A suburb of Chicago. When I said that there aren't many US cars with stick shift, I ment to say US built cars, or US marques (I know those are two different things, but you probably get the idea). My secret agenda is to buy a GM product that qualifies for an employee discount through my father. GM didn't make anything in the '80s or '90s that I wanted to buy new. I wonder if they will make it 3 decades in a row offering nothing of interest to me.
I have been repairing my 9000 also, but as time goes by, the repairs are more expensive. I replaced the transmission at the beginning of the year. Who knows what will go next.
Same here. I might not _need_ the hatchback, but it certainly comes in handy when you want haul a lot of stuff.
Although I don't want a sedan either (I already have one of those, don't need another) I am not particularly fond of the frumpy appearance of a wagon. Some of them are OK. I looked at the Mazda Protoge5 because I used to own a GLC/323 hatchback. It was kind of nice, somewhat sporty looking and as a bonus, the radio was available with a MiniDisk player, which I think is a cool format.
That was kind of my reason for buying a used 9000. I had never owned a Saab before and didn't want to spend $40,000 on a new car that was always called "quirky" in car magazines. After owning it, I realized that any "quirks" Saabs may have are what make them so appealing. So when I was ready to buy a new one, Saab discontinued the 9000 and didn't offer a 9-5 hatchback, just a frumpy station wagon. Oh well.
I also considered a Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. The "wagon" part is so short, it nearly looks like a hatchback (if you use your imagination heavily). I was a little dissappointed in the lack rear seat foot room. I thought it was interesting/odd/ironic that this model is planned as the basis for the
9-2. I'm waiting to see if the result of this collaboration will result in anything worth buying.They used to, even from Chrysler. But that was years ago when they handled like topheavy boats. And, IIRC, the manual transmissions were only available with the 4 cylinder engines, not the V-6's. I think all the 4 cyl's have been discontinued (at least in the US) even with automatic.
Just don't say you are thinking about getting an SUV, many of the Brits in this newsgroup will get on your case as if they were the vehicle usage police.
Someone once reported that Plymouth minivans had the lowest reliability rating of all the Chrysler minivans and, therefore, lowest resale value. It was pointed out that there was no difference among the Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth minivans, except the amount of chrome trim and the price. The slightly lower initial price had a minor impact on the resale value, but reliability was a primary factor. The drivetrains offered on all the models were identical, yet Plymouths broke down more than Dodges and Chryslers. Why? It was found that the Plymouth buyers were penny pinching cheapskates that didn't perform maintenance as required. My opinion is that most cars are generally reliable if it is cared for properly (with a notable excption going to an Opel Vectra I drove last year ;-( but I wasn't responsible for its care).
I didn't realize you could get the Honda minivan with manual transmission.
From Volkswagen, the Golf would be more to my liking. Probably the GTI, but I would prefer 4 doors (actually 5 doors). Only the lower horsepower engine is offered in the 5 door Golf here. I would probably prefer the Audi A3 over the Golf. There is even a rumor that it might be sold in the US one of these years. Good luck with you selection.
Walt