#19 2006 Saturn Vue AWD V-6

After I had come to the conclusion that I wasn't totally satisfied with the Subaru I began searching for the perfect vehicle that would suit both myself and my wife.

She missed the size and feeling of safety her Van had given her. I wanted more bells and whistles and more power than the Subaru had.

I wanted an all weather vehicle with power, comforts, technically sophisticated and one that could haul a load.

I searched and searched the Internet, constantly looking for that perfect vehicle over the course of several months. I researched almost every affordable car that was out there. I compared them to each other as many of the sites allow.

Then I came across the Saturn Vue and noticed the power figure of 250HP. I had to stop and wonder, how did they get a 250 HP V-6 engine in a GM SUV for around 30K?

When every other V-6 SUV and van they made had the usual 180 or so HP.

Further research revealed that this vehicle is propelled by the Honda 3.5 VTEC engine, the same one that moves the Honda Pilot, Odyssey and the Acura MDX. Also from Honda is the 5 speed automatic transmission and AWD system. Those Honda vehicles are priced in the 38 to 48K dollar range.

One test drive was enough to convince me to shell out the 35,000 (with taxes) that was needed to own this vehicle.

It's got everything we both wanted in a vehicle and though it might not be as agile as the Subaru, the power is awesome and the comforts are yummy! It's nice to know you have one of the best V-6 engines on the planet, passing is a breeze and I love the growl it makes on acceleration.

I think I was always looking for the perfect pair of vehicles to serve all our driving needs and now with the 1994 Mustang GT and the 2006 Saturn Vue, it might be a very long time before anyone sees a Vehicle # 20 on my list.

# 18 2004 Subaru Impreza 2.5 TS

I'm a big fan of WRC Rally Racing and Subaru is one of the leaders in that auto sport. And that greatly influenced my decision.

I loved the idea of the sophisticated all wheel drive and when I test drove the car, I really liked it. No other car I have driven before or since gives you the sense that you are "glued to the road" like this car does.

For around town this car was perfect, very zippy and agile.

On the highway it was great, especially in long sweeping curves, you felt you could go 150km/hr with no problem, it gave total confidence.

The car is solid, has a potent H4 engine which put out 165HP and 166 lb/ft of torque, pretty good for a 4 cylinder. I liked the style too.

But after having it a while a few things bothered me. The 4 speed automatic was sluggish to downshift and therefore you never felt the instant response that is really satisfying. If I had had the 5 speed manual, I might still have the car.

The car's interior was pretty Spartan too. It had everything you needed, air, cruise, heated power mirrors, etc. But it still looked like an entry level car inside.

And it was still a small car. If I could keep three cars, I would still have it and I would always recommend a Subaru to anyone.

We bought the car in September of 2004 brand new, only the second brand new car I've ever had and traded it in on a 2006 Saturn Vue in May of this year (2006).

# 17 1994 Mustang GT

SOLD

On April 14, 2010 I sold the Mustang. I would like to have kept it, but with 2 motorcycles I had no room or reason to keep a vehicle I was no longer driving. All things come to an end.

I can't describe how much I like this vehicle which I have owned since September of 2001. Purchasing it was pretty much an accident, I was actually looking for a Prelude or DelSol, the kind of car I had always been attracted to.

But when I saw this car on the lot and saw how beautiful it was and how perfect the paint job still was, I had to give it a try.

From the moment I felt its "rawness" I knew I had to have it. This car is basically American Low Tech power, it does everything you would expect from a sports car. It makes all the right sounds, steers quickly, has great brakes, and lots of low end torque.

The 5.0 litre V-8 makes 225 Hp and 300 lb/ft of torque. It rarely sees any time over 4500 RPM. The power comes on at 2500 and from there to that 4500 point, there is a lot of "grunt".

Apart from looking so sexy and cool with the top down, this is the most comfortable vehicle I have ever driven. Once I get settled in the leather seats, well the driving position is perfect. The pedals, steering wheel, shifter and sight lines all sync with my body and I become one with the car.

I can't see ever giving it up.

You can see more pictures and information on my Mustang here.

# 16 1996 Plymouth Voyager

We traded the Acura in on this van in spring of 2001, we just wanted a bigger, more flexible vehicle. This van had the 3.8 Litre OHV V-6 which had pretty good get up and go.

I think it was rated about 165 Hp with 185 lb/ft of torque.

The nice thing was that it had more "bells and whistles" than I had ever had before, including power driver seat. It was really useful too, with the rear seats out it had a LOT of room.

But, it wasn't a lot of fun to drive. I wanted something sporty, yet useful and an all weather vehicle.

So in September of 2004 we sadly traded it in on a brand new Subaru Impreza.

#15 1997 Acura EL

This was the first brand new car I had ever purchased. I think we bought it for around $24000 with taxes. It was basically a fully featured Civic with a few extras.

It had a 1.6 Litre VTEC Honda engine making 127HP but not a lot of torque (106 lb/ft I think). By todays's standards, that's bad, although that engine powered Hondas up until just recently.

Unfortuantly I bought the 4 speed automatic so my wife could drive it. I don't think she ever did drive it even once. That engine needed a 5 speed manual, it really did.

It had the cruise and the air and was plush for a car in that price range. Was a nice looking car too.

We traded it in for the mini van (next) in 2001.

# 14 1989 Honda Civic DX

This was one of the best small cars ever made! The 1.5 Litre 16V OHC fuel injected engine was sweet as sugar. It made 92 HP and because the car was so light (still researching the weight) it was pretty quick.

Strangely it came with a 5 speed manual but no tachometer! I bought an after market one just so I could keep on revving safely. The engine was finished very nicely with a black coated knurled aluminum valve cover, I liked to look at it.

It handled like a co-cart but for long highway trips it was kind of tedious, a little noisy with no cruise or air.

It was the first car I ever had where you could feel a sense of real quality.

#13 1983 Chevrolet Camper Van

This is the only picture I have. We bought this van after we got rid of the Ford F-250. This van was a huge improvement in comfort. It was in great shape when we bought it in 1995 for I think $6700.

It was comfortable to drive except for the lack of air conditioning, Gas consumption was also a problem. It had the reliable Chevy 350 V-8 but was heavy and didn't handle all that well, really creepy in high speed corners.

I think we sold it in 1998 for about $6300 so we didn't lose much, however I had replaced all the tires with new Kumhos.

#12 1974 Ford F-250

This wasn't my truck, again I can't find a picture. But that's good because it was really an ugly truck.

This truck had a 390 CID V-8, very strong, lots of torque. Unfortuantely it kept blowing it's manifold gasket for reason's unknown.

Probably the worst vehicle purchase I ever made. We bought it to carry a camper which it did well. I didn't like the camper nor the truck.

We owned it from 1993 to 1995, somehere in there and traded it for a pool table.

#11 1982 Honda Civic Seden

I bought this car in late 1990 while living in Sorrento, in the Shuswap area of BC. As you can see they get a lot of snow there and we felt the Buick was not capable of the hilly and snowy terrain.

This car had the 1.6 Litre CVCC engine in it with a 5 speed manual. It was a really good reliable car. I can't remember having too many problems with it or much about it at all.

I drove it regularly 35 miles per working day to Chase and back up until 1996.

# 10 1979 Ford LTD

This is not my actual car, I don't have a picture of it. We bought the car on a whim while living in Calgary in 1986. I think I wanted it because it had air and cruise and power windows, goodies I had never had before.

It had the 351 CID V-8 and brought back memories of my old 68 Olds. It was a comfortable car for the Alberta winter. Unfortunately, not too long after we got it all the "goodies" started to break.

I owned this car from 1986 to 1989.

#9 1981 Oldsmobile Delta 88

This was actually my step-father's car, that as executor of his will, I inherited for a brief time in 1986-87.

It had a 305 cu in V-8 that was used to haul a 19' trailer! It wasn't long before my step-father realised he would have to modify something to pull the thing.

The specs say the 305 was available with 130/160/165 HP configuration. It's hard to believe it could pull that heavy trailer, but it did.

He changed to a higher ratio rear axle. I'm not sure what the ratio was but it would squeal the tires as it shifted into 2nd gear! It was a rocket with that axle and without the trailer.

#8 1975 Fiat X-19

That's me with my X-19 around 1986. I know what your thinking "No one buys a second Fiat!". Yes there are serious reliability issues with these cars, but the fun it gave was worth it!

This car had a 1.3 Litre motor rated at a meager 61 HP and sat right behind you. This car was tiny and it was scary when a semi waited next to you at a red light because you know he couldn't see you.

This car is proof that you didn't have to have a lot of power to have a lot of fun. Just keep the pedal to the metal and enjoy the g forces. It handled awesomely and except for the ugly 5 mph bumpers, was really good looking.

I owned this car from 1986 to 1989.

#7 1984 Toyota Pick Up

Even though we owned this truck a very long time, from 1984 to 2001 this is the only photo I could find.

We bought it as a demo with 17,000 miles on it for $6500.

This was the most reliable vehicle I've ever had. Bullet proof mechanically but some major rust issues towards the end of its life.

It had the torquey 2.4 Litre 22R motor good for 100 HP and a 4 speed automatic. It was actually pretty quick. Worst seats of any vehicle I've ever had, noisy too.

#6 1978 Buick Regal Turbo

When I married my wife in 1983 I inherited her 1978 Buick, which she had bought new in 1978. It had the Turbocharged 3.8 V-6 which I think provided 165 HP. By today's standards, that is pathetic.

I think the '70's represents the beginning of the decline of the North American auto industry. The Turbo was fairly strong and smooth and the car handled reasonably well but the fit and finish was awful. It had no extras, just an AM radio.

We had this car a long time though, right up to 1999, 21 years in total! Believe it or not when we sold it, it had only been driven 65,000 miles. We always had more desirable cars to drive and it was parked a lot. We sold it for $500.

#5 1978 Honda Civic

This wasn't my car, for some reason I can't find a pic. My car was a bronze/copper kind of colour, really cool looking.
I got rid of the Olds in favour of this one, I think in 1982. I really liked it and it established a love affair I've had with Honda engineering ever since.

It had a 1488 cc engine good for 60HP, though it felt like it had more power than that.

I had it until late 1984 when we traded it for a Toyota Truck.

#4 1968 Old Delta 88

The car in the picture wan't mine but the color and style were the same. I bought this car in St. Albert, Alberta for $600 in October of 1978.

This car was big and smooth. It was powered by a "Rocket" 455 cubic inch V-8 with a 4 barrell carb and a 10.5 compression ration. This motor was good for 390 HP and a staggering 500 lb/ft of torque.

The engine was so smooth and quiet that others who drove it would often start it when it was running due to no noise or vibation.

I bought it with a ton of miles but it gave me three years of trouble free motoring. The 8 to 12 miles per gallon is eventually the reason I gave it up.

#3 1965 Sunbeam Alpine

I bought this car in May of 1978 for $600 while I lived in Burnaby. Needless to say it was in rough shape. It had no muffler, the speedometer did not work, the rag top was torn and the tires were bald. It did have a hard top (which I backed over the first day I had it).

But it ran well and hell, it was a convertible. I owned it together with the Fiat so I had a couple of really sporty cars that summer.

This car had a 1724 cc good for 92 HP. Mostly I got it for the fun factor. I sold it for $400 in the Fall.

#2 1969 Fiat 124 Coupe

This remains one of my favorite cars! A total turnaround from the archaic engineering of the Toyota.

This car had a DOHC 1483cc engine that revved to 6800 RPM smoothly. The engine was mated to a 5 speed manual shifter clad with a leather knob.

It also had a full gauge set, a wooden steering wheel, intermittent wipers and air horns! And check out the glass! Visability was excellent!

The car was good for 97 HP and was stopped by 4 wheel disc brakes. This was a car that was well ahead of its times.

I think the styling is classic, a really beautiful car that was a blast to drive. I got a LOT of tickets with this thing. You can read about my near death experience with this car here.

I owned this car from 1976 to February 1979 when a drunk ran into the back of it while it was parked by my place in Edmonton.

#1 1969 Toyota Corolla "Sprinter"

This was my first car that I ever owned, at the age of 19. I believe it had an 1100 cc 4 cylinder OHV with a 4 speed stick shift manual. Horsepower was somewhere around 72.

Since it was my first car, I loved it. In retrospect this car was awful. I should have bought the Datsun 510, the other car I was considering. It's since become a classic. Anyway, this Corolla really demonstrates how advanced entry level cars have become. I owned this car from 1973 to 1976.

The Specs