So, I’ve finally decided on what I’m gonna buy for my new car.
Will try to remember to call the bank Monday after work and see about getting a loan. I still have the license plates(normal, not special vehicle plates) that came off the Chevelle I sold and renewed them not too long ago, so that should save me a little bit at the dealership. Since I can get the S-plan from Mazda(similar to X-plan from Ford), there’s no real negotiations in price that’ll take place.
Is there anything else anyone can think of that I should do before I go to order my CX-7?
A 2-ton 16 mpg SUV with an overworked 4-banger…Are you sure?
The mileage isn’t that bad. The EPA combined mileage for the 4WD is 19 MPG. The 2.5L 2WD is 23 MPG and the 2.3L 2WD is 21 MPG.
You recently pulled the plates off a Chevelle? how long has it been since you drove a car? You think about things for awhile dontcha? nothing wrong with that.
Um, yeah, what Caddyman said.
Are you sure?
Everything I’ve heard is the turbo four works REALLY hard lugging that big, heavy vehicle around, and gas mileage suffers.
The EPA does their mileage tests indoors, on a dynamometer. Your mileage WILL vary. Not for the better.
Do you consider 19 - 23 mpg “good” fuel mileage? Really? Oh, I’m sorry. You didn’t say “good,” you said “isn’t that bad.” Well, there’s a stellar endorsement if ever I’ve heard one.
As much as I like Mazdas, the CX-7 is not a vehicle/powertrain combination that’s likely to go down in history as a winner.
I average about 20~23mpg with my Civic due to the kind of driving I do(short hop, back and forth to work). I am aware of the crappy fuel mileage, but I’m wanting to trade up to a little bigger vehicle with more cargo room and something easier to get in and out of.
Of my test drives, the turbo engine has no problem with getting the vehicle moving, and makes for a fun drive.
@oldschool:
I sold the car last year and kept the license plates, wasn’t sure if I had to turn them in or what. And yes, this has been about 2 years in the making 
My Civic is still running and I do plan on selling it outright instead of trading in.
You do know that “4-banger” means a four stroke engine, don’t you?
Anyone who has been following the cartalk website knows that Bscar has test driven many cars for the last while and has been very thorough/picky in finding what works for him. If a CX-7 wins after all these tests then I think he’ll be happy with it.
It was insurance that made my final decision. The CX-7 was actually a little bit cheaper to insure than a Rav4, which was my top choice for a little while.
I’d also ask anyone who thinks even the turbo charged version is slow to test drive one and see for yourself. I haven’t tested the NA version though.
And actually, it’s been about 2, maybe 3 years in the making
“The EPA does their mileage tests indoors, on a dynamometer. Your mileage WILL vary. Not for the better.”
Have you checked EPA mileage since they changed the way the tests are run? They aren’t far off the mark. fueleconomy.com (gov’t gas mileage site) has a feature that lets drivers input their own mileage. The test and actual figures I’ve seen aren’t too far off, unless someone’s driving is substantially different from the test plan they run on the dyno.
with a 95/5 city/highway split, it shows 17 mpg for city AND combined, so if I get 15mpg, I’ll be happy. With an 18.2 gallon tank, and me filling up at 1/4 tank, it’ll cost me almost $70 when gas hits $5/gallon(Yes, I am thinking long term in that respect)
When putting down the down payment, is it better to use a credit card or cash and get a receipt?
My Mustang gets about 18 MPG overall, my Bronco gets about 9 MPG. 19-23 MPG is very frugal in my book.
But I agree with the others, the CX-7 with the turbo I4 just isn’t a good match.
No, it doesn’t. At least not in automotive circles.
For those of you who might have remembered this post… 
I went last weekend and ordered the car, said it should be about 10~12 weeks, depending on how things go. Yes, they actually let me build the vehicle how I wanted it, didn’t ask if I’d let them do a dealer trade, didn’t try to pressure me into buying a different color/model on the lot, didn’t make it like I had to buy something today.
The salesman did ask, in passing, if I had seen something on their lot that I’d like to have instead, but didn’t fight it when I said no.
Congrads. Buying a car is an emotional experience as well as an intellectual because of the the $$$$$ “invested”. You seemed to have covered all the bases. Good choice.
We’ve had this discussion before. Look it up in a dictionary. “4-banger” is slang for a four cylinder engine.
Interesting question. I used to say that it’s ALWAYS better to use cash than credit cards, but now that all the banks and cancelling my dormant credit cards (because THEY messed up THEIR financial affairs, not because I messed up mine) dramatically reducing the amount I have available, I’m not so sure anymore.
I’m now making a point of using the emergency one I carry in my wallet every few months for a small purchase just to keep it from getting cancelled as a dormant account. But I also pay it off as soon as the statement arrives.
same here. I’ve had this card about 10 years or so now and there’s only been a handful of times where I have NOT paid it off come bill time. Those times I didn’t, it was paid off in 2 months. 'Course I use it to pay bills, so I’ve always got a balance on it, it just gets paid every month
I don’t think this goes in the impulse spending category, heh, heh. Hope it suits you well enough after all careful investigation you did.