Love My Wagon

My 86 Ford Taurus wagon was on it's second coolant system and that wasn't doing the job. My daily commute became even more stressful: sitting at a light and watching the temperature gauge swing up like the second hand of a watch, seeing all the cars stuck on the side of the road and the drivers calling for help on their cell phones (I don't even have a cell phone).
So it was time for a newer car. Something reliable, something with enough room to sleep in while on a road trip and to fit a lot of my art or junk in, something that doesn't say "status". I'd painted blobbies on my rusty Taurus, so I wasn't looking for something to worship based on the looks of the car. A station wagon.

There aren't a lot of car makers making station wagons anymore.

I looked for them at 10 different used car places. There were a couple 90 to 96 Tauruses, a pushy salesguy trying to sell me a Focus, and then I found my car.

At first it was strange...the 99 is so much more rounded than my old wagon. I call it the crouched and muscular look. And I know I can compare my old Ford with the new Mercury because they still have some of the same parts in common, which was sort of strangely reassuring. The ride was also a LOT quieter than the old one (or any of my friends' cars).

The radio unit is laid out for easy control.

The gas mileage is good (not great), especially when compared to some SUV's which don't even have as much space.

I also feel pretty safe, even driving in Atlanta. Airbags, no Firestone tires, handling, and it is a solid car. I was rear-ended by a Mustang convertible hard enough to blow both of his airbags, break both headlights, and ruin the plastic front stuff. My car's rear bumper cover received mere scratches.