Gone but not forgotten...

[big_nebrowski]

So after much debate and internal struggle, I sold my 2008 GTI back at the beginning of this month. The car had 140k miles on it and was still in pretty good shape. Suspension was in need of a refresh, but with my 90 mile/day commute, it was becoming a bit unbearable to keep up with the maintenance.

So I replaced it with a (arguably more boring) 2015 Mazda 3 hatchback with the 2.5L motor. Definitely not as fun as the GTI, but the suspension is pretty well sorted and it's got a much nicer (imo) interior. I've been loving the infotainment, phone connectivity, and fake leather seats. Also great to have a USB port where I can stick a thumb drive with practically my entire music collection. So far don't regret my decision at all. This is my first new car purchase and there is something to be said for the peace of mind that comes with it. Even if the GTI was relatively "easy" to maintain, it's nice not to have to worry about that level of ownership for a few years.

Maybe I'll be back in a GTI (mk7?) in a few years when I can pass this car on to my wife.

Pics!
Old car parked next to sweet camaro ZL1


new car

 

[Das Gespenst]

You will be missed. Noticed you pretty much disappeared for a while, makes sense now :-(

Glad you like the new car, albeit god ugly lol. Definitely understand the feeling of a new car. Hope you pop in from time to time.

 

[langer]

^the Mazda 3 isn't that ugly.

I feel you on the diminishing returns with the time and money I pour into my '07 gti. I have an intermittent thermostat p2181 code. Bunch of other soft codes that only show up with a scan, along with a faulty cluster that trips my immobilizer on hot days. I'm not to the point where it's enough for me swallow monthly payments, though.

 

[big_nebrowski]

You will be missed. Noticed you pretty much disappeared for a while, makes sense now :-(

Glad you like the new car, albeit god ugly lol. Definitely understand the feeling of a new car. Hope you pop in from time to time.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm sure I'll still lurk around here. I think it looks pretty good lol.

I feel you on the diminishing returns with the time and money I pour into my '07 gti. I have an intermittent thermostat p2181 code. Bunch of other soft codes that only show up with a scan, along with a faulty cluster that trips my immobilizer on hot days. I'm not to the point where it's enough for me swallow monthly payments, though.

I had the P2181 code for a good 8 months before I finally had the thermostat replaced by Induktion. They do great work, but it seemed silly at the time to pay $400 to fix something that didn't really affect the performance of the car.