Let's play a game.....
Printed From: Tippmann Paintball
Category: News And Views
Forum Name: Thoughts and Opinions
Forum Description: Got something you need to say?
URL: http://www.tippmannsports.com/forum/wwf77a/forum_posts.asp?TID=181756
Printed Date: 19 April 2026 at 1:42pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.04 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Let's play a game.....
Posted By: Reb Cpl
Subject: Let's play a game.....
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 12:41pm
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Called "Help Reb find a car" The automotive prowess of this crowd is undeniable, so when the Mrs. and I started bandying about the idea of a new(ish) car, I quickly thought of asking advice from you guys. My new job is offering me a nice chunk of change per month in compensation for the miles I drive for them. Enough to make a decent car payment, cover insurance, and still compensate for some of my travel expenses. Right now I drive a 2002 Chevy Blazer with 128K miles on it. It's my workhorse. My wife drives a 1996 Toyota Corolla with 145K miles on it. My plan, is to sell her car for a nice down payment on something new. The criteria for the new vehicle is as follows: -4 door sedan. Getting a car seat in and out of a 2 door vehicle is a nightmare, especially when little Reb is gaining weight like mad. -Fuel efficient. (duh) I'm getting around 20mpg with the blazer, I'd like substantially more than that. Doesn't have to be a Hybrid, just better than the Blazer -Something reliable in snow, and something I don't have to worry about falling apart on me in 3 or 4 years. I'm not above any suggestions except for the Prius, because I've heard nothing but bad things about them when it comes to the snow, thanks to the fuel efficient tires. That's basically it. Of course I'm going to do my own research, but I'd like to see where you guys would take this. Oh, and if we choose a vehicle based on one of your suggestions, prizes will be awarded. Ready? Help! ------------- ? |
Replies:
Posted By: Peter Parker
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 12:53pm
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By "new" I hope you mean "new to you?" Used is the way to go, of course...
For good non-Prius fuel efficiency there is the hybrid Camry, the hybrid Highlander, the hybrid Fusion (and others), and the various excellent German diesels, most notably the VW TDIs. Or, of course, you could go the Yaris/Fit route, but if you don't like the Prius I am thinking you would really hate those.
Also, frankly, the new "regular" Civics/Corollas all get excellent mileage as well. ------------- "E Pluribus Unum" does not mean "Every man for himself". Pop Quiz: What do all the Framers of the Constitution have in common? |
Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 1:06pm
 -58mpg is what VW claims, but even the test drivers have been reporting as high as 46-50 mpg -2.0-liter, turbocharged, direct-injection diesel engine -Was rated Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. MSRP is somewhere around $20k I think, but I don't know that you could find a used one yet, if that's what you're going for. It's a six-speed manual stock, but I know they have an automatic option for a bit more. A cool thing about the super efficient cars like this, is that youre eligible for at least 1300 dolars in tax credit. I like that VW offers the no-charge scheduled maintenance as well, that's a lot of money you save in the long run. Especially if you have a long commute every day. I'm pretty sure that along with the 6-8 standard airbags, including side impact, you have the option of getting rear seat side curtain airbags. I've heard from a couple friends who went and looked at cars recently that the back seat is a little cramped, but they were all 20+ guys, so I imagine there is more than enough room for a carseat. FWD should make it at least manageable in the snow for you, and hopefully your wife as well. Everyone I know with FWD does just fine in the snow we get up in the mountains at school. Idk if new is what youre looking for or not, but the TDI caught my eye, and normally I have no interest at all in cars like these. ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 1:44pm
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How important is the whole "gets around in the snow" thing? I mean, are you pushing for AWD? Or will FWD do?
If you want a good front-wheel drive 4-door sedan or hatchback that gets close to 35MPG Highway with a car payment under $300/mo with low insurance and a high reliability rating. The Mazda 3 is the way to go. If you can front a bit more cash on the down payment and want some more horses to make it fun, get the Mazdaspeed 3. If snow is a big concern and you want AWD, I highly recommend the new Subaru Outback Sport. That too will run you under $300/mo with low insurance and good gas mileage (around 27hwy) Either one will work great. Both have excellent safety ratings, get good mileage, have a minimum of 4 doors, all the safety bells and whistles and are a peach to drive. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 1:45pm
DO IT! |
Posted By: High Voltage
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 2:19pm
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Lucky charm.
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Posted By: slackerr26
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 3:46pm
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ford 500
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Posted By: Eville
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 4:12pm
| My brother drives an 07 or 08 Focus. Does very decently in snow and he has reported gas mileage in the mid 40's. I personally prefer my 05 with the 2.3 more, but his isnt bad. |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 4:33pm
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usafpilot07 wrote:Posted By: StormyKnight
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 4:51pm
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I'm starting to like the VW Jetta TDI the more and more I look at them. ------------- 
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Posted By: ammolord
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 5:18pm
this or look into a charger. maby even a newer civic. ------------- PSN Tag: AmmoLord XBL: xXAmmoLordXx ~Minister of Tinkering With Things That Go "BOOM!"(AKA Minister of Munitions)~ |
Posted By: merc
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 5:34pm
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my sister and my gfs sister both love their accords (both have coupes but the sedan is the same platform)
edit: look for a larger engine, (if a car is offered with a 4 and 6 cyl find one with the 6 cyl) while the smaller engine MIGHT get better gas milage when its new, they will wear much faster. vehicles with smaller engines will often be designed for a single passenger and will not preform well when you toss in a 200lb firefighter + 50(+)lbs of baby and gear, on top of the driver. normally i would recomend a GM vehicle: pontiac grand prix, bonneville, Buick park ave, lecurne, chevy impala. but FPA companies that will take your money and then claim their over their head... commies can die, as should GM. ------------- saving the world, one warship at a time. |
Posted By: cdacda13
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:17pm
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Sedan only, or will a cross over do? I love the new Chevy Traverse. 8 person crossover, available with FWD or AWD, I4 or V6. The new Chevy Malibu has receive great ratings from everyone. [/end nut swinging of GM) Now, used cars. Subaru Impreza is a wonderful car. AWD, boxer 4 cylinder with enough power. Comfortable inside, even in the back seats. Honda Civic and Accords are really good cars. Excellent reliability and gas mileage. I'll post more later. |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:43pm
Why not a new Corolla? The recent ones, especially the XRS are sexy, and have dropped in price in recent years. What we paid for our 05 Corolla, standard edition, we could now pay for the XRS fully kitted out. I love the Corolla, I think it's a great car, very reliable, and good on gas. Wide wheelbase, and decently low to the ground so it's glued to the road unlike higher/narrower cars like the old echo sedan, etc.
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Posted By: Cedric
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 7:45pm
 Go dawgs. ------------- 
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 8:42pm
/thread. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: ParielIsBack
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 9:01pm
QFT. Willy's all the way. ------------- BU Engineering 2012 |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 9:31pm
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Get this sexy beast:
http://www.nissanusa.com/cube/ |
Posted By: mbro
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 10:17pm
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first off, as PP said, go used. My initial suggestion would be go for a 06-08 camry or corolla, good gas mileage and high reliability. There's a reason why they've been some of the best selling cars for over a decade.
Second choice would be to shoot for a GM or Chrysler that you may be able to haggle a great deal on due to the dealer closings. Their loss is your gain (a loss caused by evil socialism). Third would be a nice german diesel like the one theguy posted. That is a much pricier option though and you probably want to put your hard earned money towards your crotch fruit over a car you'll get rid of in 6 to 10 years.
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Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos. |
Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 11:28pm
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Well, not many sedans are good in the snow. Obviously I'm going to say that choopie knows what he's talking about, as he lives in the tundra...so my first piece of advice is listen to him. The Audi A4 is supposed to be good in the snow, and I like them a lot. You could probably get a certified 2007 model without selling an organ. That's the best advice I have. ------------- 
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 11:40pm
Heh, that is true, I did get our Corolla up to 105 MPH when I first drove it, Christmas 2006. It was on a road like this, but straighter: 
But yeah I've heard the same about Audi A4's especially the Quattro. |
Posted By: NiQ-Toto
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 11:44pm
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I dont have a kid so i cant relate, but if that chunk of change is big enough, take a C300 4MATIC Sport for a test drive. You wont regret it.
My buddy has an IS250 thats AWD, and hes in love with the thing. Dunno how big of a car youre looking for though, the 250 is on the smaller side. ------------- ///AMG What? |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 21 May 2009 at 11:52pm
Audi 
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Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 12:38am
So you liked my VW suggestion, but then say that about Audi. You know they're the same cars right? ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 1:01am
Just not a audi fan. -------------
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Posted By: .636
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 1:10am
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Corolla civic or mazda 3. mazda 5 if you want more of a van
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Posted By: usafpilot07
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 1:52am
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Reb, I lied to you. I was a little confused on the details, the TDI isn't the one I had been reading about claiming 58mpg and not reachign it's goals. I present you, the Jetta S Turns out, this thing really does crank out 58mpg highway, and has great crash test ratings. It's cheaper than the TDI too.  I'm too tired to go through and make you another detailed write out like I did earlier, but the Jetta S is definitely cool, especially for less than 18k sticker MSRP ------------- Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo |
Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:02am
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I thought jetta's were kinda bad in snow? edit: more importantly, probably too small too lug a kid around in. I would personally love a TDI... -------------
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Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:27am
| Have you guys seen how cheap Hyundai is now? I had read articles about how they have been thriving in this economy, and I just paid attention to their ads. The accent starts at $9970.... |
Posted By: mod98commando
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:43am
LOL, that's awesome. My godfather really likes his Sonata and my girlfriend has been driving an Elentra which she seems to enjoy. Apparently they pulled a half decent sports car out of their butts with the Genesis too, saw a good amount of praise for it recently. I've been driving a gas-guzzling '84 firebird for the last few years so I was eyeing a more economical commuter car if I got some sort of job lined up but that didn't pan out. I liked the Pontiac G6's since they were somewhat sporty yet they could still pull off just under 40 mpg highway according to Pontiac. Quite a step up from the 20 I get now in the firebird (drops to 14/15 city). However, Pontiac is now getting canned so the G6 will soon be history, leaving it's Chevy clone as the only option. The Malibu might be Chevy's G6, not sure about that though. In any case, GM does have some decent cars to offer even though they're struggling to survive. ------------- oreomann33: Everybody invades Poland Rofl_Mao: And everyone eats turkey Me: But only if they're hungary Mack: Yeah but hungary people go russian through their food and end up with greece on everyth |
Posted By: PAINTBALL1
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:12am
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I'm a big fan of Honda. I've got a 2005 fully loaded Acoord. I almost got traded it in for a truck and I'm glad I didn't. We have three kids, live in Montana, and it's about to turn over 93k miles.
It's quick for a sedan, handles very well and does decent in the snow. I made the mistake of buying all season tires before I pcs'd out here, so it could do a bit better with upgraded tires. The gas mileage is great, I get 27-29 (sometimes more) on the highway and low 20's in the city. Reliability and safety are also top notch, the 90k mile service is a bit pricey but it's a Honda and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon. ------------- USAF Special Weapons Technician. |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 4:12am
| Protip: for snow, use snow tires. All seasons just will not cut it. |
Posted By: Reb Cpl
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 6:13am
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I'm really liking some of the VW suggestions, and will follow up on them a little bit. My father in law just bought a hyundai and he loves the thing. ------------- ? |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 1:56pm
They should be cheaper than that, seeing they are a Korean hunk of crap. -------------
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:35pm
Wow, you should just quit work/school and become a professional internet troll at the rate you've been going recently. Hyundai has made fantastic strides in the past decade and is above the customer satisfaction, safety, quality, and value retention rate that Toyota was at in the early 90's. I give them 5 years and they'll be running on par with any other import group as far as public perception is concerned. Go test drive a new Genesis and then try to talk bad about that company. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: Bounty
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:55pm
Well, at this point it seems pointless to post a suggestion but Ford is bringing the Fiesta to NA very soon. It sells extremely well in Europe and gets great gas mileage. To promote the car, Ford has given about 100 people the chance to test them out for a few months and post videos online as they complete challenges. Their http://www.fiestamovement.com/ - site will give you great info on the car. And of course, Top Gears awesome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_KIqdS1SO0 - review . |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 2:59pm
Any car company that has Jeff Bridges to the voiceover for their ads has to be doing something right. |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:22pm
When they first started using mitsubishi engines, that left a bad taste in my mouth. And what customer satisfaction? Because they have a 100k mile warranty (which everyone needs, if they are driving a hyundai). Until they find some loop hole screwing out their customers on the warranty. Spend $25,000 on a genesis? Your on crack. Maybe 15k, that's it. Honda>Toyota>Nissan>Mazda>Hyundai>Daewoo -------------
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Posted By: Bounty
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:24pm
Oh, then theres the http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-fusion-hybrid-travels-1445-miles-on-a-single-tank-averages-815-mpg.html - Fusion Hybrid . |
Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:24pm
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Really? You put Honda and Toyota and Nissan over Mazda? I know somebody here is on crack, but it isn't me! ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:26pm
Sweet shot to show off how much body roll it has |
Posted By: IMPULS3.
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 3:31pm
I was waiting for it. Please mazda fanboy. Why are mazdas better than Honda, Toyota, and Nissan? -------------
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Posted By: Eville
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 4:41pm
That car has more body roll than my dads 96 silverado. |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 4:49pm
| And the dude driving it isn't exactly small, I'm pretty sure I can see his second chin in that pic... and he's on the opposite side. |
Posted By: Bounty
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 5:24pm
...because that matters in a hybrid why? Reviews have actually complimented the handling but ok, we'll assume you know all. Besides, its not like your going to buy a hybrid to autocross, therefore the body roll seen here shouldn't matter at all. |
Posted By: Tolgak
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 6:21pm
I've had a 2007 2.0L Mazda3 for about two years now. I did a 1300 mi round trip from Miami to Atlanta plus tons of driving in the respective cities. There was an hour long stretch where I (regrettably) let my friend drive as I slept. He did over 100 mph for an hour before being pulled over by a trooper for doing 105. The entire trip ate 45 gallons of fuel. That's an average of about 28 mpg... driving an automatic, averaging about 80 mph on the highway combined with stop-and-go inner-city driving. I am not a hypermiler in any sense of the word. According to my freind's account, his top speed was easy to achieve. Commenting on the speed, he said he probably had enough power left to take it to 130. The car's accelleration isn't amazing, but it does the trick when I need it to. It has the false manual mode which actually gives me quite an improvement in accelleration when I use it properly. The car's brakes give me an extremely short stopping distance. The engine layout is easy to manage and everything that needs taking care of is easily accessible. It has the most comfortable interior of all the comparable cars of its price range of its time. Everything flows perfectly, the seats are amazingly comfortable and give me no problems on the longest drives. It has two power output slots and even an audio input jack. Yes, it's small. That's to be expected out of a cheap car. But I can still fit all my friends in it and keep them comfortable. The stock sound system is amazing compared to other cars of its time and price range. I'm also surrounded by airbags. Oh yea, there's 8 cupholders (bonus pointz!). In the 21000 miles I have on it (7000 of which are from my sister, who drives like a maniac) the car hasn't even hiccuped. I know it's standard these days, but I have a few friends with new cars that have already had to take them in for repairs caused by the cars' own faults. We used to have a 1996 Mazda MPV. The interior was amazing huge and very comfortable. Its gas mileage was 25mpg, which I think is pretty good for a V6 of the day. Last I remember it, it still had an acceleration that rivals a lot of lower-end cars. We used it for all of our road trips including those to mountains and quite cold weather. The first time the van had a problem was in 2007, and it was only AFTER taking it to a car repair shopfor an oil change (dad didn't have time to do it on his own). My friend has an old beat up Mazda from the 80s that still drives fine. We had a '95 Toyota Camry that plagued us with issues while the MPV never skipped a beat. My dad decided to rent a '10 Mazda3 just to test drive it while visiting me at school. This is a guy who has to rent cars on a weekly basis for business trips. Sometimes he rents just to get to the airport so as not to burdon others to take them. He has a rental agreement that lets him try just about any non-luxury vehicle on the lot for reduced rates (all compensated by the company he works for) and sometimes for free. He says the '10 Mazda3 is more satisfying to drive than most of the other cars he's rented previously. Mazda is one of the best car companies out there and easily the top asian import next to Toyota. I rarely hear complaints for any of their vehicles, and those that my family has experience with have never given us issues. I think you can get an AWD Mazda 6, however its fuel economy isn't reported to be very high. It would be my first choice in vehicle if I needed something in its price range. ------------- 
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Posted By: tallen702
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 6:36pm
Mazda fanboy?! Hardly. I do enjoy my Mazda 6s, but if you actually did more than just glance at people's posts on here, you'd realize that I have only 1 true love:
As for Mazda's place in the whole deal. They've really improved their performance over the past 7 years or so. Not only have they ditched the Ford body platform and started supplying their engines to that particular motor company, they've injected some life into the mid-level import scene which has slowly been dying due to the likes of the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord staying stagnant for years. Neither Honda or Toyota were willing to do anything to improve the performance (let alone looks) of their flagship lines until Mazda made the move to push higher-class lines and performance through at a mid-class price. The 6, 3, and RX-8 forced the rest of the market to play "catch up" in styling and performance. Want proof? Compare the Toyota Camry XV30 to the Mazda 6 Compare the Honda Accord 7th Gen US Model to the Mazda 6 Neither of them can match the baseline performance specs nor the quality and amenities for the price. Furthermore, the bulk of the Accord and Camry lines of the same generation continued to use timing belts while Mazda switched to the much more durable and reliable timing chain system, and the suspensions of the Accord and Camry don't even come close to matching that of the 6. All in all, the Mazdas of that generation pioneered the push forward in the mid-level sedan range giving people quality for their money that Toyota and Honda reserved for their high-end Lexus and Acura lines respectively. Don't even get me started on Nissan. They make good cars for the Japanese domestic market as well as the European market, but de-tune their deliveries to the US and use lower quality materials. The Sentra alone has one of the worst reliability records on the road right now. The transmissions in their higher end vehicles are almost as bad as Jeep transmissions when it comes to failure rates, and they've failed to produce anything new or interesting for years. Now, something must be said for the track history of Toyota and Honda vs Mazda. I can't argue with that. But we're talking about right-here-right-now and Mazda is outperforming both Toyota and Honda. Just look at the "Road and Track" and "Car and Driver" test results in the small car line. R&T has given the Mazda 3 top spot for a few years running now vs the Corolla and the Civic. Mazda has also started retaining value just as well as Toyota and Honda. Your rankings may have stood 7 years ago, but not anymore. ------------- <Removed overly wide sig. Tsk, you know better.> |
Posted By: choopie911
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 7:03pm
| I love Toyota, you COULD almost call me a fanboy, but I will agree, Mazda makes some nice cars. I quite like my friends Mazda 3. |
Posted By: Frozen Balls
Date Posted: 22 May 2009 at 11:57pm
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I still love my jeep more than anything. -------------
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