Moving on from an '03 Legacy sedan with a burnt valve that the mechanic doesn't think it's worth repairing. Asked Mr. Regular what a good choice would be for a car that would spend most of its days in the far eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh along routes 22 and 119 with a generous helping of 376. He said Element with no hesitation. So here I am.

Calling it a "bachelor's SUV," suits me fine, as it's just me. The AWD of my Subaru was a necessity down around Fairmont and Morgantown, but is that the case along the mostly 4-lane highways I'll be on now?

I work third shift, and one of my favorite summer middle-of-the-night-off time killers is just hopping in the car, firing up Pandora, and hitting the road for an hour or two. A more reliable car would've already seen me do a couple of 3am laps of 376/279 this spring.

My credit is admittedly crap, so I'd like to keep the budget to down around $5K. I can go to $8K if I can convince family to cosign. Planning on about $700-$1K cash down plus whatever trade I can manage. KBB suggests only about $600 for the Subaru, and with the engine situation, that could be a stretch?

I haven't driven a manual in about 25 years, but wouldn't mind doing it again. Hell, I'd almost prefer it.

Looking forward to suggestions from the community.