Re: [Paddlewise] Transportation Input Needed

>Requirements;    Cheap.... Ease of repair (I try to do my own
> repairs)....Great gas mileage (above 20 mpg)....Low roof line with the
> ability to attach roof racks (so I can easily load my kayaks)....Enough
room
> to haul camping and paddling gear for two.... Stick shift and a reasonable
> amount of power (needed for trips of six or seven hundred miles).


I worked as an auto mechanic in the past before and during collage, plus I
have worked as an automotive engineer after collage.  I have owned/still
own: Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Mazdas, Volvos, Volkswagens, Porches,
Mercedes, Dodge, Chevys, Isuzu (pick-up) and I have close family members
that have owned Subarus and others like these.  It is both my personal and
professional opinion from experience that the finest, most reliable and
economical cars ever built are Honda, Toyota, and Mazda [the real Japanese
built Mazdas, not the fake ones built in the US by Ford].  And all are
readily available in economical and reliable 5-speed manual trans.  It is
quite unfortunate but I have been very disappointed with all of the US built
cars and trucks that I have owned and worked on.  Most of the Japanese cars
are quite good, and the European cars fall somewhere in the middle, from
pretty good, to pretty bad.

For a great all around get away vehicle suitable for hauling kayaks I really
like the Honda Civic 4WD wagon, built I think only from 1989 to about 1993
(soon after Honda came out with their "mini" SUV, the CRV, also a great
vehicle, but more expensive).  The Civic wagons are incredibly reliable and
get something like 35 MPG, and are fun to drive, plus has the 4WD for
getting in and out of troubled areas.  It is not very attractive, it is a
bit boxy looking (reminds me of a phone booth), but is fairly roomy for a
vehicle this size.  I think it is more economical and reliable than a
Subaru.

Another alternative is a short lived model Totoya Corolla 4WD wagon, also
made between about 1989 and about 1992.  It has a bit more room and power,
with only a slight drop in MPG.  Both the non-4WD version of this wagon, and
the bigger Camary wagons are also good choices if the 4WD feature is not
important to you.

There is also a smaller and older 4WD Toyota wagon, the Tercel 4WD wagon (I
currently own one).  Made from 1983 to about 1988, it is less expensive, but
being older all of the available ones will have very high mileage.  It gets
about 30 mpg and is somewhat underpowered at only 62 hp and still used a
carburated engine (which is real balky on cold mornings).  All the other
newer models I suggested use the more powerful, reliable, and more
economical fuel injection, this alone is why I would not recommend this
model over any of the others.  Though I did pay only about $200 each for the
two I have owned, and their "very" used condition had me doing a number of
repairs on them.

Parts and service for both the Hondas and Toyotas are readily available
almost anywhere in the world, and both are dependable and economical.  These
combinations are tough to beat, since they are also plentiful, they are
reasonable priced on the used car market.

Mazda made a great sporty car in 4WD for a few years, the Protege 1990, but
unfortunately never available as a wagon.  And parts and service are
slightly less available than Toyota and Honda.

I owned and loved several older Volvos 1958-70 model years, I did all my own
work on them.  I can not recommend the newer ones, though reasonably
reliable and roomy, they are not as economical to own as the Hondas and
Toyotas, and depending where you live, parts and service could be hard to
get.  But not a bad car overall, and more roomy.

When my current 1984 Tercel 4WD wagon wears out (it has "only" 180k miles on
it), I will be keeping my eyes open for a '90-'92 Honda 4WD Civic Wagon.
There are also a ton of aftermarket performance parts for the Honda to
easily tweak the 103 hp engine up to about 140 hp (or higher!).  If I can
not get a good deal, I will be looking for a '90-'92 Toyota Corolla 4WD
wagon.

Peter



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