Firstly, it's not the best car out there. It's small, even cramped at times, and not the most attractive vehicle out there, but it's different. It's next to identical to the Ford Escort of the same years and shares the same components throughout the entire vehicle. Gas mileage is above average for this time period of the '90s boasting 31 mpg in the city and nearly 40 mpg on the highway. A more realistic figure, based on general upkeep and maintenance at approximately 165,000 miles, is an average of 32 mpg in the city and almost 50 mpg on the highway. The trunk is not extremely spacious but will fit any roadside equipment needed without sacrificing space for other items. The wagon base comes with a roof rack from the factory and will hold two single person kayak's with ease. The short stature of the vehicle also makes loading and unloading items from the roof rack a breeze. As a 21-year-old car that has been well maintained, the car is an overall good condition. The exterior paint needs minor touch ups but isn't fading or cracking. The interior dash is still soft and the cloth seats have yet to tear. The door panels are a different story. They are poorly made, and the armrest are known to rip off. Performance and maintenance wise is a breeze. An oil change every 6,000 miles will keep the car happy and running strong. The timing belt is not interference. If it breaks it wont destroy the head or affect timing. In an extreme case you could take a quality leather belt and fit it around the gears to attempt to put-put into the nearest town if you find yourself stranded. In short, I'd buy the car again. I'd also recommend it to anyone needing something to get started with as the car is fairly inexpensive. Bluebook is around $1,500, if it's in good condition.

This car is 21 years old and still running. Back in the day when it was bought, it probably was a nice but a wallet friendly car. Great on gas mileage, automatic seat belts, and air conditioning. It is comfortable for smaller sized people. No blind spots.

When I first saw this car, I fell in love with it. It was small but large enough for my family. I bought this vehicle used as a work vehicle for me. After discovering the awesome gas mileage this vehicle got, it soon became a family car. Although snug, this car could seat all of my family, which is two adults, mid teenager, and two smaller children who did not need car seats. I would not try to fit any more than two car seats in this vehicle. The car also had enough space in the back (as it is a wagon) for large shopping trips and still seating five people. After purchasing this vehicle there seemed to be no mechanical issues. Due to age, and previous miles this car has needed some replacements, however it has not been very often, and the parts are reasonable. I am able to handle this car on the iciest of icy roads. This car also has endured a trip into the ditch and needed pulled out of a soft muddy road. This car is also the main car that I have used to teach my 16 year old son to drive. It is small enough that as a passenger, if needed I could reach the steering wheel and redirect the car until he was able to control it himself. He has used this vehicle to take several driving tests, the failure is not that of the vehicle, but more of the driver. The biggest con to this car is the frequent issue of door handles not working properly. Every so often it would snap a spring or something and not open until the door was torn apart and the handles reset.