Re: Replace Dodge Omni with...?

I don't think you would want to be doing that in Britain :-))) Or maybe you would???

Shagging means fu.....

In another country I think it means wan....

Yours gigglingly DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling
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"Geoff" wrote

OT for this newsgroup, but this story has been way exaggerated, and newer models have excellent reliability. Anyway back to Chrysler...

Reply to
Dave Gower

Short continuation of digression: Focus Europe not same as Focus US. The former is reliable, is it not? Would it be Britain's top seller year after year if it werent'?

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

Vauxhalls and Ladas continue to sell in the UK, and Tauruses continue to sell in the US, despite awful reliability in all three cases. McDeath sells a lot more Big Macs than Sainsbury's sells filets mignons.

DS

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

Neons may be nice, but they don't provide the utility that a hatchback does. If there was a hatch back model, it would be the obvious choice.

----------------- Alex __O _-\

Reply to
Alex Rodriguez

I suggest that Lada sales are miniscule at the moment. There's always a fool somewhere, or an enthusiast...

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

Reply to
mic canic

Toyota Prius (the hybrid) is introducing a larger 4-door hatch for '04; they've already been showing it in ads.

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

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Reply to
Michelle Vadeboncoeur

"Steve" wrote

Funny how among the people who think that the first couple of years were "horrible", few of these are Focus owners. Yes, my year 2000 wagon needed 2 actual repairs (fuel gauge sender and ignition lock), but is runs like a top, and the body looks so good that I still get people asking me if I just bought a new car. And the replaced parts are reasonably priced and of far better quality than original.

I don't know whether to criticize Ford management for short-sightedness or praise them for their courage and honesty, but they created much of the quality myth by the endless list of recalls. In fact few of the recalled cars actually had the defects being checked for, and some of the fixed items were really trivial (i.e. interior trim that could scratch one's leg).

The first-generation Neon, on the other hand, had some fundamental design flaws (cylinder heads, window frames).

Reply to
Dave Gower

The most reliable small vehicles Ford sold were the Festiva and Aspire. Both were gutless, though, but very well built compared to the Escort.

Both were also made by KIA, back before it was bought out by Hyundai. Hyundai of course, learned a LOT from KIA in that deal, and their vehicle quality lept up several notches.

Personally, I'd buy a Toyota or Mitsubishi instead of a Focus, but if you wanted a less expensive better alternative than the Focus, KIA once again makes a better car. Better warranty as well.

You might look at the KIA Rio Cinco as a possible choice instead of a Focus. Inexpensive, straightforward, and has enough power to get around.

The best choice, though, would probably be a Celica. Fits every one of his criteria and whomps on a Focus and Echo.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

What do you mean by "gutless"? It could not reach 60 in 5 seconds? Didn't have a 5 litre engine?

DAS

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Reply to
Dori Schmetterling

Thanks to all for your very helpful information. The cars that have been suggested to me most often are the VW Golf, Ford Focus, Ford Escort, Honda Civic, Dodge Neon, Toyota Echo, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Subaru Outback and Mazda Protege 5, including wagons. So I'll start looking harder at these and move on to other models until have a short list of vehicles that would be good for my needs.

For those who asked, my Omni's reached the point of diminishing returns

- I'll spend more time fixing it than using it; I can't work on it myself & haven't found a mechanic I'm happy with; and I'm getting somewhat tired of driving a jalopy despite the cache' of looking different/indifferent. Guess it's time for a (small) change.

Thanks again. I appreciate it. - RDG

Reply to
rschng

Trust me, the Aspire WAS gutless. Great car that was more reliable than the entire rest of the Ford line at the time, but 63HP? Not close to enough power to get in and out of traffic safely unless you had one with stick and flogged it. Only the 3 cylinder Metro had less power at the time, and we all know how much that tin can sucked.

Now, the 104HP larger replacement, the Rio, is a properly "peppy" little car. 41 more HP with the same curb weight. Oh yeah - slight difference in how it moves :)

Inexpensive, simple, and basic transportation - like the Mazda 3 and Mitsubishi Mirage designs that it was based upon.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

I hesitate to recommend a Suzuki -- still too rare to know about reliability, service, etc. I'd consider the Vibe and Matrix wagons, not 4-door hatches -- their rear window is too vertical.

We're getting the Prius 4-door hatch next year; I haven't heard we're getting an Echo hatch as well.

True, but not here now.

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

Suzuki are fine. They made the Metro among other cars. Not great, but certainly relable enough.

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Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

CR is crap. Nuff said. JDP is also of dubious value.

The real determiner is the value for the money. They are both acceptably well made makes with ten year warranties. Not cushy, or full of power, but certainly a better choice than most of the other budget-boxes out there.

HP to weight ratio is not bad, though. Certainly no worse than an Echo.

He wants a hatchback or micro-wagon. Otherwise, I'd have recommended a Sentra SE-R Spec V. Tons of power there, definately "peppy". Nice manual transmission, too. Almost as good as the Subaru and Audi A4, but a LOT less expensive. Nice incentives as well.

But - he wants a hatch. Fair enough. Celica.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

"Lloyd Parker" wrote

Just saw some yesterday, dropped in at a Toyota dealer I happened to be passing by. They had a bunch. Cute little devils. They're almost two feet SHORTER than the Echo sedan if you can believe it. Makes them look completely different.

Right now Toyota is only selling them in Canada. Manufacturers often test-market vehicles here before launching them South of the border. But don't worry, my hunch is that they'll sell just fine up here and will be available quite soon down there.

See for yourself at

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Reply to
Dave Gower

Ah. 4 door hatch - we call that a wagon out here ;)

Best small wagons? I'd get a used Volvo myself - a nice late 90's 940 would be perfect. Same cost as the cheapest microbox out there, yet a lot more car for the money.

The engine in it is indestructable as well.

New? The Cinco is cute. So is the Scion. Subaru makes a few as well. The Focus wagon? Too expensive, IMO, to qualify as a economy car.

Still, used would be my recommendation. My old Volvo 240 has 230K on it and runs like new. Repairs are easy and straigthforward on the 240/740/940. My father's Buick costs more to fix for the same jobs, btw - and a new Toyota? (uncle has one) 50-60% more expensive as well.

I can't think of a better car for him to replace the Omni with.

1995 was the last year they made the 940. One in mint condition would run him about $6000-7000 with all the options on it. He wants peppy? Get the turbo version. Finding a mint condition one isn't as hard as you might think. Lots of elderly people bought these and a 50-60K mile example isn't impossible to find. (same is true for BMW and Mercedes of the same era)

The $3000 he saves over a new vehicle buys a lot of repairs as well. My Volvo costs me about $400-$500 a year in maintainence and that includes tires and consumables other than fuel.

Reply to
Joseph Oberlander

Close, but to me, a wagon has a vertical backlight and a hatch's is more sloped.

Reply to
Lloyd Parker

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