Wheels and the Deals Thereof

So I've been car hunting this weekend. Cruising the classifieds and such. I'm currently in a bizarre state of one part excitement and two parts anxiety.

Excitement: I can't WAIT to have a car! There's so many to choose from! I want them all!

Anxiety: I need to get a good deal. I sure can't get something that'll go to hell on me... It needs to be reliable and economic. This is a pretty substantial investment. And it also needs to be fun, too. This is hard work.

In some pathetic way, the anxiety part of things makes me want to bury my head in the sand and simply... Not get a car. Which is dumb, I know. It's ridiculous how those questions and concerns can totally overshadow my desire to get on the road again. It'd certainly be easier to run and hide from the whole ordeal, but I'm getting pretty sick of riding buses.

I saw three cars today. The first was an RSX Type S, which had been modified to have a retardedly obnoxious exhaust. Seriously, I don't understand why people think that loud thrum sounds good. It was also lowered. I get the point of that, but for most road-going cars... It's kinda nice to be able to drive over a curb and into a driveway without making a scraping sound. On a side note, I asked the owner to direct me on a good route through the area for me to try out the car. He sent me on a loop of the community with no less than six playground zones. Never mind highway speeds, I never even got out of third gear. Poor, abused car. Questionable modifications, ripped leather seats, too stiff and low, subtle hail damage... Ugh.

Next I drove a Porsche 944. It was sublime. Immediately after pulling away from the curb I knew it was something special. I've never felt so connected to the road before... It felt heavy. Not as in overweight or slow, but as in solid. The steering was ridiculously communicative and the car seemed undeniably planted on the pavement. It was a bit unnerving, though, given that the car was made in 1986. Even though it had relatively low mileage and was in pretty good shape, I was still hesitate to really push it. Despite the wonderful handling, I feared I was driving a structure of rickety matchsticks.

Last I tried out a Civic SiR, which is something I've been eyeing since I discovered their existence 5-6 years ago. It actually didn't disappoint - it immediately felt chuckable, and the engine had a lot of pep to it. I liked it a lot more than the RSX, actually. It had some undeniable spunk. The gas pedal was pretty stiff and it was odd using a shifter attached to the dash, but it felt tight and responsive.

Oh decisions, decisions. Right now it's a battle between the last two. The 944 is more fun/exciting, and the SiR makes the most practical sense. No matter what I choose (if they're not taken by the time I make up my mind...) I can't go wrong. And I can't go right, either. See? This stuff is tricky. But as much as I want to put my head in the sand, I'm pretty sure that's not a particularly effective way to drive around.
-Cril

Zubot & Dawson - My Acoustic Bed