For a while, I was sinking on average about what a monthly car payment would cost into my '95 Contour every month and a half or so. Partly on performance, partly on maintenance/repair. And that's how I did and continue to put it...those are my car payments, since it was bought outright for a very reasonable price. On the other hand, I sold my wife's '96 (4 cyl) because the performance and quality weren't enough to justify the "payments" we'd be making on it, and we got a 4 cyl Mazda 6 that was nicer in every respect, even though it's costing us more. It's her primary car and we usually take it when we go places together, and I still enjoy my growly, rattly, BAT-equipped Contour for my own use. Best of both worlds.
BTW, even the automatic, 4-cyl 6 can skedaddle when you pop it into the manumatic gates and rev it like it's an S2000. It's hiding 160hp in that 2.3L and you just have to WANT them.
