At the same time, I was becoming increasingly nervous about whether I was living a charmed life with the Passat. I noted that there were a lot of folks who were experiencing some expensive repairs as Passats aged (one acquaintance is on his 3rd clutch in less than 120,000 miles and has had electronic problems). I know that I can't afford to be without a car and really put a priority on reliability. Plus, I was approaching some required maintenance that would cost over $1,000 plus would need new winter tires, battery, etc.
I casually looked at the Mazda and noted that they had $7000 discounts as end-of-year closeouts. I test drove a Wagon and really liked its feel and the engine/transmission combination. It handles very well and you can sense it's more of a driver's car than an appliance. Unfortunately the demo was a similar color as the Passat (a kind of blue grey). Then I spotted a Firemist Red wagon with tan interior and I was smitten.
Another deal sweetner: the dealership provides free oil changes very 3750 miles. Plus the Mazda gulps regular unleaded rather than premium unleaded. And the cost of buying a new car was actually a lower monthly payment than for the Passat.
So I pulled the trigger and am now Zooming. Here are a couple of photos of the car:
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