'04 Mazda 3s, 2.3L, 5-speed manual
+ stylish, handles great, good acceleration, fun to drive
+ very reliable, except for wear items (clutch, battery, brakes, tires) which seem to need replacement a little sooner than other people claim is "average"
+ a very good job of putting together a "cheap" interior that doesn't look or feel the part. This is one area where I think Mazda is (or at least was?) setting itself apart from the pack.
+ MASSIVE glove compartment and trunk, in this model year at least. The glove box literally fits a full size laptop. They downsized it in later years.
+ very good stock stereo system
- weak air conditioning
- exhaust has a notable, sometimes heavy, sulfur smell... like rotten eggs. Passengers have commented. Dealer finds no faults, and has suggested to use low-sulfur fuel. Good luck finding it.
- gas mileage was never as good as claimed, and has gotten worse 11 years later
- tight rear seats
- car just will not die.... I'm getting bored of maintaining it.
'15 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC, 3.0L, 6-speed auto (not the CVT)
+ comfort, value, selectable AWD modes including FWD "eco" mode or AWD "lock" mode for off-road
+ good power vs. fuel economy in the V6 (note: the 4 cylinder / CVT version felt anemic)
+ tons of space
+ power / remote liftgate
+ actually fun to drive for a 3-row crossover; very sporty
+ 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty (!)
+ understated, collected interior that is classy
+ good initial quality; 8k miles so far and literally zero issues that we had to take it in for
+ Rockford Fosgate sound system with subwoofer is a treat (but not as good as more expensive aftermarket systems)
- some visibly cheap interior components
- slightly outmoded infotainment system (not important to us, so long as Bluetooth functions work for streaming music, Google Nav voice directions, and hands-free calling-- they all work.)
- you have to pony up for the top trim levels to get most of the things that make this car stand out, otherwise look elsewhere
- runs on any octane, but prefers premium for the best performance (4-cylinder is designed for 87/regular, though)
+/- very small, dwindling dealer network and not very strong sales for Mitsubishi USA
con: finding a dealer for regular maintenance; some concern about them still being around to honor the 10-year warranty in 2025 if needed
pro: was able to negotiate very effectively and paid what I believe to be the invoice price from independent research