Car advice

[William Safford]

 > My wife and I have a dear friend whose two sons are new(ish) 
 > drivers.  One  is fully capable of handling a manual tranny but 
 > the other she has serious  doubts about.  She is presently looking 
 > at a dealer certified '98 BMW 318i  with ~64K on the clock and 
 > asked my advice.
 
Lucky children! 
 
When I was in high school, there was no question about it: I was not 
permitted to own a car, no matter who paid for it. My parents would have scoffed 
at the suggestion. When I went to college, my parents said that I 
could buy a car, but only if I also put myself through college as well; ergo, no 
car. They would have been appalled had I even breathed a suggestion of a 
BMW or Audi. I would have considered myself lucky to have been permitted to 
purchase a used Ford Pinto, long after they went out of production. 
 
I did end up having a car for the last two years of college. I inherited my 
grandmother's Buick. I'd rather have gone without a car and kept her around, 
of course. 
 
 > Question #2:  Does any eastern US list member have a decent fairly 
 > recent  model A4 with a slushbox for sale?   If so, please send 
 > details ASAP.
 
There are quite a few listed for sale on various online car ad web sites: 
cars.com, autotrader.com, etc. I've been keeping my eyes open for an Avant 
for myself. Several I've rejected off the bat because they have slushboxes. They 
might suit your friend's purposes. 
 
I think that an Avant would be a good choice for youths. It gives them lots 
of extra cargo capacity for bicycles, sports equipment, and other stuff. It also 
is a tad humbling, being less sporty looking than a sedan. <grin> 
 
 
 
 --William Safford