MY first new car and my current new car

Disregarding the two unsatisfactory used cars that preceded, my first new car was a blue 1969 Saab 96 two-door sedan. It had fairly advanced engineering for the time. It had front-wheel-drive, a V4 (forklift) engine, comfortable seating, and even integrated shoulder and lap seat belts. It had a four-speed manual shifter on the column, an absolutely flat floor, an enormous heater, and a feature called free-wheeling. It did not have much extra space in the dash, and a radio was really an afterthought.
My 96 was different from all others. While the average gas mileage was 22-24 mpg everywhere, I consistently go 27 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. Out in the Southern California desert, I got 40 mpg. My local dealer said my vehicle was a dog for it’s class, so one cannot expect peppy performance and high mpg’s at the same time.
The first year’s warranty had unlimited mileage, so I went almost 47,000 miles under warranty. At 120,000 miles, the transmission was having problems. It was at this time I moved up to a Saab 99.
I used the free-wheeling feature extensively. Despite the lack of engine compression to slow me down, I got 18,000 miles to a set of disk brake pads. I was told that no one else got so long of use in any other 96.
Some of these had the infamous reverse gear locking system for extracting the key, but I was fortunate not to have this feature.

The Saab 96 now has cult status, considering that it was last imported in 1974, and last manufactured in 1980. In Sweden, I understand, some versions even had air conditioning, but I have no idea how they ever managed to make it fit, except by magic. There was a sports version of the 96 called the Sonett, which required gymnastics to enter and exit, and which your insurance agent would beg you not to buy, because of the fiberglass exterior.
By today’s standards, this vehicle is quite dated. It could not be brought up to U.S. pollution standards. The four-on-the-column was clumsy. At 65 HP, with an unresponsive engine, this vehicle would be underpowered by today’s standards. It took skill to get the engine and transmission out of the car, and I doubt that many mechanics today could be trusted to work on this vehicle. Like all vehicles of the time, it was very dark upon entry at night.
The relationship was nice while it lasted, but I would not want one of these today. My wife certainly would not want a vehicle like this. Since we have what might be termed an extreme lifestyle, I am required to pay close attention to her needs.


My current vehicle is a 2004 Mazda MPV LX, purchased last August. The 2005 Prius is my wife’s car. I purchased this vehicle, because my wife would not drive my 2001 Sienna. The Mazda seems to be the one minivan that is the most car-like in its drivability. Toyota and Honda minivans just keep getting bigger, which means that it gets more difficult to determine where all the parts of the vehicle are in relation to outside objects, while driving in close quarters.
The MPV is easy to drive, it has excellent handling characteristics, it is fairly easy to maneuver in close quarters, and it has good lumbar support in the driver’s seat. The controls are quite ergonomic, though the shifter does block my view of the A/C switch. The far rear seats fold flat, which is handy for cargo. It does have one of those temporary spare tires, which is strangely located under the right-hand side of the vehicle at mid-section.

Mazda is not quite the greatest car company, and their “Zoom zoom†mentality means that they concentrate on sportiness, often to the exclusion of other things. They have a feature that any accessories installed at purchase are covered by the full warranty, but their parts network is too cumbersome to allow this to be done.
The EPA mileage is 18/25, which might actually be realistic once the vehicle is broken in; however, Toyota and Honda can readily beat these figures. There is no way, however, that I could purchase a Toyota or a Honda minivan for the $19,900 that I paid for this vehicle.
Do not expect any Mazda to be about good MPG. This is just not their focus. The MPV would be a good candidate for low hybrid outfitting, but I cannot see it happening. For 2005, Mazda came out with a six-speed automatic for some of its vehicles. What was the increase in MPG? It was just one MPG. They should be able to achieve record MPG with a six-speed automatic.
I am suspicious about the tech staff at Mazda too. This vehicle requires 5W20 motor oil, which is just now becoming available, but full synthetic is hard to find. When I mentioned this to the techs at corporate Mazda, they actually had the gall to tell me that they had never tested synthetic motor oil, and that they, therefore, did not recommend it.