first things first...
the RA runs and drives fine...
however it does have it's issues like all other RA's liek i keep seeing on here(not including the ones caused by aftermarket parts and accessories as i have almost nothing non-OE in/on it...aside from the solid shifter bushings it's all OE)

here's my dilemma...
right now i'm looking at the next, of already multiple and expensive, repair bill...(that's parts cost only, as i'm a mechanic and can do almost all the labor myself...)
some of the things i want on it for this are not required, but i figure since i'm already in there and doing other things, might as well take care of theese other things and/or upgrade while it's out/easily acessible...

right now, as many other RA driver's on here have, my TOB is making noise and my input shaft bearing is making noise as well...~$1100 in parts
(including the TOB, trans rebuild kit w/ synchros, urethane to DIY solidify the front and rear trans mounts, centerforce dualforce clutch kit and rear main seal...and paying to have a guy i work with rebuild the trans in 2/3 days)...
plus extra $ to fix the exhaust rattle i have because the flexpipe is comign apart(provided none of the rest of the exhaust breaks in the removal process of the trans)....and assuming everything goes perfect and nothing breaks during the job...
also i just got new 17" wheels(long story...but FREE!!)...but, i'd like good new tires on them...and those are ~$500...but for now, i have a set of FREE scrap tires from work on them, and have been driving on those...and because i just bought new tires for the OE wheels it'll be quite a while till i can afford new tires for theese...

previously it was 4 tires for the OE wheels(2nd set, then one got a giant chuck of metal in it, so actually it was 5)...$117 ea(~$550 total)....and 2 outter tierods(for the 3rd time IIRC)...~$35/ea

and before that it was 4 rear control arms and 2 control links(and all the hardware)...~$330 in parts

and that's all only in 2012.....not to mention the previous set of tires, and 4 struts and all the other tierods, swaybar links, and timing belt parts(wich are soon reaching re-do mileage), and other stuff i have forgotten already...

ALSO...i just found out march 30.....come december i'm going to be a dad...

SO...i dont know what to do...

also me and my wife like to go camping, a lot, so we'd like a car w/ more room...(or maybe a roof rack to put all/most of the stuff on, because it already barely fits in the car)

MY CASE: i would love nothing else but to keep my car and work on it as a slave like i do already, and accept all it's issues and quirks, but work on them as needed and after it's fixed and not broken, for lack of a better term, mod it...(but financially i know we can't do it like i'd like to...and i can only stand things for so long untill it drives me insane...and that's not very long....)...so i've been slowly saving to mod it, but needingto fix things instead...

MY WIFE'S CASE: it needs too many repairs, it makes noises, the hood is rusting in spots, exhaust is too loud(still OE), clutch is too hard...and it looks like crap...among other things...

so here's the question...
Should we keep the RA?
Or sell it and get something else, with more room and no required repairs(yet)?
what are your guys's thoughts..?

we're thinking maybe a mazda3, jetta wagon or mazda5(2 sliding doors, and 3 pedals...only thing in the market available with them) or maybe an outlander, escape, juke or rouge, xB or a CX-5, or something else with more rom but still "low" in price...we'd like something small and fun, but with more room for stuff and the baby when it comes...(no 2 doors)
ps: we'd love a golf....but sticks only come in 2door or diesel...or gti...
we'd like a diesel but it's out of our price range...so no golf...and gti has the same excessive insurance(or more) than now

it all depends on the monthly payment, and if it comes in a stick...
if it doesn't qualify on both, it's not an option...
also we'd rather have a lower insurance payment...

any other cars/small suv's/hatchbacks you'd reccomend?

Mods: i know this is technically not a "04-06 RA general" topic..but figured i'd actually get views in this section compared to any other section since here is where the RA people look...and here's where all the "should i buy an RA" threads always are...so i assumed it's acceptable...

thanks all in advance...
and sorry for the 90k words/half hour of reading ive typed and stolen from your lives...

 

Living in MI and now having a kid, is AWD a requirement?

 

IMO with a baby on the way i believe something a little more reliable is in order. granted i am a die-hard RA guy, but with a newborn coming i think its only right to go with something just a little more family friendly.

and based on the info you provided. the best vehicle(IMO) to suit your needs is the CX-5. i have always loved Mazda, and the CX-5 still has the sporty look to it while being completely family friendly, and supporting your golfing fix lol.

second choice would probably be the Mazda 3 4-door. enough room for your golfing gear in the trunk, sporty and still a great family car.

 

I'd love to have awd, but it would most likely get rid of the manual option in my options...it's not a requirement tho...
in my experience looking so far, only the evo, golf r32 and sti/wrx come in awd AND stick...and an evo isn't even larger than what i have now...but at least the sti/wrx and the golf r32 are hatchbacks so they have some extra room(wrx available available in sedan as well)...plus new they're all way out of my price range...
there may be more options, but i haven't been able to find them for awd AND stick...

there's a sti for sale here at work...but it's ~$30k used...i can't afford that...
and im sure insurance would be even higher than it is now...

maybe a mazdaspeed3....?
...but same problem...insurance would likely be higher, (and i dont think it's even awd...or is it?)

i actually was thinking about a mazda3 5door(hatch)...still small, but w/ a bit more room because of the hatch...
i dont particularly like the looks of the new CX-5 or escape.....but i know if we get one of those my wife would drive it...not me...so i don't mind lol

i was just looking online and @ least even the base impreza comes w/ awd(looks like butt, but @ least comes w/ stick AND awd...in sedan OR wagon)...but last time i went to look at those(~2-3 yrs ago) they're like sorry there's no more sticks left available for sale new in the us...so come back when the new model years come out and then u can look at them...all we have rt now are autos...so i turned around, left and never have been in a subaru dealer again

 

i'm looking at mazda 5's as well, once the clutch, wheel bearings and timing belt is done on the ES it's getting listed as a down payment...

We want a van for us, the kids + grandparents/uncles etc. but i wanted a 4 cylinder and manual, and only mazda fits that bill.

 

If you want another car then fine.

From a purely financial point of view, anything you get on credit will costs more over a year than fixing what you have now, unless it is amortised over forever (I see 5-7 years offered as the norm now, which is as good as forever) and in that case you will be changing the timing belt, effecting incidental repairs AND making the loan payment.

Regarding the baby, good for you Nekkidlad.
Save up and shop smart, more expensive definitely does not mean better so dont drop $300 on a pram or car seat thinking you are making your child safer or better off.
Burlington Coat Factory kicks *** for baby supplies and if they have a sale then you will clean up.
Classifieds, friends and family with children that are done with their cradle etc are money savers for sure.

P.S. Ever considered that the wife is jealous of the car ?
Mine admitted as much.

 

EXACTLY...but i'm trying to see if there's any other options out there that may be better suited for us, as we only have 2 "real" family members around(all my family is in puerto rico...so it's only my wife's mom and grama around here)
we really just want some extra cargo room for camping supplies and less required repairs now...
i know a new car = payments for 6yrs+..(or maybe a lease would be better?...well...a series of leases maybe?) plus insurance
and the RA is ~$1000 now...and whatever any other repairs cost but free starting next month(finally payed off!!!)....plus insurance

i understand what u mean about the financial part where if i buy a new car by the time it's payed for it may need just as much repairs etc...but think about it this way...

say i drive 20kmi a year...in 7 years..that's 140kmi and repairs here and there if needed..
on a new car thats only 140kmi...on a car already with 150kmi..that's 290kmi on it...at that point it's not very reliable and i wont have a car payment yes, but i'll be spending alot in repairs till then...and insurance is already ~$120/mo

no my wife is not jealous of the car...she truly loves her laser blue 09 vw jetta 5-speed...and also truly hates the RA..and thinks my new(aka FREE) wheels look like dook!

a few weeks ago she was saying how one day, she may "steal my car" for the day(it's in her name anyway...so legally i don't even own a car) and she's going to trade it in for me..and get like a mazda 3, fiesta, or focus or something of the like...
this was my response..."if you dont like my car that's fine...but since u hate it and wanna get rid of it, that's a threat to me, and it shows me that u really just hate ME, because u know i like this car so much...so from now on, if you talk bad about the car, you're talking bad about ME, and apparently you hate me!"
and this was her response..."ok...u figure out what you want then, and i won't say anything else about your car...except you're not allowed to do any fixing or modding untill you come to a decision.."

 

I agree that you need a more reliable vehicle, but if you can afford it and want to keep the RA around, I would keep it because R//A

Have you considered a hyundai veloster at all? Thought they aren't very big, they also aren't too expensive (used ~$17K), are available in 6-spd manual and have the double door on the passenger side for easy loading/unloading from the back seat, plus its a hatch. Just a thought... (they also have turbo, for a few bucks more )

 

^I was just gonna suggest what Kapitol did, check out Veloster's, they definitely aren't too bad, steering's really feathery but it's a nice ride.

 

I'd say by the sounds of it, its time to start looking at Mazda's if having a new car is what you want. If you're concerned about cost then my recommendation would be to stick with the RA. The repairs coming down the road will be easy for you since you're already a mechanic. Also, you just paid your car off. Not having car payments is HUGE! I bought my 2006 RA last March and paid cash for the fact I detest payments. I hope to drive her into the ground, then in 5-6 years from now I'll buy another used car at around 100k km which I'll pay cash for. The amount spent on repairs is peanuts compared to paying an inflated new retail price.

Whatever you decide though, do what your gut is saying!

 

Oh, if looking at new, consider the Hyundai Elantra GT. They are sexxxxxxxxy in white with big rims! The Veloster is also pretty rad.

 

actually i did look at veloster's...lol...i dunno about it...i like the looks tho...
but i'd have to drive one and see...i was considering maybe a forte....but i think it just looks too "bleh.."...so i might stay away from the forte and possibly check out a veloster @ least...(turbo is def a no go because insurance)
but im looking for something in new or maybe CPO(certified pre-owned..preferrably not pre-pwnd...lol)
anwyay i think if i get new we'll end up w/ some kind fo mazda...a 3 hatch, a 5, or maybe a CX-5...
they so far look the best(imo) and all come in a stick...
but i still have to investigate about payments etc and insurance and other options...

i did not look at the elantra gt...i'll have to dig into it...
as for the white and big wheels....that's a no go...i absolutely detest white cars...and black and silver and tan for that matter...lol(any old lady/"normal" colors...)
and for the wheels only if the free 17" ones i got fit..(wich they came from a kia sonata IIRC...so they should fit a hyundai....)

 

I can respect not digging the white. Personally, if it was me buying a new car and Velostar was on the list, I'd forget its 138hp and get a Subaru BRZ that's packin 200hp. It's mighty gorgeous in blue.

 

i dig the brz...theres a red one(or is it an fr-s?) that i drive by every day on my way to/from work...looks mighty nice..

apparently there's a brz turbo in the works also...(according to motortrend and./or car and driver magazines IIRC)
wouldn't THAT be BA..?

there's a subaru dealer i drive by every once in a while that has a blue one outside on one of those raised platforms, and it does look oh so good..
but that's not what i need(would want tho...yes...)...a sporty small coupe with even more power than i already have...pfff i wish...
im already having a coronary thnking of the insurance rates...lol

 

I hear ya! So really, you are looking for a very fuel efficient and inexpensive car to operate? If thats the case the Hyundai Elantra is a really good pick. Its 148 hp, really fuel efficient (7.l city/5.2 hiway L per 100km) and drives pretty well. One of my best friends has one so I am speaking from hands on experience. He lowered the car, threw some nice rims on and a twin exhaust to make it look gorgeous. Its also super cheap since Hyundai is competing with Honda hard.

Then theres the new Ford Focus thats been re-designed and actually looks pretty decent. Along with the new Impreza if you want AWD.