Jalopnik Asks, Best Very first Enthusiast Car, Mazda, Right?
Jalopnik Asks, Best Very first Enthusiast Car.. Mazda, right?
Has my interest in buying a fresh car been wrong all along? Those that have been following me for the past few months know that I have a wandering eye. It’s bad enough when I go to Cars and Coffee almost every weekend, eye-balling every exotic or affordable car worthy of the showcase. I tend to like daily driving cars more than exotics. I mean truly, who wants the hassle of all of those strangers taking photos, drivers driving riskily, or being approached at gas stations to talk about your car? I certainly don’t.
I’m sure by now, people have also figured out what kind of general price range I think about. The average cost of a fresh car is toughly $33,000, yet, there are so many different choices available for $Five,000 to $Ten,000 less.
Jalopnik went through their ideas.
Wait, you’re telling that a Honda Civic with a manual transmission is a superb very first enthusiast car? A Subaru is a fine very first enthusiast car? No one mentioned an FR-S?
I don’t want to drive a best very first enthusiast car. I’ve wielded four sports cars in my past, three of them being Mr2’s. If anything, I would think other people on the road would recognize, “Hey, that stud cared about his car. He knows something.” For whatever lame reason, that means a lot to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Honda. I love Subaru. I love Mazda. I often talk to fellow gearheads and ask them, “If you had to buy cars from one brand for the rest of your life, what would it be?” No. They don’t make shocking sums of money. They are down to earth. Each time, Honda, Subaru, and Mazda come up. They are reliable. They are remarkably styled well. They are joy to drive. They may not be the horsepower monsters of 3g lateral grip, but that doesn’t mean joy can’t be had. Earnestly, when isn’t a WRX joy to drive? How about the upcoming Civic Si? What about a Civic Touring with a manual transmission? The Miata? Yeah, those brands make good cars.
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Photo credit via YouTube, AutoGuide.com
Corksport offers a excellent deal of upgrades for the Mazda2. You can lower the suspension, get better brakes, get a brief shifter, add a thicker torsion bar and front sway bar. These upgrades help maximize the Mazda2’s capability to get the most out of one hundred horsepower. After all, you’re attempting to learn how to be a better driver right? Add decent tires, and you’ll be astonished how often you’re on total throttle around a track.
Then when things get more serious, the Mazda2 is SCCA legal for B-Spec racing.
Sure, the used market is the only place you can find a Mazda2. It helps a lot when buying a relatively fresh car still costs less than $15,000. Save the extra money for upgrades.
As it turns out, maybe the best very first enthusiast car isn’t a Mazda Miata. It’s a Miata-lite. It’s a Miata that’s front wheel drive and has two more seats. It has a bit more bootspace, is just as light as a third-generation Miata, and has a similar, direct-steering feel with good shift feel too.
I get it. If more people get a Mazda2, no one will know that person is an actual automotive enthusiast. The remedy is elementary. Just put on your racing number on the door.
As for me, I’ll have to look elsewhere for an enthusiast car.