Quote:Wiredgeek wrote:My Car: 2002 Ford Focus SE, 5-speed manual 4-cyl no-frill FWD, coming up on 200k miles
My Car: year/make/model
Blurb
Like
Dislike
Replacement: year/make/model
Reason
Pros: The handling is tighter than tight and it stays glued to the road. I can break the tires free with a little work if I'm wanting some drift action, but mainly it just goes where you point it with very little body sway or complaint. Surprisingly zippy; I've lit up the tires more than once on dry pavement, and I could spin them all day on wet if I wanted. Gas mileage is a very comfortable 26+ MPG. 13.2 gallon tank, I average a hair over 350 miles on that with mixed city/highway driving. On road trips it edges up past 400 miles per tank. Surprisingly roomy for a guy built on the More Is Better philosophy, but by no means a comfortable taxi or family car. It plows through snow with a hearty chuckle, though it whimpers a little at more than a foot or so; but a set of chains restores its confidence to the point where it can munch eighteen-inch drifts on a bed of ice without a burp.
Cons: It's a Ford. It's reliable as all hell, but it keeps developing new quirks that don't individually cost much to fix -- we've had to replace the clutch once, it's looking like we'll need to replace something else shortly, the stereo died in '06 and we finally got a new one in '10, that sort of thing -- but when taken as a whole it's getting on time to start looking for the next vehicle. It's small enough that semis routinely try to squish you, but bulky enough that you'll have to be careful parking to avoid door-dings. (The handling means it's easy to get it in or out, but getting in or out yourself might be more challenging.) It's marketed (or was?) in the US, but the wiring behind the dash is built on the European spec, meaning you have all sorts of fun adding aftermarket things to it and you never know if you need the US or metric toolkit. The handbrake is strictly for parking only and is only taken as a suggestion, not an order, when used for ... active driving. The placement of the pedals makes heel-and-toe work difficult if you're not equipped with dainty feet. And the cupholders are in the second-worst position possible (down on the console under the dash between the seats, where your knees will hit them and larger cups won't fit at all)
Replacement: 2008+ Subaru Legacy (or Impreza WRX STi if I'm feeling particularly Uncle Moneybags-ish)
Reason: I like Subaru's. I like how they handle, I like the gas mileage -- especially more recently with the CVT's becoming the standard, though I'd miss the good ol' stick, and paddle shifting is fun but NOT the same -- and I especially like the handling. Did I mention the handling? They're zippy and comfortable, they look spiff as hell, they're AWD which I can do without but is very nice to have, especially now that I live in an area that doesn't get plowed... much. Also, they handle very nicely.
For pure wish-fulfillment, I'd pick up a DeLorean and retrofit the engine and transmission with something less craptastic. Or get a new Mini Cooper. But I haven't driven one of those yet, so I can only go by various people's mentions that they're fun as hell to drive. (Jason Statham even said so, and he'd never lie about that!)
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs