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The New Wheels

11/14/05

As I mentioned a few months ago, I started looking for a new car in August.  Why?  It was pretty simple--during a routine oil change, the folks at the Saturn dealership said that my '97 SL1 sedan needed roughly $1,000 worth of repairs, all of which were fairly vital.  The biggest repairs had me replacing various parts of my braking system, so I decided that after 120,000 miles, it was time to take my car out to pasture.

The search started quickly.  I test drove a number of vehicles but I was only serious about five at the time.  In thinking about what was important to me in a new vehicle, I kept it pretty simple:

• I wanted to have a bigger driver area, something a little more spacious and comfortable than the tight confines of the Saturn.
• I was willing to spend $15,000 - $23,000 on a new car total.  This would not affect my budget too much and would not deplete the savings as I consider buying property next year.
• I (strongly) preferred a manual transmission; some of this is pride (excuse the French, but pussies drive automatics) but mostly it is gas mileage--manuals usually get better MPG ratings.
• I didn't want to buy a car that I would be afraid to drive downtown, be it due to size (parallel parking an Expedition ain't easy) or jackability, my made-up word for how likely my new car would catch the eye of potential car thieves.
• It had to have a fairly sweet sound system from the factory, and it had to have a sunroof.

After doing a bunch of research on the vehicles that fit my desires and my budget, I narrowed the list and went out to drive all five cars.  In rank order...

5.  2005 Honda Element 2WD LX Manual ($17,750)

The first couple of versions of the Element were amongst the ugliest vehicles on the road (that label is now clearly owned by the Scion xB, aka "The Minibus") but I think the latest version of this vehicle is actually good looking; call me insane.  I looked at the manual since I just couldn't grasp the idea of driving this thing as an automatic.  The space inside the Element is quite nice; it's big enough for a camping weekend (including seats for four people) and the main driving area is large.  But, I did not like the fact that the interior felt a bit shoddy in terms of the seats and the plasticware that is used to decorate the trunk and the transmission cabinet.  The main issue?  The thing drove like a tank, plain and simple.  Although I drove it for 20 minutes, after three minutes I wasn't having any fun trying to maneuver the vehicle.  I have other friends who own this thing (sorry, JP!) but to each their own, cause this thing ain't coming home with me!

Pros:  spacious, reasonably cheap, the Honda name, the aux jack for an iPod
Cons:  back seats are commander chairs, not a bench seat; bad driving experience; interior parts looked/felt cheap

4.  2005 Chevy Equinox 2WD LS 1SB ($22,420)

Let's put it right out there:  the Equinox is an automatic.  That already made it a long shot, since I wasn't ready to move into minivan territory without a fight.  But, I had to admit:  I think the Equinox is a good-looking car!  At the time, the Chevy Employee Discount program knocked about $4,000 off the base price of the car, so I thought it would be worth checking out.  The test drive was nice; the car had much better handling than the Element, but it still felt a little too big for me inside the driving area.  The sound system in the model I drove was nice and had a good bass line in the speakers despite our efforts to hit the max volume while listening to one of the hip-hop stations here in town.  But, the more I drove it, the more I thought--man, driving automatics is for old people!  At that point I decided I would definitely not test drive any more automatics, period.

Pros:  sleek exterior; stadium seating in middle row; excellent sound system; more agility than most cars in this category
Cons:  small trunk area (when all seats are being utilized); price shoots up quickly by adding very base-level accessories; no manual option (this is only a problem if you're me); poor mileage for the "small SUV" category (18 city, 24 hwy)

3.  2005 Acura RSX Type-S ($23,845)

I had a friend at work that insisted I go to visit the local Acura dealership to test drive an RSX; her husband had one before they purchased an MDX (the car I really wanted in this search, but way out of my price range) and literally shed ManTears when they traded their RSX in.  So, I stopped by to drive the top-of-the-line Type S...BIG mistake.  I fell in love with this car from the word go.  Leather.  6-speed transmission.  Sexy interior and surprisingly big for two big guys (the salesman that I rode with is 6'4", and both of us were sitting comfortably in the coupe's cabin area).  Agile.  And...the only car I test drive where I honestly envisioned the first time some kid would jack it to soup it up and street race it somewhere here in Maryland.  Man, I loved driving this car.  When I hit sixth gear on the test drive, I had a smile on my face like I had when I first drove a car when I was a kid.  Good stuff...ultimately, just a tad out of my range.

Pros:  in terms of driving, everything; comfortable interior for the driver; a top-of-the-line luxury vehicle for a not-crazy MSRP.
Cons:  I would never drive this to FUR on a Saturday night in Northeast; the trunk is crazy-small; even for a coupe, the backseat is a joke.

2.  2005 Toyota RAV4 4x2 Manual ($20,100)

From checking out the Toyota website tonight, I can't tell if they no longer make this model or not, but I test drove the base RAV4 model in a manual and that version is not available through the web.  Regardless, I drove the RAV4 mostly because of its very compact SUV feel; in fact, it's the same length as my Saturn, to the inch.  As such, it drives just like a car, from the quick-shift gear ratios to the handling.  It's a fun small SUV to drive, as it is basically a sedan that is a foot higher off the ground.  The trunk was very small, and the headroom inside the RAV4 was not friendly, especially in the tiny back seat.  It's a good-looking car...but, why is it so damned expensive?  For what you get, $20K is a high starting point, and as this is a Toyota dealership (and a foreign automaker in general), negotiating the price was met with more resistance than at the American automakers that I was shopping.  Ultimately, I decided the price was too high for what essentially is the car that was my first choice.

Pros:  car-like driving, very smooth manual transmission, good space for the driver (if you're aren't too tall), attractive body.
Cons:  expensive (both the car and the cost of insurance for the car); tiny trunk; the base model is essentially naked--even keyless remote entry is part of an $800 option package.

1.  2005 Ford Escape XLS Manual (~$19,000)

The Escape had the best driving experience of the cars in the small SUV category that I drove, and after giving it a spin and seeing what kind of "employee discount" the dealership was offering, I was sold on this car at $16,100.  The cabin area had the best mix of space for me, space for passengers, a decent-sized trunk, and attractive trim; the driving was just like the RAV4, but for about $4,000 less after the discount.  Servicing a domestic car is like eating at McDonald's--it's always cheap--and I envisioned the Escape as a future second car when I move into a sports car with my next purchase.

Pros:  Great price; great driving experience; handsome interior that is no bells & whistles.
Cons:  As the base model, the XLS Manual needed a few options to move into acceptable in terms of features; admittedly, it feels very cookie-cutter to drive the most popular small SUV in America.

So, I was all set to purchase my new Ford Escape...and on the day I went to the dealership with checkbook in hand, I find out that the dealership has sold the vehicle I thought I had committed to buying.  The salesman I was working with said that I could buy a 2006 model with the same features for a grand more, to which I responded

"The only way I'm leaving the lot today with one of your cars if you can commit to the price listed on my quote sheet."

So, I left empty-handed.  Then, the biggest development of the summer--my brother Dave got a job working as a salesman...at a Ford dealership!  My prayers were answered.  Now that I had a hook-up at a dealership that sold the car I wanted, I just decided to put everything on hold until Dave got a foothold in the environment, and then I would pad his pockets with commission monies from the sale of a car to his big brother.

That was in September.  In October, I got an e-mail from Dave--he had quit the dealership.  This was a big blow, not only because Dave was out of a job (he had already found something else to back it up) but because I had waited out all of the Employee Discount programs to buy from my brother...and now those were all over!  I had to act quickly, because the Saturn was gasping for air (the brakes were seeing noticeable decline, and it was starting after a dozen revolutions instead of just two or three...) and I wanted to have new wheels in time for the winter.  So, I moved decisively, test drove just one new vehicle, and weighed my options from the five cars above and the sixth vehicle.  Ultimately, I decided on the sixth one...the biggest surprise of them all.

 

justin@bellviewmovies.com