Guys. Kid Rock is a national treasure, full stop. That he didn’t put the stars and bars on the top to intentionally upset people is proof that (1) he hears you and (2) he wouldn’t want to be perceived as a real racist, even if he’s flipping you the bird for being less than fun.

It takes all kinds of people. Some people…

Stew, I had no IDEA that was an England-English spelling! In America, it’s a distinct mark of ignorance; on my first day of law school, my professor said “If anyone spells judgments ‘judgement’, you will automatically fail”.

Turns out, in this case on a global website, I was the ignorant one. Touche.

I completely…

I’m going to really push your “no judgements” proviso.

First, it’s “judgments”.

Second, I have a 2002 manual Toyota Echo that I got for literally free and I’ve put more than 20,000 miles on it in the past year. After years of VW ownership, I’m in awe of its craptastic and tiny form that consistently runs and starts…

This price is exactly correct.  Running 944 is $5,000, and convertible adds $1,000 to any sub-10k car.

I have the actual answer, from experience. I actually, literally now drive a 2002 Toyota Echo with 160k miles and peeling paint. The Echo is genuinely ugly and too narrow. But because of that, you don’t pay the Toyota premium.

Or at least, not with money. You pay in dignity. And, maybe, some joy. But if you haven’t got…

Boring then, still boring, rarity notwithstanding.

Well, I drive an Echo.  Was there any doubt I’m coping?  I admit it.

Ooo...a grotesque typo. Should have said 120k. Still not much.

Seriously. To take it step further, I drive a manual 2002 Toyota Echo right now. 20K miles, no problems. Not a hitch, not a sputter, nothing.

No plan to plop down 5x as much money for a slightly-safer but otherwise not much better car. Anyone who even thinks of spending $20k on a new car should spend $10k on a used…

The cardinal rule of classics: if it was trash 30 years ago and trash 20 years ago, it’s still trash.

That far north and no rust?  I question that.  But still NP.

This is correct. Either the dash underneath is cracked and you’ll never look at it or it’s fine and you’ll never look at it.

I have driven a LeSabre.  After a friend’s husband died from old age and she wanted me to put gas in it.   I have never been less impressed with the driving dynamic of any car in my life.  As I’m in the market for a teen-boy car, I say Nice Price, but that’s 100% for the reliability and the lack of visible duct tape. 

Ok, dumb question. This is a 73 Datsun. Why does the engine say Nissan?

I’ve been the proud seventh owner of an MK5 GTI; do not recommend.

I don’t think I could pay over 20K for anything that had a cold-air intake. It screams “my teenage son drove this car and was hanging around an auto parts store and...”

Just no. If you must indulge in such nonsense, at least put the factory bits back on when you sell it.

This is tragic, but, frankly, I’m glad to know.  I’m 6'2" and have a 31 inch inseam, and I have an aspiration to have something trackable in the next few years.  I guess it won’t be in the Miata direction.    Please do let us know where you land!

I’ve seen an Alfetta’s brakes rust solid in the middle of the Mojave desert. Honestly, it was scientifically fascinating, even though it cost a friend a sweet ride.  Which was derided by his fellow high-schoolers as a “Eurotrash Pinto”, but they never drove it.  Slow as molasses, but compared to the 80's crapboxes…

This response hurt me. I feel like I just took the red pill. Because now I know, since I am a failed wrencher, I cannot have a Maserati. The world just became a bit more dim. I’m a sadder but wiser boy.

Thanks.

For all the inevitable talk about maintenance on a modern Maserati, I’d love to hear from someone who has actually owned one. Could it be that they aren’t really all that bad anymore?