My mechanic told me he would not work on my Mazda minvan any more. He hated that minivan, and honestly I was not that crazy about it either. It had problems on a trip, and the family dropped it off at a shop. They let us use a "parts chaser" Olds 88 with 325K miles to finish the trip and pick up the Mazda on the way home.
The Olds was quieter and had room for the children and all the luggage/stuff. It got better fuel economy and was quieter on the road. The children sat farther apart, and it took them longer to start squabbling.
My eyes were opened to the wisdom of my father. He would have been driving an Olds 88 instead of a Mazda minivan.
I asked my mechanic when I got home what his wife drove. He explained that when you work on cars all day, you don't want to work on one when you get home too. He recommended the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue. If I could not get a good deal on one of those, the Ford CV and Mercury Grand Marquis were a close second.
Basically I have had one of these ever since and have had no regrets.
The next one will probably be something else. With the move, I will be getting a new mechanic for one thing. The cars described are getting a little long in the tooth too to be buying used.
