Five Speed 1994 Plymouth Sundance: Our Best Investment
Our Decision
It was a tough decision to get rid of our car. We had a 2003 Honda Accord and it was the best car we ever had. We bought it used and since our credit was not so great, our payments were pretty high. Like most individuals, I lost my job. The payments were too much for one income, so we had to let the car go.
We decided that we could buy an older car and when or if it broke down, my husband would be able to fix it. We came across a 1994 Plymouth Sundance with a manual transmission. It wasn’t the greatest looking car, but it was a good investment. We only paid $500.00 and drove it off the lot.
It was a real task for me to learn how to drive it. I use to cry because I would stall in the middle of traffic and then everyone would honk at me and give me evil looks. However, when I learned it was pretty fun. The only problem is that when I try to drive an automatic, I am always looking for the clutch. Then I have issues with wanting to change gears. It's not such a good thing in an automatic car.
Manual Transmission Advantages
Owning a manual transmission vehicle has it’s advantages. This is why it worked for us:
- Better gas mileage
- Maintenance costs less
- If the manual transmission breaks down, it’s more than likely the clutch and it is a lot less to replace a new clutch than a transmission on an automatic.
- Better control
- More concentration on driving because of the shifting of gears.
- Costs less than an automatic
Overall
Because I learned how to drive a manual transmission vehicle and if we decide to purchase a new car in the future, I will know how to operate it. I also failed to say that it handles wonderfully in snowy conditions. If the car won’t start because of the battery or the starter, it can be started by a push start. I am very pleased with our decision because it works great for us.