Got my first new car. 2018 Volkswagen GTI SE.
Just signed the lease papers on her. I'll be picking her up next week once I get the final paperwork stuff squared away.
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She's a 2019 Toyota Corolla XSE with the optional mud guards, roof wing and some other option that I don't remember.
👍👍 Both of you!
It’s somewhat ironic that you both recently purchased and posted pictures of these two cars. They’re both on my (future) list as potentials; one a bit more practical, the other a bit more emotional.
For the last 6 years, my daily driver has been a 2010 Honda Fit (called the Jazz in other markets). I bought it used and it’s been very reliable. It’s not the most exciting car in the world (OK--that’s putting it mildly—it’s an underpowered, no frills econobox) but I’m fortunate enough to have a fun car for the weekend as well as a dedicated track car. So the Fit is basic transportation back and forth to work. And it’s pretty economical so I feel like it helps me make up for my environmental footprint (although not as much as I would have hoped, given it’s tiny n/a 1500 cc engine. In fairness, it is almost 10 years old now and technology has moved on.) I have a rather long commute (about 90 miles, 145 km) round trip every day so I spend a lot of time inside of it. It’s not horrible but it’s not the greatest place to be. The Fit also serves as my wife’s car when I use her Highlander as a tow vehicle for the FRS. She’s OK with it but I wouldn’t say she’s a ‘fan’.
In the end, it’s not really worth it for me to have a “nice” car or an expensive car just to go back and forth to work. Because no matter what I drive, it’s going to have >100,000 miles in less than 5 years. And in many ways, driving the Fit is somewhat liberating. It now has about 135,000 miles and while it’s free of rust, just from normal driving, especially in the winter, it’s suffered more than it’s share of rock induced dings and dents and chips and cracks. And when it happens, I sort of shrug, say “oh well” and keep on going. Where as it would probably bother me a lot more with a nicer car. And I can’t help but smile in my parking lot at work where all of my “neighbors” have pristine BMWs or Audis or Infinitis or Mercedes or Teslas. No doubt they probably think plenty of me and on more than one occasion the building has called to ask if it’s really my car in the reserve spot or if somebody may have parked there by accident. And I always assume it’s one of the other tenants who has complained. Once in a blue moon I’ll bring the Porsche which probably confuses them to no end but I really couldn’t care less what they think of me based on what’s in my parking spot. Welcome to the corporate world.
That said, after 6 years, I am getting kind of tired of the Fit. I’m estimating that I'll have well over 175,000 miles (280,000 km) in another 2 years. Maybe it will be fine, it has been so far, but it will also be 12 years old and to my way of thinking, at that point, for a vehicle that takes so much daily abuse, the car will be starting to live on borrowed time. Frankly, I’m already itching to trade up now. It has no bluethooth, which is a hassle when I spend so much time in the car and want to take or make calls. There’s an issue with the stereo where it loses the wired connection to my phone every few minutes, so no audio books. And in less than a year I’m probably going to need brakes and rotors all around, as well as a new set of tires. So I’m thinking about maybe even trading up around this time next year.
And two of the cars I’ve been thinking of are the Toyota Corolla XSE (which I consider a much nicer, upscale, more modern version of the Fit) and the VW GTI, the quintessential and mature hot hatch . It’s a lifetime ago but I owned 2 GTis in the distant past. I like the platform. And it’s a boon that VW now offers a 7 year warranty. I think in a sense I would prefer to be driving the GTI. It handles better, superior chassis refinement, it has more power, and with a light foot, it’s actually almost as economical. Although it does require premium gas. But I’m still concerned about VW’s long term reliability. If I was just leasing the car for 2-3 years I wouldn’t be concerned. But I drive too far to make a lease work and I’m just worried it’s going to end up being a headache 100,000 miles from now. And if I’m going to end up spending a bundle on maintenance and issues before I’m ready to trade it in. And while it’s not a huge difference in price (comparing a fully loaded Toyota with a base GTI), the GTI is still a more expensive car. And with the Toyota I would feel comfortable buying used where as with the GTI, I’m worried about both long term viability as well as potential abuse by a previous owner.
As a 3rd potential option, I’m also happily listening to the rumors that Mazda may be developing a new Mazdaspeed 3 with the 2.5 turbo out of the Mazda 6. But with AWD, that may place the car well over the $30K threshold and put it out of the running. And I'd like to buy something that will return at least 35mpg on the highway.
Anyway, good luck, both of you, with your new cars. And drop in from time to time over the next 12-18 months and let us know what your experience has been like. I’ll be listening.
