Shopping around

I am looking for a new car. I have a pretty lean budget- like most people, but rounding up to a $200 car payment is currently a much more attractive option for me than the average of $400 a month I've been paying since November to keep the Saab in running condition. I have a list, a very specific list, because my tastes are very specific. Reliable but not boring, practical but relatively fast, and stylistically appealing. It has come down to these seven:


1. Honda Si
I'm not all too sure my image completely overlaps with the Si market. I mean, I'm not a teen aged Asian boy. However, this car appeals to my desire for something fast without sacrificing reliability or gas economy. Plus: they are very cute.

2. Subaru Impreza RS or WRX
I can't get over the sound an Impreza makes. The WRX in particular, with its sexy little boxer engine, has all the angry growl of an Italian supercar in an unassuming little hatchback. A lot of these are out of my price range by just a tiny bit, but the higher-mileage ones are scarily close. All that horsepower and all wheel drive? The thought gives me goosebumps.

3. Mazda3

I've never considered Mazdas in the past, because of their close relationship with Ford and my genetic aversion to anything with a blue oval on the grille. But the styling of the 3 is dead on, and the hatch has an added aspect of practical charm. The Mazda may be the polar opposite of a Saab convertible in both style and function, but I find that each one I see on my busy street catches my eye.

4. Honda Accord Coupe
It doesn't get much more practical than an Accord. But the 2 door coupes have always had a certain gracefulness I've preferred over the ubiquitous sedan. Plus, even with the added weight, the v6 some of them carry is a very attractive idea. I can only afford the years between 99 and 2003, but I like the older style- with that strange little flat butt- much better than the bulbous newer models.

5. Toyota Matrix
I'm a sucker for a good station wagon, and this is definitely a good station wagon. A station wagon for girls with nose studs and tattoos, like me. Killer stereo and great looks. Too bad they only made about four of them in a manual.

6. Scion tC
I really, really love this car. It is perfectly marketed to a person like me, as well: basically a Toyota but with all the sexy style points of a little Mercedes C-class coupe. And with a price point well below the European cars I so covet. I think if I can find one with the right mileage and clean title history, I'll make it mine.

7. Acura RSX
Again with the hot hatch styling and Honda reliability. This is one of the few Acuras you can find with a stick shift with ANY kind of regularity, and its little luxuries make it all the more appealing to me. Fast, fun, and pretty. I like it.