JasonStern

so I love my rx-8, and I hate to consider selling it, but in the last six months, I've had to deal with the following:

* currently dealing with a transmission failure, but the mazda certified mechanics cannot figure out if it's the transmission or the torque converter, so there's a $2500-4500 out of pocket

* ecu, sensors they failed to name, and the catalytic converter replaced (under emissions warranty - thank you, government)

* motor mounts replaced

* all 4 coil packs replaced

* spark plugs replaced

* 2 rotors replaced, 2 rotors turned, all 4 pads replaced

* battery finally died

all this on a 46k automatic that I took rather good care of (2k oil changes, rev'd properly to keep carbon out, didn't race it or anything). I ride motorcycles for half the year, so it's not like I'm putting a ton of miles on the rx8. meanwhile my girl's rx-8 is pending a new engine (warranty covered thanks to the extension), really freaking me out regarding the longevity of this car.

obviously, the battery, plugs, and pads are basic maintenance. the rotors shouldn't have needed to be touched so early, but I can deal with that. replacing the coil packs sucked, but at least mazda has revised coil packs that are interchangeable. there is no excuse for the ecu and the transmission to go out with so low miles. what's really concerning about that is the fact that I am basically getting a new version of the same part that failed, so there is a very reasonable chance that it's just band-aiding a design problem that I will have to deal with later. and that's still all presuming my renesis holds up (which knowing my luck it will until 10 years, 1 day after its build date).

I was honestly expecting a car that would last 100k miles, so recently I bought a house, meaning I don't have a lot of free income to blow on another car. I'd prefer to keep the rx-8, but when I lose about $3k a year in depreciation in addition to spending $4k+ keeping a six year old car running, I'm just losing too much money to justify keeping it. and so maybe I should just write the car off as a $20k bad idea, stay away from mazda, and take my luck with something new.

so, I'm curious what advice people have regarding a replacement car. I live in Reno, so snow is a concern 1-2 weeks out of the year. I'd prefer an automatic as my girl refuses to learn how to drive a stick. I know sticks are better for sports cars, but honestly, I don't need a fast car as I can get a much bigger rush from riding my Kawasaki ZRX-1100 than an Evo/STi/350Z/etc. can give.

if I was smart, I'd trade it in for a base model impreza and be done with it. but I really don't want car payments if I can avoid it, and I'd prefer something a bit more prestigious/sporty/luxurious.

my semi-realistic dream car would be a late 90's Porsche 996 C4. all wheel drive would be great in winter, the reliability is at least better than my RX-8, and depreciation isn't going to make the car worthless any time soon. however, I can only find them for around $20k private sale, which means I'd need to sell my RX-8 and then get a loan and pay comprehensive insurance, making it a bit less realistic.

while less practical, an early model C5 corvette also seems like a good choice as higher mileage models can be had for around $10k. it's hard to beat a chevy v8 for reliability, and since I don't drive when I can ride a motorcycle, high mileage (100k) is less of a concern. likewise, it will be a while before the C5 corvettes depreciate below $7k. I'd have to buy a beater vehicle for winter, though.

I really like the BMW 330xi as it has all-wheel drive and I have been pleased with the build quality on my BMW R1150R. my grandpa has a 1977 BMW 530i with 277k miles on it (would fail emissions and the fuel economy is bad, but still!), so I trust the reliability of their motors when maintained. but if their cars are like their bikes, then parts are going to be expensive and working on it will be overly complicated for no apparent reason. why would you design a bike to have to have the oil coolers and gas tank removed to get to frequent maintenance items like the air filter and battery?

on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm tempted to buy an older Porsche 944. there is one on craigslist with a new radiator, water pump, and timing belt for $1500. if I can get $11k for the RX-8, that'd leave $9500 plus interest for repairs should anything go wrong. or, if the car is a lemon, I'm only out $1500 less what I could part it out for. the only reason I didn't crack and buy it already is because it's a stick (yay girls) and not the best winter car (valid point there).

any other suggestions? I'm sure I'm completely missing out on some gems...