I'll take a S40 R or S60 R please.

 

What about your Subaru Legacy GT Scott?

I saw one of the new(er?) Ford Fusions today, I was surprised how good it looks. I could totally see myself driving one.

 

or that.

 

Just googled it, I saw the new 2010 Ford Fusion Sport. It was looking GOOD, and I've never liked almost any domestic cars cosmetically speaking. Might have to look into trading my lame TC in...

 

It won't fit a DPS-8 though...

I think you have to "ahem" be of a certain age to remember this stuff Joe... previous to my fixing mechanical stuff, I used to live in the mainframe world.

On Topic.. the CV/GM aren't even that bad in the handling dept, I instructed a student at Thunderhill a few years back whose car broke the day before an event so he showed up with a rental CV. The bench seats were a bit interesting but the car got with the program pretty well.

 

i used to work for volvo, don't take one please.

and the "R" models are the slowest 300hp cars i've ever been in, and they are vastly different hp wise. some are a lot faster than others for no apparent reason, but even the fastest ones aren't fast.

 

I'd personally get a Jetta TDi.

Torque, MPG, reliability, and the best interior for the money. And before the VW bashing crew rolls in - my grandfather has 180k miles on his 2002 Jetta TDi and has had next to no problems- just standard mait.

236ft lbs of torque and 45mpg and you've got a winrar. Check it out, drive it.

 

I hate winrar, 7.zip please...

 

Mazda 3 hatch or Honda Fit Sport hatch would be my choice given the requirements. Supposedly, the sport Fits are head and shoulders above the regular ones. Never have driven either.

Mazda CX7 would be an option, too.

I'm assuming that you are looking for an applicance, not a "nice car".

Up market a bit, I would seriously rock a Legacy GT or even an Outback myself. Loved my WRX and AWD is required where I live. I did consider the Outback for my last purchase but even the 3.0L still didn't have enough towing capacity to allow me to give up my truck. So, the big ol' Dodge quad cab 4x4 still covers towing and winter duties. Unfortunately, my Miata will be parked soon. We get plenty of snow.

 

Wow, lot of information here.

I should have been a bit more specific. I need an appliance, yes. I want something nice enough to be seen in but not so nice that I worry about it in some of the places I have to leave it for work.

I would like to sell the Honda and get into something else for about the same, so that leaves me in the $15,000 range.

I drove a Mazda3 a few years ago and remember being impressed with the handling, but I thought the ride was a bit rough. Might have to give one another try though.

I haven't even thought about the Subaru's mentioned above. Good ideas to look into.

Sorry Joe. Not feeling the Crown Vic, even though I agree with everything you said in your post.

 

WRX wagon from what I remember isn't the smoothest riding, not that they are rough, but they are fun, look nice and get decent mileage. That would probably be my vote.

 

Trent i think a mazda begs a second look, try the 3 and the 6 and maybe you will grow to appreciate the interior layout and overall quality of the car. Subbys are prety decent fromt he ones i have test driven and some nice bimmers can be had for your price range. The volvo's are also very solid cars. Also maybe look at the ford 500 etc they seems pretty decent cars.

 

Hmph.

Well, it's either that or a '90s vintage RWD minivan (Aerostar / Safari). Either one is going to be unbeatable in terms of purchase price, repair cost, hauling capacity, un-steal-worthyness, and driving comfort. I've personally driven an Aerostar the entire length of the country and back twice, and it's just an absolute jewel for long-haul trips on the freeway.

At least consider it. Maybe paint 'er up like the Mystery Machine?


An old Honeywell guy, eh?

Heh. In all fairness, I was more a member of the VAX generation, having used a PDP-10 all of maybe twice. The 11/787 (running VMS) was the first "big" computer that I really got into, though cluster-based computing meant that the superminis were already on their way out of vogue just as I was starting to discover them.

For everyone else, this is a first-generation PDP-8:



It was one of the first "desktop" computers in the world, and easily the best-selling computer to date at the end of its production run. Later models were much smaller, fitting into an enclosure slightly shorter than just the base portion of the one above (though somewhat deeper)

 

Hey, I used to have a coffee maker that looked like that. It didn't happen to come with a coffee maker did it

 

No, you must be mistaken. You owned no such coffee maker.

 

Okay, new criteria. I have to be able to get laid while in possession of this vehicle.

 

Are you insinuating that Joe Perez does not get laid?

 

Not at all. Joe clearly lives the "**** bitches, get money" lifestyle.

I'm insinuating that Joe Perez is trying to keep ME from getting laid. It's some sort of conspiracy.

 

No... I'm pretty sure that looks like it. Fake wood panels on the side and a stainless steel looking front panel, big, bulky... yeah, thats pretty much it.

 

well that is very likely