I just got a car

(And by the way it's nice to see ILE again. I have been so busy lately and I'm very sorry to have missed Anthony's do.)

I then felt bad for a second or two before laughing at the fact that noone saw my blatant over-reaction except the other motorists who don't matter because I don't know them.

ans given: "i don't know" (look i was taken by surprise)
real ans: "no of course not, dweeby boy!!??!! it's an ASTRA for goodness sake"

Isn't this the name of the Icelandic Gary Numan bootleg or some such hilarity

A car that's 'civic' is a car that can be a good citizen and improve the life of the city. A green car, a socialist car, a car that wears flares and goes to local community meetings! Never mind that the idea of a 'civic' car is about as realistic as the idea of a 'healing' gun. It's the thought that counts.

Today's cars don't even pretend to be civic -- they sell themselves on their ability to seal you off from an evironment they themselves have fucked up (hence the Mazda 'Protege' -- it protects you when you're inside, but outside you're on your own). Or they make no bones about their aggression: the Opel 'Tigra' clearly sees the city as a jungle. Or else they're abstract: the 'Vectra' or, rather more ominously, the 'Omega' (the car which sounds the last trump and opens the seven seals).

But the Civic, well, that was a car so small and self-deprecating that it almost wasn't a car at all. You could fit three of them into a parking place designed for just one ordinary car. So their civic virtue consisted in allowing the city to contain three times as many cars. And they had little fuel-efficient engines which meant that you could visit twice as many relatives for each OPEC crisis they caused.

Of course, the vogue for these responsible pint-sized 70s cars ended with the Pinto, a car so small and civic and weak that bigger cars literally fucked it up the ass, where unfortunately its fuel tank was located, exploding not only the Pinto but the idea of all tiddly, self-deprecating, liberal and civic cars with it.

Perhaps a more honest question to ask would be: does a person without a car end up missing it or feeling honestly compromised? I admit to having had annoyed feelings when folks have come to visit and I can't take them anywhere on my own, for instance. And my greatest regret is that, not being one to drink much at parties (couple of notable exceptions aside), I'd be the perfect designated driver if I at least had a license. So there are other considerations at play.

Really, I'd be happy to live without owning a car; in fact, I did it very successfully up until age 28. Then I took a job which was 25 minutes away by highway and an hour and 45 minutes away by public transportation. I no longer have that job, but the feasibility of continuing my lifestyle, particularly my singing, while being faced with travel times approaching 2 hours from my place of employment made living without a car untenable.

I don't think that last sentence made sense. FEAR THE ID.

I drive a dark blue 1997 Subaru WRX with 17" OZ Competitions (I slightly chipped the right front at a narrow Burger King drive-thru last year and I'm still very bitter abt it)......slammed an inch, no stickers, no kit, modest system (99' alpine CD deck and amp with one RF 10 in the back) that bumps if I want it to......the thing is understated but styling.....it's got balls, agile and thrusty as fuck......a bit pricey but great value......I worked so hard for this ride that when Chris Rock said, "I'll shoot that bitch like she scratched my car!" it didn't really register as a joke!

Where Norman Phay at?

Drooool.......usually I'm on some "I hate how cars are becoming so bulbous" shit when discussing nearly every once-adored model post 98' (eg. Grand Cherokee), but I wont front, the new WRX is phat.

What's your dream car? I won't make fun of you if you go the indie kid route and say a "gold austin mini!" or something, because yours truly and dreamed of driving the Oscar Meyer weiner van, straight blasting that Apache Indian.

Our Chevy S10 died, so we needed another car. I have never been able to afford or bring myself to buy a new car and make car payments, so I always have a "good island car" (goes short distances slowly). We just got a 97 Buick Le Sabre. It's in great shape and has lots of luxury features. It is totally out of character for me (usually have volvos or toyotas or fords). We also have a Ford Escort that accelerates like a turtle. Mostly the Le Sabreis Scott's car. He claims it's the first car he's had that he likes. It's surprisingly fun to drive a big car that floats. Actually, the length of the hood makes it look a lot bigger than it is. It's pretty good on gas mileage, actually. I love our car!

how many miles does one put on a car per year on the island? i'm guessing can't be too high, but i've never been to the vineyard. 5-6k per year?

my friend used to be a taxi driver on yr island! apparently you don't put down that many miles

I too bought a car from 1973 recently. However, unlike the one at the top of the thread, it was neither comissioned by Hitler nor exclusively manufactured in Mexico for the last quarter of a century.

I guessing a good car for the island is a cheap one that doesn't rust quickly?