From: ac579@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (G.C.J. Timm)
Subject: Dream Car Chapter Two
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 92 02:31:36 GMT


Chapter Two.
The Car I Want,
or
To Dream the Impossible Dream...
The short form to date:
 
Price around 12,000 US Dollars
Mission:  Commuting, good mileage required.
Style:  4-door sedan.
1.  Stealth.  I live in Ohio, line from the immortal movie
"Gumball Rally"  "There is no state with the death penalty
for speeding, but we're not sure about Ohio..."
2.  Insurance.  Cleveland Ohio is an Insurance Nightmare!
3.  Occasionally, I have to carry more than two people.
4.  Trunk space, concealed, semi-secure storage is a
necessity.
 
Design and Systems:  Q-ship aka Stealth Hardware.
A powerful engine in a small body, with running gear to
match, w/o the sleek shapes and bells and whistles to
attract attention.  
Anti-lock brakes.  
Bumpers that take NO damage in the Consumer Reports bash
test.
 
Functional Reliability:  It's gotta crank first time every
time, I expect the car to run forever, with standard
factory maintenance schedules (and double oil/filter
changes) and NO break downs.
 
Dealer support: 
Every service MUST be done, not just checked off a list. 
I want to shake hands with the Dealer, know the mechanics
by their first names.  I want the same sales person to sell
me this car, the next car and the one after that!  
 
Ergonomics:  The drivers position must be comfortable for
sustained use.  With a six foot two inch driver, someone of
equal size must be reasonably comfortable behind me.
 
The real world short list.  (No special order)
 
GM Saturn SL2  (I know, I know, but except for that GM rear
head room trick, it's not a terribly bad car.)
124 HP, 1901cc, 2408 lbs.
 
Mitsubishi Mirage GS, no ABS, last small Mitsu with the 123
Hp engine and 4 wheel disks.  (Right after the Colt GT
Kicked exhaust pipe in the Car & Driver comparison, C-P-D-
E-J and Mitsubishi took the 123 Hp engine out of the option
list.  It beat the Golf GTI 8-Valve by one point and 18 Hp. 
See Car and Driver, June 1990.  New Version due out in
1993.)
123 HP, 1596cc, 2271 lbs.  
 
Ford Escort LX-E.  (Intel report from my local Ford
emporium.  The NEW 1993 Escort line will be out next month
May.  The NEW '93 will be just like the '92, but there will
be FIRM FIXED PRICE VERSIONS!  Saturn Strikes!  I'm hoping
for ABS as well to compete with GM.)
127HP, 1.8 Lt., 2530 lbs.
 
Mercury Tracer LTE.  (See above only assembled in Mexico.)
 
Geo Prizm GSi.  (This car may not exist.  I've been to five
local Chevy Dealers and never seen one.  I did find a LSi. 
It had several Dealer Installed options, with an add on
sticker.  $550 for protection.  $220 for Anti-theft.  $300
for a luggage rack.  The luggage rack was somewhat fastened
to the truck lid, off center, dented, lid deformed, I think
the piece was installed by throwing it on the back, putting
the screws in the holes, driving them into the sheet metal
with a hammer (large) and finishing the job with the air
wrench and a phillips bit, which stripped the screw head
messily (one of the Anti-theft systems I suppose)  $1900
for a CD player and special stereo speakers, the cracks in
the plastic speaker covers were works of art I suppose.) 
PUKE.
130HP, 1.6 Lt., 2530 lbs.
 
Isuzu Stylus XS.  (Another car that may not exist.  But my
local Isuzu dealer is an <expletive deleted>.) 
140HP, 1.6 Lt., 2367 lbs. 
 
Mazda Protege LX.  (See Ford and Mercury above)
 
Outside possibilities.  (WAY WAY WAY out.)
 
Pontiac Sunbird SE 4-door V-6
If I could find one with the Sports Suspension and I was
feeling suicidal.  (This car does not fit my definition of
"Handling")
140HP, 3.1 Lt., 2694 lbs.
 
Volkswagen Passat USED 1991.  At my local M-B/Volvo dealer. 
I investigate tomorrow pm.
If and only if, ABS, 5-sp manual.  A 4-cyl Passat is a
stone with an automatic.
134HP, 2.0 Lt., 2985 lbs.
 
Chevy Corsica LT V-6 Z-52 Sport Package (Included only to
appease the UAW neighbor.  I promised I'd look, but I
haven't seen one at five local Chevy dealers)
140HP, 3.1 Lt., 2795 lbs.
 
1993 Mazda 626.  Due out about now, but may have been
delayed along with the Ford Probe and the other Flat
Rockmobiles.  If they can keep the price down and offer the
V-6 from the Probe as rumored.
 
Ford Taurus SHO.
Just in case I win the lottery...
 
Jeff