Done. Next question.

I love Saabs, but can’t really support the 2nd-gen 9-5 for this list. Yes, it is pretty, unique, and reasonably quick. But the big-engined version was only available in the US with an automatic transmission, but more importantly, body/cosmetic parts for this model are a total pain to get. The 2nd-gen 9-5 and 9-4x are…

2006 Saab 9-5 2.3T with a manual transmission. The B235R block puts out 250hp stock, and will run forever—by 06, all the kinks were worked out and it’s pretty much bulletproof and massively overbuilt. To that end, it’s also the base for a monster if you want to build it further. It has a subtle but classy body that…

Fair enough. And I feel you on Stewarts—there’s one within walking distance of me, and I succumbed to their $2.50 half gallon sale a couple weeks ago. A half-gallon of their Philly Vanilla was gone in the span of a weekend. Gulp. (And I see your point)

And this is why a couple years ago, when a relation came back from Iceland, having driven a Skoda Octavia wagon, she was upset to find that the wagon market in the US had gone nuts. The V60 wasn’t here yet, the TSX Wagon was history, the A4 Avant disappearing, the MB C-Class wagon long gone, and the BMW 3-series only…

Yep, the Saabs are a great choice if you can find one—but they have definitely started to level off in value after the initial post-bankruptcy dive. If you’re willing to settle for an automatic, it’s not too hard to find, but heaven help you if you want a late-model 9-5 wagon with three pedals.

Politics aside, Ben and Jerry’s really isn’t worth the money. Take a look at the ingredients list—they’re full of delicious stabilizers like guar gum. If you want good ice cream, try something like the basic Haagen Dazs flavors with only four ingredients—milk, egg yolks, sugar, and whatever flavor. The texture is…

The funny thing is that the Saab 900 (assuming you do the only sane thing and get the hatchback) will probably have more cargo capacity than your Hummer. (If not, a 9000 could do it while providing more passenger space too!)

The difference (or so I'm told) is that once you get outside of the big cities, the roads in China are not exactly uniformly good. Which would make a good case for a non-truck-based SUV being a platform for a luxurymobile as such.

Huh, interesting that the Toyobaru twins lack it too. I'd speculate that this might have something to do with the car being a combination Toyota/Subaru venture, but I don't know the current Toyota line well enough to say if there's a trend...

Funny what you get for the money from different brands:

Another vote for OHMSS here! (what follows is something I originally posted elsewhere, but thought it was worth a re-write here)

Yeah, we never got the Croma/Thema in the US...the 164 is a very rare sight too (Alfa pulled out of the US right about the time those started selling, as I recall), but aside from the gorgeous V6, the 9000 is a better car, in my humble opinion.

Great car, but really more an 80s car, no?

Agreed, though a classic 900 is really an 80s car...the NG900 or refreshed 9000 is more of the 90s look (especially with the aero 3-spoke wheels!)

What a great car. A neighbor had one for what had to be 15+ years, and he adored it...drove nicely, and was built like an 80s Mercedes tank. But his son crashed it rather badly, so now the family has an A6 Avant and a Jetta TDI wagon instead.

Sorry, but for the same money, I'd go get a 4Runner Limited instead. (Actually, I'd get a Trail Premium line instead, but figured it was only fair to spec a Limited to get leather seats). A Disco Sport for the same money doesn't even have full leather seats standard anyway, so I wouldn't feel bad compairing against…

I love the E34, but since it's a relatively slow 525i, I'd suggest looking for the relatively rare 735i instead—the short wheelbase version was available with the I6 and a manual, and makes a better luxury cruiser than the E34. Now, if you found a nice 535i with a manual, I'd choose it in a heartbeat (or if you…

They can be, yep. And even the smallest 6-cylinder available in the US made 170hp, which is plenty for a car that size...and it's SO smooth. (the 2.5L introduced in 1999 to replace the 4-cyl, was badged as "2.3" to make it sound like a bigger difference between it and the 2.8L...yes, seriously. In 2001 when the…

Yep, in the Northeast and Pacific NW, Volvo is doing fine...the trick is once you leave those markets...