What I Needed, When I Needed It

I haven't owned a regular vehicle in too many years for my ego to mention. I needed one, I needed it quick and I needed it cheap. I also needed it to be reliable.

This truck was exactly what the doctor ordered. It was fast coming on rainy season in California and I wasn't about to drive my Corvette convertible ('95, and yes I reviewed it)in the rain. I always wondered why guys didn't want to drive a Corvette in the rain. If you keep your car as clean as I do, then you know why.

Rain is nasty. It carries all sorts of road grime with it and it leaves a dirty film on everything when it drys. Yeah, we'd all be dead without rain, but I don't have to like it.

Anyway, back to my truck. It's a great little truck. I drove all the players. Toyota, Ford, Mazda, but not Dodge, they no longer offer the Mitsubishi compact. They were all pretty much the same given the same trim level.

Toyota lost out due to price and I thought they were kind of ugly. Ford was a contender, but in my area, I couldn't find one that wasn't either stripped or loaded. Mazda was OK, but their four cylinder (also used in Ford) was a little on the weak side. The Mazda stripper version was really dirt cheap, but again, it seemed either the ridiculous or the sublime.

Chevy won. Just the right trim level. Good performance. Good gas mileage and pretty comfortable. What I ended up with was a 4 cylinder, 5 speed, with split bench cloth seats, AC, power steering, ABS, carpet, and AM/FM/CD. The little third door was pretty handy too. You lose a jump seat, whereas Ford doesn't, but that wasn't a priority for me.

All in all I was very pleased. The cost was relatively low, the quality is good and it rides as well as many compacts. Not to mention 22 MPG. Well, that's what I get anyway.

The whole package is very nicely laid out. It has a nice, aerodynamic look without the "melted lump" look. All the little amenities are there too. Intermittent wipers, auto headlights, cruise control and tilt wheel.

I've been driving the daylights out of it for about 5 months now and I have only one complaint. There is no passenger cup holder. I never thought that would be a big problem, but if you have someone with you, and you both have coffee, the passenger has to sit and hold his cup (or bottle) the whole time. A small pain, but a pain none the less.

One other thing I would change would be the final gear ratio. The rev's are up around 3500 at 70 mph. Not bad, but 2500 would be a lot nicer. Yeah, you would have to downshift for smaller grades and quick passing, but the mileage would be even better, and the ride even quieter. I imagine the engine would get less wear as well.

Handling is nice. I thought the tail might wag a bit, but unless you're really pushing it, or overdriving slick conditions, it stays put. Body roll is not terribly noticable and you don't need to be carrying a load to get a smooth ride.

So what's my overall verdict? If you want a truck that you can afford. If you want something between sparse and luxurious, I couldn't recommend a better vehicle. I love it, and I highly recommend it without reservation.