response 1 of 63:

Oct 3 00:35 UTC 1997

I'll start!

I drive a '91 Geo Metro.  All in all, I've been satisfied with owning 
her, and would probably buy a Metro again, given the need for a quick 
set of wheels with very little budget to work with.  (She cost me just 
over 8,000 dollars.)

Pro

* cheap
* easy to find parking
* good gas milage
* reasonable pick-up for a 3 cylinder engine
* pretty reliable  
* very light - rather than damaging her in a minor fender bender, the   
  bigger cars just throw her off.
* cheap to insure, and an excellent theft record!  (No one wants to 
  steal a Geo Metro)
* Cute as a button
* front seats are reasonably comfortable both for me (fat) and my long 
  legged, six-foot tall son.
* Good visibility from the drivers seat

Con

* interior is very flimsy.  Most of the buttons and switches were gone  
  within a month.
* small -- easily thrown around in windy conditions on the expressway.
* small - the front has room for two adults comfortably, but the back 
  seat isn't *comfortable* for anyone.  It can hold two adult or three 
  small children, but the bench is hard.
* the battery is tiny, so putt putt has some real trouble with her      
   electrical system in wet weather.
* lets hope my "fender benders only" luck holds out.
* no cup holders - have to wedge pop in next to the parking brake.

response 3 of 63:

Oct 3 15:18 UTC 1997

'86 Chevy Nova.(Same as Toyota Corolla.)  113K miles and it's been in
my hands since new.  Great car!  It's small on the outside but one of the
first trips I did with it was to the UP with four adults in the winter.
I got no complaints about lack of space and there was enought room in
the trunk for all our stuff and the six sets of skis on the roof rack.
I'm 6'3" with a 36" inseam and I didn't have to install seat extenders!
There was also room behind my seat for a normal sized adult...amazing.
It won't set any speed records, but to this day it cruses nicely down
the freeway at even 80 MPH.  Wind is only a problem when we have our 16'
canoe, a couple bikes and the Yakama Space box on top.  Quite a site
but we did it all the way to New York and back one year.  I keep my
tires at about 40 psig and she gets anywhere from 35 to 55 MPG!
I take _good_ care of my cars and run them into the ground.  I do much
of my own work too.  I go for basic when I buy a car since basic cost
less in the first place and over the life of the car.  Parts for Toyota
and Honda are priced about the same as for American cars.  Other imports
are more expensive.  Mechanics have always told me that they love to
work on our Nova.  Last year I found out why!  I had taken it in to a
shop to get an estimate on getting brakes, strut, cluch cylinders, etc.
fixed.  When they said $1,400, I said no way!  I took a day off work,
bought $400 woth of parts and did it all in my garage in one day.  It
was very easy to work on!  Really well designed and thought out.  It
has been extreamly reliable and has had no significant maintenance till
it hit 10 years and 100K miles.  (Even that was minior when I consider
other cars I've owned.)  My only complaint is that the exhaust system
rust out every two years and needs replacing.  Next car I buy will get
a stainless system if it doesn't come with one.
 
I have grown to consider Toyota to be one of the best cars on the road
today.  I would buy another in the blink of an eye if I needed a new
car.  Give me another five years and I'll tell you what I think of the
'95 Subaru Legacy.  So far so good.  A little tinny but well engineered
and a very nice ride!  (Also a real mountain goat when there's a lot of
snow and such on the road.)

response 5 of 63:

Oct 5 21:49 UTC 1997

'90 Mazda 323SE (big little hatchback, been out of production for years).
I bought new; currently about 129K miles on it (mostly highway).  Very good
indeed for a bottom-of-the-line budget set of wheels.  Isn't and doesn't 
feel like a tiny car (Festiva/Metro/Civic/etc.), but was priced about like
one and can do 40 MPG in summer mostly-highway commuting (about 30 still
in city-only driving).  Only a few parts are cheapo break-o-matic quality.
Japanese-import level of quality, but much more acceptable in redneck
areas (Mazda's Michigan plant is UAW and Ford owns much of Mazda).  Best
(most comfortable) front seats for long drives I've ever sat in.  Awesome
ability to handle any winter road condition short of it's ground clearance.
Factory AC hasn't worked for years, original tires were garbage, dealer
(not A^2 area) was slimy, rear seats fold down poorly when carrying cargo
(bad engineering, still carries quite a bit).  Oil filter designed to
be changed by a contortionist.  I'd seriously consider buying another if
they existed.  (The more-expensive sedan version (Protege) does, & CU
rates it well, but I've a lot more use for the money & flexibility than
4 doors & a trunk.)