- the base price of $17,515 for an auto, which is already more expensive than the base price of the tC, does not include ABS, moonroof, or mp3 player. I also like the tC's standard rims MUCH better. Also, you can only get the tire-pressure monitoring system if you also buy the HID lights for $700. Granted, that's a nice option, but it's still another feature that the tC has and the 3 doesn't.

Plus, all the money and feature issues aside, the 3 is still a Mazda/Ford. They should give a $5,000 discount just for that -- that's the only way I'd ever consider buying one. On that note, just in case I had started to doubt Mazda's reputation for being crap, my uncle told me about a week after I bought my tC that his 2002 Tribute, which was one month out of warranty, needed a new transmission ($3,000). I have known a LOT of people with Toyotas, and I have NEVER known anyone who needed a new transmission (or any serious repairs) prior to 100,000 miles. That's worth a lot to me.

 

[LoopyLady_1]

Wow....good posts basilisk! I'd have to just say "ditto" to alot of that...

I looked at a million cars before I decided on the tC....people at work thought I was being completely obsessive and anal about picking my new car because I was looking at soooo many, and being so worried about consumer report reviews and checking out forums and what-not.


But you know what...I'm so glad that I did! If I hadn't, I most likely would have ended up with either the Eclipse (which felt a little cramped), or the Celica (which was just a bit more than I really wanted to spend).

I already had a Mazda Protege that I loved to death...but the Mazdas I looked at and test drove all just felt like the same car and I wanted my new car to be just that.....new.

I liked the look of the Accord coupe, but didn't start looking into it until just a few days before I was told about the tC...and from then on it was pretty much no contest. I kept trying to look at other cars, because it was still gonna' be a month before the tC even hit the lot, and...at that point...I didn't want to make a decision before the test drive.

Well, that month was pretty crappy....I knew a possibly REALLY great car was hitting the market, but I was starting to get the new-car itch so badly that I almost signed the papers on an Altima......EEK! Luck would have it that I lasted through the month....but when the cars finally hit the market my lovely dealership explained that they had pre-sold all of their tC and, alas, I had no shot at a test drive.

BUT, thanks to you all on this forum....I read up about the tC, loved all the postive response comments I was reading, and decided to have faith and take the plunge before I ever touched one.

Yes, it most certainly could have been a terrible decision.... It's the most reckless decision I've ever made and, at the same time, it's probably the BEST decision I've ever made. How's that for irony. :rollseyes:

 

[basilisk4]

Wow, Loopy, you've got balls -- no pun intended. I don't know that I could buy a car without test-driving it. I had to drive all around and make some calls to find a tC to test-drive, though, so I understand...

Glad you held off and made the right decision! I really wanted to get an Accord V6 Coupe back in May, but held off because I couldn't afford a new car then...Held off until the day after I started my job, which is when I bought my tC.

 

[Anakin23]

Well thank you for all the input, it's definately helped a lot. I see both sides and while I do agree that Mazda could never go up against Toyota as a whole (they're just too big and have too much brand loyalty), I think that Scion and Mazda are reasonably good competitors. I know this forum isn't a great place to do market research but it gives a little more insight to what's behind a car buying decision process.

Even though I was considering the Mazda 3 and had a great experience with my Protege... never had any problems for 8 years.... I'm still very happy with my decision, I think the tC is way more bang for the buck AND it looks better. I just can't wait to get it. Been waiting for 2.5 weeks... SOON SOON

I've already bought a bunch of car care products and swept out a parking space for it...

 

[clipbiskwit]

going to get a civic si........but what can i say fell in luv with the tc....

 

[DemonEyez]

Originally posted by clipbiskwit@Sep 1 2004, 08:15 AM

going to get a civic si........but what can i say fell in luv with the tc....

glad u got the tc.. those si's are ugly and slow... verrrry slow..

 

[Jenn]

I wasn't looking for a new car. I was having problems with my focus but was going to try and stick with that car until I graduated from college in May and could get a real job. Then I was looking into possibly getting an mr2 spyder. It was actually my parents idea for me to get the tc. They went to look at cars because my dad was thinking about trading in his truck and came home told me that I needed to stop by the toyota place and look at their new products. I went by the next day and that afternoon was driving my new tc home.

 

[whosthatrussian]

I personally was considering the 3, like many others here, and did not know the tC even existed yet. The ads have not started yet at that point, and I randomly came across it on the net. I loved the way it looked, and after reading a bunch of reviews on it, went and placed an order. I actually got to test my friend's 3s, and while it was fun, the tC was more resposive and had a little more pull, especially in the low end area. I also LOVED the inerior of the tC, especially the panorama roof. All the "premium" features that were stock on the tC, including the 17" rims, simply amazed me, so my choice was pretty clear from there. Also, after joining this forum (and my first forum EVER), i've been addicted to the car. I am picking it up tonight, and simply can't wait.

 

[Kwiksilver]

basilisk4, i agree completely with everything that you said about mazda.

that is why i will never even think about ever buying a mazda. i have been saying the same thing about mazda being owned by ford and ford just sucks, which means mazda sucks. but still people will argue with me. i like the look of the mazda 6s though, but i would never ever buy one. the rest of their cars just look like crap, the 3 included.

 

[PDM72]

I was all over the map. First off--didn't really need a car of any kind, as I get by just fine without one. Then I thought it might be nice to get an old beater car to use, since I was getting sick of rental cars when I actually needed a car. Started at looking at listings in the $5000 and under range. Then I got paranoid about quality and started looking at newer used things--2002 or later CRVs or the 2003 or 2004 Accord Coupe--still in the certified pre-owed category. At some point, I just completely ignored the fact that I didn't really need a car all that much, and started thinking brand new car. At one point, I too was contemplating an Accord V-6--I do love the car, but I really couldn't justify the cost considering my needs. Same with the CRV-Ex--cost and the fact that I really have no need for any kind of SUV. Oh yeah, there was the Volvo S40 week too, and the Civic was in the mix too--until I realized that every 5th car was one and the engine was kind of wimpy. At some point in all this I wandered into a Toyota dealership to look at Camrys and Matrixes and I was blinded by the Tc. I didn't actually order it until a few weeks later--I had a hard time tracking down an automatic to test, and I kept thinking I was too old for one. But I got over that, so the Tc is was. I am the most indecisive person ever, but once I drove the Tc, it just felt like the one.
I don't think I ever seriously considered any domestics--which is strange, since that's what I was raised on.

Now, if only my Tc would get here already so I can stop gazing longingly at pictures of the car like some weirdo.

 

[whosthatrussian]

Originally posted by PDM72@Sep 2 2004, 03:31 PM
Now, if only my Tc would get here already so I can stop gazing longingly at pictures of the car like some weirdo.

don't worry, my friend, the day will come. I was so happy to get that call from the dealer, it was nuts. Love the car, been driving it for two days now. Still getting used to driving manual, but it's goin ok. Believe me, you made the right choice. I have no doubts about this car whatsoever.