This weeks focus is on which set of wheels is right for me. For those who don't know my car buying tastes, let's start with a little history. My first car was a 1997 chevrolet cavalier, also known as the crapolier. 2-door, manual 5 speed, no a/c, red. Brand new when I got it, serious engine repairs before the warranty ran out. That combined with fraudulence at the dealer's repair shop has me sworn off chevies forever. The only thing I missed about this car after I sold it was the all season tires- they were good even in the winter (oh, and I kinda missed the cassette deck cause where else was I going to use all those tapes). At some point in the Deep River days, we decided that red cars go faster. In fact, the statistic is that red cars get more speeding tickets because they are so visible.
So my second car was a blue 2001 Toyota Corolla 5 speed manual. This time I added a package to get the 60/40 fold down rear seat and this came with a/c, and of course the tape deck gave way to a CD player. I chose this over the Civic because you couldn't put a hitch on the Civic. I wanted the Nissan Sentra, but I wanted a standard and I couldn't comfortably reach the stick in the Sentra without sitting way too close to the steering wheel. I can't remember why I didn't even look at the Mazda Protege. I did test drive a Ford Focus, but it was new at the time and reliability was unknown. Plus there was an anhydrous ammonia spill that cut short the test drive. This car rocked. I kept it for 10 years and 97000 km. I wish I hadn't sold it. I had planned to keep it for another 100000 km, but the thought of driving it from Calgary to Houston and figuring out how to import it in the midst of moving madness was enough to push me to sell. The Corolla could tow sailboats, car top a laser, fit two smaller mountain bikes in the trunk, and carry all of my sailing and camping gear for a weekend regatta. The best part is that it never needed any major repairs.
So that's the history. I like the most fuel efficient car that can do the job. The job includes towing sailboats, transporting bicycles, car topping a laser, and now commuting to work on the freeway.
This post will be modified as I find out more and narrow things down. Here are the cars I am currently considering:
Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen (gasoline, not diesel. Diesel won't pay out for me in this situation)
Hyundai Elantra Touring (haven't taken one for a spin yet - they are sold out)
Nissan Altima (now with telescopic, adjustable steering wheel)
Toyota Corolla (it's different now)
The Honda accord has been ruled out because of stiff steering and an uncomfortable seat. The Mazda 3 has been ruled out because towing is not recommended and may void the warranty. The Toyota Matrix is off the list because it is actually shorter in length than the Corolla. The Camry is off the list because it isn't nicer than the Corolla in any way that matters.
Feel free to comment on which car you think is the best on the list and why. Or which car is not on the list and should be considered and why.
