2/18/2023 0 Comments 20 years down and forever to goThe VW van, which creates instant counterculture nostalgia for baby boomers, keeps finding new generations of fans. The seller might not realize what he’s letting go. A shrewd shopper looking for a used Corolla might consider one of these instead. These cars get highway mileage in the 35 mpg range, which has made them Old Gold when gas prices are high. These were the first Toyotas assembled in the U.S., and the story of how this location’s jaded United Auto Workers workforce learned the “Toyota Way” and turned out cars just as good as the ones built in Japan is a fascinating one (you can listen to it in an episode of the public radio show “This American Life”). factory that built nearly 8 million vehicles of Toyota’s basic design before it closed down in 2010. All of these cars were the product of a Toyota-GM joint venture called NUMMI, a Fremont, Calif. This Corolla clone (marketed as a Chevrolet at one point) also appeared as the Chevy Nova (1984-1988) and the Pontiac Vibe (2002-2010). But while the Corolla’s longevity goes unremarked, the Prizm and its stable-mates cause head-scratching as they soldier on into their second or even third decade: What is that thing? How is it still running? The Geo Prizm is one of a number of vehicles that have at their core one of the most reliable cars ever: the Toyota Corolla. Closely related but scarcer: the Chevy Impala Wagon and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. Lower-stress suburban living may be the reason. The wagons seem to have outlasted their mechanically identical sedan brethren, such as the bulbous Chevy Caprice that was a fixture of police and taxi fleets in the 1990s. “Quite a feat for a car this weight and size,” he says. “Cheap to insure,” says Kevin Cullinane of Bethesda, Md., who has owned two of these big boys as well as a lot of other older American iron, and “parts are cheap and plentiful.” With a gentle foot on the gas, Cullinane gets 17 miles per gallon in town, and 23 to 24 mpg on the highway. You can even squeeze a third passenger up front if the ruckus in back gets too loud. Rear-facing third-row seats, wood paneling on the sides, shifter on the steering column-all the elements of the Great American Wagon are there. In the later years of its production, the Roadmaster was armed with a honking 5.7-liter V8 closely related to the Chevy Corvette’s to move all that mass. This General Motors behemoth offers an appealing combination of reliable, modern(ish) technology and retro looks. Behold the last of the big American station wagons.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |