OK, Guys, it is quickly becoming time for a new car here. I thought I could
start an incendiary thread here by asking for advice on what I should look
at.
I like to buy a new car, run it for about 8 years or so and start over.
I did this with my 87 Duster (8 years=235,000 miles).
I am up to 180,000 miles on my 95 Escort wagon and my second daughter has
informed me that she wants a K'Nex set for Christmas and a car for her 16th
birthday next March (talk about a contrast!). So I am planning to fix a few
things on the Escort, give it to her (that's one way to motivate her to
learn to drive stick), and buy something new for me.
Requirements:
1. Clutch. I have sworn a mighty oath never to own another automatic
transmission.
2. Seating for 5 with the back seats adequate for my 3 kids all of whom are
over 5' 10".
3. Fun. I ain't getting any younger next year.
4. Less than $25k. And the lesser the better of course.
5. Good life expectancy. I intend to put over 150,000 miles on it, too.
6. Bun-warmers are a big plus.
7. Hatchbacks and station wagons are good to me; sedans are less desirable.
I looked at the new MINIs, despite the fact that I have a prejudice about
Bimmers (sorry, Chris), but they fail #2 miserably.
I looked at the Golf the other night. It is a strong front runner right now.
I looked at the Mazda Protege5. I hate the name; who wants a car that says
'I need something to protect me? I like the car. It feels a lot like my
Escort, but has a lot more pep. My Escort, after all, has a lot of Mazda in
it. I didn't care for the salesman, but I cannot blame the car for that. I
cannot get bun-warmers in it. Darn! I really would like them. It just
doesn't seem to be the value that I would like to see, however. The Golf
looks like a lot more bang for the buck.
I don't like the looks of the Focus.
I don't care for GM, they get everything backwards ;-)
Trish already has a PT Cruiser, no need to get a matched set.
Any ideas / opinions out there?
David Lieb
1972 RWA Midget
1973 RWA Project
1974 RWA Warrior
1995 Escort Wagon LX
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