Looking at 2017 mirages and noticing many of them have the same enormous panel gap between the hood and bumper. Is this a factory design choice??? Can you make it smaller by reseating the hood at the hinges? Can you fill the gap with weather stripping or would that cause overheating? Scratching my head here.
Looking at a 2017 cvt with 64k miles from a dealer 8 hours away from me. If they don’t have maintenance records should I sweat it if I don’t know if the cvt fluid has ever been changed? Going for $5900 so I feel like I’ve got a decent margin of safety buying without an inspection. The vehicle history report is spotless and only two owners and looks to be well maintained in pics. Thoughts?
Looking at a 2015 DE hatchback. It’s stupid cheap and according to the internet a little lighter than the 2017+ cars. But man that front bumper is tough to look at. What have people done to change the look? Did a quick google but didn’t see much. Thanks for any ideas.
Getting pretty interested in starting a 2001 Mazdaspeed Familia inspired build. I assume any manual 2001 to 2003 protégé will work? Curious if anyone has experience with specific body kits for this build. Appreciate any info! Zoom zoom.
I’m looking to pick up a DE Mazda2 (2011–2014) to turn into a lightweight, "momentum-style" commuter. I’ve heard all the praise for the manual, but I’m seriously leaning toward the 4-speed automatic and wanted to get some honest feedback on just how much "fun" I’m actually sacrificing.
For context my commute is about 85% country roads with mild hills and a speed limit around 65 mph the whole way. I leave at 5:30 AM. Rowing gears in the dark when I’m barely awake sounds less like "driving engagement" and more like a chore.
Additionally, I’m not currently a skilled manual driver. I know I could learn, but I’m not sure I want my daily driver to be the place where I struggle through the learning curve while I'm still trying to wake up.
How I got here: I recently rented a Mitsubishi Mirage and honestly had a blast in it. I know it’s technically a "suboptimal" car and the CVT is pretty hated, but the lightweight feel was still fun a ton of fun when driving to the limit. I know the Mazda2 is a massive upgrade over the Mirage in every way, so I’m assuming even the auto Mazda2 will feel way better by comparison.
My question is: In a car this light, does the 4-speed automatic totally kill the "soul" of the car, or does the chassis handling and the ability to carry momentum through corners make up for it? If I’m already having fun in a CVT Mirage, will I still get that "excuse to go for a drive" feeling on the weekends with the Mazda2 automatic?
Appreciate any insight from owners who have lived with the auto and especially those who've driven both!