How long are you planning on keeping your Speed3?

[Saskatchewan17]

I was just reading through a lot of threads about people switching from their MS3s to other cars like M3s, SRT-6 Crossfires (just two examples I saw). My question to all of you is... How long do you plan on keeping your MS3?

I think I'm gonna keep mine until I'm like 30 and run it into the ground. (headbang)

[Super Unique]

I have no plans to get rid of mine yet, maybe when it gets old and decrepit. Right now, @ 25k in 1 yr, my 2008.5 is doing just fine. Not a single problem after the radio fiasco when it was brand new.

[240ka]

until the wheels fall off. this is going to be my beater when i get my z06 in the next few years

[HotSnatch]

Only reason I got this car in January was because my beloved 2000 Civic Si was totaled by some bitch who ran a red light...I love my speed and plan to keep as long as something crazy and unforseen does not happen again!

[mr_mazda329]

Till its the last one still driving.

[gonerogue]

Hard to say, but if I had to guess, 3-4 years tops. Had a 2003 GLI for about a year and a half before the Speed3; I get bored quickly.

[///M Compact]

I honestly don't know, I've never felt so ambivalent about a car in my life. I may keep it a couple of more years or-more likely-I may unload it this weekend.

[Mike240SX]

I do not predict getting rid of this car until my stable is too full and/or it blows up. Either of which will be long LONG after the warrant is up and the car is paid off. Maybe 10 years? Probably more.

[bjjer]

At least until its paid off, which is in four years, then ill decide if I want another car payment (probably not).

[madvillian]

when i get out of school, im buying another car and making my speed a full out time attack car.

[CosmoMS3]

8 + years. If nothing unexpected happens.

[speed3guy]

Unless something crazy happens and I run into a bunch of money then Im prolly gonna keep my car for a good while. Theres really no other car that I really want other than the new 09 WRX. Id like to have a evo though but cant afford one. And my porsche 911 gt3 rs is out of the question as well.

[SHaW]

About 4 years from now.

[BillTheCat]

Hoping to hold onto my '09 MS3 at least until I pay it off (2013). Longer, if the wheels aren't falling off by then. At that point, the temptation to trade up into something newer & sportier will probably win out. Longest I ever held onto a car was just a few months shy of 5 years. (MKIII Supra Turbo, built to the gills)

[mxchaos6]

till she drops dead beyond reasonable repair. heh plan to use this car as my grocery getter when I get a nice 2 door 2 seater to drive for fun

[Hank3]

I thought when I purchased it back in August that it would be my car for a long time, but things have changed and I'd like to sell her to get into cheaper/not as nice car. The Speed3 is a fabulous and practical car, but over the last year I've realized most of my driving is to work and back, and we take the wife's car when going on trips. Looking at something fun and reliable. Maybe an older S2K since space isn't an issue.

[Peter B]

As long she's running she'll be mine. The catch is keeping er lookin as pretty as she does now.

[Russm]

My son will be 16 in 5 years then it will be his car.

[DaleNixon]

Until I can't trust it to get me to my destination. So far so good!

[ElGaspo]

good Q and heart-warming replies. i'm squarely in the "keep it till the wheels fall off / until repairs become a fact of life" camp.

i've probably bored a lot of ppl already regaling you w/ the tale of my previous car, a 1991 Honda CRX Si, which I kept for 16 yrs w/ nary a problem. The plan is to do the same w/ this car, and at some point, if the market ever goes up again, get a 2007+ Z06 for a wkend car & keep the MS3 as a dd. (drive2)

[TheRealDefman]

Mine is a lease, so I give it back in a little less than 4 years.

[AutoEuphoria]

Not sure. I have to keep it a couple years at least until selling it would be a worth-while endeavor. Right now I'd lose $10k just from the market being down

[squidmotion]

i always plan to keep my cars forever.. and then i drive the wheels off of them. the MS3 is our daily commuter, and will see a lot of miles... if it proves dependable, i'll keep it as the DD until the warranty is out, then i'll probably mod it and make it a fun car out of it, when it gets replaced with the next work/travel mule.

[clos561]

i sold mine yesterday

[Mr_Boom]

Like most everyone else, I plan on running my MS3 into the ground...unless I hit the lottery or end up winning a sweet car in some crazy Hole in One scenario.

[iplaythemic]

My son will be 16 in 5 years then it will be his car.

I hope to God your kid doesn't drive like I did at 16. I scare myself now in this car, and I've got a decade of experience under the belt.

[Remspeed3]

I thought that the speed would be the last car for awhile but you never know. Heres what i've done in the past two years after i found out i was going to be a Dad, kinda thought it was time to grow up alittle!...I traded in my 02 Gti 1.8t which was paid in full and had thousands of dollars in mods (that i removed and sold)..and my 07 Tacoma 4x4 single cab for an 08 Civic SI sedan. I bought it to be practical and somewhat economical...after driving it for a year i was tired of the little torqueless, high reving go nowhere feel from it. Then drove a speed fell in love and bought one in Nov. 08.. now im kinda sick of fighting to drive this thing on the highway with all the torque steer issues, and the gas consumption doesn't help either, so who knows.. it might go sooner than later. LOL! (spin)

[daonly1around]

no telling what i'll do when its paid off, maybe track it, maybe sell it and get a beater and a toy...

[MikeHTally]

My Speed and my 300C will be with me for a very long time. The 300 will go into retirement in a few years, brought out for special occasions and trips. The Speed will probably only have 80K on it in ten years. I guess there's a chance it might get traded on a G40s, but the Infiniti will have to be pretty special.

[ericrapp]

My buddy at work is making arrangements for me to be buried in it. Window down one hand on the wheel one one the shifter. The tach set to seven grand and the speedo well beyond the advertised 155. With enough botox to maintain my ear to ear grin i have when i am driving. And we will be dropped into the hole while family and friends look on. Have not worked out the stone yet. . i am taking this one with me.

[nextcar]

I honestly don't know, I've never felt so ambivalent about a car in my life. I may keep it a couple of more years or-more likely-I may unload it this weekend.

i totally agree. i am very ambivalent about the ms3. some days i feel it's the perfect car. other days i wish i had something more refined and quieter.

i also get bored with cars quickly. if i were to switch cars today, i'd get a g37 sedan with the 7 spd auto. but i feel too guilty about changing cars so soon - had the ms3 only 8 months now.

[dizzin9]

until december 21, 2012.

[squidmotion]

until december 21, 2012.



:]

[SwampAss]

until december 21, 2012.


I'll be the one driving around December 22nd 2012 laughing at all the people who didn't realize the mayan calender just starts over.


I'm keeping mine until it isn't cost affective to fix. I owe a little under trade in value on it so I'm cool....I guess.

[DaleNixon]

Hood rich.

[hectik1]

I plan on keeping it long. It has been awhile since I had no car payment.(dunno)

[///M Compact]

i totally agree. i am very ambivalent about the ms3. some days i feel it's the perfect car. other days i wish i had something more refined and quieter.

i also get bored with cars quickly. if i were to switch cars today, i'd get a g37 sedan with the 7 spd auto. but i feel too guilty about changing cars so soon - had the ms3 only 8 months now.

That's the thing, I usually don't get bored with cars quickly. I've had my '95 ti since new and my Jeep since 2002.

[coololddude]

untill pigs can fly. whats that? you say octomom is getting a wing implant!!

[shadow1077]

After 7 years if my ODO is still below 90,000. I wont be looking for a new car.

[dkswim]

im keeping it for life or till the whells fall off.

[LazerBlueP5]

I kept it for exactly 12 months in which time I put roughly 8k on it. I may get another one in the future when the Hummer H3 lease is up. Depends on what the 2011 STi is like. :)

[340CID]

For many more years. I bought my 08.5 on June 16, 2008 with 2 miles on the odo and I plan on keeping for at least 8 years. When I was shopping for a new car I knew it was going to need to be something practical that I could live with for quite a while. Selling it in less than 8 years would be just be financial suicide.

[MikeHTally]

untill pigs can fly. whats that? you say octomom is getting a wing implant!!An' we thought the C-5 Galaxy is huge. That looser may dwarf the Andropov!

[AWDthis]

untill pigs can fly.

http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200803/r233611_936550.jpg

[dkswim]

tarance that great...

[destrux]

Well, we (my wife and I) ran our CRX till it rusted nearly in half, and my Eclipse has been in the family for nearly 10 years now and is still going strong.... so I figure we'll have this MS3 till it's too rusty to fix anymore... maybe 20 years from now (or longer if I can help it). The only car we ever sold that had any life left in it was our MX6, sold it for something more civil (it was half gutted and ran an open race exhaust that exited behind the front tire, no AC...etc... my wife drove it to college for 2 years, never got pulled over, but nearly went deaf) and we regret selling it everytime we mail another car payment check. We love our MS3... we just don't love the debt. Car payments suck.

[DaveMS3]

I am selling mine as soon as I'm not upside down on it. It's a 2008 with 1500 miles on it...I work at home, so I never get a chance to drive it...plus, being 50 makes me think I'm ready for my CTS-V.

[PCspeed3]

I am going to sell in the next few months why resale is still reasonable, gotta get a truck so I can take my bike to the track...

[tiagotiago]

If it gives me good, reliable service, like it has up to this point, I'll keep it around until it becomes too expensive to fix.

Unless of course there's some mindblowing unforseen car innovation that instantly renders an MS3 obsolete, then I may trade up a bit earlier...

[dkswim]

Unless of course there's some mindblowing unforseen car innovation that instantly renders an MS3 obsolete, then I may trade up a bit earlier...

like a hover car that they have ben promising us for the last 20 years...

[Russm]

I hope to God your kid doesn't drive like I did at 16. I scare myself now in this car, and I've got a decade of experience under the belt.

I would hope not, I started driving a 62 VW when I was 12 and I was lucky it wouldn't go any faster than it did. I am going to get him into go karts this year and hopfully he will learn to handle the car when he gets it, he will also know how to maintain it before he drives it and have to pay for his own insurance.

[iheartmyhatchie]

Until it dies... (rockon)

[AllLostThings]

Until it dies... (rockon)



+1!! (alright)

[maestro]

Until it dies... (rockon)

Have some faith in your ride!!

I plan to be buried in mine, freshly waxed, detailed and tuned for the afterlife. Except if I ever finish my 70 Challenger then then the 3 can be buried next to me.

[ElGaspo]

I plan to be buried in mine, freshly waxed, detailed and tuned for the afterlife.

Shades of "Willie the Wimp & his Cadillac coffin" by Stevie Ray Vaughn, perhaps? (band2)

Destrux: i hear ya about the CRX, man. Damn good cars!

[79_Limited]

Mine will be paid for in a few months so I will still keep it as my DD. As long as the maintenance is reasonable I will keep it for the daily. I must say for a commuter I have been very, very happy with the 30+mpg on the highway. This car is the perfect balance between power and economy.

[daonly1around]

Mine will be paid for in a few months so I will still keep it as my DD. As long as the maintenance is reasonable I will keep it for the daily. I must say for a commuter I have been very, very happy with the 30+mpg on the highway. This car is the perfect balance between power and economy.

how slow do you drive on the highway?

[john blutarski]

Well I'm coming up on one year of ownership and I've had zero issues. I still love the car just as much as when I bought it. Today reminded me how much I love it for more than just performance when I folded the seats down and loaded it up to the ceiling with more shit than I thought I could fit in a truck.

[CTGrey02]

I hold on to my cars a long time. I have 30K on it now (averaging 15 a year) and still enjoy driving it. I'd say at least another 5 years depending on what happens in my life.

[BayAreaMS3]

Untill the end of time.

[shockdoctor]

Mines already gone. I bought a 91 Integra for 75¢. No car payments anymore. Cheap insurance too. I don't care if this one gets dented. I miss driving the speed though.

[vitomandalay]

Just got mine so I don't think for a long time. Unless I hit the lotto! lol

[ericrapp]

Just got mine so I don't think for a long time. Unless I hit the lotto! loleven if you could buy anything you would not keep the little speed?

[zoom ms3]

keeping mine forever..will eventually make it the beater and have a vette, audi s5, or m3..something along those lines

[hugador]

I'll keep mine until sh.. happens.

[chodaboy1980]

I am already thinking of selling mine. Don't get me wrong, it is the best car I have ever had. It just falls into a really awkward spot in autocross. I am up against awd beasts that always kick my ass. I will probably have the car for another year or so. If I can stumble upon the 60 months 0% interest deal on an EVO X I would take it in a heartbeat. I know that I would lose a great interior and better gas milage. I really want to win at the track though.

Can anybody talk me out of this?

[GoFast]

I am already thinking of selling mine. Don't get me wrong, it is the best car I have ever had. It just falls into a really awkward spot in autocross. I am up against awd beasts that always kick my ass. I will probably have the car for another year or so. If I can stumble upon the 60 months 0% interest deal on an EVO X I would take it in a heartbeat. I know that I would lose a great interior and better gas milage. I really want to win at the track though.

Can anybody talk me out of this?

if you want a car to be competetive in autocross, then you should buy/build an actual auto-x car. I am assuming that the MS3 or whatever you buy is going to be your DD primarily and an auto-x car second correct?? if yes then why completely change it just because of auto-x?

[john blutarski]

if you want a car to be competetive in autocross, then you should buy/build an actual auto-x car. I am assuming that the MS3 or whatever you buy is going to be your DD primarily and an auto-x car second correct?? if yes then why completely change it just because of auto-x?

agree... if you're trying to be THAT competitive, then you should get a designated car for autox.

[chodaboy1980]

I don't really have space for an extra car just for auto-x. I would rather have a car that can do both. I know that means that there will be some compromises. It is so frustrating that it seems like my car is at the limit of modding with a few bolt ons. Sure you could make a bit more power, and have even more wheelspin. Or make a bit more power and blow up the motor.
An ecu re-flash and an exhaust net the Evo X 380hp and 380lb ft of torque. Both about an increase of 100 for less than $1500. I think I would be set with those numbers. Some suspension work and I'd be done.

[GoFast]

I don't really have space for an extra car just for auto-x. I would rather have a car that can do both. I know that means that there will be some compromises. It is so frustrating that it seems like my car is at the limit of modding with a few bolt ons. Sure you could make a bit more power, and have even more wheelspin. Or make a bit more power and blow up the motor.
An ecu re-flash and an exhaust net the Evo X 380hp and 380lb ft of torque. Both about an increase of 100 for less than $1500. I think I would be set with those numbers. Some suspension work and I'd be done.

ok, but you don't need more HP to be competitive in auto-x. As a matter of fact, by adding power, i think that you may even be slowing yourself down. There is a guy in vegas who has an old crx hatch that consistantly beats just about everybody there including vettes, evos, sti's, lotus's, etc... his engine is stcok and he has had soem suspension work done but that's about it. Learn to drive before you start blaming hte car for not being competetive.

With that said, I am assuming that you are more of an auto-x hobby'ist than a truly points competetive racer so no matter what car you have, you should be there competing with yourself and having fun rather than trying to figure out the best car.

[chodaboy1980]

I hear what you are saying. I am fairly new at autocross and am competing with myself. This will be my first full season. My driving skill has plenty of room for improvement. I just don't want to sink any more money into a car that isn't the right layout for a high performance car. I have fun out there, but down the road it won't be as much fun unless I am winning more. The MS3 is a great car, but FWD is a performance disadvantage. There is no arguing against that.

[dkswim]

Mines already gone. I bought a 91 Integra for 75¢. No car payments anymore. Cheap insurance too. I don't care if this one gets dented. I miss driving the speed though.

you overpaid

[GoFast]

I hear what you are saying. I am fairly new at autocross and am competing with myself. This will be my first full season. My driving skill has plenty of room for improvement. I just don't want to sink any more money into a car that isn't the right layout for a high performance car. I have fun out there, but down the road it won't be as much fun unless I am winning more. The MS3 is a great car, but FWD is a performance disadvantage. There is no arguing against that.

Well at least you aren't one of those who won't listen to anybody's opinion so kudos to you (cool)

Ultimately it is your car, money and choice but I still think that you would be surprised at how little money you have to put into the MS3, or any car for that matter, to be a pretty competitive in auto-x. If a basically stock FWD crx can put the smack down on just about everything on a pretty consistent basis you have to ask yourself, is FWD really the disadvantage that you should be concerned with?

[chodaboy1980]

Would you want a stock CRX as your only car that you used for both a daily driver and autocross? I want a car that I can go out there and be one of the fastest at the track every time out. As of right now I have a Cobb SRI, Cobb front and rear sway bars, TRZ motor mount, shifter bushings, 18x8 wheels with some sticky 235/40/18 dunlop direzza star specs. I have a turbo xs race pipe and some redline mt90 gear oil on the way. I am going to get the rear fenders rolled soon and possibly might get some koni fsd shocks. I am keeping all of my stock parts to I can return to stock when I sell the car. I know that selling a modded car isn't a money making proposition. I will compete all season with this setup. I might also get a Cobb turbo inlet. Any suggestions on what I could do to be more competitive?

[GoFast]

lol nope i wouldnt want a crx as a dd but that wasn't my point. my point was that if a stock crx is spanking me and my ms3, vette, sti, evo, etc...., then maybe i shouldn't be blaming FWD or power but instead i should be blaming myself.

Your current set up looks pretty good. I used to race superstock (gsxr600) in CCS and one of things that I would always chuckle about when listening to non-racers/street riders is when they would say a 600 is too small, or i want to upgrade to a 1000cc. I chuckled because what they failed to realize is that the 600cc wasn't the issue. the issue was that they don't have the ability to ride a 600cc to it's true limits. Only a handful of people know how to do that and the same goes with a car. Until you can truly drive the cheapest of cars(crx) to it's limit, then there really is no need to upgrade

[john blutarski]

^^^ sorry off topic but I had an 85 CRX si gutted to 1580 pounds. That car was the most fun to drive car I've ever driven and it only had probably 95 whp... love those cars.

[ericrapp]

How about and older miata for cheap you could probably keep it the hatch of the speed 3 if you are short on space! and they are cheap, really a blast to drive and come perfectly balanced out of the box ihear and read.And you would be way cool with Mazda powers in your stable. I guess some of us are a bit passionate for our cars. i need lots of power to make up for the bad driving i do in the turns. I suck but i smile the whole time

[ericrapp]

Would you want a stock CRX as your only car that you used for both a daily driver and autocross? I want a car that I can go out there and be one of the fastest at the track every time out. As of right now I have a Cobb SRI, Cobb front and rear sway bars, TRZ motor mount, shifter bushings, 18x8 wheels with some sticky 235/40/18 dunlop direzza star specs. I have a turbo xs race pipe and some redline mt90 gear oil on the way. I am going to get the rear fenders rolled soon and possibly might get some koni fsd shocks. I am keeping all of my stock parts to I can return to stock when I sell the car. I know that selling a modded car isn't a money making proposition. I will compete all season with this setup. I might also get a Cobb turbo inlet. Any suggestions on what I could do to be more competitive? you are getting beat? that sounds like great car. maybe some track tips on alignment for the short courses of autocross would help. My car prefers to stretch its legs and it is close to stock alignment. Changing camber and some toe in for quicker turn in might help you out. Tire pressures are something to adjust too. You probably know all this stuff, i was just thinking about your dilemma and i want you to win too. You are racing a Speed 3 after all!

[chodaboy1980]

I am racing it again this sunday and I will be all season. I still think I will switch to an evo in a year or so. I know that I will be a much better driver by the end of the season. I thought that a miata might be fun but I doubt I would fit in one very well (6'3" 220lbs). I thought that an early 90's bmw 3 series might work as a track car and I would fit much better in it.

[ms3jake]

In a couple years when the warranty runs out.

[ericrapp]

my warranty ran out last weekend. 36000 isn't it?

[ms3jake]

Im talking about powertrain 5yr/60k