OT: The wife talked me into it this time, I swear...

[grunau_baby]

...she started the arguement about my driving style since I own that little blue pocket-rocket. I admitted it whereupon we had a harsh debate about traffic legislation, my carelessness etc. I was defeated...

Arguement no. 2 was about me looking rather infantile and odd with that little car. A obvious lack of seriousness on my side...bla, bla, bla.

I asked her if all this would be reason enough to get a new car!!! And from what money!!!
(What she did not say, she discovered her own little dear car - Fiat 500 - turned out to be rather unpractical for transport of about anything larger than a single shopping bag and I was the weak point of getting a better means of transport...;-)

She said all this moving house lately and the trouble involved was based on her selfish ideas so she wanted me to get a "reward" for sharing all the trouble. I answered that´d could be no less than a Lancia!!! She said okay, try to sell the rocket at a good price and I donate the rest... (I know why I married her).

Here it is: a Lancia Musa
(a rather odd mixture of van and linousine, but you cannot beat the interior saloonlike space at this size and it drives and handles like a big limo) The coloursceme is fantastic, outside "venetian alabaster" (Ivorycolor) and dark naviblue with brushed metall style inside! Dealer pictures don´t do it any justice, color looks amazing with the changing light outside! Love the little thing!

Regards and forza italia!
Alex

 

[Sixghost]

My parents own one, I gotta say it's a quiet car, not too expensive and really comfortable inside. Still, I can't quite like the outside (i prefer the less "researched" look of the Fiat Idea) and driving position (too high for my tastes). All in all, it's a good car if coupled with a mid to high side engine...

Ever considered Alfa's? The new Milano is brilliant!

 

[grunau_baby]

Not an Alfa type, not really! Though I do like the new Milano look, too. I even like the Mito. My wife completely loves Alfas, I simply like them, but prefer the refined Lancia-understatement. I always call ´em "ennobled Fiats"

Unfortunately Lancia has not too much to chose from at the moment. The Ypsilon is too small and girly-fashionable to me and the Delta is perfect, but unfortunately underused with my daily distances and too expensive if you consider a better equipment. I never really considered a Musa until recently, cause personally I do like the high driving position very much and the great interior space. And this one was a real bargain, midrange equiped, low milage and decent price.

Moreover - though it is the best sold car in it´s range in Italy - it is perfectly exclusive and rare in germany. Only around 1000 units are registered each year, which makes it as odd an appearance - at least concerning the numbers - as a Bentley or Masserati, etc. around here.

Regards
Alex

 

[Cazzie]

For some reason, everything looks so compacted in that. I have a Honda Fit, Jazz in your neighborhood, and it looks pretty close to the design of the Lancia. But the interior room of the fit looks larger, especially for driver and passengers. There is much more legroom for rear passengers, even with the front seats slid all the way to the rear, than I see in that Lancia. For me, the Fit is the exact perfect combination of small car that carried a big load. With the rear seats folded, it has a whopping 57.3 cu, ft. of storage, much more that my wife's Honda Insight Hybrid.

Oh, and did I mention Alex, the Fit is a nice little pocket-rocket too, fun to throw around curvy roads.

Caz

 

[grunau_baby]

Cazzie,

as I said the pics don´t do it any justice, even concerning the size:
1. The Fit/Jazz has actually similar proportions as the Musa (slightly bigger outside).
2. In the Musa two people of 6 Foot 7 can sit easily behind each other without looking too cramped. I am 6 Foot 2 and with my front-seating-position (long legs, seat pushed back a lot) I can easily sit on the rearseat behind the drivers seat as well and have plenty of legroom.
3. I am married with no kids, so the rearspace is not really what I was looking for. The driving seat offers space anough for a tabdance behind the wheel. Someone mentioned - I did not try it - when you fold down the seats you can transport two bikes inside!

I never really looked into this vehicle category a lot, but did a lot of comparitions lately. I drove the Opel Meriva (GM) for my job a lot (same class) and must say compared to the Musa it´s practical - ONLY, not really bad, but lumb, unrefined and square http://www.opel.de/shop/cars/meriva/gallery/photo/content.act?pic=8!!! While the Musa IS a little less broad and practical as others in it´s class it is the best equiped and most stylish for the money. Though the engine is silent and efficient it may not be as revy and fun as the one of your Fit I must say.
But: it´s a Lancia

Alex

 

[Lionheart]

Hey Alex,

Man, its a tough call, selecting your 'motor' of new choice that will be a new look and new 'captivation' in your lifestyle.

Here are a couple of my thoughts. I too have been 'maturing' in my tastes. Some fine, new classics that have caught my eye have been the Alfa 164, the large sedan with the sleek body and fully adjustable seats. Its like a BMW made in Italy. They are aging though and I do not know if they are still sold as Americans have been out of the loop on Italian cars for years now.

My second choice of Italy for a 'awesome' set of wheels that is 'mature' would be a Maserati Quatroporte', fully restored with that brilliant wood/leather interior and a V8 engine. The thing to do though, at least in America, is to switch out the engine for a more dependable one, such as a Ford or Chevy engine. (Going to a nice junk yard, you can have engines pulled from new wrecked cars including the fuel injection equipment, etc).

They are much bigger cars though from what you are used to. I am guessing you will laugh off these two choices, and I dont blame you. When I was much younger, I too would have laughed it off. But now I am 'maturing' I guess and look for cars that project the personality I seek to become.

You know, another would be a classic Ferrari 400i. Great family cars, plenty of room for groceries, road trips, etc. The engine would be terribly expensive to maintain unless you had it switched out. (I know, dont throw any lettuce or tomatoes at me. its for the sake of affordability. The 400i is a family car, not a true sports car in the sense).

These are inexpensive, and most likely would need to be restored if you found one really cheap. But after its done (like restoring an old classic home) the reward would be, I think, quite nice.

This might even mean joining new clubs, like a Maserati or Ferrari club, attending shows on weekends, etc.

The possibilities when one thinks outside of the box. (or would be be car?).

:d

Bill

 

[Bjoern]

But now I am 'maturing' I guess and look for cars that project the personality I seek to become.

Isn't it always like that?

Same as dogs always and mysteriously look like their owners, your taste in cars always tells something about your personality - no matter your age or background.

 

[Cazzie]

LOL, you're not maturing Bill, you're going middle-age-crazy!

I can fit two bikes in my Fit also Alex, if I remove the front wheels, no problem these days with quick-release skewers and brake releases.

One thing that sold me on the Fit is the sheer versatility of the rear seat. The bottom can be pushed up straight to give one a deep compartment for tall objects and they can be laid flat for bike hauling and telescope hauling. I do not like the ergonomics of my wife's Insight at all. No matter how high I raise the steering wheel, it gets in my way getting in and out and I am not a big person, not fat either. And it simply will not haul my gear, even with the rear seats lowered. It has only 35 cu. ft. storage with the seats down, simply not enough. Plus, since the Insight is a hatchback and not a utility wagon, the rear entry does not have enough room to put a bike in.

I have a 2007 Fit right now, had it for three years. It is slightly smaller and has slightly less HP and storage than the newer Fit. And after we get the Chrysler Town & Country (Voyager in Europe) van paid off in January, I am getting a new Fit next Spring. It has been nothing but a pleasure and about the most fun car I have ever owned, including two sports cars (Opel GT and Spitfire), a Renault Fuego Turbo, and a Chevy Nova Police Special (what a POS that was).

Caz

 

[grunau_baby]

Well I guess most cars in the same range don´t hurt each other very much, the Musa has endless possibilities of folding and utilizing seats, too, With hidden boxes etc. I guess a lot of it I will never use anyway

Bill, replacing the sound of a real Masserati engine with someting vulgar and ordinary - even though reliable - is not mature!!!

Italianaria is happeneing when you live in peace with the flaws and enjoy the beauty and elegance, especially the beauty of a Quatroporte, a true Giugaro-masterpiece, I´d chose the GT S http://www.italiaspeed.com/2009/cars/maserati/05/quattroporte_sport_gts/gallery/gallery.html. But the Alfa is a good choice, too, though these models really show their age by now.

Alex