Mazda3 Replacement

[kevm14]

In a change of pace the seller listed a black CLK550 convertible so I contacted him about the silver one.

To help Bill decide if he wants to make an offer I went to the MB dealer and got the VMI.

Here are some initial thoughts:
Some warranty work between new and mid-2010. What I see is a CD changer issue (perhaps a new COMAND unit?), the same camshaft actuator electrical thing that my S550 got early (I think they leak, also the actuator can fail), front door handle, maybe a leaky valve cover, and a center console lid issue of some kind. Nothing too exciting. Mainly it's good to see the actuator thing.

Customer pay section is service at the dealer that was not covered under the warranty, maintenance or repairs.
- M1 5W-40. Need Carfax for additional maintenance history as I don't think it's all here.
- Brake fluid at 25k in 2009, right on time.
- Transmission fluid service at 40k, in 2010, also right on time.

Not much else to see. Seems that it stopped going to the dealer in July 2010. It did go back to the dealer one last time in Oct 2020 for the same sunroof recall that was on my E55.

Again, need the Carfax to get the rest of the history. Looks like indie shops for the rest. And some of them do not report to Carfax so we'll see how complete it looks.

There are a number of things that could manifest in an inspection for a case of neglected service so I wouldn't draw any conclusions yet. Glad to see some of the items like brake fluid and trans service on there. If it never had another trans service, that's technically OK, as it will be due in another 5k or so.

I added the car to my Carfax app and there is definitely additional service history. The outside door handle warranty job is even in Carfax.

Here is some of that.

Transmission service again in 2019! This is good. Transmission R&R. That was right when he bought it in May 2019. That could have been a rear main seal though the M273 isn't known for that. I'd ask the seller because I'm curious.

[kevm14]

Some fleet options for Bill

Option 1a
Cost: +$7k delta but lose 1LE
Lineup: ZL1 + RAV4
Sell 1LE. Doesn't get much use. Too worried to use it. Annoying to drive. Can't really enjoy it on the kind of roads we have. I estimate it's worth in the $35k range.
Buy 2012-2015 ZL1. Low mileage ones are like $42k and you can even find some under $40k, and not with that many miles really. For that reason I'm sticking with my +$7k claim.

Pros:
Bill gets the gen 5 that he really wants. They look cool. They run low 12s and can get into the 11s with ease. With an auto, he would use it more. The ride is also better for our shitty roads though I'm not sure he sees that as a pro.

Cons:
The ZL1 is heavy but I think the character of the car better suits the type of driving we do in southern New England and this is pretty much exactly the same tradeoff I already made by selling my V and having the E55. So, have to sell the 1LE. Economically it would be best to sell it FIRST, and then find the appropriate ZL1 since you'll know exactly what the budget sweet spot should be. Also, still need some kind of winter car. Worst case: use the RAV4 you already own. This option might also present an emotional hurdle but it also seems like a rational option.

Option 1b
Cost: $7k + Option 3 cost
Lineup: ZL1 + Option 3 car
Buy something better than the RAV4 but does not need to cost that much. Suggest combining with an Option 3 vehicle. See Pros and Cons for Option 1a and Option 3.

Option 2a.
Cost: Keep 1LE plus whatever a gen 5 SS costs. Low $20s?
Lineup: Gen 5 1LE + Gen 5 regular SS
Keep 1LE. Still doesn't get much use as we've established.
Buy gen 5 Camaro SS automatic. Personally I wouldn't recommend one for a price that even starts with a 2. At $15k or something I think it can be somewhat justifiable. At $20k or $25k, no freaking way (imo). You get one car that runs high 12s and one that runs low 13s, at significant expense.

Pros:
Get to keep 1LE. Get to drive a gen 5 Camaro shaped car that makes V8 noises. Theoretical upgrade platform.

Cons:
While this is a personal preference, I guess I don't understand having two gen 5s. The theoretical upgrades will probably never happen and if they do, will likely begin to disqualify the car for its original purpose, leaving TWO gen 5s that are limited in use. Also, the upgrades planned for this car cost money that could be better spent for Option 2b up front and enjoy on day 1.

Option 2b.
Cost: Keep 1LE plus upper $20s today or $25k as a random target for the future.
Lineup: Gen 5 1LE + Gen 6 SS
Keep 1LE.
Buy gen 6 SS auto. These are in the upper $20s now and maybe pull the trigger when they get to the $25k range.
To be brutally honest, in the long term it may not make sense to keep the 1LE for rational reasons with a gen 6 but emotional reasons can count for something. IF the gen 6 SS ended up in the garage someday, you might want something for winter which leads me to Option 3....again.

Pros:
Get to keep 1LE. Get an outstanding daily driver that is realistically better performing than the 1LE (better chassis, faster). Basically for less than the cost of mods to a basic Gen 5 SS, this is the better car. Depending on configuration, a Gen 6 SS performs at parity with a Gen 5 ZL1 and gets far better fuel economy doing it.

Cons:
This could be the most pricey (up front) option that involves keeping the 1LE. The backseat of the gen 6 is a bit smaller though recent anecdotes suggest that it is actually still usable.

Option 3.
Cost: Keep 1LE plus $12k or so.
Lineup: Gen 5 1LE + something fun but less expensive
Keep 1LE.
Buy something in the low teens for a daily that's fun.
CLK550, CLK55, C55 type of cars. Side note: all of these Mercedes are basically at pace with a gen 5 SS automatic for acceleration and, shockingly, stock for stock, probably have more reliable engines.
Or G37 type of car (coupe even).
GTO (may not be in the low teens though it really should be)
Etc.

Pros:
Get to keep 1LE. Get a V8 or otherwise solid performing daily in the ~$12k range, which is cheaper than most of the other options. In fact, cheapest way to have a fun daily while keeping the 1LE. Add whatever the pros are for the chosen vehicle (i.e. the aforementioned Mercedes are just as fast as a regular Camaro SS auto).

Cons:
"Only" get to have one gen 5 Camaro. And whatever the cons are for the chosen vehicle I guess.