I started driving in 1987. As a teenager I drove whatever cars my dad had at the time. There was a Cadillac, an AMC Eagle 4x4...not a Talon, instead the massive jeep with a car body. I recall, getting dirt on my thigh instead of calf, getting out of it on muddy days. However that car had traction and to this day has me wanting another 4x4.
My first car was a a blue 1986 Hyundai Pony. It had an automatic transmission. Cost my Dad $250. It was a gutless car - but always started. I don't recall ever getting any repair done to it in the entire time that I owned it. Just had the oil changed. That car taught me to keep an eye on the oil dipstick. It burned oil slightly, and often needed a top up between changes.
Once I was driving to work at 5am one morning. As I was reaching for a sip of coffee, I noticed a skunk on the road as I looked up. I swerved to avoid it. Whew...missed it, but managed to hit a sign with my rear bumper as I went off the shoulder to avoid it. I drove another couple of miles with Metallica blaring. Between songs and coming to a stop sign, I could hear a muffled scraping. What the heck was that? At the stop sign, I got out and noticed that one end of the bumper had been scraping on the ground (for about 4 miles). The plastic was slightly worn in one spot. I picked it up and kicked it back into place. Fixed.
Advantages: it just kept going and going. I drove the piss out of that car. Someone backed into the rear passenger side while I was in college (1994), and didn't want to go thru insurance. So they offered to pay me $500 for the damage. I took the $500 and to date I'm up $250 on that car.
Second Car: 1982 Honda Civic - Manual transmission. "Spud" It was painted an unsightly ginger color.
Disadvantages: Engine ceased.
Advantages:?? they were used up by the time I got the car.
Third Car: 1991 Honda CRX. This red car was a beauty. Although it had over 200,000 kms when Mark and I got it for $4500 it still rode like a top. Complete black interior, so clean. I like when people take good care of the interiors of their cars. Mark had the idea to advertise it for $5000, and in no time we had a buyer.
Disadvantages: We didn't get to enjoy this car long enough.
Advantages: We pocketed the $500, and I said good bye to the 5 speed for good.
Fourth Car: 1992 Toyota Truck. Red. FWD. Carboned up the engine driving around Ottawa delivering lobster. Paid Toyota $800 to repair the timing chain. Upon return the knock was still there. A drive to PEI, cleared it out once we hit Montreal. Toyota dealers are expensive and their work doesn't seem to last. The engine in the truck did go forever.
Disadvantages: The truck was useless in the least bit of snow. Sand bags were needed over the back tires every winter.
Advantages: Sand was cheap.
Fifth Car: 1993 Geo Storm. Fuchsia. This was the first car I had to get a bank loan for. Well not a very big one, I paid around $6000 taxes in for this car, which at the time had about 70,000 KMs on it. The inside was immaculate, and it was what drew me to the car in the first place. The reason it was a good deal...it was hot fuchsia pink. 5 speed manual transmission, and really fun to drive. I recall telling myself it was a black car, cause once you were on the inside you couldn't see a spec of pink. I do have a good imagination. I was quite pleased with the engine. The Geo was manufactured by Isuzu, and distributed in Canada by GM. The car would always start. In minus 40 weather, the car would start.
Disadvantages: The car rusted to shit. I had to have the floor repaired by welding sheet metal to pass inspection more than once. It rusted and rusted and rusted. To this day I've never owned a car with as much rust. The door locks used to freeze shut and then once you opened them with lock deicer they'd stick closed, so you couldn't close the door sometimes. No AC. Never again.
Advantages: The Isuzu engine was great. Never had a lick of repair to do there. It would definitely outlast the shell.
Sixth Car: 1995 BMW 525i. Blue. Guy who sold me the car said "these cars will last well over 500,000 kms!" The car had a whopping 380,000 KMs on it. But the black leather interior drew me in. I bought it for $5000. I nicknamed the car Dr. ED, as the engine lights had a choice between MD and ED.
Disadvantages: Canadian Tire dipshit mechanic decides to do a pressure test and blow out a sensor during a routine oil change. My regular mechanic reroutes the sensor issue. This car was a money pit. I sunk over a thousand into getting the AC fixed. (I said never again.) Well aside from that major bill, I guess I did ok. The thing was built to last. But all those built to last parts come at a much higher price. It's the german engineering. Guzzed gas. Das!
Advantages: You haven't driven, until you've driven a BMW. Snobish as that sounds, it's true. The car is so well designed, they thought of everything. The third generation 5 series is still the most elegant...slightly gangsta now I suppose. 2.5 L 189 hp straight 6 cylinder engine, just try to pass me.
Seventh Car: 1999 Saab 900 5 speed manual transmission. Bought this black car in Toronto, and purchased CAA at the same time, to ensure I'd get back to the Maritimes. So I didn't have a ton of faith in a car that cost me $2500, but I wasn't let down. During the ride from Toronto to PEI, I realized that the cars best speed is 130 KM/hour. 120, isn't bad, but at 130 this car is zinging along smooth and perfect. Out of all the cars I've owned (other than the BMW) this car handles better at higher speeds, and has great isolation inside the cab. You don't feel every bump, or hear the tires. It was fully loaded...all but leather seats, but they were heated. And they spoiled my ass, as now it's a standard feature I look for. Car only had 150,000 kms on it and it easily would have kept going.
Disadvantages: Clutch cable broke after months of shifting/in town driving. Mechanic didn't order the correct cable...it was too long. Wore my clutch for 6 months before I had to decide to invest 1000+ on a clutch job or trade it in for another car. Oh, and a major disadvantage, other than going to a shitty mechanic in the first place, was the sensors all needed to be reset with a Tech II device, when the dingbat unhooked the battery to replace the clutch cable. The ABS, Airbag and Info light were on constantly. Dealer gave me 1200 on the trade. I drove the car for over a year, so my cost was 2500-1200= 1300. Not bad. Turns out the dealer sold my car within a week for over 3000. His sad story about no one in PEI wanting to drive a weird foreign car doesn't sit well with me, and has made me question every dealer on trade in value ever since. In fact, I doubt I will ever trade a car in again, as that's when the crook comes out to prey on you ladies. Do they not know there's an equivalent of the Black Book, Red Book, VMR Canada online for anyone to see?
Advantages: This car was solid. I've never seen any rust on a Saab. I may have been lucky but considering my time with the GEO I think the Swedish have defied the laws of nature somehow. Yoooodeelllllaaadddeeeeewhooo!!
Eighth Car: 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS 6 speed manual transmission. Silver. Yes the 6th gear took some getting used to. Well it was actually easy just like 3rd to 4th only faster and better. Even though this was my second Toyota my entire family - (Thanks especially to Aunt Olive and her brood) went on about the praises of Toyota. "Get a Toyota!" they'd all say, siblings, parents, everyone. So I found the most unique Toyota I could find. The XRS has a 180 horsepower engine, that activates a high output cam at 6200 RPM. Only 2500 of these cars were made in 2003. A top of the line Matrix. We still own this one, although Jeff is now listed as the primary driver.
Disadvantages: Water pump, belts, and belt tensioners. You can't keep a Toyota belt on that car from squealing. Turns out the shoody water pumps leak onto the belt causing it to wear, and the belt tensioner eventually seizes. Other than a squealing you'd never know anything was wrong, and I suppose that's why most Toyota drivers are so impressed with their vehicles. They are tone deaf and never pop the frigging hood of their car!!!! Perhaps I'm being hasty, but considering I found the only lemon Toyota, I have a right to say so. If you have this year and model get a Goodyear belt...it will solve the problem. I don't know what happened that the water pump keeps leaking. I suppose it's likely us driving the absolute PISS out of it to engage the high output cam. Driving a Matrix after a Saab is like stepping into a wagon getting towed behind a dump truck. You jostle around on the road, feeling every bump like it's right under your feet. The air whizzes by, the body of this car has poor insulation between the cabin and the road like most Toyotas.
Advantages: You really get a push of power when the cam trips. Which so far is the only advantage to this car. Well other than the fact that I can get 20 bags of mulch inside it with room to spare. At first I didn't like that the trunk and seat backs were covered in plastic, as everything would roll around...but if you treat this car like a truck it's awesome. Besides nothing a bit of bungee cord won't take care of. Oh and it's 180 horsepower instead of a measly 130 like the other Matrix's on the road.
Number Nine: 2003 Saab 9-3 Linear. Grey. Yes, I had to own another Saab. I felt my time was cut short last time round. Also I wanted a start with one with less kilometers. I found the fully loaded 9-3 with 118,000 KMs on it. The previous owner deserves a punch in the box for the way she treated her car. I spent an entire weekend, cleaning it, polishing, air freshening. Took years off the car. Next was new tires, at 120 KMs/h there was a slight wobble. A set of brand new all seasons balanced and installed fixed that. My first drive was really my second drive. I was coming home from Montague in September and I decided to see what this car had. I down shifted to 4th and stepped on the gas. The Turbo gauge rose, the engine whistled, the car became my own personal rocket. HAHAH! Holy SHIT!!!! I see a car up ahead, I decide to overtake it. At this point I was only doing 115, but when I came up to the car, I repeated my sequence, down shift, turbo, and then it happened. It was as if I was able to stop time. The car had appeared to completely stop and I swiftly accelerated by. This car is not fair to other cars on the road.
That's a shit-load of power for a 4 cylinder engine. The Swedes once again engineered a solid car. It's like a rocket and a tank combined. The ABS and electronic brake force distribution keep it steady in snow. This is my current car, a twin-cam, four-valve, intercooled, turbocharged four cylinder engine for my daily commute. The clutch and gearbox is like butter. My bum warm.
Disadvantages: Steering lock malfunction. Turns out if you lock the steering wheel by turning it when you park, you sporadically get a lock down situation, where you can't start the car. Once towed ( CAA was renewed when I decided to buy a third foreign car) and once I parked with my engine out just in case for the tow truck. Turns out, if you lock and unlock the door when it happens, and cross your eyes and hold your breath, everything resets itself, and away you go. We are still in the getting to know all about you stage after all. I never turn the steering wheel when getting out of the car. I get it you don't like it. I'll stop. Premium 91 grade ga$ and $ynthetic oil keep my turbo performing best. I suppose you could put mid grade gas and regular oil in it, but then you may as well buy a Ford - for a luxury car that performs so well on the highway, it's something I can live with.
Advantages: BMW had a great top speed, but it didn't have turbo. And I have to say turbo is what separates the men from the boys. This car is great on gas when you're not driving like a mofo. There's night panel which dims all but essential dash lights when driving at night to reduce glare. There's a directional compass in the mirror, oh and the rear view mirror is auto adjusting based on lights being shined on it or not. Saab rengineered the issue with resetting the sensors when the battery is unhooked. New ABS wheel bearing with sensor cleared the code without a Tech II reset. Another advantage with this car is ebay. I found an after market sensor-to-interface-to-USB-to-application that allows me to scan for error codes and clear them if all parts are working normally. If not, it tells me what part to order....like I did with the ABS - front right wheel bearing. Finally a car I can geek out with.
Tenth Car: Stay tuned. I'm looking at a 2010 Jeep Compass 4x4, cause it's one Dad would like, a little reminiscent of the old Eagle.
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