I recently got rid of my 1992 Mercedes 300E after a year of service. Although it was a solid performer, I just wasn't smitten. It was underpowered and didn't get my juices flowing. So, after getting a decent offer on it, I jumped and sold it.I have to say that the replacement for the big Merc' is at the opposite end of the 4-door spectrum. I purchased a 2011 Civic Si. I went from 6 cylinders to four, rear to front wheel drive, leather to cloth, German to Japanese, stolid to sporty, full-size to compact.
I think the Civic Si is the best performance bargain going. For a price of less than $22,000 (after some negotiation), you get a car that will carry a family of four comfortably, provide years of reliable service and be able to rev to 8,000 glorious RPM. This is my first Honda with a VTEC engine and it is awesome. It has a real Jeckyll and Hyde character - below 6,000 is a docile econo-car, but above 6,000 it shows its teeth. So far after six months of ownership a couple of family trips and daily commutes, I have no regrets...oh, and air conditioning works, which is a nice change from the Mercedes.
