Honda test drives & weekly update

[equ]

Mechanic really wants to buy the 96 Impreza so we're not keeping it.

Tested a regular 07 Civic (non Si). Cute front & interior but really disliked the driving. No steering feel, very soft, so underpowered that merges were scary. Plusses were cute exterior, comfy interior, big-car like ride/isolation. Definitely not sharp enough.

Fit Sport. 2 mins into the drive, my gf was like, "Equ, you have to drive this car.". Wow, this car is awesome (other than the hamster engine). Very nice on turns - I had to go read reviews after (I didn't know about the crazy slalom numbers when I drove, but we immediately felt that it had great handling).

So the 08 Impreza (???) and the Fit are in the running. We still haven't driven a proper Mazda3 as all the used ones in this area seem junked out. We went to see a nice-seeming Linear and it had sold...

[equ]

Corollary:

I have decided to sell the s4avant. Price TBD but it will be under $35k.

[lemming]

the Fit is a fun car.

i drove a manual and while it seems about adequate in power, it's got neat space usage & honda quality throughout. switchgear was decent. shifter great. clutch good. plastics were about what i'd expect for $15k or so. they're selling incredibly well around here --all civics and Fits are at MSRP.

[Sharp11]

Corollary:

I have decided to sell the s4avant. Price TBD but it will be under $35k.

Jeez, have you even burned through the first tank of gas?

Ed

[Sharp11]

the Fit is a fun car.

i drove a manual and while it seems about adequate in power, it's got neat space usage & honda quality throughout. switchgear was decent. shifter great. clutch good. plastics were about what i'd expect for $15k or so. they're selling incredibly well around here --all civics and Fits are at MSRP.

I think the new Scion Xd is pretty cool - for 15 thousand, it'd be a nice little everything-vehicle to have around.

I'm toying with the idea of selling both the Outback and the ZHP (at season's end), getting an Xd for my wife's local use (she's prez of the local garden club), picking up a nice, low mileage either E class Merc or 330i for all the "family" trips and finally, a third car of my choice, preferably with two seats and a cloth top, something like an S2k or late model Miata :thumbup:

Ed

[equ]

Jeez, have you even burned through the first tank of gas?

Ed

We have driven it 4300 miles as of today. That's, uh, umm, a few tanks of gas for that beast.

[Sharp11]

We have driven it 4300 miles as of today. That's, uh, umm, a few tanks of gas for that beast.

Selling because you're dissatisfied with it?

Ed

[FC]

Corollary:

I have decided to sell the s4avant. Price TBD but it will be under $35k.

Wow, that was quick. Great car. Too bad it doesn't fit our plans.

Best of luck with it.

[rumatt]

Isn't a mechanic buying a car that he is working on somewhat of a conflict of interest?

"This car really isn't worth fixing. I would recommend selling it ASAP. I'll take it!"

[equ]

"This car really isn't worth fixing. I would recommend selling it ASAP. I'll take it!"

Something like that. Plus, they caused the problem in the first place by insisting on a coolant flush. :?

The mechanic was happy to fix it (for $1900 for head resurfacing/gasket/timing belt/water pump). One of his workers had been wanting to buy it for a while so we offered it to him for $1500 (which is about market value minus repair) and he is taking it.

[equ]

Selling because you're dissatisfied with it?

Ed

That's a difficult question. It feels a bit excessive (well because it is). There's a whole medley of factors. We might get a newish awd wagon for equ's gf, at which point, we won't need an s4 avant.

In true perseverator fashion, I'm having second thoughts about the timing after sleeping over it, though I'm likely to sell it at some point in 2007. Amazing how some ideas that seem bright one evening look terrible under the morning light. :eeps: