Locate an Auto Repair Shop in Portland, Pennsylvania

Hi, I just bought an Elantra Touring this past weekend. Base GLS with manual trans. Only options were ones you essentially can't buy the car without (floormats, splash guards, iPod cable, bumper protector). MSRP equipped this way is basically $17,000 even. I paid $15,500 plus registration (this is Oregon -- we have no sales tax). Bought it from Dick Hannah's Hyundai of Portland, and had an absolutely easy-breezy buying experience. I got good quotes (about $15,850) from two different dealers through the new Consumer Reports buying service, and was able to negotiate down from there without too much difficulty. The actual dealer experience involved only minimal negotiations (beyond what we'd done with other dealers over the phone), no pressure, no tricks, no tactics. Couldn't have been easier. We're replacing a 2001 Jetta Wagon that has been extremely expensive to maintain (20c/mi!) but has otherwise met our needs. We need generous cargo capacity because we often squeeze in camping, hiking, biking or ski gear next to 3 or 4 people plus a large dog. We don't want a midsize wagon (think Subaru/Volvo/Passat) because their length and turning radius can make for difficult parking in tight urban spaces. Most folks in our situation go for small SUVs, which have largely displaced small wagons like the Jetta from the market, but those tend to be thirsty AND clumsy. A small wagon is still our ideal car, even if choices are few. I've done a LOT of research over the past year, and have test driven over a dozen different cars. The Mazda5 was mighty tempting, most underrated car in America IMO, an astounding value if you can grab an ad car at $16,600, but still a bit larger and thirstier than we'd like. Probably would have been our choice if not for the Touring. The xB is good sized, but it's no less thirsty than the Mazda5, its seats are hideously uncomfortable and its rear blind spots are big enough to be really dangerous. Most of the other 5-doors were notably smaller, but we were at least willing to consider squeezing in and throwing a cargo box on top when needed. The Kia Soul was tempting, just $13k for the very well equipped base model, but really tight on cargo space. The Versa hatchback was cheaper than the Touring, even when when stepping up from the stripped base model, but also quite small. I really liked the new Ford Focus hatchback, one of the more spacious 5-doors in back, but it stickers at nearly $19k and is eligible for NO discounts since it just hit the showrooms last week. The Honda Insight is roomier for cargo than you'd think, and very undeserving of the bashing it's received in the automotive press ... would have been VERY tempting (both for the mpg and my loyalty to Honda) but tied the Focus as the most expensive car on our list and similarly NO discounts (in this case because the Japan disasters shut down production). We ruled out the otherwise lovely Honda Fit because it's SO heinously noisy. Ruled out the otherwise great Matrix/Vibe because the shifter on the manual transmission is the clunkiest we've ever encountered. Ruled out the Scion xD because it's just too dang small (though the sliding rear seats do add versatility) and the seats are even more torturous than the xB's. After looking at all these cars, the Elantra Touring was "just right". Not too big (i.e., thirsty and/or hard to park), not too small (specifically in terms of cargo), no deal-killing ergonomic problems. And it was cheap, with only the Versa and Soul coming in lower. Reliability appears pretty good, beautifully firm suspension, decent mpg, more power than I need (which is now true of ALL cars sold in America). Has everything I want (AC, PW, PDL, good stereo), nothing I don't. Basically it's the car I've been wishing Honda would build for the last 20 years, ever since they dropped the Civic Wagon (of which I have owned THREE).

Wonder how many days people spend in avg. on their road trip. I plan to go not to far away since my kids are still young. Maybe just from Seattle to Portland, or Vancouver to spend a day or two. I am not the kind of folks who enjoy camping since I have bad back, and I can't live without a good hot shower :)

1. Is synthetic oil what Subaru uses for the front/back differentials? One dealer claimed yes, another said no. 2. If one attempts running 87 octane, what will happen? I've heard everything from detonation to engine overheating/CHK Engine light on. FYI so far I only use Premium gas (92 octane), and the stock Subie diff oil.

My 2011 Odyssey has windows and sunroof that open without asking. Once in Seattle and once in Portland it rained all night into the car. Meanwhile the dealership is saying "What Problem" and are making superficial attempts at correction while at the same time denying that there is a problem. They ignore and do not recognize the entry's on GOOGLE that describe the frustrations of other Odyssey owners with the same issues. A car whose windows open at random is not saleable and is a safety problem because car entry is permitted when the oiwner is absent. I will be happy to talk to others who wish to pursue an equitable and lawful solution.

For Seattle/Portland area, Acura of Portland offered me 2011 Acura TL w/TECH and w/Northwest Package (wheel locks, trunk tray, and splash guards) for $33,500 plus $100 Doc fee and TTL. This is an EXCELLENT deal in the Pacific Northwest where due to the lack of dealerships folks do not negotiate as much. Unfortunately, they did not have the color I wanted so I took a pass. They are down to silver and black. I was very well taken care of by Duane Phillips and I'm just so sorry that we could not finalize the deal. My loss can be somebody else's gain!