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 Jeff Koch’s recent piece Arigato and sayonara, Mazda-san struck a nerve with many of you who lamented letting “that car” slip away. We’ve all been there, and whether it’s four wheels or two (or even a keel, perhaps), the regret afterward is no less painful. On the flip side of that coin, Hemmings Daily reader Scott Stamper proposed a different topic: What vehicle did you own that you never bonded with?
For your humble scribe, the choice is simple. In a fit of simplification, I replaced a Volkswagen Passat sedan (which, despite the brand’s sometimes spotty reputation for reliability, had been problem-free under my ownership) and a first-generation Mazda Miata with an Acura RSX Type S.
I didn’t drive the Miata much, except for nice weekends in the summer, and I rationalized that a high-revving front drive hatchback with considerably more power would easily fill that void. The Passat was, quite frankly, a bit boring, though its Monsoon audio system (“Drive drenched in sound!”) was the best I ever experienced in a production car. Still, the Volkswagen had an annoying squeak from the B-pillar that I never could get rid of, and I rationalized that an upcoming major service would cost more than I wanted to invest into the car. Replacing two cars with one would free up garage space, and cut the amount of annual maintenance in half. The Miata sold to another enthusiast driver, and the Volkswagen got traded in on the Acura.
Not every purchase is a match made in car heaven.
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Re: Open Diff: No Love at All
