Brief impressions of cars

[cjsmith]

Advantages

• Toyota Corolla: I know how reliable these cars are.
• Toyota Yaris: Ditto, plus MPG to rival some hybrids.
• Honda Fit: Man, the STORAGE SPACE. This thing is a hauler.
• Honda Civic: The only decent cup holders I have seen since I began looking. Nifty dash design.
• Honda Civic Hybrid, 2005 used: Yellow stickers are transferable. Different nifty dash design.
• Subaru "Impreza Outback" (no, not the Outback): All-wheel drive. Also, decent stereo. Also, available in a pretty color. Also, 2006, and they're eager to get it off the lot.

Disadvantages

• Corolla: Ugly. Mirrors don't fold. Dumb climate control interlocks.
• Yaris: All of the above and uglier.
• Fit: There is one of these on the entire peninsula and I will not decide this instant.
• Civic: Seat fold-down design nearly pessimal: trapezoidal opening from trunk aims everything at the center, and in the center, there's a big metal protrusion out of the back of the seat.
• 2005 Civic Hybrid: High mileage for its age. Dumb climate control interlocks. SEAT DOESN'T FOLD AT ALL; cannot haul anything. Used car means I would have to haggle, at which I suck.
• Impreza: Low MPG. Can't pop the hatchback even from inside the car.

I also failed to drive the Subaru Impreza WRX wagon: the seat design is a deal-breaker, and it's so sporty that the insurance on them is high.

Disadvantages of ALL of these

• Big, big, big. Significantly wider than my mangled car. Awkward turning radius compared to my mangled car.
• Impossible to get a keyfob that will pop the trunk.
• Impossible to get (without ripping the whole radio out and replacing it) the ability to play a cassette.
• No room for a full-size spare.

Comments

[allanh.livejournal.com]

*blink* *blink* You're still welcome to test-drive my 2005 Prius.

I'm not selling it, but other than not having an MP3 player audio jack, it's functionally equivalent to the current (2006) model.

The Prius does have cup holders (front and rear), has rear seats that fold down, lots of cargo space, and came with a 6-disk CD changer that had a cassette deck. I haven't checked the spare storage space to see if its full-sized or not, and there's no way to pop the trunk with a keyfob.

On the other hand, with the Prius keyless entry system, you just put your hand on the trunklid and lift. It unlocks itself for you. Ditto either of the front doors; touch the handle, and the car unlocks.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

The spare isn't full-sized. (I've lost count of how many flats I had to change on the stock tires, but it was above 2.)

Huh. Good point, and thank you!

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Is there enough room to put in a full-sized spare? I haven't checked. (After 18 months of trouble-free usage, I haven't really felt the need to.)

I'm preparing to buy new tires very, very soon, and if I can fit a full-sized spare in there, I'll buy 5 of 'em.

Re: Huh. Good point, and thank you!

[ambar.livejournal.com]

I don't think you can fit a full-sized spare in -- I had enough trouble wedging the deflated tire in as it was.

However, I don't find driving on the donut terribly limiting, since I try to stick to 55 on the freeway (for mileage purposes) even with 4 good tires. So I haven't tried.

Concievably you could stock a full-sized spare and an air compressor, if you really hate donut tires and are the stubborn type. :-)

Re: Huh. Good point, and thank you!

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Me? Stubborn?

[Waiting to hear CJ start laughing hysterically any moment now...]

Re: Huh. Good point, and thank you!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

If it takes one to know one, then we can both look at each other and chuckle!

Re: Huh. Good point, and thank you!

[airporter.livejournal.com]

I'm umpty-hundred miles away, and I'm snickering.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've test-driven the later model Prius already, although not in this current round of franticness. My main beef with it is it is way too big for me. It's inches wider than anything I've listed above. It is also significantly pricier than anything listed above :-).

The cassette though... dang. Very few cars these days seem to be offering those. Nothing in the $20K and under range, near as I can tell.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

To be fair, factory stereos are generally considered to be a joke by the audio geeks I know, so having a replacement installed that does Just What You Want is a pretty minor modification. BTDT (although not in my Prius :-)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the price, really, but I do mind the conversion of a car not worth breaking into to a car very worth breaking into. At least that's what I'm told. It's one of the big mistakes I made with my Corolla. I lost about four car stereos (and my first flight logbook with my first pilot license in it) for that folly. :-/