Lol. You didn't think the price had something to do with it? Or America's dependence on foreign oil?
Still would've kept the old car. I have a 97 turaus. I had a 95 before that. I love my car, and I'm going to keep using it till it dies, like for good. It's also a 6-banger. Vroom Vroom baby. What can new cars do that your old Prix couldn't? Certainly not out run the cops.
Price had alot to do with electric/hybrid sales, unless you need the extra horsepower or extra space. For a nation wanting to escape the grip of foreign oil firms, the government sure didn't do much to make hybrids/electrics affordable. I once considered buying a Chevy Malibu Hybrid, which was a cheap but "partial" hybrid (i.e. small gas engine & small electric motor always working in tandem to power the car). However, for the extra cost, you didn't get many extra MPG's over the standard Malibu. Full hybrids and electrics cost as much as "entry class" luxury cars. I've also heard a rumor that big hills, like around here, ruin electric car batteries. Allegedly, the initial burst of energy during the climb would cause the failure... However, I found this statement difficult to confirm in other sources, and I also see several Priuses around (or Pria? Latin students, what say you?). Maybe the rumor only refers to lead-acid batteries?
As if the oil & corn lobbyists weren't powerful enough on their own, they had to unite them on the E85 front... Why?!? E85 doesn't even get better MPG or save you money...
Once again, I really, really loved my Grand Prix. If it didn't need work done, I wouldn't have traded it in. Miles/years mean nothing to a good car. As it was, something was up with the Dexcool (orange) coolant, leaving the radiator fowled with orange gunk. Even the coolant sensor always read "low" even when it was OK. Probably needed cleaned, or possibly even replaced. The intake manifold gasket had started leaking, and needed replaced. The gas gauge starting reading wrong when below 1/2 tank. Mind you, this doesn't include work needed to pass my March 2011 inspection. Last time, $600.00 to replace worn parts of the front suspension. Granted, it drove like a whole different car after that (like new - I guess suspension wore out too slowly to notice?).
Nah, Yuko, it wasn't VROOM VROOM baby... With the balancing shaft, vmmm vmmm was all you would hear... If you really revved it, VMMMmmm VMMMmmm... However, this was no kitty, it was a lion. 8 seconds to 60, and they weren't kidding because I timed it myself. When I would bring it back to the dealership, which had since stopped selling Pontiacs, but kept their import business, I would KNOW when my car was started. The others-<Crank 3 seconds> bzzzzzzz... (4-bangers & Subaru boxer engines). Mine-<Crank 1-2 seconds> VROOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm...
The Elantra, being a 2009 model, has most of it's 10 year/100K mile warranty. Everything but "wear" items - fixed, for free. 12 gallon tank, and hardly burns 1/4 tank in a week. The Grand Prix? 17 gal tank, and burned 1/2 tank per week. Also, $18 per Elantra fill-up, about $30-$40 per Grand Prix fill-up. Now out on the highway...nah, the Grand Prix outclassed the Elantra there, on both power and handling. Gadgets? About the same - map lights, power windows & locks. Grand Prix had a power drivers seat, but the manual on the Elantra is very adjustable. Both have CD stereos - the Grand Prix had 6-speakers and EQ; the Elantra has MP3-CD/IPOD capability and an AUX port.
The '95 Taurus SHO seriously rocked... I wasn't entirely sold on the 1997 Taurus design, but the V6 was awesome. A buddy of mine, a Ford mechanic, drove one. He had a trans. defect repaired by installing a "shift kit". The results were awesome... However, one time at a LAN party, in an old garage, he needed to answer nature's call, but too many cars parked behind him. Which one wasn't? Yep, my GT. He reached the Sunoco up the street in ~10 seconds, and apparently just in time... That GT should have been nicknamed "Lassie"...
I don't need to outrun cops...the Elanta is dark grey, instead of the Grand Prix's bright red... It might as well be "stealth grey"...
P.S. Sharp was right... The new Impreza doesn't have a lighter, and doesn't have an AUX or IPOD interface (even though it has an AUX button). Cheapskates...
