You know, the crown vic has its fans, which always surprises me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing your new ride - we all choose what we like. I take more than a little abuse for driving a 15 year old diesel station wagon.

Several of my relatives drive vickies, and I'm always amazed at how bad they are in some ways.

For one, it's amazing how little room the interior has, given the size of the car. Setup the front for six-footer and climb in back. It's tight - my knees are firmly pressed against the back of the front seat. Headroom ain't too impressive front or rear. Putting a prisoner in back could qualify as cruel and unusual!

The trunk lid is large enough to land an airplane on it. Despite that, there is amazingly little usable trunk space. The trunk is all contorted, cut up, and full of odd shapes and nooks and crannies. The overall volume adds up to a large number, but an E-class has a more usable trunk. At least it has a full size spare.

So I don't love these things - big deal. Enjoy your new ride. These are supposed to be one of the most reliable domestic vehicles, so that part is good. Let's make fun of SUV drivers sometime.

- Jim