I bought my current car, a green ‘93 Subaru Impreza wagon, in the winter of 1998, after I received an inheritance from my grandfather. Since then, I’ve grown attached to it, not least because of my grandfather, but also because it was my first manual transmission, and it was my first foreign car.
I hate cars — I hate what they’ve done to our cities and our country in the past 60 years… but, they are sometimes a necessary evil. Presley and I have hauled our lives from Buffalo to Boston, Boston to Cambridge, and back again over the years, and it’s always been good to us. Our most impressive haul, in my memory, was a 7-foot tall wardrobe from IKEA in Ontario, to Cambridge. Not only did it fit, but there was room for Presley, a kitten, and a huge oriental rug.
Still, it’s a ten year-old car, and its starting to get expensive to repair. And I’ve got an oil leak up the wahoo.
So, it’s time to suck it up, and buy another car. My friends have offered their advice. Albany Dan said do not buy a Volkswagen, under any circumstances. Something about bad reliability… My boss’s boss suggested a pickup truck. Other friends suggested boring old Toyotas and Hondas.
I think I’m going to go with my gut, and look for a used VW Golf. Besides being small and cool (good for city driving), it’s safe, relatively inexpensive, and fuel efficient.
Though I won’t be able to haul another 7′ wardrobe, I’m sure the hatchback will come in handy.
And, the best little secret of all, is that AAA offers low-interest car loans — I was approved for 4.19% for 60 months… Now, time to go shopping!
I don’t know what your budget is, but I’d take a look at the Protege5 from Mazda. It’s in its second or third year so you’d probably be able to find a few used ones on the market. I drove this car for a while and absolutely loved it. Mazda is also bringing out the Mazda3 this year, but it doesn’t sound like you’re in the market for a 2004 model.
I have a 1989 VW Golf. Fun car, but gutless and needs repairs a lot, and nobody knows how to work on them. I’d go to http://www.recomendo.com and read the review of the Toyota Tacoma Truck.
Had a 92 Golf for like 3 years. Had tons of room, fun to drive, but it leaked oil like a mutha, and died in an unholy explosion of bad wires and antifreeze.
Toyotas (except mine) and hondas are boring, and Hyundai’s have 10-year warranty