should I go to the beige side?

[Khiem Dinh]

Buy the Accord.  Sure it's boring, but you won't have to worry about it.
There's a lot to be said for minimizing stress :)

On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 7:49 PM, David Pertuz <davidpertuz at mindspring.com>wrote:

> I have an opportunity to replace my G20 and just for curiosity's sake I
> thought I'd see what some of y'all had to say about the choice. This is,
> I suppose, OT, but since the list is a bit of an old-timer's club with
> very low traffic I figure we'd enjoy the traffic spike. Besides, if
> Larry wanted to I'm close enough to chastise in person.
>
> My primary car is my P10 G20t, a '96 which is up to 160k by now. It has
> a 10:1 engine from SOKO that I installed (light refresh with rod
> bearings, etc.) at about 105k; it is cosmetically OK (no rust, since
> it's a Texas car, but bad paint on the roof and a dent on the RF
> fender); mechanically good, but needs a few things (fix wipers, front
> struts, probably a wheel bearing) done that I've been putting off. I've
> thought of replacing it this year, with another less-old car with (as
> far under as practicable) under 100k miles that I can drive for some
> years without too many things starting to wear out - the G is getting up
> to that mileage.
>
> Option 1: keep the G20t. I enjoy it a lot, it's a good size, it's fun to
> drive, fast enough (I don't need a fast car to enjoy it), gets pretty
> good mileage, I'm very familiar with it, etc. I don't drive very much -
> less than 10k per year, and virtually all of that is out-of-town trips -
> so the mileage isn't as big an issue as it would be if I drove tons. If
> I could get a brand-new P10t, I'd do that. This is a cheap option, since
> I don't have to spend a lot on maintenance, even with stuff wearing out,
> compared to a car payment, which I'll never have.
>
> Option 2: Buy something less old, with a lot fewer miles, that I can
> easily pay cash for. Cost would have to be $7k tops, $6k would be nicer.
> Ideally $4k cash plus whatever I get for the G20 (I'm a big saver.)  I
> bought the G20 for $4k in 2004 and spent about $1k on putting the new
> engine in it a year later, so I've got my money's worth in
> fun/cheap/reliable transportation before; I'd be happy to do it again.
>
> Requirements are that the car be not-large, practical (hatchback is
> preferred, folding seatback is mandatory if a sedan so I can fit a bike
> inside), easy to maintain myself, reliable, fun to drive, manual
> transmission, 30mpg+ on the highway  First thing that comes to mind here
> is a Mazda Protege5 wagon. VW GTIs or Golfs or Jetta wagons also come to
> mind, but I'm suspicious of their reliability. Mazda 3 hatch. Maybe an
> old 3-series or 5-series, but the ones within my budget would be
> high-mileage. Not sure what else. I've never driven a P11 G20, but it's
> never really excited me. Historically I've always known what I've liked,
> but my taste in cars seems to have suspended itself in the mid-1990s and
> earlier. Also I tend to find something I like and stick with it - I've
> had my SE-R for 18 years and my Fiat for 20. And my goal is to get a
> lowish-mileage car.
>
> Option 3: buy my grandfather's 2004 Honda Accord. It's a 4cyl/auto sedan
> with an absurdly low 16k miles. It's pretty nice to drive, isn't too big
> for me, has a folding seat, gets good mileage, etc. Also it is a lot
> more refined than I'm used to what with being newer. If I go by KBB the
> low mileage puts it out of my budget but since this is a family deal and
> it's not too far off I could buy it within my budget. Only major
> downside is the automatic. I hate automatics, and have never owned an
> auto-trans car. It's just that the car is in very good shape (save for a
> strong right pull) except for a bit of cosmetic stuff I don't care too
> much about, and has a billion years of life left in it, esp. at the rate
> I drive.
>
> It would make sense if I drove tons or was certain to keep it for a
> decade, but while it would be a no-brainer with a 5MT, I'm not sure I
> can live with an auto for years and years. Granted, I do have my Fiat
> Spider for fun stuff in warm weather and if I ever replace the rod
> bearings and the 8 other things I can drive my SE-R again for fun if I'm
> motivated enough. I reflexively want cars that are nice to drive, and
> this one is nice enough, but I live in flatland and the large majority
> of my driving is highway trips, with a bit of city driving, and I live
> in flatland where there really aren't any fun roads.
>
> What do y'all think? Are the benefits (super-low mileage, bargain price)
> of the Accord worth it? Do you have any other suggestions for the price?
>
> David
> Chicago
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