Tong Family

_Well our 1996 Volvo just hit its $2K/year repair level. Pretty expensive for a car worth $8K. Main issue is having to go to the shop all the time. And really the parts are outrageous. $430 for a wiper motor. What a great margin business.
So time to think about the next car for me. I’m speeded out after a decade of BMWs, so on to more “interesting” cars for me. Here are some to think about:
Acura RD-X Concept Debuts at North American International Auto Show. This is one case where spam mail really works. I got a note from Acura about this. Kind of cool and will release in fall of 2006. It is a small SUV with all the features. Including the usual, but also GPS with real-time traffic, on-board hard drive for music, no window shield wipers (air blows stuff away!) etc.
“Zapworld’s Smart Car”:http://www.zapworld.com/cars/smartcar.asp. Connie thinks I’m crazy, but this is the “famous” 8 foot long, 2-seater from Europe. Zap is finally able to import it. 60 horsepower, but also 60 mpg. Perfect for commuting if you ask me. They want to start a dealership network and the thing is just $15K so stay tuned.
“Toyota Prius”:http://www.toyota.com/prius/. The car that really started it all. Just $20K or so and with a huge waiting list. Pretty cool though and it does have five seats.
Acura RD-X Concept Debuts