It also has an enormous fan base of owners and thus great knowledge available online for fixing, fixing up, etc... Works awesome for a miniRV, or if you want/need to 'live' out of your vehicle. Mine has about 100K miles more on its odo than the Vibe, which is why I am switching, along with that I don't think fuel is going to stay as cheap as it is for a long time. Many many owners are driving around with over 1/4 million miles on the odo... Good vehicle! Up for sale right now, to offset the purchase of the Vibe, along with...'09 Genuine Buddy Italia, 150cc scooter - Made in Taiwan by PGO, & rebadged for the US market. Way fun little ride, dependable, economical, very fast for being so small (65mph on 10" tires lol). Buddy Fans are rabid.
I like it a lot, but it is For Sale because I also have a...'09 Aprilia Sport City Cube, 250cc scoot - Aprilia, along with Vespa, is a child company of Italian bike makers 'Piaggio'. Awesome for city *and* highway usage, I've read that it'll do 95 mph or so. I have been up around 75 on it and that is plenty fast.
Very stylish, very fun ride. The engine in the Cube is one that has been around for decades, and is known as a real workhorse and long-lived. During warmer months it is my daily driver, so easy to just jump on and go, so much fun, and super economical. The Vibe is similar in this way, much more so than the Astro, even if only psychologically, so I may put the Ape up for sale later this year, because I also have this...'72 Honda CB350K4 - parallel twin, classic old metric bike. Only one owner prior to me, & less than 7K on the odo - she is cherry. A weekend and road trip ride, one of those vehicles where older folks get a wistful glee in their eye you can spot from a block away when they see you riding by. The only vehicle I have which can withstand an EMP pulse with no damage.
No fancy computers or nothing electicamickal like that - twin carbs, gravity-fed fuel, points and a distributor. I don't ever plan to sell the old gal, if I can help it. Moving out on the water, there's...'77 Islander 36, S/V Melelani - sloop-rigged 'modern classic' sailboat, and my home. I liveaboard her year 'round, and will begin voyaging with her this coming year. I picked her up just a year ago, after having spent the prior 8-9 years aboard...
'67 Pearson Ariel, 25' 5" Alberg sloop, S/V 'Katie Marie' - a true classic, lines as sweet as any sailboat out there, sails like a dream. Just a bit on the small size for year after year of living aboard, even though I did for 8 of 'em. Guess I am gonna have to sell her, but I sure am conflicted about that, I love her so. Her little 'sister' is...
'87 Hobie Power Skiff, 'Keiki' 15' and powered by an '87 Johnson 48SPL - my little runabout, for fishing and beer cruises and general easy fun on the creeks, rivers, bay, and ocean. Hobie was known best for their sailboats, but they nailed a homerun with this little powerboat. They sell these days for more than they cost originally, and are somewhat scarce. Other owners, like myself, find running them to be pure joy.
Used vehicles all, under $15K spent purchasing the entire lot over the last 10 years. Due to plans and that I don't need all of these, I'll be narrowing the list this year, down to just the Vibe, Honda, the Islander, and the Power Skiff.
In the past I owned a number of VW's - air breathers all, 3 bugs and a '79 Westphalia van. Other cars I have (kn)owned: '78 Honda Accord hatchback, '85 Plymouth Horizon, '89 Lebaron, '93 Mazda 323 wagon, '91 ForeRunner, '96 Saturn wagon.
