So the old Swedish bomb was dying. We loved it's sunroof (open in all weathers). We loved it's turning radius (advantages of a longitudinally mounted engine). We loved it's lack of front-overhang. We loved it's oddness. [Score “Excellant” if you can name the make/model/probable year after 2 hints. “Average” if after three. “Motorist” if you still haven't figured it out.] However, we did not love the notion of at least 1 drive-shaft and 1 caliper needing immediate replacement. In the latter days of a midwestern January, this was looking like serious money. I simply cannot warm my garage up enough to tackle the job, though I'd done both several times before. So I started to search in earnest. I came onto some interesting used cars. Within a week, I had been OUT of deals on a used Subaru Baja and something I've completely forgotten about. The Baja was interesting: Odd car, you should give it more consideration that you are right now. And if they enlarge that pass-through opening to real proportions (add 15-25%) this is not a car to be ignored. It's quite nice, and yes my offspring called it the “Retardo Mobile” but I could live with that. (Like in her 1st grade: I'd get most of the kids waiting outside of the school involved in an illegal game of tag, and when they tagged me, I'd loudly proclaimed that I liked being “it” and I wasn't going to tag anyone. Instant reversal of the game, and I was being chased by dozens of gradeschoolers!! The nuns & teachers hated me...) The owner of said Baja made a pronouncement after I drove 36 miles one-way in a 15 year old car with loudly protesting CV joints, that “it wasn't about the money.” His girlfriend hated the car. He was wealthy, had a job of minor prominence in hospitality, and he'd bought the car before the girlfriend, or without her realization of what a Baja is. It had to go. I got interested. I got financing. All was in place. He, however, needed to drive to my bank with title to sign some stuff and get paid $16k. Sure, it's a drive for him, and had we gotten that far, I was fully intent on driving him home. But we never got there: He was too busy managing his place of employ. I raged in my head. I mean, how badly run was this place that it would burn down with his 1-2 hour absence? I told him it was $16k for 2 hours of his time, and he pompously rebutted “it's not about the money.” He told me he'd be back from vacation in 4 days, and if I was still interested, we could resume. I thought but did not correct him: we could START OVER. My coworkers could not conceive of this guy's world-view. But I figured it out: He doesn't want to SELL the car. It's not about the money. He LOVES the car, he said so. But the girlfriend does not. And so, as long as the Baja is UP FOR SALE, they're both happy. Presto, instant peace with the piece. (Sorry, couldn't resist: He's rather older, and I just cannot help but imagine the “trophy girlfriend” in her pneumatic 20's. Reader's and lawyer's of the unnamed parties should note: There are no facts to back up this opinion, and the author is a sucker for the cheap line. Proof positive lies in the offspring's instantaneous creation of the derogative moniker for the car.) So now I'm in an odd position: I've actually turned down or failed at buying TWO used cars in as many weeks. I've had over 20 cars. I am to car-buying what Charlie Brown is to christmas-tree purchases. I can unfailingly survey a selection of 1000 cars, and unerringly pick the one with “the most potential.” My picks would all be excellent fodder for one of those reality TV shows on the Discovery Empire: take an odd but nice old car and expend hideous amounts of energy turning into something enviable. And I can SEE it in every one of these puppies I buy. Except one: After doing a most excellent engine rebuild (mussed up in the home stretch when the machinist failed to report grinding the crank 10 thousandths UNDER), I sold it. Now that guy was lucky, what a sweet deal he got. Oh, and when I crashed the 260z into a bridge abutment RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BUYER. Yep, sweet. So, armed with this history, I'd dodged two potential bullets. I thought, ok, let's try a NEW car. After all, the bank thinks I'm a worthy risk for 16k on a BAJA!!! Ok, try to guess what I bought... Manual. I love hatchbacks, wagon's too much empty-weight, trunk's too limited. Pick on my old car, but it was pretty damn sporty for its class in its time. Ready? No, not the Mini. Very nice car, very VERY well built/designed. And the full-roof sunroof was terribly hard to resist. But, it's not a great car to live in. In fact, this car's gotta get awards for hype-over-function. True, the Neu Beetle is totally stupid: there is so little non-passenger useable volume in that car it's insulting. The Mini's just got enough stupid features masquerading as “cool” that it's wrong. I test drove one with the better tires on a COLD winter day. And when I went across the street to see what packed snow was like, I almost got killed. I came out from behind a building HEAD ON with a newish Cadillac. He stopped DEAD, right there. I stomped the brakes, and the ABS went to work at full duty-cycle, and I majestically slid inexorably to within 5 feet of hitting him. After that, I looked at the price and the rotten financing, and thought “Leave it for the young(er) and foolish.” So you y&f's out there: Look at the mini before the beetle. Unless you're smart, then the diesel Beetle's the way to go. So, still guessing? It's an American car. Only the 4th one I've ever owned. (82 Ford cop car, 76 Malibu, 82 Cutlass Ciera wagon) Manual, hatchback, sporty. Forget the Chevy Malibu: I wanted the 5-door, but manual? There isn't even an option. It's a Ford Focus. And I paid at least an extra $6k for the SVT. And there's nothing you're gonna say to dent my dream. Consumer's Reports said the Malibu and the Focus are both “Toyota-level quality and reliability.” And look at their reader's statistics: '01 and newer, all full red circles, just like the Camry. Bang Zoom, they finally figured it out. Sure, the SVT burns premium. And it gets WAAY lower gas mileage if you're an idiot. But if you open the roof, put in tunes you enjoy, let your head rest on the headrest, and just be mellow, it does ok. And man is it a nice ride. Like you can't believe the comparison. When I get to work, I have to swipe my ID to get into the lot. The old car, I'd start opening the window at least a block early to make sure it would make it down, and so I could make repairs if needed. Now? Push to the second detent and whoosh. Oh, and the sunroof? Auto open/close: push and it's done. I'm slowly unlearning my survival-dress-code, and I hope by next winter I'll be wearing loafers in the winter. (“Dress to walk,” I used to tell and we've had to do that more than once...) Ooh, this summer, I'm going to wear LONG SLEEVES on a hot day, just to see what A/C's like. Don't worry, I'll go back to wearing shorts and sandals for the drive to save gas. What a frickin' change this means. You cannot imagine it if you haven't carried tools on your belt for the last 10 years “just in case.” Or if you don't know the wiring of your car better than your mechanic. (He replaced the fuel-injection computer twice. I figured out that the socket for the power-lead to the relay had broken it's retainers and slid down.) If you don't know what anti-seize compound is or why it should be on EVERY bolt in your suspension. Or why silicone-glue caps should be put on every bolt-end exposed in the undercarriage. Or what Cramolin or Deoxit is (Same thing, new name) Or how to figure out grounding-failures: only OLD cars start developing oxide-induced ground faults. Heck, I might even stop carrying my Swiss Army knife... uh, wait a second... An Addendum, 60,000 miles later: Still a good car, folks. Some things I’ve learned. Forget premium: Car Talk says there’s no car on the American Market that REQUIRES it. Considering the difference is (RON) 87 to 92 is +5%, I think they’re right. 30k miles hasn’t had a problem, and with considerable savings. Second obvious fact: Thank god for warranties. Throw-out bearing failed. Shortly thereafter, right ball joint: Coincidence? I think not. To compliment this last repair, they f’d up the strut bearing. My peak more-than-one-tank mileage is about 40% higher than Ford’s 26mpg estimate. I, for one, think this is remarkable. But time and (over)enthusiasm for getting there has made the factory estimate more common. My significant repairs to this car have been...none. Replacing broken parts (mirrors, tail light) but nothing that I’d say is bad. Of course, I got whacked $1k for brakes, which I think was dealer bullshit, but I fell for it. My own fault, though stopping—and it does stop—is kind of nice. Mods I’d like to make: Use the 2-DIN slot for a stereo with Aux inputs, and decent Navi. The $1800 Pioneer looks ideal, but...ow. Shifter with reverse-lockout: a 14lb spring does not count. Alarm: why is this extra? DRLs: with the Xenons, this may be difficult. 3-light tail lights. The “wiper goes on with reverse” trick in the Euro models. Thoughts on the NEXT car: I’m tired of bending over to enter and unfolding to exit my transport. I have seen the light my friends, and an SUV lies before me. So few diesels to choose from that are not stupid beyond words.* The MB “M” with the blue tec diesel looks marvy but if I have that money, call the cops ‘cause I’m sure not bein’ paid that legally. The SportTrac is a very spiffy alternative (see “Baja” above, only real-sized) but no diesel. F-that: I think I can expect no worse MPGs from my SUV on kerosene than I get from the SVT on regular. Wonder if there’s a Canadian market SportTrac with a diesel...?
