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Convertible Mania
Jun. 19th, 2006 02:02 pmAs some of you know, I've been going through a lot of cognitive dissonance in regards to automobiles.
On the one hand, I wish to get a more environmentally friendly vehicle, a Smart Car or a Prius or a Jetta.
On the other hand, I really want nothing more than to replace my 10-year-old Camaro with a nice roadster convertible.
I've been looking hard at the Miata. It's a small, friendly vehicle with a nominal trunk, and the price point is right. It's CUTE.
Then I saw the Pontiac Soltice, which is an attractive vehicle, more rakish than the Miata. The difference between ATTRACTIVE versus CUTE. I thought to myself, okay, maybe the Solstice.
Then I saw the Saturn Sky. True, it's built on the same chassis as the Solstice, but that's like comparing Julia Roberts to her sister. Yes, her sister is pretty, but...damn, she's not *JULIA*. :) The pictures in the TV and print ads caught my eye, so last weekend, we drove over the local Saturn dealership...
The Saturn Sky is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The lines are classic roadster. Looks-wise, Detroit got it right. There is nothing about the styling I could find fault with. It's one gorgeous convertible.
THAT BEING SAID...
You sit low in the car. That is to say, the tops of the door are far above where they are on me in the Camaro -- you aren't going to be leaning with the windows down and your elbow out. The cabin is very snug. It's okay for me, but probably not for passengers. And then the absolute dealbreaker:
There is no trunk to speak of. You might get a thin attache case into the trunk, or a duffle, if you don't mind it getting smashed flat, but that's about it. Your only storage space is under where the top is stowed, and you aren't going to get much in there. You've got a choice: towing your significant other or groceries. Wanna take a quick overnight trip out of town? You have a choice: go by yourself or go without luggage.
INSULT TO INJURY
Okay, to be truthful, my vehicle has the least mileage put on it. I drive to and from work in my car -- that's about it. Any running around town we do, we do in Mike's car, so being able to tow groceries or any of that stuff...not that important to me. But--here's the deal--you can't get one, even if you had cash in hand. GM, realizing they have a potential winner on their hands, has decided in their infinite wisdom to limit availability artificially. There's is a *one year* waiting list. I was told that maybe I could get one in 2008 if I put my name on the list now.
Er, no.
MY OLD DREAM
So back to the classics, the basics. I'm once again looking around for a used C-5 Corvette convertible. Classic lines, classic performance, and enough trunk space for DragonCon luggage. :)
On the one hand, I wish to get a more environmentally friendly vehicle, a Smart Car or a Prius or a Jetta.
On the other hand, I really want nothing more than to replace my 10-year-old Camaro with a nice roadster convertible.
I've been looking hard at the Miata. It's a small, friendly vehicle with a nominal trunk, and the price point is right. It's CUTE.
Then I saw the Pontiac Soltice, which is an attractive vehicle, more rakish than the Miata. The difference between ATTRACTIVE versus CUTE. I thought to myself, okay, maybe the Solstice.
Then I saw the Saturn Sky. True, it's built on the same chassis as the Solstice, but that's like comparing Julia Roberts to her sister. Yes, her sister is pretty, but...damn, she's not *JULIA*. :) The pictures in the TV and print ads caught my eye, so last weekend, we drove over the local Saturn dealership...
The Saturn Sky is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The lines are classic roadster. Looks-wise, Detroit got it right. There is nothing about the styling I could find fault with. It's one gorgeous convertible.
THAT BEING SAID...
You sit low in the car. That is to say, the tops of the door are far above where they are on me in the Camaro -- you aren't going to be leaning with the windows down and your elbow out. The cabin is very snug. It's okay for me, but probably not for passengers. And then the absolute dealbreaker:
There is no trunk to speak of. You might get a thin attache case into the trunk, or a duffle, if you don't mind it getting smashed flat, but that's about it. Your only storage space is under where the top is stowed, and you aren't going to get much in there. You've got a choice: towing your significant other or groceries. Wanna take a quick overnight trip out of town? You have a choice: go by yourself or go without luggage.
INSULT TO INJURY
Okay, to be truthful, my vehicle has the least mileage put on it. I drive to and from work in my car -- that's about it. Any running around town we do, we do in Mike's car, so being able to tow groceries or any of that stuff...not that important to me. But--here's the deal--you can't get one, even if you had cash in hand. GM, realizing they have a potential winner on their hands, has decided in their infinite wisdom to limit availability artificially. There's is a *one year* waiting list. I was told that maybe I could get one in 2008 if I put my name on the list now.
Er, no.
MY OLD DREAM
So back to the classics, the basics. I'm once again looking around for a used C-5 Corvette convertible. Classic lines, classic performance, and enough trunk space for DragonCon luggage. :)
