R.I.P BRZ
 

Unfortunately I got t-boned on the way home recently. I'm ok, but the car will be a total loss.
This was after I spent almost 2 weeks putting in time, money, and effort to learn how to swap out my clutch/flywheel too. Thanks to everyone on here who helped me accomplish that.

Another 86 might be in the future for me down the road, but I need a 4-door hatchback (or crossover/suv) for now. I'm probably only going to get $11-12K for my BRZ, so I need a replacement car that's enjoyable to drive daily for around that price range.. and decently reliable. I don't want to spend more than that because I'd rather save up for a house or future 86 if possible. I don't like turbos or big engines, so I'm looking at a used, high-mileage '14-15 Mazda 3 or CX-5 for now.
I considered a '12-15 Impreza, but that car screams 'blah' to me. In fact, all the non-turbo Subarus aside from the BRZ are disappointing to drive.

One last thing.... black friday is coming up, so it's a perfect time to invest in a dash cam for your car! $100 now will save you possibly $10K+ worth of headaches later. The other driver claimed it was my fault, and also found 2 witnesses who told the police it was my fault. So the police concluded in their report the accident was my fault based on the testimony of witnesses. No one was issued a citation either. Once I showed the dash video to the insurance company, it was game over. I'm submitting it to the police to get them to update/change the police report too. Just wanted to emphasize the importance of a dash cam with all these crazy drivers out there.


https://i.imgur.com/hN60uGd.jpg

Ouch, sorry to hear that.


I've also been running dash cams on my cars for the past 10 years, they are so cheap now there's no excuse not to get one.


Good luck with your next car, I've owned 3 Mazdas and loved them all.

If 4 doors isn't an absolute requirement look for a Volvo C30, if it is look for a V50, with the T5 motor and if you're lucky an R Design so you get the better suspension these cars are a hoot to drive and are super safe.

I really enjoyed my previous 2012 Scion TC.
That is a bad hit btw...good thing it wasn't on the driver side.

Good on you for having a dash cam, people are sheisters and witness testimony is awful ( bias against sports cars). Very sorry for the loss - Why not contemplate something older than suits the bill. Does it have to be a relatively new car? I think the Rav 4s from the early 2000s / late 90s were stout, come in a 5 speed, are not too big and are reliable enough. One can be had for between 3-5k..

I am curious as to what witness statements were countered by the dash cam video. How did it differ from the "witness" descriptions?


In three decades of investigating accidents I have found that it is a very, very rare occurrence when a "witness" actually sees the whole event and what happened from start to finish. In most cases their attention it not on what happens until something catches it. This means they see the immediate result and then their imagination fills in the gap of what they didn't notice from these results. Their imagination doesn't always reflect anything even close to reality though.

Even though you don't like turbos, go test drive a Fiesta ST. It may just be the ticket.

The cx3 is very fun to drive for what it is. The mazda 3 hatch should also be on your list. I also owned a cx5 previously, very nice car and handled well for being an suv.

I'd go with a loaded mazda 3 skyactive hatch for the 10-12k range. 35ish mpg, awesome interior for the money, and tons of fun to drive.

If I hadn't swerved into the middle lane to avoid him, I would've t-boned the other car directly on the driver's side door. He's lucky I "let" him t-bone me on my passenger side instead.

I don't mind a Rav4, but unless I can find one in really good condition I'd rather just get something newer to not have to deal with older car's possible problems. The 35-40 MPG of the Mazda is hard to beat too. And I do plan to drive the car a lot.

In this case, the witness's statement was a straight up lie. It's easier to sketch out what happened. Basically, they claimed I sped out of the apartment/housing complex (blue) across the street, turned into the middle turning lane (yellow), where I hit the other driver. I'd been traveling down that road for the last 15 minutes btw.

There was a good amount of traffic at the time too. Two cars turned into the gas station, passing in front of him, so I don't blame him for NOT seeing me. I'm just annoyed he found witnesses to lie for him.

https://i.imgur.com/mzh1FiB.jpg

Thanks, the Mazda 3 hatch is at the top of my list.. in that exact price range! I don't really want the cx5 but I'll settle for one if someone's selling one for below market value, and I can't find a 3. The cx3 is too new and out of my price range... unless there's someone out there who's already put close to 100K miles on theirs and wants to sell it for $10K lol.

I'd rather light my car on fire than ever drive a Ford again. No offense, it's not you.. it's them.

If I were in your position with that budget, I would be looking at a Juke. It's butt ugly, but it drives great with a tight turning radius, AWD and great maneuverability. It obviously won't corner like an 86, but it still feels oddly similar to the 86 in normal everyday driving despite its larger size. As long as you're driving it and don't have to actually look at it, it's a great car.

Blackboxmycar.com is running some pretty good Black Friday specials this entire week, and if you sign up to let them send you spam email, they'll also give you a 48 hour code for an additional 5% off. i just bought a dual channel system and saved at least $110 off the next best prices I could find.

Sorry for the loss!

Glad that you're OK and that you had a dashcam to help your case! :cheers:

Haha, I've owned like 12 cars. Mazda(speed) 3 was one of my favs. Can't go wrong with it.

Damn bro sorry for your loss. Could’ve been worse man good thing you’re alright. Hate that police listened to those bullshit “witnesses”. Glad you had a dash cam to shut them up. Mazda 3 is a great option for your needs and budget. Would personally go with the 4Runner but that’s just me lol good luck with everything bro