[SentraSE-R]

My dad sissified me back in the '60s by insisting on having seat belts installed in our car. The mfrs fought mandatory seat belts for years, insisting they'd cost too much. And meanwhile, there were plenty of people buying into the myths that real men didn't wear seat belts, and seat belts would keep you from escaping from your burning/drowning car in an emergency. Ten thousand fewer deaths/year, despite increases in traffic volume, says the sissies were right.

Old cars have a mystique about them. We'd all love to own a classic '57 Chevy, '65 Mustang, etc. But when the rubber hits the road, reality isn't so pretty. They had long-throw, slow, three-on-the-tree transmissions, didn't handle worth a d*mn, rode like boats in a molasses ocean, and they're pretty coffins before they crush you.

What do we get with '93 Geo Metros, '92 Saturn SL1s and '87 CRX HFs? Twenty year old technology. Nice to save a few bucks with, but you're giving up major compromises in safety in return. Safety isn't that big a deal, and a fancy new car doesn't make you immune from stupidity. But the new stuff does have some advantages to offset the weight and price.