So a few weeks ago we put a depost down on a new car for my wife. We decided to sell her truck and get her a real vehicle that would be much more efficient at carrying people and stuff. Neither the Mini nor the RX-7 are very good for hauling people around.
We test drove a few different things. We drove a Mazda 6, Scoobie Legacy and a VW Passat about a year ago, and those were all well and good, but none really hit the spot. This go around we drove the Rogue, Murano, and CX-7. The Rouge was quite a let down. The murano was impressive on the interior, however it was let down by the drive. The CVT was boring, and the steering was none too impressive.
Cara was in love with the looks of the CX-7 and fortunately the interior and driving were great. We did our research, and got a deal on the car, paying 2 grand below MSRP. We finally took delivery of it about a month after we put it on order. The specification level we got and the color made it difficult to find, and we thought we were going to have to order it from the factory, but they managed to find one that hadnt been sold yet.
So here it is... a 2008 Mazda CX-7, Grand Touring, AWD, keyless entry and ignition, Sat Nav, Sirius, and pretty much everything else you could want. It's a riot to drive, and the most luxurious (and expensive) car I have owned.
As a plus, we have sold the Frontier and are using that to pay off the Mini, and so it means that I'm not too far away from a new car for myself.
(the pics are from her camera, not mine, sory about the quality.)