Hey everyone. Just purchased my Oxford White Focus ST ST1 yesterday. I'm loving it so far!
I started medical school 3 weeks ago and sold my beloved stage 2 Legacy GT 2 weeks prior to that. I needed a car from $22k and under that was reliable, practical, and fun to drive. It came down to this and the new 2015 2.5L Mazda3 6spd manual which just hit dealers this week. I like the 2015 WRX but they won't budge below $28k and the lack of a hatchback made this a better choice for me. I think I got a pretty good deal at $19,700 but I'm sure peope outside CA do a lot better. I had heard the Recaros can be uncomfortable and the base ST1 seats actually have a lot more bolstering than my LGT seats so I went for the base ST1 and I might add a sunroof later (if people have any experience with the dealer installed sunroof that would be much appreciated).
Also, I purchased the 5 year/60k maintenance plan for $1,800. I know these are mostly gimmicks, and I probably will cancel it this week. Does anyone have ideas on how much they have spent or will spend on maintenance for 60k? My usual oil changes are $60 and hopefully I won't need a new clutch until after 60k but other than that I don't see it being worth it. Maybe struts go out early on these things? Thanks, Nick
My legacy and the 5spd IS300 (my favorite) I had before that:
I started medical school 3 weeks ago and sold my beloved stage 2 Legacy GT 2 weeks prior to that. I needed a car from $22k and under that was reliable, practical, and fun to drive. It came down to this and the new 2015 2.5L Mazda3 6spd manual which just hit dealers this week. I like the 2015 WRX but they won't budge below $28k and the lack of a hatchback made this a better choice for me. I think I got a pretty good deal at $19,700 but I'm sure peope outside CA do a lot better. I had heard the Recaros can be uncomfortable and the base ST1 seats actually have a lot more bolstering than my LGT seats so I went for the base ST1 and I might add a sunroof later (if people have any experience with the dealer installed sunroof that would be much appreciated).
Also, I purchased the 5 year/60k maintenance plan for $1,800. I know these are mostly gimmicks, and I probably will cancel it this week. Does anyone have ideas on how much they have spent or will spend on maintenance for 60k? My usual oil changes are $60 and hopefully I won't need a new clutch until after 60k but other than that I don't see it being worth it. Maybe struts go out early on these things? Thanks, Nick
My legacy and the 5spd IS300 (my favorite) I had before that:
