The mechanicals are generally tried and true on these, the 4 banger and 4spd auto in particular.  The Pentastar had issues with rocker/cam wear early in the run but is sorted by now, as is the 62TE transmission.  The only fly in the ointment is the “TIPM” (Totally Integrated Power Module) that can leave these dead in…

A used van that might be staring down a transmission replacement. Now, if you argued you could get even more utlity for just a bit more in a new Grand Caravan SE/AVP (American Value Package), I’d agree with you

Absolutely.  I had one as a rental to drive from Indianapolis to Des Moines once for work, it was a mid-level GT(?) with the 3.6 Pentastar.  Perfectly decent utilitarian vehicle.  Have not tried one of the 4 bangers with the 4spd Ultradrive straight out of the 90s, but for $13-14k for a family on a budget, it’s not a…

My thought as well. Stick with an earlier LT car to keep the price down, Z28s pop up for around $4-6k in stock unmolested condition with 120-150k miles, lots of them automatic convertibles, midwestern boomers cleaning out the garage.  I’ve been eyeballing this exact type of specimen myself.  Mostly reliable-ish.

Is this a joke?  People will just think he’s a weirdo (and they’d be correct, as FWD Volvo enthusiasts are just that)

Yup. I rarely if ever see anything new that excites me. But I have a driving-lifetime’s worth of “bucket list” older cars made in the last 50 years I’d like to try owning so that’s fine by me, as long as I can legally fuel and operate them on the road.

Very cool. IIRC Honda’s mantra back in the day was to minimize the machine’s extension beyond the driver and to make it feel as much as part of the driver as possible.  Having driven my friend’s 2017 Civic CVT 1.5T, I can say Honda has gotten as removed from that as possible.

No I agree 100%. Recently road-tripped my ‘91 Park Ave that I rescued from the crusher. Objectively a limp noodle of a grandpa car, but it manages to have a pleasantly “isolated” driving experience in a comfortable sense (cushy seats, absorbent suspension) while still keeping you much more engaged with the road than…

I had more fun slinging around my $400 ‘91 PArk Avenue on junkyard whitewall tires down some twisty roads in SE Ohio last month than any number of objectively superior newer cars.  The Buick has no feel on-center, a marshmallow suspension, seemingly everything going against making it an “enthusiast” or “driver’s”…

Very well put.  I went new-car shopping and all of them (F30 Bimmer, Q50, Golf Alltrak, Mazda 3 2.5 hatch, etc) felt roughly the same to drive.  Just totally soulless, not any different than the 2012 Camry I showed up in for the test drive.  I have more fun driving my ‘91 Park Ave, no joke.

I’ve got an ‘06 with 300k miles, last year of the GMT800 (steel bumpers you can step on, the wonderful LS motor before they ruined it with AFM).  I can’t see myself buying a newer one.

I would unironically take a factory fresh ‘91 over a new 2021.  The newest IRS ones are absolutely ghastly.

Was the mileage even that great?

“Over engineered” but not appropriately, and like I said, good luck finding parts for this rig. I owned a ‘98 MPV and various odds and ends were MUCH harder to find than for something mainstream Honda/Toyota, to say nothing of a basic GM. Working on that supercharged Mazda I guarantee is much harder than on a plain…

I’d honestly rather have a Regal, crappier interior and gruff engine, but that 3800 is wonderfully torquey in ways this is not, but the biggest factor is how much easier that 3800 Regal will be to find parts for and work on.

My biggest hangup right there.  Mazda OEM parts for their 90s cars are unobtanium and/or priced to the moon.  All for an overly complex powertrain that is no more powerful or efficient than something like the ubiquitous 1MZ 3.0L V6 in a ES300 or VQ30 in an I30.

Take your pick. Worst offenders are Toyota/Lexus entrants, newest Mitsubishis, the new Rogue is a complete mess.  The newest massive grill Audi and BMWs... any one of the “coupe” SUV things... etc

Not leaf springs was it?  I thought it was a torsion bar rear end with coils

05 Subie will need headgasket/t-belt/reseal at a minumum, but also 2 or three wheel bearings, some CV axles, some emissions related CEL work... then you might finally have a decently sorted car

*Looks at driveway with a 300k mile 2006 Suburban, $400 ‘91 Park Avenue, ‘98 Neon circle track car*

I don’t think you know a goddamn thing about me bub, or what you’re talking about for that matter