[ Alto Works HA12S ] Gaijin Trap Accident, Part 2

Sitting askew in my car, I took a moment to laugh loudly and idiotically at my mistake. Luckily, I had no bodily injury other than my head lightly bumping the right window a bit when the car fell in. I sat in the car for a minute, calmly collecting my phone and an umbrella I always have stowed in my car. I clicked the warning light flashers on and got out.

Of course, the first thing I did was take a few pictures. What else could I do? There was no way I could wedge the car back out of the gutter. I shrugged and looked at my phone to dial “110” for the police. Unfortunately, deep in the mountains and away from civilization, there was no cell service.

Looking at the map, the closest point of civilization was further down the mountain for about a kilometer and half. I walked for about 20 minutes during which around 5 cars drove by behind me, coming past the accident, and no one stopped for me. Thanks, guys.

(As an aside, I guess a guy walking along a mountain road at midnight is probably pretty shady for sure, but at least one could slow down, roll down their window slightly to offer some assistance? Clearly, they had surely seen the car on the side of the road, so they knew something had to be wrong, right? I even waved my arms a bit to try to get someone’s attention.)

Finally, I got full bars on my cell phone and dialed the police. This is certainly where my limited Japanese ability came in handy, as I explained my situation as best as I could. It was interesting to note that the police knew exactly where I was, probably receiving my GPS telemetry from my cell phone provider, SoftBank. (I later learned this is not usually the case at this time in the states, as that service varies widely state-to-state and district-to-district; this could be potentially a life-saver and I don’t know why we haven’t found a way to fully implement it. If they could do this in rural Japan, they should be able to do it there.)

A police traffic van showed up in about 20 minutes, where I once again explained my accident. In my haste to leave the car and find cell service, I left my identification. They drove up to my car to inspect the accident and dig for my wallet. A few minutes later, they came back and told me they needed to call a rekkaa. “A wrecker?” I thought nervously. It was later that I learned it simply meant a tow truck with a winch arm to pull my sad car out from the gutter. They had a bit of a laugh at my expense (deservedly so) and told me to wait for the tow truck which came about 45 minutes later. I was lucky that there was a Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Rest Area) down at the bottom of the hill, where I could have a drink and bathroom break while I waited.

The wrecker came from Obama City, so it understandably took awhile. They pulled my car out and finished up all the paperwork with my insurance. The rather nice gentleman called up a taxi for me and my luggage who came not long after. That shameful 30-minute ride home cost me about 12,000￥ ($110 USD)... yes, taxis are expensive here.

After a few calls back and forth, the wrecker dropped off my car at Rodeo Cars, my mechanic’s garage in Oi Town. While the car did drive, it was immediately evident even from these pictures that the car was not in proper operating condition. I had hoped it was merely a control arm and some suspension bits in addition to the bodywork. Honestly, I couldn’t have cared less how the car looked as long as it drove. On the lift, my mechanic and I evaluated the underbody of the car and saw much more severe damage than I had expected. The front left control arm, as expected, was scraped, but more worryingly, the mounting joint on the sub frame was also severely bent and worn. It was then I learned how soft the metal are on these kei cars…

Basically, at this point I realized the car was completely totaled. If I had proceeded with the repair, the engine would need to be pulled and the whole subframe replaced or rewelded and quite a few front suspension parts would have to be replaced, not to mention repairs to the bumper, front fender, and doors. Would it ever track straight again after the repair is yet another concern. Matsuda-san estimated at least $1000 in parts for the repairs, even scraping around for used parts. Coupled with the fact my shaken mandatory inspection was coming up within two months after, the total cost might exceed $1800 easily. At that price, I might as well find another used car without such potential issues...

...and I was devastated I never got around to installing my lowering springs.

Thoughts
If the car had ABS, would it have saved me? Certainly it would automatically pump the brakes to prevent skidding, but only if there was enough distance for the tires to find grip and come to a complete halt. An old ABS system probably wouldn’t respond quickly, so I don’t believe that it would have made much of a difference for this particular incident. In other situations around town with ice and low speeds, it certainly would be a benefit to have next time.

Of course, the fault is 120% my own, but nonetheless, I’d like to call out the idiocracy of exposed, open gutters along mountainous roads. I know well that most of Japan sees quite a bit of snowfall, but so does the greater North America, therefore the need for large water channels exist. However, why are guard rails placed after open gutters? This places drivers driving through snow-covered roads at risk for falling into these ditches, particularly if they are unfamiliar with the width of the road and the gutters.

The answer, simply, is space. Guard rails can be placed right up the side of a mountain, where they do not impose on the already limited space of small mountain roads. This also allows snow plows to push piles furthest away from the roads. But because of this accident, I cursed every single construction planner for my unbelievable poor luck and the ridiculous road arrangement.

Or perhaps, had I better luck or slower speeds, I would’ve skidded a few feet forward on the road, hitting the guard rail just ahead of the open gutter. I estimate had that happened, I would have simply damaged my bumper, front fenders, and passenger door, but I would be able to nonetheless hobble my car home and minimize underbody damage, further foregoing the tow and embarrassment.

Let’s be fair, my hurt pride and having people bear witness to my stupidity cost more than the actual accident did. If I decided on selling the car, what could I possibly have sold an 18-year old, high-mileage kei car with barely any shaken left for in Japan? $500 USD at best?

But alas, I was further hurt in my wallet afterwards when I had to pay to have this car scrapped to a wrecking yard, since it was no longer driveable on public roads and much of the car was in poor condition, to the tune of a final 30,000￥ ($270 USD) bill. I did, however, manage to retrieve my ADVAN Rally Wheels, which despite massive curb damage to one wheel and minor curb scrapes on the other, both were in overall great, functional condition. That really does go to show how truly strong and Rally the wheels are used for, weight be damned.

Aftermath
After that tragic incident with my Alto Works, I would’ve been without transportation and back to relying on my bicycle to get to work, but thankfully Matsuda-san rented me an awesome Honda Acty van… for a lot longer and much cheaper than I had anticipated. In the meantime, I searched far and low, considering a wide range of cars again, but after that recent trip the Philippines, I did not have the funds for such.

While there were plenty of low-cost automatic cars available, I really wanted to find a manual transmission Alto or Wagon R, looking low for pedestrian, plain Altos, to another Alto Works, up to newer Wagon RRs (the turbo-charged version). After the cost of scrapping the Alto and renting out the replacement car, I budgeted out only 200,000￥  ($1800 USD). Despite a long search, I could not find one I liked in good condition within a few hours of my home. What happened to all those plentiful cars I had seen when I wasn’t buying? Poor timing, maybe...

It was then I finally came across this low-mileage, 5-speed, 51 HP 2001 Wagon R within my budget, with a full 2-year shaken by chance when we were buying a car for my co-worker. It was fate. I plopped down a partial payment and the car would be mine the following week.

And that, they say, is history. At least my car ownership history in Japan until this point. From now on, let’s look forward to more current Japanese ownership adventures.

I’m open to critique, so any questions or comments? What would you have done in my situation?

[ Alto Works HA12S ] Gaijin Trap Accident

You know how I said I would never sell the car? Never say never.

Well, there’s more to that story. That evening, when everything felt right, fate would have other plans for me. And I’ll be completely honest… I exceeded my skills given the conditions.

Let’s rewind a bit. A few months after buying the car, early in the summer, the urge to customize my car came over me. I started with small things, like an HKB Sports steering wheel adapter and Nardi steering wheel (which eventually ended up in my current Alto) and progressed to minor external things like painting the stock and winter wheels and using a set of red aluminum lug nuts. Since the engine was breathing and running just right, I never considered changing the intake or other minor modifications.

However, the ride height, as with my Alto, was atrocious. So I ordered a set of generic-brand springs, but they were sized specifically to lower the car by approximately 30mm (1 inch). I planned to install them before the summer of 2016, but I didn’t quite find the time.

Late in summer, I took a trip to the Philippines via Kansai International Airport. Everything about that trip was messed up: I missed the train by a few minutes (which never had happened up until that point), so I should’ve taken that as a divine sign to not go. However, I struggled on and drove in a bit of a rush down to the airport, paying for the 8000￥ or so of tolls along the way in hopes to make my flight and, yet, I arrived almost exactly the time my flight should’ve left. So I bought the soonest and cheapest one-way ticket I could find, costing me another 30,000￥ ($300 USD). My trip was more or less fine, but that’s another story.

One week later, my flight landed late in the afternoon. I was certainly tired from my trip and the flight, but I still had 3-and-a-half hours of local roads before I reached back home. Two hours into the drive, I experienced what is called “flow” in psychology, or more colloquially, “being in the zone.” There was a certain zen-ness to that following hour, a pureness of experience. Beyond the roar of the engine, it was silence in the night. This is almost the same mindfulness I experience on my other fun, long, and exhausting drives around Japan, except this time, I was in hindsight more exhausted than I expected.

It was warm, but in the northern mountains of Kyoto, the windy roads were slick from rain and there was a dampness in the air, causing a bit of fog in some parts. I knew these roads fairly well, having driven on them more than a dozen times by that time. Combined with my unfounded supreme confidence in my driving ability, I hustled quickly through the quiet, empty roads. Probably faster than I should’ve given those conditions.

All within legal speed limits, of course.

Three hours into the three-and-a-half hour drive, I came around to one of the final bends of the mountainous roads: a very sharp, but not quite hairpin right corner. I had glanced briefly at the GPS and I knew it was coming, but I miscalculated. In the poor visibility of the dark night and a slight haze of fog in the air, I didn’t realize how quickly the turn came up. With slowed reflexes, I applied the non-ABS brakes far too late and locked them up on the wet, rain-slicked roads, causing me to skid with little time for correction.

It was then I realized how deep and wide these uncovered, open-channel snow / water gutters alongside most roads really are. At about a foot wide and just as deep, they are more than enough to swallow most tires.

Most of the people I know in the expat community call them “gaijin traps” for the fact that probably most of us don’t know how treacherous they are until we each have our own encounter with one. Some folks I know experienced them walking around town in the dark when their feet find no purchase and plunge into the wet, deep abyss. Except I experienced it with a car.

The car skidded along the wet road and a mere fraction of a second later, my two left wheels dove in. There was a horrendous sound of metal underbody grinding against the concrete, vibrating the car for another fraction of a second, and the car quickly came to a halt.

This is basically the most awesome Initial D moment in my life, but completely opposite in almost every way: I was in the outside gutter of the curve, unskillfully driving in a front-wheel drive car, crashing like a moron instead of being the tofu hero.

Aftermath of my accident in Japan to come…

[ Alto Works HA12S ] Review: Cheap and Cheerful

As soon as I took my 1998 Suzuki Alto Works home, I went through it to make sure all the basic maintenance was good and went about cleaning the interior. To their credit, Meteor Cars did a great job of cleaning out the worst of the dirt and cigarette ash, since the layer of window grease was gone, but there was still much more detailing to be done. I first chucked the stained ashtray in the trash. Armed with two types of disposable cleaning cloths, one specifically meant for cigarette stains, ammonia-free window cleaner, Febreeze, and a vacuum, I spent several hours cleaning every single square centimeter and crevice I could easily reach. Afterwards, the smell was mostly gone with only a whiff of cigarette smell when the car got hot.

Over the next two years of ownership, I took the car around various parts of Japan, sometimes driving 8+ hours at a time, through windy mountain passes, gravel dirt roads, and high-speed toll roads. (High-speed = 80 km/hr = 50 mph = not really fast) I put 30,000 km on the odometer, which is pretty good considering travel speed is much slower and Japan is a relatively small country. That little Suzuki, with regular maintenance, was supremely reliable in that time. It never once stranded me, though there were a few minor niggles with the car. The starter would occasionally not immediately turn over if the car was “cold,” and the interior fan blower would not move position (from window to foot, for example) by pushing the button. I would need to physically reach behind the dashboard and turn the blower position manually since the motor controlling the movement wore out.

Over those kilometers and two years’ time, I discovered quite a few things about the car that made me absolutely adore it, faults and all.

Engine & Drivetrain
The best thing about the Alto Works was that it was absolutely fun to drive. The small kei car dimensions amplified the sensation of speed, even if I was driving only 40km/hr. With its short wheel base and decently sharp steering, the car had a great feel in the corners and I always had full confidence in the chassis, even if the grip was lacking. The brakes were more than adequate and never faded, despite the drum rears. The boost came on around 2500 RPM and with the relatively low body weight, the 59-HP-powered to the front wheels felt adequate in most driving situations. The tiny 3-cylinder, 660cc engine was more than happy to reliably scream near it’s 7000 RPM redline for hours at a time.

...and it had to. Japan has a mountainous terrain and that means a lot of steep hills where all the fun, windy roads are. I had to voraciously use 2nd gear, even driving at 4/10ths and especially if I had a passenger or two. Coming from a Miata and a lightly-modded Evo, the power was really lacking. The soft, stock suspension made the body roll quite a bit in turns so I often wished for something that could translate road feel better. Probably my only other complaint about the drivetrain was the decently long shifter throws and the somewhat vague slots. Of course, as the car’s manual transmission (to my knowledge) is exactly the same as the non-Works version, it is to be expected of a pedestrian, econobox kei car.

Interior
When new, this model Works sold for 944,000￥ (about $8500 USD). This is decently more expensive than the 648,000￥ ($6800 USD) base Alto the car is based on, but sadly this means all the cheap, late 90s, hard, smoothly-textured plastics are everywhere. Nowhere is this more obvious than sitting in the tiny rear seats, surrounded by huge swaths of plastic. Given its age, there were also numerous plastic rattles that I spent hours chasing and trying to alleviate. Road and engine noise filled the cabin anywhere above 4000 RPM so it was difficult to carry on conversation at regular speaking volume.

I did appreciate the fact that the car had some decent, functional storage cubbies and cup holders which for some reason the previous Alto lacked. The front cabin was quite spacious and offered plenty of headroom, even for me, standing at just shy of 6 feet (181 cm). The front sporty bucket-style seats were also quite decent, providing a semi-snug fit and nice style with the red trim.

Exterior
The car is absolutely ugly. This is likely one of the contributing factors why this series of Alto was only sold for 2 years, in relatively low numbers, effectively killing the Alto Works nameplate for 16 years until just recently when it was reintroduced. The strange oblong headlight assembly is probably the worst offender, though the rest of the car could just be considered an evolution of the previous Alto. (I would later learn much of the underpinnings of the car are carryovers.) This means plain, slab-sides with only a single side crease, a huge, flat front bumper, and a noticeable, dual-rear spoiler arrangement. The large hood intake is a nice touch, giving the car more sporting intentions. Sadly, the top-mount intercooler is just as tiny as the previous generation.

Modifications
Shortly after buying the car, I had to pick up a set of winter wheels and tires, as it is a legal requirement in my area. A set of winter tires on stock 13x4 Wagon R wheels for less than 20,000￥ ($180 USD) served me well over the following two winters. In terms of other modifications, I only made a few other changes to the car over the 2 years of ownership.

By the next summer after a season-and-a-half of use I needed a new set of all-season tires. The tires the car came with had low tread to begin with, so it was more out of necessity than desire. I knew that was the time to find some nicer wheels more fitting of the era and sporty nature. I came across a set of white 14x5.5 +42 Advan Rally Wheels wrapped in Yokohama BluEarth Rubber for 31900￥ ($300 USD). They were lightly curbed, but offered plenty of tread. While it wasn’t the sportiest or lightest set of wheels I could buy, they were priced right and were appropriate to the era of the car. Moreover, I think the blocky spokes really went well with the squared nature of the car to begin with!

A few months after that, the radio stopped working properly, so I picked up a Pioneer Carrozzeria USB / radio DIN unit which I still have today for about 6000￥.

In late 2015, I bought a set of generic-branded lowering springs in hopes of lowering the car to achieve an even sportier look and ride. I was reluctant to install it over the next few months, as the whole car felt sorted and damped just good enough where it didn’t bother me. The upsized 14” wheels and tires also helped fill the wheel wells.

By early 2016, I thought about replacing my car. My neighbor’s Toyota Altezza (Lexus IS200) with six-speed manual was quite a looker. Moreover, the two year shaken renewal was coming due by October. I started looking around the classifieds myself, trying to find something faster, more expensive, and sportier. The car bug had bit me again. I was back to looking for the ABCs of kei cars or even a fancy white plate. If I could sell my car, even for 100,000￥, I could afford something much cooler.

On one lovely August evening, I was driving home from Osaka through the windy northern mountain forest roads of Kyoto, it felt perfect. The car drove smoothly, shifted well, and I felt connected to the car. Everything seemed so perfect and at that moment, I decided I would not sell the car.

[ Alto Works HA12S ] My First Car in Japan

Now that a few of the major initial modifications are finished on my HA11S Alto Works, I’d like to throwback to my 1998 HA12S Alto Works I bought 4 years ago, new to me in November 2014.

I wasn’t initially looking to buy a car, as I only planned to stay in Japan for only one year. Within a few months of living here, though, I completely changed my mind. (Perhaps I’ll discuss that at a later time.) I wanted to stay here long-term, if not permanently, so buying a motorized form of transportation in my small city would be absolutely necessary. After I decided on picking up a car in Japan, I had to narrow down my choices, but most importantly, it had to fit my budget. The biggest choice I made was that it had to be a JDM car that was not sold in the United States market; I didn’t want a car that I could buy easily stateside.

With all the JDM options out there, I salivated at the vast possibilities: Evos, GT-Rs, STIs, etc. Why not a B22 for that matter? I’m sure that’s probably what you’re thinking, too, if you’ve never bothered to check the prices online. Sure, you CAN buy one of those things, but can you really AFFORD one? (Okay maybe my better-off readers can…) That was my problem. I realized they were far out of my budget.

Keeping in mind additional fees, shaken mandatory maintenance, and insurance, I was only willing to plop down about $5,000 USD out of my pocket.

Narrowing down my options further, I opted to pick up a JDM-market yellow-plate kei car, which was significantly cheaper in taxes, insurance, and maintenance. That still leaves a large tuner market of choices: Autozam (Mazda) AZ-1, Honda Beat, and Suzuki Cappuccino… the ABCs of RWD kei cars. Again, the realization of high used prices kept those cars out of my $5K range, as most good condition vehicles started around $6-7K. There are $5K cars available, but definitely not in the condition I wanted. Let’s be real here; the ABCs are awesome as a second or weekend car, but not really practical as my only daily driver. (At the time, I was only considering ONE car. Oh, how times have changed...)

That still left me with a huge assortment of FWD-based sporty kei cars, such as Daihatsu Miras, Mitsubishi Minicas, and Suzuki Altos. I sorted through Carsensor and Goo-net online and stopped by a number of local car dealers in search of my car. I avoided Yahoo! Auctions, as I felt communicating online with my limited Japanese ability would be difficult. In order of rough importance, my criteria were now:

Under $5K price range

1. A manual transmission with power preferably close to the maximum limit of 63 HP

2. Good condition: little to no rust, minimal aftermarket modifications, preferably 150,000 or less kilometers on the odometer

3. Full 2-year shaken mandatory inspection certification as part of the cost

4. A practical, sporty body style, which precludes big, tall Wagon R-style boxes

Sure, there were other considerations, but anything else like LSDs, wheels, ABS, etc would be cherry on top. After a few weeks of serious (soul) searching, I came across an HA12S Suzuki Alto Works with about 130,000 kms On the odo. The dealer, Meteor Co., was asking for 230,000￥ and it was located in Aichi Prefecture, a three or so hour train ride away. That following weekend, I took the trip over without contacting the seller.

Arriving at the lot, I could see quite a variety of cars: most were in fair to good condition, some sporty, some pedestrian. I saw the Alto sitting by the front of the lot. Looking around, I built up my courage and asked for help. The dealer (the owner, I discovered later) was willing to open the car for me to visually inspect and run it at idle, but since I seemed a bit of a newbie, he wasn’t really willing to let me drive it. (This is actually quite common, as I later learned.)

Looking around the outside of the car, it looked to be in very good condition. High kilometers notwithstanding, the body was actually really good with no discernible damage to the bodywork that I could find. Of course, given the car was 16 years old at the time, there were a few dings and scratches, but more importantly, it had no rust or noticeable repair work. However, the clear coat was thoroughly gone, actually making the car look a bit matte. The engine bay was a bit dirty, though no different than any other car used for 16 years. No discernible major leaks, the fluids looked fair, and everything was stock.

The biggest issue was inside the cabin: the foul stench of cigarette smoke. I used to be a smoker myself, so I don’t mean “a little smell,” I mean, the full-blown pungent odor of a moist, damp ashtray, overflowing with old cigarette butts. Peeking into the ashtray, though, I found none. Clearly the previous owner must’ve drove around with the windows rolled up, chain smoking one after another to create this lovely lingering aroma.

Speaking of windows, the rear windows were absolutely filthy. A layer of ash and oily smoke buildup covered them. I scratched at it with my fingernail and a curl of grey-brown muck rolled under my nail. The roof of the interior had dark brown plumes, contrasting sharply with the light grey felt. Yup, it probably wasn’t cleaned ever since the car was sold.

The mental image of the previous owner and his burnt, soot-filled lungs, the kind that you see in those “don’t smoke” advertisements, passed through my mind briefly. I shuddered at the thought.

This was why the car was for sale so cheaply. I stopped to consider my other options. The next cheapest Alto Works would jump up to over 300,000￥, so I had to decide if cleaning it out the best I could and dealing with the remaining smell would be worth it. Or waiting for another deal.

An hour later of mulling and poking through it, I decided I would buy it if the guy let me drive or at least ride in it. Seeing my seriousness, he actually let me drive it to get a feel for the clutch, shifter, and steering. Everything felt really good. Despite the appearance, mileage, and stink, the car drove smoothly and it was everything I had hoped for.

At some point, he realized my first language was English. (Maybe he first thought I was from China?) He then proceeded to speak to me in absolutely amazing English, which if I recall was due to him living in Australia for a few years prior. What the heck, man, why did I have to speak to you in broken Japanese this whole time? But the ice was broken and I negotiated down the car 10,000￥ to a very reasonable 220,000￥ ($2000 USD) with two years full shaken. The down payment was made and in two weeks the car would be mine.

[ Alto Works ] It's New to Me

Now that I am in a satisfactory place with the current setup of my Suzuki Swift Sport, the car addiction bug hit me again. I mean, why not? I am in a country where awesome, cheap, and fun little cars can be had quite easily. I am also fortunate to have access to parking spaces where lots would otherwise be pretty limited. Thanks to the encouragement from my friend, Matsuda-san at Rodeo Cars, I went forth to find a fun little second car.

At the same time, my friend Nick was leaving Japan. He couldn’t find a buyer for his admittedly old 1998 Suzuki Alto Works, despite asking for a reasonable price. I don’t blame anyone; a 20 year old car with 130,000 kilometers on the odometer isn’t ideal as a reliable mode of primary transportation. But to me, a turbocharged, cheap kei car with a ton of aftermarket potential is the perfect second car.

A little history on the Alto: The Alto-class car started initially in 1979 as a Fronte, a FWD economy car developed for the kei car class of super compact vehicles. As the mobility market expanded, Suzuki realized the need for growing families for the growing middle-class. By keeping it extremely affordable, the Fronte and then the Alto became outstanding successes. During the next generation in 1984-1988, the “Works” nameplate was introduced with turbocharging and increased performance. Officially in Suzuki nomenclature, that generation is considered the first Alto in the Japanese domestic market. The HA11 third series of Altos were introduced in 1994 as their lowest-end economy car and much of the car reflects this. Simple interior, flat body panels, and basic amenities nonetheless made this generation extremely popular. The Works, as with previous versions, retained its sporty intentions with turbocharging, differentiating alloy wheels, bespoke aero bodywork, and unique seats.

This isn’t my first Alto Works. I owned one based on the fourth generation Alto body for nearly two years, during which I fell in love with its surprising performance. My HA12S Alto Works was a Superior White base-model ie, driven by a 59 HP SOHC F6A turbocharged and intercooled engine. Despite being underpowered, it’s low speed stability, predictable and sharp handling, and well-spaced gears made the car a joy to throw around corners. Sure, it could’ve used ABS and an LSD... Sadly, it’s long and fruitful life at 180,000 km was cut short by a terribly unskilled driver: me. I ended up sliding into a water ditch, severely damaging its undercarriage and front control arm. (Ditch drift fail.) The cost of repairs would’ve well exceeded its current value and with the additional $700 cost of shaken (mandatory maintenance) coming up, I decided to put the proverbial bullet in its head and send it to the scrapyard.

Back to this new (to me) Saturn Black Metallic HA11S Alto Works. It’s powered by an identical F6A to the front wheels, tuned to the surprising government-limited 63 HP. This is the last of the model year of the third generation body style and is also a Limited model, the primary notable differences being the additional upper rear spoiler, sportier bucket seats, and larger 14x4.5 inch wheels. I couldn’t care less about the high kilometers or the overall condition, which is nonetheless quite decent. The body work seems straight on initial inspection. My issue, and this will be a sticking point for me in the upcoming months, is the automatic, 4-speed transmission. Sigh.