Titan VS Mazda 6, need opinions.

[ciron28]

I need opinions on a important car/truck buying decision. I'm been starting threads the last couple of weeks on the Titan and comparision opinions. You guys and gals around Titantalk have been very helpful and I thank you for that. Titantalk itself is an awesome site w/very imformed members w/their Titan's. Now comes the tough part.

This is my scerio. (sorry, it's a long one) I have an 03' Mitsubushi Eclipse GTS, fun car to drive but not very versitile at all. I knew this when I was looking, test driving, and then buying the car. (but I still liked it anyway) I've only had the car 6 months and it is a great little car, (no problems what so ever, runs like a champ) but now I believe I've made a mistake in buying it.

Before I bought it in April of this year I was looking very hard at the Titan and other trucks like the F-150 and Dodge Ram 1500. My decision was the Titan by a landslide, but I thought the mpg and truck payments wouldn't fit our families budget at the time. (It is just me and my wife right now, hopefully a kid or two in the near future) So I bought the Mitsubushi I know, kind of a odd choice especially after looking at trucks. I just wanted something fun to drive when I commute to work, if I couldn't have a truck right now. (I drive about 130 miles roundtrip to work about every 3rd day) The car gets 26 mpg on the commutes. (not bad for a little sports car, and the insurance is a killer)

In September my wife and I traded our very troublesome 04' Nissan Maxima (I won't even go into that story, only had it for a year, not impressed w/it) in for a used 04' Chrysler PT Cruiser GT for my wife. My wife loves the PT and we got a great deal on it. Anyway, by trading in that freed up some money for us. (about $100 more a month) Since then I have been looking at Titans again and was going to get one this week.

Then I stumbled on to a used 04' Mazda Mazda6 S that I also like. I know I can get a very good deal w/the Mazda in trade (as well the Titan) and it would be alot more versitile than my Eclipse. The Titan would be just as versitile w/a KC. (the Mazda6 and Titan has 4 doors and alot more back seat leg room) My insurance and monthly cars payments would be somewhat less than the Titan. (and 1 year less financed) I know w/our budget we could afford the Titan.

This seems like a very unfair comparision b/c you really can't compare a car VS a truck. I just keep thinking about the extra maintaince (rear differental, etc) and fuel costs of the Titan VS a more economical and little less exspensive car. I guess in a strange way for me it is a toss up. The Titan would be my 1st truck of any kind if I trade for it. I know it is a great truck and I wouldn't be disappointed if I got it.

I just keep thinking maybe I should just wait a while, like 2 or 3 years and see what happens. (gas prices, family, work, etc.) In the meantime I would probably trade for that Mazda 6 as I need something w/4 doors, and lets face it, my trade in value on my Eclipse is horrible, as any car really is. It is not going to get any better. From what I've heard recently, Mitsubushi is in real trouble in the U.S. Market. (i.e. resale will be in the toliet soon, can you here a flush, LOL)

Anyway that the short version, sorry for the long rant. Feel free to chime in on comments or opinions, I would appreciate it very much. BOTTOM LINE-TITAN VS MAZDA 6. Thankyou.

[WayneE]

Sounds like the best choice for you, on a tight budget, is a small car. Fuel economy, lower payments and maintenance would fit better in your budget.

[Tony]

Other than the need for 4-doors, you've got that dreaded "itch" that simply won't go away without owning another vehicle. You know deep down that trading in the GTS today or next year will not really make that much of a difference in "true" trade-in dollars. You know a 3 ton truck is not going to handle like a 1.5 ton car. But those issures are easilly rationalized to get that next fix, I mean, vehicle. I've kind of been there before.
Aside from the obvious regarding: real estate, 401K investment, etc., ask yourself: "If your GTS had been a 4-door, would you have this same or similar itch today?"
"If you buy a Mazda6 (not Mazdaspeed6) today, will that same itch return in 6 months?" Buy only what you believe will scratch that itch long after 6 months of ownership.
For me it took many years and vehicles to get the handling/sports car/5-speed thing out of my system. Are you really ready for that? Torque and HP only go so far.
Oh yah, if you have 2 or 3 passengers, get the crew cab. It sounds like you don't really need the larger bed anyway.

[daschtick]

Up until 2 months ago, I drove nothing but sports cars for the previous 20 years. My last car was an '01 Celica GT-S 6M, which I had for 4 years. The car was great for commuting, but really didn't fit my needs outside of it. I also have a wife, a 3 year old daughter, a golden retriever, and a boat. The Titan really fit well into my lifestyle.

That said, you need to look at your future, your income level, and net worth prior to making the decision, because you really don't want to take another bath in first year depreciation on another vehicle. The Titan is a great truck, but it will cost more to operate than the Mazda. You need to decide if you need the utility of a truck for this extra cost, or if you just want it.

[adjmcloon]

Seems to me it's always a good idea to be conservative with your money and stay economical, unless you actually need a truck. With the amount of driving you do you will certainly pay more in gas. It's $45-50 to fill up here in Texas and we've got some of the lowest prices in the country. I'm sure our Cali friends are spending upwards of $60-70 to fill up their Titans and Armadas.

Trucks are great- very useful, but if you need a commuter car then you need a commuter car. Tony's right also- if you need to haul people I'd get a crew cab. I doubt you'd be happy hauling people regularly with a king cab if you go the truck route. Crew cabs are a little more, so will it still fit in your budget?

So err on the side of caution, friend. Unless of course, you just can't help yourself.

[igotatitan]

Looks like someone needs to learn how to use paragraphs.

[SupraTitan]

If you have a 130 mile roundtrip commute each day i definately wouldn't think of driving the titan each day. I have a 96 honda civic DX exactly for that purpose. Mine literally gets 40+ MPG, it worth maybe $2K bux, we've owned it since brand new and have never had an issue in 170k+ miles. My wife commutes the same distance as you each day and I would not think of doing it any differentley. Any car you purchase is gonna take a beating in value due to the milage so you might as well get something cheap to operate that still leaves enough money so you can get a titan. My 2 cents, as far as the mitsubishi goes I found out the other day that the titan is faster from a dead dig than a 97 eclipse GS-T, thought that was pretty funny. My buddy was pissed his sports car took one in the chin from a 4X4.

[CaliforniaTitan]

Ciron,

As most of the others have said. Take a step back and look at the basic need vs your budget. Then, look at the want and how much more it will 'costs'.

We commute 86 miles each way and we use the Titan 2-3 times a week. She is 15 days in our custody and has 1900 miles on her and gas has run about $226 so far just in that time. Yes it does add up quick for gas money and mileage.

I am guessing by your username your 28? Probably have a beautiful wife by your side and have 2 car payments already and thinking about kids. I would honestly recommend doing yourself a favor and curbing the 'Want' in you for now and take care of the needs first. Put some 'extra' money away and then re-evaluate your position in a couple to three years. I only say this as I hate seeing folks in your age bracket end up over thier head in the long run. It takes a LOOOONNNNGGG time to pay for those WANTS and most times in the end when you look back you tell yourself 'I should have waited'.

I say this more as a friend that has been through it himself. I am almost 39 now and have lived through what I described above.


Chris

[pluckyew]

just wait a while, like 2 or 3 years, then get a 2007 Titan.

wealth creation(insurances, savings, investments) are just as important as having a good car or truck

rule of thumb: can you save 20% of gross income? if not consider waiting a bit.

[phillipyang]

I live in cali with 50-55 dollars in fillup costs in gas.

can you do that every 3-5 days?

I'm on 20,000 miles so far and it works great...except the gas part...eww

[ciron28]

Well I'll update you guys that gave me your very helpful advice. I appreciate the comments and opinions, you guys are great!!!! I looked at the Mazda 6 S hatchback tonight. I test drove it and it was really nice. Not a Titan, but nice car I would like alot.

I still would love a Titan, but my gut (and wife's opinion) are telling me to get the Mazda as much as it pains me to say. I'm still going to look and price accouple of Titans tomorrow. Maybe hold out some hope guys. I know no one is putting pressure on me to trade my Eclipse (but me). I think it is the right time now to trade. I get 4 doors and some versitility, and I don't take too much of a bath w/the Eclipse. A great deal in my opinion and hard to pass up.

The break down is this, the dealer that has the Mazda is giving me $14,495 for my Eclipse. (most other dealers have offered $12,500 to $13,500) The Mazda price is $19,995. (I got him to come down $500 dollars) It only had 1342 miles, an 04', and MSRP new was $27,640 and it's loaded. (I seen the original sticker) I'm upside down about $4000 but I would be putting down $2000. Every little bit helps.

The original owner bought the Mazda w/o consulting his wife. Needless to say he lost, and had to trade it in for something his wife liked.

My monthly payments for 60 months would be around $410. Not bad considering a truck. My monthly payments for a Titan at 72 months would be around $480. Anyway, somebody please talk me out of the Mazda!!!! Just kidding.

I just need to exercise some restraint and logic. Maybe I have to face the fact I can wait 2 or 3 years for a Titan. I will still be around and so will the Titan. The moment of truth will be tomorrow or a least Friday. I'll keep you guys updated. If I don't get a Titan, I would still like to be apart Titantalk even thought I may not get one for 2 or 3 years. Thanks.

[ciron28]

Originally Posted by igotatitan

Looks like someone needs to learn how to use paragraphs.

Is that better for you now?

[meckman]

I have both, a '04 Titan and a '04 Mazda 6 S. We bought the 6 about a month ago. It's a nice car. A little bumpy because of the low profile tires. I added a tranny cooler already from the advice of many at mazda6club.com and mazda6tech.com. They use the Jatco 5 tranny. I heard the '05 Mazda 6 trannies are a 6 speed and a lot better than the Jatco. Something to think about.

We got a great deal on our Mazda so we took advantage of it. My grandfather worked at Ford, and since Ford owns 33% of Mazda, I was able to get the S-plan. Similar to the z or a-plans from Ford. So we got a $27,700 car for $25,100. Then on top of that they are giving $3,000 cash back on '04 Mazda 6. So that brought it down to $22,100. Then when my grandma called Ford to get the pin # they said something about sending us another $1,000. So it was a no brainer for us. We got the car at one heck of a deal.

The 6 is not the fastest thing out on the road. You have to keep the RPMs up to make any power. On my wife’s '02 Jetta 1.8T it made power lower in the RPM range so she has to get use to the difference in the two cars.

I’m contemplating on getting the Magnaflow cat back for the 6 or the wait a little while until flowmaster roles out the cat back for the Titan. Decisions…decisions….decisions

To answer your question Titan vs. Mazda 6. It’s hard to pass up the usefulness of a truck and the power of the Titan. On the other hand, the Mazda 6 is a very practical car, which does have some sportyness to it. You need to look at your finances and determine what ride is going to fit your family life style the best.

[NorCal 4x4]

Originally Posted by ciron28

---Anyway, somebody please talk me out of the Mazda!!!! Just kidding. I just need to exercise some restraint and logic. Maybe I have to face the fact I can wait 2 or 3 years for a Titan. I will still be around and so will the Titan. Thanks.

O.K. I'll try ... if you get in a wreck with a nice new Ford F150 4x4, and it's front tire is in your lap and then you see this light, and hear harp music ... well you might be thinking, I should have got a Titan - this could have just been a fender-bender.

I had $1500 + in damage to my front bumper last week coming home from work, while waiting at a stop sign. If I'd been in my Camry I would have lost the fender and most likely the hood, not to mention air bags would have fired off.

Instead I barely knew I was hit.

I love the Mazda6 and Mazda3, but it's a safety issue. There are too many big vehicles out there today so you'd better join 'em A few dollars more, at least for me was worth the safety.

I would have gone for a mid-sized truck like the new Frontier or new Dakota, but my kids could end up being over 6 feet tall within the next few years.

[akangl]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaTitan

We commute 86 miles each way and we use the Titan 2-3 times a week. She is 15 days in our custody and has 1900 miles on her and gas has run about $226 so far just in that time.


Chris

I thought I was the only one crazy enough to commute that far every day!! We've had the new Titan 11 days and already have 1200 miles on her, will be 1400 tomorrow if I drive her to work. Normally I drive Zippy (04 Focus ZX3), but sometimes I get the itch to take Ice out and enjoy the heated seats, awesome power, total comfort, well, you get the idea.