My tastes in cars have changed. Tempo is still #1, but I'm not that big on SUV's any more. To be honest, I hate them. I think they are genius creations used in the wrong way. Maybe 1 in 100 owners of SUV's use their cars capabilities to their fullest. I still have a thing for the original, first generation Explorer. But they weren't gigantic (think Honda CR-V, not Chevy Suburban 2500), and they didn't have gigantic engines (4.0L V6's). No, I don't want to ever get one, but I still like them for their appearance, their ride, the versatility and off-roading ability (yes, I have a relative who has a 1994 XLT 4x4 Explorer).
Otherwise, my tastes have ultimately shifted towards older 1980's Fords (Taurus, Tempo, Escort and their Mercury relatives), 1950's Plymouths (once again, I'd rather not own one due to price of maintenance and gasoline). That top 100 list of my favorite cars isn't accurate any more. Example of my change in car taste is that while Explorer4x4 on IMCDb, I hated the Smart ForTwo. I mocked its small size and power. Now I am a big supporter of it, I really hope it catches on in America. I think its a genius car, and only hope that SUV owners will figure out that you don't have to have a gigantic land yacht to be safe and happy. If everyone who didn't need a pickup truck bed, towing or off-roading capability drove a Smart ForTwo as their daily/urban driver, life would be a million times easier and better. For everyone.
I do have an account on IMCDb, I have had one for over a two months. No one has noticed it is me. So yeah, at this point, I think I'm just being banned for being Explorer4x4. Not because of my actions. I am fully aware I was a terrible member that deserved to be banned (looking back, I can't believe I wasn't banned sooner).
About the Tempo, yeah, its not that great. Its no where near as great as I made it out to be. But its a good car. I think it is a good looking car (my personal preference), its reliable, fuel efficient and comfortable. It does everything I want it to. Its not fast, its not cool, its not powerful. But it does get the job done well.
You must understand that America is different from Europe. Those four choices are required. We opted away from the Dodge Durango because it was too big, too costly and was terrible as far as gas was concerned. The Honda Odyssey is a minivan, not an SUV. I come from a family of eight people. Yeah, we can't get a Ford Focus. The Saturn Outlook is a bit big, but it gets the same miles per gallon as the Odyssey and is ultimately the same height and length as your average minivan or MPV. We can't go any smaller. We can go bigger, but not smaller. We have eight people (and we use all eight seats at least twice a week), ten dogs, multiple other animals and lets not start on friends and relatives. If a station wagon were offered with eight seats and room for dogs we'd buy it. There are some, but most of them are older cars with gigantic engines. The Ford Taurus Wagon sat eight, but we'd rather not have a Taurus (reliability issues, and we would rather have a new car). Living in this rural part of Alaska (famous for its snow and harsh weather conditions), All Wheel Drive is nearly required. If you have another suggestion for a family car for us, please tell me. There are no other smaller minivans or crossovers available in America. We aren't rich, so we can't import a car from Europe (even so, I don't know if you guys have any eight passenger minivans or estates).
Furthermore, I have been talking to my parents and trying to convince them to downsize. We've agreed on one thing. We have the Silverado and F-150, and we have my Tempo. We plan to get an eight passenger family vehicle (might even go used, if we have to), like the Outlook or Odyssey. So if we do, we (my two parents and I) will use my Ford Tempo for daily commutes in which we aren't transporting more then five people or animals. If we need more then five seats or if we are transporting animals, we will simply use the family vehicle. If we need off-roading or towing prowess, or if we need a truck bed, we'll use either the F-150 or Silverado. Yes, we do occasionally need to tow and we do use a truck bed often. Last weekend, my entire family (and two other family's) went to Kanovolof Lake in Nikiski to our property there (beautiful spot, forty acres including lake frontage). We brought the Silverado, my uncle brought his 1988 Ford F-150, my aunt brought her Suburban and two other people brought their trucks (1970's Chevrolet Scottsdale 10 and a 2003 Ford F-250 Super Duty). Every single truck was filled to the brim of wood, which we cut down and made to fit our wood-burning stove (our source of heat at our cabin). We could not have done it without those trucks. Here are two pictures from that day, all of the trucks lined up after being loaded.
With my family's lifestyle, we just can't live without these trucks.
