The Car Shopping Round 13: The Efficient Utility Challenge
The year is 2009. I got laid off last year from my job at Inline Designs because of the recession and have spent the past few months unsuccessfully looking for work. I recently decided to start my own home repair business and I need a new car to haul my tools to and from each job. Luckily I have enough money saved to invest in a lightly used vehicle, but with gas prices at over $4 per gallon I really can’t be blowing all my revenue on fuel.
Stable release, no beta.
Trim year 2005-2008. No price adjustments for different years. Model year can be anything.
Maximum price of $20000 with 20% markup. That is estimated price, don’t do anything with factory tabs. I will be looking for the car with the best overall value, so lower is better.
91RON fuel, catalytic converter required.
Mufflers are required, I don’t want to annoy my customers when I pull up to their house. 50 loudness maximum, but lower would be better.
No limited production parts.
Utility is the most important factor. I need to be able to carry plenty of cargo and equipment, and I need to have the power to haul all of that without getting bogged down. NOTE: Monocoque and spaceframe chassis will get a 20% bonus to their utility score, to somewhat offset the large utility advantage that ladder chassis gets.
Fuel efficiency is very important. Besides that, low running costs will be a plus as well.
Drivability and safety matter. I’m smart enough to know that big vehicles aren’t necessarily safer.
More comfort is good, I’m going to be driving this daily and I may need to make some long trips. Most of the time it will just be me in the car, but having extra seats for my kids or potential customers would be a plus.
Sportiness doesn’t matter, but the faster I can get to my destination the better.
Off-road capability isn’t a must, but some places don’t have the most well-paved roads so I’d like some capability if possible.
Reliability is very important, this car is literally my job so if it goes down I’m going to be losing out on potential revenue.
Looks are important to me, this car is going to be the first thing my customers see. I want my vehicle to make a statement - not too impolite, but tough, hardworking, and 'Murican.
Mods: I have the high quality essentials pack and most of the custom car bodies. Let me know if you’re using any mods outside of the HQE.
Submission format:
Model: CSR13 - Username
Trim: Car Name
Engine: CSR13 - Username
Variant: Engine Name
DEADLINE: Friday May 20th @ Noon EST.