Cars. Hot, hot cars. And trucks. Hot, hot trucks.

[Sparkle]

I used to drive this



a 1993 Audi 90S, V6, 5 speed manual. It drove like a sports car. It drove like a dream.
But it cost a FORTUNE to maintain and repair; it was 11years old with a perfect service record and about 65k on it when I bought it from a sweet older lady. Around 75k miles everything started to need to be replaced, one bit at a time, and every time it went to the shop it cost me no less than $1000. But Oh MY it drove like a dream. My mechanic told me they don't make them like that any more, not the same motor, not the same engine; he steered me away from buying a newer model Audi - later on. I likely would have kept spending $3000 a year in maintenance on to it because it drove so well.

Sadly, due to someone idiot's carelessness, I had spectacular a high speed rollover. My little Audi took the bullet for me, for which I am forever grateful, but was totaled. After rolling 3 times down an embankment, sliding along the driver side for 50 yards, clipping a concrete block and flipping up and over (back to a wheels down position) this is what she looked like:


Not bad, really, all things considered; the passenger cabin remained perfectly in tact. and I walked away from the accident with a hefty concussion, whiplash and a few scratches on my hands and arms. Which was miraculous. But I was so so sad, I loved that car.

I did a lot of research (through consumer reports and a lot of on-the-lot questions) before I chose my new car.
My primary priorities were:
It needed to be built like a mini-tank with a full steel frame and body,
it needed to be manual and it needed to be reasonably fuel efficient.

I looked at the Mini Cooper S, the Audi A4, the Honda Accord and the Volvo S4. It took me 6-8 weeks and a lot of research to find the right car.

I went with the Volvo in the end, I got a great deal on a low mileage, former executive lease car that was fully loaded.

It is 2005 S40 T5 AWD; 6-speed, V5 (great in the new england winter!). I really love it, its not the sporty little race car my old Audi was, but it handles beautifully, it has got a good amount of power, and it does feel like a small tank. It has been well maintained and I keep that up. I had a great pre-owned warranty on it that expired last year, and I have not yet had to put much in to it in terms of repair/replacement (touch wood). Volvos are typically pricier to repair than a Honda, but no where near as dear as the cost of an Audi. And Volvo's have a reputation for averaging 250-400,000 miles over their lifetime.

I'm really happy with the car I chose, and I'm really really happy I did my homework before I bought it.