Club Dirty Auto: Club Dirty Resurgence

I sold the Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. The Jeep was planned to be used as an all purpose daily driver, with the occasional off-road trip. To satisfy my car needs, I looked around for a Miata on the side to tinker with and take driving. Reality sank in, and the two cars would ultimately need a lot of time and a place to work on them, which I do not have.

A key moment was coming back from a snowboarding trip, when a super loud Subaru Impreza STI blasts past me. We were not going slow in the Jeep, but we were experiencing some decent bodyroll in the tight corners. I liked the Jeep, but I did not have fun driving.

The Hunt:

I wanted a new(er) car. I wanted under 30k miles, and I wanted something that had some warranty left on the car. Not that I plan on the car pooping itself, but if I am dropping some coin, I wanted some insurance that I was making payments on something with value.

Pontiac G8 GT:

Always wanted one, still do. They did not come with a manual (except in rare GXP form), so that made it less appealing. Modifications would also ensue early on, which is something I wanted to get away from for a daily driver.

Ford Focus ST:

Drove one, and they handle like a train on tracks! Very nicely equipped, and the believe all the reviews: the Recaro seats are well worth it. My good buddy has one, so I have also experienced one as a passenger. I love how they look from the front, but am not a fan of the rear styling. If they looked more like the Fiesta ST in the rear, this article might have a different ending.

Mazdaspeed 3:

Test drove one at Carmax, and really liked it. Having terrible vision at night, the adjusting bi-xenon headlights made it easy to see at night.

Every single damn review complains about the torque steer. I don't plan on flooring the gas pedal with no hands on the steering wheel, so it should not be an issue. If anything, it keeps drivers more alert and in touch with what is going on.

While price was a big deciding factor, it ultimately reminded me of a more mature SRT-4. I still miss my SRT-4, with its raw power but somewhat delinquent body styling. This Mazdaspeed3 has raw power when you want, but is very tame when puttering around town (and not as much as a cop magnet).

I am now the owner of a 2012 Mazdaspeed 3.

I bought the car privately from the original owner, with just a smidge over 20k miles. He is a great guy, and got to spend some time with him before buying the car. I spent a lot of time with him because the car had a lien on it from the bank. That is another story, but buying a private party car with a lien on the title is a pain in the ass. It involves an element of trust, and a lot of signatures.

I have had the car for over the month now, and still love driving it. Sitting at 21k now, I am hoping to keep it for a long time. For people that have only known me the past year, my track record isn't looking so good. Hopefully this Mazdaspeed3 will be the one to prove them wrong.