So apparently I've got a Kia hookup. A service manager at a Kia dealership plays golf regularly with my father and has offered to get us a Kia at dealer cost. I'm not sure what that equates too, but it sound a lot like "cheaper" to me. As much as I love the Stang, if I can swap the Stang in on a Spectra5 and come out under $20K total, I'll probably wind up doing it. I gotta go talk to the guy tomorrow to run the numbers and test drive one.

I'm only considering the Spectra5 right now because it's basically a rebadged Protege5. Sport wagon (station wagon) with sport suspension, 140HP, 4-wheel disk brakes, 16" wheels, and it actually doesn't look tht bad. It has pretty much all the basics that I'm looking for. Adequate power, a 5-speed, good gas mileage, and a jack for my MP3 player. Looking at one in black. I figured with wheels, tint, exhaust, and a drop it look pretty decent.

Thoughts? Please keep the "Kia's are crap" comments to a minimum. Thanks.