zoom, zoom, zoom!

i am looking for a new car, but not necessarily a mazda...that was written to fool david. while the mazda 3 is in the running, i am also considering various toyotas and hondas (corolla, accord, prius, insight, civic, camry, etc.) unfortunately as i pass 180k miles, my honda accord, aka champagne dreams, looks to be about done. i could spend a ton and get the transmission fixed, but i think at this point, it's time to move on. she has served me well as i commuted 50 miles round trip to work and drove everyone around (because it was apparently "the dad car"). through that I put a lot of wear and tear on this car and as louis terms it, this car has earned it's death.

so now i am in the market for something new that i hope to take better care of and not run into the ground as quickly as c.d. with that in mind, i am slightly tempted to opt for something smaller, thus not automatically being assumed that it will be the limo for the night. maybe something along the lines of....
if the isetta is not really going to be an option, then i do still want to consider fuel efficiency. i am very intrigued by the prius and it's 50 mpg. motorweek awarded it the best overall car of the year. brodie has been anti prius due to the potential battery replacement, so that has swayed me some, though i have been reading that it is covered for like 100k miles or something. i can also potentially get a very basic model corolla for cheap. now i always say i don't care much about how a car looks outside and inside. i'm not a car person. it's just a means of transportation. at the same time, i do appreciate some additions, like a sun roof. i guess i need to figure out where i draw the line and decide if i am fine with the basic model in order to save some money.


i will probably need to go test drive a few of these models and make a decision in the near future before my car dies on 95. i am hoping for a low stress buying experience where i get everything i want at a price that is cheaper than i expect. i feel that is reasonable. otherwise i might just have to give xzibit a call and see what he can do for me.