Mourning my Escort!!!

So...my parents and I went car shopping after some friends offered me a 1982 Pontiac T-1000 for free to drive 150 miles back and forth to college. YES! My scheme worked. We decided that we would just look at Escorts. Then we decided that we would just test drive an Escort. Yep, we ended up buying.

~FEATURES~
My loaded, green, Ford Escort SE Sport was my dream car. Here's a list of features:
--keyless entry
--power locks
--aluminum alloy rims
--chrome exhaust
--sport insignia
--6-disc trunk-mounted CD changer
--4-speaker cassette stereo
--5-speed manual transmission

I opted for the manual transmission in hopes of saving even more on gas and certainly wasn't disappointed. When I first got it in '99, I could fill up and drive for a week on $10 worth of gas. Depending on gas prices, I would say that it's about $10-12 on average to fill up.
The standard sound system in the car was AWESOME. I had that bass boom that I love and excellent sound quality besides. Having the trunk-mounted changer allowed for a cassette player up front in addition to the CD player which was nice for a child of the '80s like myself.

~Comfort and Ease of Travel~
I found the car to be comfortable for travel as I drove about 2 and a half hours at a time to and from college for 2 and a half years. It's compact, easy to maneuver, and more importantly easy to park. It's practical yet sporty with a peppy take off and smooth shifting. Although leg room in the back seat isn't much, it's nothing that can't be remedied with the simple sliding forward of the seats. The car seats five comfortably enough for short trips to neighboring towns, and four good enough to go as far as you want to. It has bucket seats in the front and a 3-person bench in the back with headrests.

~Safety Features~
--Dual front airbags standard
--4 over the shoulder seat belts
--4 headrests

~Ventilation~
The ventilation system is basic, but works well with cold air conditioning in the summer and warm heat in the winter. I never had problems finding a happy medium where ventilation was concerned. It was simple to keep my passengers comfortable as well.

~Storage~
The trunk is massive for a compact car. It held my suitcase, computer, laundry, and bookbag on trips to and from the dorm. The back seats folded down for extra cargo space, but I never had to use it. Storage inside the passenger area included: glove compartment, dual cup holders in the front, one in the back, map holders on the driver and passenger side doors, large pocket on the back of the passenger seat, and various cubby holes located conveniently for the driver.

~Care and Maintenance~
I never had to do any maintenance the 3 years I had the car other than an oil change every 3000-5000 miles. Right before I had to get rid of it, I put a new set of tires and an air filter on it. The factory tires lasted for three years and were only rotated once.
A wash at just a normal quarter car wash did wonders for this car. It was never difficult to get a shine out of the paint.
I NEVER had any complaints about this vehicle. I loved it and miss it terribly.