After a sad end to my Tarago I needed a new car quick and cheap. I wanted something that would be nice to drive, economical, safe and interesting.
I considered a lot of european cars, but was afraid of servicing/repairs when doing 20,000km/year, so settled for the Japanese. Took a look at a mint Celica ST162 1 owner but couldn't live with the noisy cabin and 1980's auto. Looking at a dirt cheap Volvo V40 in a car yard I spotted something I didn't recognise in the back of the lot. a small 4 door coupe with nice lines. I took a bit of a closer look, hopped in, found the mechanism to lower the seat and it fitted me like a glove. Did a bit of research later in the day and worked out it was a Mazda Astina 323 BA Hardtop. A fairly uncommon car in Australia, being sold as the top of the range of 323s. Great looks, compact enough to be economical, 4 wheel disks, 323 enough to be cheap on parts and servicing.
I went out to test drive one the next morning and was bitterly disappointed. Body was rough, engine sounded very rough, auto gearbox was jumpy and searched for gears. I decided not to give up on them after one car just in case it was a lemon. Later that evening I got a call back from another one I had been chasing. This one was 145,000km and manual, so I figured it was worth the hour drive to check it out. Immediately a nicer car. Dead straight body, clean interior aside from some carpet wear, engine was beautifully quiet at idle and still nice and smooth at revvs. Gearbox was smooth and shifted nicely, although clutch pedal took up nearly from the floor. I put down a deposit on the spot and drove it home yesterday, 3 days later.
So far I am in love with the little 1.8, it has limited torque at low revvs but shines above 3500/4000rpm, shift is nice, seating position is good, brakes and steering are great, turning circle is rediculously tight for a fwd. There is a slight wind whistle on the drivers window at 100km/h which I understand is pretty common, I wonder if the clutch pedal height is adjustable, the curves make reverse parking interesting as the boot is invisible, and there is not enough space next to the clutch pedal for my foot, but aside from that I am very happy.
For those who (like me until last weekend) have never heard of one:
I considered a lot of european cars, but was afraid of servicing/repairs when doing 20,000km/year, so settled for the Japanese. Took a look at a mint Celica ST162 1 owner but couldn't live with the noisy cabin and 1980's auto. Looking at a dirt cheap Volvo V40 in a car yard I spotted something I didn't recognise in the back of the lot. a small 4 door coupe with nice lines. I took a bit of a closer look, hopped in, found the mechanism to lower the seat and it fitted me like a glove. Did a bit of research later in the day and worked out it was a Mazda Astina 323 BA Hardtop. A fairly uncommon car in Australia, being sold as the top of the range of 323s. Great looks, compact enough to be economical, 4 wheel disks, 323 enough to be cheap on parts and servicing.
I went out to test drive one the next morning and was bitterly disappointed. Body was rough, engine sounded very rough, auto gearbox was jumpy and searched for gears. I decided not to give up on them after one car just in case it was a lemon. Later that evening I got a call back from another one I had been chasing. This one was 145,000km and manual, so I figured it was worth the hour drive to check it out. Immediately a nicer car. Dead straight body, clean interior aside from some carpet wear, engine was beautifully quiet at idle and still nice and smooth at revvs. Gearbox was smooth and shifted nicely, although clutch pedal took up nearly from the floor. I put down a deposit on the spot and drove it home yesterday, 3 days later.
So far I am in love with the little 1.8, it has limited torque at low revvs but shines above 3500/4000rpm, shift is nice, seating position is good, brakes and steering are great, turning circle is rediculously tight for a fwd. There is a slight wind whistle on the drivers window at 100km/h which I understand is pretty common, I wonder if the clutch pedal height is adjustable, the curves make reverse parking interesting as the boot is invisible, and there is not enough space next to the clutch pedal for my foot, but aside from that I am very happy.
For those who (like me until last weekend) have never heard of one:
