>>Well, Jags (as with most other English makes of the 70s and later) are
>well-known for really bad reliability, current models included.
>
>On top of that Jags (even new ones) look ugly, handle poorly, SUCK fuel
>like there's no tomorrow and are a bodyshop's delight.<
>
>But Andy... you didn't speak to the question... what does that say about us
>all?
>We're not the ones driving Jags.

Oops! Well, we have the sense not to, eh?

We drive one of the two best vehicles ever made, taken from a
quality/practicality/fun viewpoint. A REALLY practical vehicle has to be
able to carry big loads yet seat people in an enclosed body. This means a
van. To be fun it has to handle at least reasonably. And preferably perform
well (I know the US versions don't do the latter, but CAN be made to). The
Vanagon provides handling, and quite good performance outside north
America. It is a good-quality vehicle (engine, interior plastics &
switchgear excepted).

The other vehicle I would consider in this category would be the Toyota
Hiace. I mean the genuine Hiace cabover design, not the front-engined thing
sold in Europe. Overall it's a better vehicle in many ways than the VW, but
doesn't handle as well (it's certainly not bad, especially the upmarket
torsionbar-suspended versions).

Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
VW & mollusc nut
1984 VW Caravelle (currently SVX engine; waiting for a Porsche trans)
1985 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma 2.0 (FWD), for sale
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel (extaxi)
1989 CE96 Toyota Corolla 1.8DX diesel wagon
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel (taxi)