So...I hadn't driven my genpu ms3 since last June (2024). Just sat in the driveway wasting space. No working AC, 230k miles, you do the math lol.
Anyways, been researching new rides for myself pretty much during any free time I've had since January.
Then Michelle tells me she doesnt want her Grand Highlander anymore cause we never use the 3rd row and she hates the payment on it. Keep in mind she got that thing April 2024, and it already had 34k miles as of Monday.
So what do we do? We talk about what I've been looking at thats large enough for road trips with the dogs and has enough room if we have a kid in a few years.
Headed to the Mazda dealership on Memorial day and test drove a cx70 turbo preferred (base model) that checks all our boxes... heated seats, moonroof, parking sensors, big trunk.
Loved the way it drove. Whatever software updates they've done to the transmission tuning since the launch of the cx90 has improved things quite a bit. It does short shift gears 1 and 2 and youre in 3rd by 18mph if you take off normally from a stop. But nothing crazy.
The 48v mild hybrid battery issues also seem to be resolved with software and post 7/24/24 build. So, not as concerned as I would be a year ago.
Anyways, sat down with our Salesman and discussed a few things. One being to see what they'd give Michelle on trade-in on her Toyota. Even with the 34k miles on it in a year, she still had equity in it.
Next step was negotiation. Having done my research, pretty much any dealership worth a damn is negotiable. So I started right off the bat asking for 11% off msrp. Salesman was shocked and was like "we dont have margin on these".
"Alright, I'll go back to Ohio and make a deal with my local dealership then".
He quickly went back to talk to the sales manager and came back with 4% off msrp and an extra 1k added to the trade. Still wasn't where I wanted. Couple more go rounds back and forth and we settled on 11% discount off msrp, an additional 2k on the trade-in on top of their initial offer + waiving their stupid dealer add-on for the pulsing brake light and window etching and ended up with a super affordable pmt (about 300 less than what we were paying on her Toyota each month)
Ill probably grab a JB4 at some point to get the Turbo S power figures without having to spend the extra $5-10k on the car for a higher trim lol.
Aside from that- will probably tint the front windows, and do some little visual things here and there. Will update the thread as time goes by!
BTW this is my first ever new car.
And for Michelle, she's looking at cx5's, cx50, gr corolla as replacements for her lol.
View attachment 32182 
Here's a non S, inline 6 turbo cx90
Stock on 87 octane
Jb4 map 1 91 octane
Map 2 93 octane
Anyways, been researching new rides for myself pretty much during any free time I've had since January.
Then Michelle tells me she doesnt want her Grand Highlander anymore cause we never use the 3rd row and she hates the payment on it. Keep in mind she got that thing April 2024, and it already had 34k miles as of Monday.
So what do we do? We talk about what I've been looking at thats large enough for road trips with the dogs and has enough room if we have a kid in a few years.
Headed to the Mazda dealership on Memorial day and test drove a cx70 turbo preferred (base model) that checks all our boxes... heated seats, moonroof, parking sensors, big trunk.
Loved the way it drove. Whatever software updates they've done to the transmission tuning since the launch of the cx90 has improved things quite a bit. It does short shift gears 1 and 2 and youre in 3rd by 18mph if you take off normally from a stop. But nothing crazy.
The 48v mild hybrid battery issues also seem to be resolved with software and post 7/24/24 build. So, not as concerned as I would be a year ago.
Anyways, sat down with our Salesman and discussed a few things. One being to see what they'd give Michelle on trade-in on her Toyota. Even with the 34k miles on it in a year, she still had equity in it.
Next step was negotiation. Having done my research, pretty much any dealership worth a damn is negotiable. So I started right off the bat asking for 11% off msrp. Salesman was shocked and was like "we dont have margin on these".
"Alright, I'll go back to Ohio and make a deal with my local dealership then".
He quickly went back to talk to the sales manager and came back with 4% off msrp and an extra 1k added to the trade. Still wasn't where I wanted. Couple more go rounds back and forth and we settled on 11% discount off msrp, an additional 2k on the trade-in on top of their initial offer + waiving their stupid dealer add-on for the pulsing brake light and window etching and ended up with a super affordable pmt (about 300 less than what we were paying on her Toyota each month)
Ill probably grab a JB4 at some point to get the Turbo S power figures without having to spend the extra $5-10k on the car for a higher trim lol.
Aside from that- will probably tint the front windows, and do some little visual things here and there. Will update the thread as time goes by!
BTW this is my first ever new car.
And for Michelle, she's looking at cx5's, cx50, gr corolla as replacements for her lol.
View attachment 32182 Here's a non S, inline 6 turbo cx90
Stock on 87 octane
Jb4 map 1 91 octane
Map 2 93 octane
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