With one year left on my lease I have to start my OCD car buying process.
I quite like my VW GTI but it is known to be QUITE problematic maintenance-wise after 3 years. I don't think I'd like it so much then. I also have guilt about not sticking with the family when Ford has soo many good offerings on at the moment. But where am I at? What is most important to me? Who am I if I have these cars? These are the contenders:
2011 Ford Mustang
The V6 (the only engine I'm considering) has 305 HP, pretty great mileage, a very small backseat and my folks can't get in and out of it. It's fantastic, but does seem sad for a fat, bald, middle-aged telecom manager to be driving around in. The insurance is also ridiculous.
The 2011 Ford Taurus
I think it is actually quite handsome. I think it was a mistake to name this car the Taurus as it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the Taurus of the past. It's much larger and QUITE luxurious. I was actually stunned at how nice the interior was, how good the drive was for a large car and how many great electronics it had. The SYNC features were amazing in this car. I could actually see myself going out to sit in this car and listen to music it was so nice inside. I'd have to spend an additional $40k to get this level of luxury in a Euro-car. The insurance would also be dead cheap compared to the Mustang. It also goes like stink for a big car. My folks can get in and out of it quite comfortably. No one will ever sleep with me again if I buy it. I think I'm okay with that.
My opinion is important. I like to burn books, assassinate journalists and write slander.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
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7 comments:
Ford only, huh? Nothing wrong with the Taurus. It's a good looking car and does the job, but you're going to miss the lightweight and nimble characteristics of the GTI, no doubt. In comparison, the drive will be boring, especially considering there's no manual tranny option. Eek! If you're willing to step into that segment, it's not a bad choice.
Ford really kicked ass with the 2011 Mustang, too (I guess they kind of had to, what with the Camaro.) Great engines this year!
Well, I'm on the fence. I'd like a Ford because I like them, they've been good to me and I'm family. My great uncle was one of Ford's first employees. Many members of my family work for FoMoCo in a variety of positions.
However, with Ford's commanding better than sticker in this neighbourhood with few deals in financing I'll open up my options a bit.
I'd love a 2011 Mustang and I'd be really content with a 300hp v6 with those mileage figures. I'm just not sure I want my son driving one in a few years.
The GTI is a genius little car and I'd be hard pressed to let it go. But I am getting older and the ride is a bit hard. Argh.. Tough call.
Keep in mind, you (or at least I) wouldn't want my kid driving a car loaded with a bunch of active safety stuff. If my son starts driving with lane departure warning and radar cruise, etc (which I think some of that stuff is standard in the Taurus, maybe I'm wrong) what happens when he drives a car without it? I know you already know that, but it's worth mentioning again. On the other hand, I don't know if I'd be comfortable with my son behind 300+ HP either :)
Having said that, don't choose a car you're going to be unhappy with because you feel you should. If you're uncomfortable with your son driving the Stang, how about getting him a cheap little beater for his first car?
In my heart of hearts I'm hoping that they have a Fiesta/Focus ST out before I have to make a decision. ;-)
Gah.. I don't know what I want. I really want a fleet. A big part of me wants my big old man car. ;-)
Ha! Yeah the Fiesta actually looks pretty good, I hope we get the ST!
Also, if I were to go with something that wasn't a Ford I'd probably lean toward something from VW for a new car (the CC is a really gorgeous car). If used then something else German. Any advice?
The CC is really nice, although I haven't driven one yet. If you'd like to stick to a reasonable budget with good insurance, I was really impressed with the Jetta TDI. EXCELLENT fuel economy and gobs of space in the SportWagen version.
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