Thanks to the rut I’ve created, fallen captive to, and perpetuated, information from two weeks ago can still, very much, be considered news. This news is the purchase of a new automobile. After very much research, some test driving, some crunching of numbers, and a good deal of thought, I decided on the Honda Civic EX. “Why?” you might ask. …to which I respond, “Why not!” My criteria were many and, dare I say, unrealistic. I was looking for new, 4-doors, manual transmission, good acceleration, fuel economy, that runs on 87 octane fuel, and is affordable. Also added to this list were the elements of appeal and reliability. Several cars satisfy some and not all of the requirements. The first four requests would be easily met by the BMW M5 or Mitsubishi Evo. The Kia Rat-trap or Hyundai Shoebox could likely meet some of the standards too, but let’s not be silly.
Among the researched vehicles were the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring, Saturn Ion and Aura, and Pontiac G6, to name a few. I realized that I’d need to explore “extra-continental” options. (as if the afore mentioned pop out of US soil like the corn in Iowa) The search continued on to the Mazda 3, SPEED3, and 6; Toyota Camry and Corolla (what do you mean they stopped making the Supra?); Honda Civic and Accord, Subaru Legacy and Impreza, Volkswagon Jetta, Mitsubishi Galant and Lancer, and the Nissan Sentra and Altima. Further eliminations were made to rule out larger, old man-ish cars and those with turbo or super-chargers …as they require high-test petrol. I was now left with the Civic EX or Si, the Mazda 3, and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V. Despite the Mazda’s good reviews, well equipped, it was more expensive than the others, had mediocre mileage, and has a very unattractive rear-end. I test drove a 2006 Spec-V. The performance was mediocre, styling was worse, and the salesperson was the worst. She even misinformed me as to what octane gas it needed. That’s no way to make a good impression, much less a sale. I left without hesitation. The next several test drives were Civics in either the EX or Si trim. The Si is sweet. It’s sweetness is diminished, however, by about another grand on the price tag and around $400/ year more in gas, thanks to it’s premium requirements and lesser efficiency. The EX has the necessities and some accessories to make it enjoyable. Sure, you won’t see it at the drag strip or being power slid in tripod mode by Jeremy Clarkson, but I have yet to be plowed into while attempting to merge into traffic. Here she be:
Among the researched vehicles were the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring, Saturn Ion and Aura, and Pontiac G6, to name a few. I realized that I’d need to explore “extra-continental” options. (as if the afore mentioned pop out of US soil like the corn in Iowa) The search continued on to the Mazda 3, SPEED3, and 6; Toyota Camry and Corolla (what do you mean they stopped making the Supra?); Honda Civic and Accord, Subaru Legacy and Impreza, Volkswagon Jetta, Mitsubishi Galant and Lancer, and the Nissan Sentra and Altima. Further eliminations were made to rule out larger, old man-ish cars and those with turbo or super-chargers …as they require high-test petrol. I was now left with the Civic EX or Si, the Mazda 3, and the Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V. Despite the Mazda’s good reviews, well equipped, it was more expensive than the others, had mediocre mileage, and has a very unattractive rear-end. I test drove a 2006 Spec-V. The performance was mediocre, styling was worse, and the salesperson was the worst. She even misinformed me as to what octane gas it needed. That’s no way to make a good impression, much less a sale. I left without hesitation. The next several test drives were Civics in either the EX or Si trim. The Si is sweet. It’s sweetness is diminished, however, by about another grand on the price tag and around $400/ year more in gas, thanks to it’s premium requirements and lesser efficiency. The EX has the necessities and some accessories to make it enjoyable. Sure, you won’t see it at the drag strip or being power slid in tripod mode by Jeremy Clarkson, but I have yet to be plowed into while attempting to merge into traffic. Here she be:
...it's tough to complain about averaging 34 mpg...
This past Saturday I played in a little fundraiser-type golf tourney. I haven’t been on a course since January, so I knew it’d be interesting. Our team of hackers wanted to lean on me, but that would have been analogous to leaning on a crutch of cotton. We skank-bladed, snap-hooked, rip-topped, and laughed our way to a one over par. This, I might add, was a mere 14 strokes off the lead. …can’t be perfect all the time.
As an afterthought, I highly recommend any future car buyer to read this article. Confessions of a Car Salesman, though lengthy, provides a great deal of insight and is entertaining to boot.
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