Everywhere you go you'll have people with great ownership experiences, and others with poor ones. It's the proportion that makes a difference if you're concerned with reliability.
My SVT has been a POS from the start, with everything breaking on it time and time again, despite my efforts at maintaining it well. Yet I am still an enthusiast. I'm realistic though, it's costing me a lot of money!
You have to agree that chances of getting a 5hitty SHO are much higher than chances of getting a 5hitty Corolla. Doesn't mean you should'n buy one, but it might not be an economical proposition.
The guy that sold me my SVT did it for monetary reasons. He leased himself a brand spankin new 4 banger GM, hated it for 2 years, but got himself out of debt because of the low payments. He's now gotten rid of it and is moving back into a car that he can love, now that he truly can afford it. There's not a day he doesn't miss his SVT, but I think he's very satisfied of his current monetary situation. He can get all the SVTs he wants now, without the financial burden of large debt.
Just my .02$ I'd trade the SVT and get something VERY affordable. Sacrifice a little for a year or two won't kill you. Get yourself an SVT Contour afterwards. Or an SHO. Or a Cobra. Or a BMW. But be debt free!
