Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ten Cars You Can Live In After Your Home Is Repossessed

As shelter is the largest single expense for most people, the ongoing "Financiapocalpyse" could see more people trading that Tudor for a four-door. As your guides through this challenging time, we've identified ten cars you'd be happy to call home until your 401k is worth more than the postage used to send you those depressing reports. These rides are comfortable, affordable and most importantly, you can probably sleep in it. With car sales dwindling, now may be the best time to invest those dwindling funds in a home on wheels.


10.) Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit


The Volkswagen Golf-cum-Rabbit is the kind of home-on-wheels designed for a hip bachelor or bachelorette down on their luck. Though not enough room for a family, the smartly-designed hatchbacks have always offered style and storage at a reasonable price. The four-door models are ideal for urban campers who want to curl up in the backseat but still have street cred with people who don't know they're living on the street.
Price New: $17,575 (base four-door)
Price Used: $5,000 and up (Mk III - Mk IV)


9.) Mazda Mazda5


The Mazda5 may seem like an unconventional choice for a live-in automobile, but it offers a lot for a little. Based on the sporty Mazda3 platform, the Mazda5 has the benefits of a small economy car: good mileage, low cost-of-ownership and affordability. It also offers some of the benefits of a minivan: sliding doors, three-row seating, fold-out table, under-floor storage and fold-flat seats. The possibility of getting one with a manual, no longer a possibility with most vans, makes it the perfect choice for a down-on-their-luck dad who still likes to drive but may have to outrun creditors.
Price New: $18,665 (base)
Price Used: $12,500 and up


8.) Ford Econoline


We imagine people have been jamming Econoline as long as people have been living in vans. They're cheap. They're big. They're available in a privacy-enhancing panel version. When Chris Farley's motivation speaker said he was "living in a van down by the river" he was almost certainly talking about a Ford Econoline. The panel version is the cheapest model and, though it lacks carpeting, has ample room for an air mattress or stolen love seat. A top-of-the-line conversion Econoline from the 1980s can be had with a TV/VCR combo, reclining bed, wood inserts and velour drapes. If it's good enough for Mike Watt, it's good enough for us.
Price New: $23,940 (E-150)
Price Used: $3,000 and up

http://jalopnik.com/5066062/ten-cars-you-can-live-in-after-your-home-is-repossessed

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