Hi Mark,

The question I'd ask is what will you do underneath the hardtop
(ahem). I mean, I have a Wolfsburg which gives me a flip-up table,
seating for 7, and a full size bed (yes, even bigger than a westy's),
plus I can fold all that down and pull out the two jumpseats and deal
with a huge volume of cargo. Can you do that with a boyquota? Not that
ones I've seen. Plus, I truly enjoy the feel of driving a rear-engine
German car. I think you should test drive both and see which one gives
you more "gruven".

Good luck,
Peter

On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 1:33 PM, Mark Hineline <hineline@helix.ucsd.edu> wrote:
> In a month or so I'm going to sell my 2001 VW GTI (1.8 liter) so that
> I can buy one of two vehicles. The heart wants a hardtop Vanagon (it
> actually wants a Syncro Westfalia, but the heart isn't writing the
> check). The head says no, get a mid- to late-80s van produced by a
> Japanese automaker. First syllable rhymes with "boy." Second and third
> syllables rhyme with "quota."
>
> The head argues: good heat and air conditioning. An engine that will
> last hundreds of thousands of miles. More power in proportion to mass.
> Same relationship between the driver and the sheet metal in front of
> the vehicle. Radiator and engine are in the same county. Fabulous
> turning radius. No real need for the added interior volume.
>
> Heart says: yeah, but you'll still want a Vanagon.
>
> Anyone have any arguments that the head will listen to?
>
> Mark Hineline
>