I wouldn’t avoid all Ford products. I fully intend to buy a Lincoln my next time around. But the Focus has had a tough time.
It has been recalled umpteen times, and resale value is crap. My brother bought one brand new, and had a million problems. He got rid of it and got a Chevy Cavalier, and that has been a tremendous improvement. That should give you an idea of the scope of the problem.
Try this web site. It might help you narrow things down.
Personally, I like Hondas, but a new one might be a few thousand more than you want to pay, especially if it’s an automatic. The DX models don’t have air conditioning, either.
We bought a Hyundai Elantra recently. They’re fairly well priced, have good features for the price, and come with a good warranty.
Would a 1994 Geo metro with 68,000 miles for $1,000 fit the bill?
I suggest going to a Hertz sales lot. They sell their rental fleet after 20-30,000 miles, and they show you the service history. It’s a no haggle sales model, so there’s no pressure to buy anything. My wife bought a 97 Camry and I bought an 02 Protege 5, and we’ve both been pretty satisfied.
I’m wondering what special features the CzarCar would have?
A button that locks threads?
And ejector/banning seat?
Would it turn into a sub or a plane?