Re: H*lp in choice of new car

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

In AD7-913 Lawrence Leong is looking for a car which offers:

a. 2 childseats and 1 adult at the rear - minimum. 
b. Rear seats should fold down (for transporting large items) 

with constraints-
d. Engine capacity below 2000cc (tax laws)
e. New car is out of the question (financial limitations)

And has identified as possibilities
1. 164 TS
2. Lancia Thema (2.0 available?)
3. Toyota Corona 
4. Hyundai Sonata (barrel scraping here!)
5. MPV eg Mazda, Mitsubishi etc

I venture to suggest the Lancia Thema Station Wagon. It was available from 
1989 with the two liter 16 valve engine in both naturally aspirated (150 hp) 
and turbocharged (185 hp) versions and also a turbodiesel. Wim Oud Weernik 
says there were two turbodiesels and an eight valve turbo, but the sales 
brochure I have does not list this. The base two liter was evidently not 
offered as a wagon. The sedans were also offered initially with a Ferrari V6 
and later with the Alfa V6, but these also seem not to have been offered as a 
wagon.

The Thema Wagon has an asymmetrical split folding rear seat, so two, three, 
four, and five seat configurations with inversely proportional bulk load 
capacities are possible.

How easy a good one, used, in his choice of color and options, would be to 
find in his market is hard to say, but it could be worth a search. 
Unfortunately they are not to be found where I live-

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

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