Garrison Keillor resurrects Don Giovanni in his short story of the same title, and has the legendary reprobate explain "the three advantages of the single life."
"One, if you're single, you can think. Two, you can act. Three, you can feel," says the Don.
We're not anti-marriage, but we get the joke -- just look at car-buying. If you're single, you can fantasize about cars, feel passionate about the fast ones -- and actually act on your impulses, consulting only your bank account. When you're married, concerns about hauling the family around would probably cancel your inclination to buy an attention-getting Porsche Boxster. And the newest Aston Martin, the just-released, $110,000 V-8 Vantage sports car, is sexy, super-fast and built for two -- antithetical to the kind of practical, level-headed purchases that couples are supposed to make.
See eleven of this year's best cars for singles.
Single people, nobody is stopping you from buying the racetrack-friendly Lotus Elise you lust after. With no minivan blocking your garage, you have room for that Corvette convertible.
Welcome to our annual guide to the best cars for singles--one we look forward to writing all year, because it's about indulging fantasies at a time when family obligations aren't spoiling them.
As in years past, we avoided styles that connote families: minivans, sport utility vehicles and wagons. In fact, all but one of the cars on this year's list are convertibles, coupes and sedans. We made an exception for the CR-V SUV from Honda Motor, because we wanted to include a vehicle for singles paying off grad school. The CR-V's affordability, utility and excellent residual value make it a natural for people seeking a good deal and a strong investment.
But all the other vehicles are passenger cars -- with an emphasis on sports cars. The time to enjoy these vehicles, and the come-hither looks one experiences when driving them, is now. Your time to purchase a minivan will come before you know it; celebrate being able to avoid the decision at this moment.
In the spirit of indulging fantasies, we always try to include some of the newest, hottest cars in this feature. When you don’t have to put food on the table for others, you can feed your need to drive the latest models and ponder the cars of the future.
Last year, we said the best car for a 45-year-old, single woman was the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class convertible from DaimlerChrysler. At the time, the car was fresh from a sexy overhaul. But this year we have given that honor to General Motor's new and slightly less expensive Saturn Sky convertible, because it has become the hot, new, affordable roadster -- and early registration data indicates that the car appeals to women. Just don't plan to put the roof up and down too much.
Last year, the best car for when you've made youngest partner was the Porsche's 911. It's still a looker, but in its place we chose Ford Motor's new Aston Martin V-8 Vantage -- again replacing what was new and hot with what is newer and hotter.
We urge singles to see this time in their lives not as a waiting room, but as a chance to celebrate freedom -- a symbol of which, in our minds, is a fast convertible.
