It’s been a while since I’ve given you a silly scenario to help you choose between cars, so I think it’s high time we did one. Today we’re playing a game I’m going to call “Brewster’s Thousands,” and if you get the reference, you probably already understand the broad strokes. If not, hang tight, and I’ll explain in a minute.
Yesterday’s choice was between an automatic VW Passat with a check-engine light and an Infiniti G20 with a manual and some non-trivial body damage. Good arguments were made both for and against each one, but in the end, the Primera-by-another-name took a comfortable win, despite the whole driver’s side being banged up.
I agree wholeheartedly. If the Passat were a manual, I would have chosen it, but I just can’t get on board with an automatic in that car. And I don’t know what all is involved in a manual swap. I’ll take the G20, dents and all. Oh and by the way, I think the goop on the side mirror is glue or epoxy or something holding it together. You do what you gotta do.
Now then, for today’s choices, here is your made-up back story: Your weird uncle (mine was named Gordy, yours may not have been) passed away and left you something in his will: twelve hundred dollars, and a set of instructions. You must use that money to buy a car, and drive it to his celebration of life on the other side of the country next week. If you do that, his estate will buy you whatever car you wish – within reason, and subject to the estate lawyer’s approval. You’ve been looking around, and these two seem like the most viable candidates at the moment. Let’s review the finer points of both, so you can make a decision and hit the road.
1997 Ford Aspire – $1,200
Engine/drivetrain: 1.3-liter OHC inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Lynnwood, WA
Odometer reading: 152,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives
The joke almost wrote itself, and I heard it for the first time thirty seconds after I saw my first Ford Aspire: “Do they call it that because it aspires to be a real car?” This egg-shaped follow-up to the tiny Ford Festiva was the butt of jokes from the very beginning, but it never was all that bad of a car. It’s just cheap, simple, and honest. That shouldn’t be considered a character flaw.
The Aspire’s mechanical specification more or less carried over from the Festiva, and the Mazda 121/Kia Pride that spawned it: a 1.3-liter Mazda-designed four-cylinder, making 72 horsepower. It drives the front wheels through, in this case, an old-school three-speed automatic. Other markets got a 1.5-liter engine with more power and an overdrive gear, but we weren’t so lucky. The Aspire’s strong suit was never performance anyway; it was fuel economy. But don’t worry; it’ll cruise along the freeway at 75 without a problem. It just takes a while to get there, and makes a terrible racket doing it. We don’t get any useful information about this one’s condition or history; all the seller says is that it runs and drives. That’s good enough for our purposes, I guess.
Inside, it’s a typical ’90s economy car: crank windows, bare-minimum instrumentation, and gray seat fabric with a funky pattern on it. There’s some heavy wear on the passenger’s seat, but it isn’t ripped or damaged. Actually, for twelve hundred bucks, it’s pretty nice inside. I can’t see if it has air conditioning or not; the steering wheel is blocking the view of the button. But if it does, you probably can’t use it going uphill anyway.
Aspires were popular as tow-behind dinghies for motor homes, and this one has the tow bars for that use. I don’t know how you flat-tow a car with an automatic, though. You can’t just stick it in neutral like you can a manual. Maybe the transmission has been modified to allow it? It’s beat-up and tired-looking, but it doesn’t have any rust.
2000 Chevrolet Tracker – $1,200
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, 4WD
Location: Fraser, MI
Odometer reading: 134,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives
The Chevy/Geo Tracker, and its twin the Suzuki Sidekick/Vitara, were also popular with the motorhome crowd. But these little 4x4s were popular with pretty much everybody for many years. They didn’t have the mountain-goat-like off-road chops of Suzuki’s Samurai, but they were a hell of a lot nicer to drive on the highway, thanks to independent front suspension. Everybody these days wants a two-door with a soft top, but the more practical four-door wagon version sold a lot more units.
Power for the second-generation Tracker comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. A four-speed automatic sends power to a traditional transfer-case-equipped 4WD system, complete with a big lever to shift between 2WD, 4WD High, and 4WD Low. Those were going out of style by 2000 in favor of push-buttons, but I’m glad to see the lever here. It runs and drives, but the seller does note a few flaws: it has a failed motor mount, so the engine shakes at idle, the check engine light is on for an oxygen sensor, and it’s leaking oil from somewhere. It does, however, have a new battery and good tires.
The interior of this one is surprisingly nice for the price, too. I was expecting it to be all torn up inside, but it looks remarkably well cared-for. It has power windows, but the passenger side rear one doesn’t roll down.
It’s a Michigan car, so of course it has some rust, and it looks like it has been parked outside, because the clearcoat is fried. Still, for the price – there’s that qualification again – it’s not bad. As long as the frame is still solid, it should have a road trip or two left in it.
So all you have to do, for the purposes of our game here, is pick which one you’d feel more confident driving across the country, after which you’ll have your pick of automobiles – within reason. (For reference, my own weird uncle Gordy’s idea of “treating himself” to a car was a brand-new Buick Skyhawk T-Type, but I think you can aim a little higher.) Vote on your choice of car, and then tell me in the comments what car you’re going to ask for.
“…and it’s leaking oil from somewhere.”
Being a Michigan vehicle, that oil leak could be the oil pan rusting through to the point of it being porous. You wouldn’t think something filled with oil could rust out, but that’s what happened to mine after only 8 years of driving it in northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula winters.
So a reluctant vote for the Ass-pipe today. Changing the O2 sensor and that oil pan on a 4WD Tracker is just too much of a PITA.
I have never had an easy time changing out an O2 sensor and I feel like it’ll be what eventually cripples that Tracker before it can make the trip – whether the fuel system gums up or the catalytic convertor clogs. Which is a shame, because it looks way more fun and comfy than the Aspire. But if we’re just trying to win the bet, I feel like that Aspire has slightly better odds at surviving the trip (with frequent stops to check fluids). Besides… Aspire is an anagram of Praise, which should lead to some level of divine assistance.
For a One-Shot cannonball cross country drive, I’ll take the Aspire. It will be a slow, boring, noisy and worst of all hot (I’m old and get cranky when I don’t have AC) because there is pretty much a zero percent probability of: A.) The original owner of this sprung for AC and B.) The theoretical AC still works, coming together on a 3 decade old $1200 crapcan. But it will likely make the trip just fine, just make sure to take the lowest passes in the mountains.
The Tracker has a few too many issues to trust on a long drive until they are resolved.
If we weren’t playing the game, the Tracker would have my money easily. Fix it up and it’s a fun little winter beater (until the frame dissolves).
There have been some flat-towable automatics over the years, notably Saturn S-Series and Vues, for some reason. I believe it has to do with the output shaft being designed to scoop up transmission fluid and lubricating the gearset, but, it could be something entirely different.
It’s a Ford Perspire if the a/c is lacking.
The Aspire = Le Oeuf
The deciding factor is when this trip is to be made. In winter time, I’d go for the four wheel drive. Late spring through fall, Aspire all the way.
Tracker. I had a 2 door, 2WD soft top version, and I’d have another in a heartbeat. The 4 door version is just fine by me.
And I’m getting another car after the road trip? Great!
Do I get to keep the Tracker, tho?
The Aspire, because I read the test question. The cross-country trip part gives it a narrow win. The Tracker with a bad motor mount, 4wd, and Michigan undercarriage means the poor thing will shake something loose that makes ir go forward at some point in the trip (possibly the driver’s spine).
The aspire will happily chug along loudly at 65-70, not use up a lot of gas, and will probably position itself to draft behind tractor-tailors automatically given its history. And when it’s made it to uncle’s celebration of life there will be no tears shed as it’s handed over to whatever “we buy junk cars” service is handy.
Yep, Aspire is 100% the way to go. If anything goes wrong, at least you’ll be able to fix it without risking tetanus or giant chunks of rust falling straight into your eyes.
Every single undercarriage bolt on the Tracker will have rusted and homogenized into a single amorphous blob. Just say no to 26-year-old Michigan cars.
Depending on how long and how badly it’s been leaking oil, the rust might not be that bad! But it probably is that bad. Being a cheap 4×4 with low miles but completely sun-faded, this could have been someone’s winter beater they bought cheap with GM plan pricing.
Send the Expire to the junkyard.
I’d feel more confident going long distance in something low like the Aspire: it’ll probably get blown around less than something that doesn’t weigh much more and is significantly higher profile. It’s also less rusty. I’m sure both are out of alignment and will still be a bit white knuckle, and neither is particularly fast, but the Aspire I’d trust more on the interstate. It also suits my tastes better for after the trip.
I would have gone with the Asspire if it had been one of the fun colors they came in (purple, yellow, teal, etc.) but white??? And an automatic? Puke-a-tronic.
The transmission is irrelevant for the scenario. How often are you really shifting gears on a cross-country, all interstate drive? One time when you get on the highway and another time when you exit. Automatic or manual makes pretty much no difference here.
Overdrive. The 3-speed doesn’t have it, the 5-speed manual does, and when you’re merging on the highway, encounter hills, etc. it’s going to make the most of what little power there is. Listening to that thing drone on and at high revs with no OD would be terrible.
Fair point. I retract my previous statement
I’ll take the Tracker today. Hopefully the four speed auto is an OD unit.
Two-time AssFire owner here. Third times a charm? Seriously, for $1200 that’s a deal on a a gas-saving work commuter. Mine never had functional A/C, so I’ll survive.
I hope you do a member’s rides sometime so we can get the history of owning not one but two Aspires! Sigh…I miss happy little everyday hatches.
They stopped doing Members’ Rides
There go my dreams of recognition and glory!
It’s not much of a story. They worked until they didn’t! 🙂 Lack of parts did them in. Good little cars that did their job, and nothing else. RIP Suzy Aspire (I &II).
I have a 2001 Focus ZX3 now that my youngest drives. SO MUCH BETTER!