I had driven a beat up 74 Capri, a couple of beat up Bugs, and a Yamaha 180 scooter. My first "modern" car was an 89 CRX Si that I loved until it was totalled in an accident with my 7-months prego wife driving. Luckily, no one was hurt, and my son is a happy and healthy 6-yr-old.
Anyway, I was in Turkey at the time, and the task of finding a new car fell to me via long distance. It was late 1995, and the whole internet thing was still pretty rough, but I managed to narrow it down through some exhaustive research. I needed a family sedan that offered handling akin to my CRX, and from all that I read, the Contour would fit the bill. A friend of mine test drove one at a local dealer back home, giving me his driving impression over the phone. That was the last straw, and soon the deal was made.
Get this, I bought this car without ever test driving it, and my only regret is that I probably paid too much for it, owing to the long-distance negotiations. Otherwise, when I went to pick it up, it was like a fantasy internet relationship come to life. (that is, this one turned out well.) She's been my baby ever since.
