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Current recommendations | Archive 1 | Archive 2


MINI Cooper Clubman

  • Fun to drive
  • Very good mileage
  • Park anywhere
  • No more "dwarfs-only" back seat
  • Third door for rear seat access
  • A little more cargo room than the Cooper
  • Cute, cute, cute
  • Mediocre reliability record
  • Lousy visibility through rear cargo doors
  • Pricey, for size and mileage (you're paying for driving fun)
  • Rear cargo doors are cute, but not terribly useful
  • Rear seats fit adults, but YOU sit there for a long trip
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Toyota Prius

  • Superb fuel economy
  • Toyota reliability
  • Free aura of superiority with every purchase

  • Assumption of aura of superiority by other drivers
  • Lousy in snow
  • Hybrid premium in sticker price
  • Redesign coming in 2009
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Nissan Altima

  • Great CVT transmission (V6)
  • Very respectable fuel economy for car its size (V6)
  • Great interior
  • Exterior style
  • Comfortable, easy to drive

  • Slightly numb steering
  • Slightly touchy brakes
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Scion xD

  • Cheap
  • Good headroom
  • Fuel economy
  • Predicted reliability

  • Cheap. Bare bones interior feel
  • Small and light, somewhat scary in high wind or next to Ford Expeditions.
  • Cheap radio with lilliputian buttons
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