Good morning! For today’s Showdown, we’re escaping from the world of grayscale and looking at two Colorado cars in colors you don’t often see. Yes, their paint might be the most interesting thing about them, but hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Yesterday it was old Lincoln versus new Lincoln, and I guess all I can say about the results is that you all have taken “they don’t make ’em like they used to” to heart. Just like with the Caddy comparo last month, the newer MKZ didn’t stand a chance against almost nineteen feet of classic Americana.
I can’t say I disagree. The MKZ is a nice car, sure, but it’s also interchangeable with a whole slew of other nice cars. Nothing else can take the place of a 1970 Continental sedan – except maybe a 1970 Cadillac or a 1970 Imperial. If you have your heart set on a classic American land yacht, there is no substitute.
When you drive into the state of Colorado, from most routes, you’re greeted by a large rustic-looking wooden sign that reads “Welcome To Colorful Colorado.” And boy, they ain’t kidding. The state gets a little monochrome in the winter when everything is covered in snow, but in the spring and summer, it’s bursting with hues, from alpine wildflower fields to the rock formations of Garden Of The Gods, which are particularly stunning right after a rainstorm. It really is a beautiful state.
Fitting, then, that we look at a couple of old cars for sale there, in colors you don’t see much these days – orange and purple. They’re not exciting rides, but you should be able to spot them in a parking lot. Let’s take a look.
1999 Plymouth Voyager – $2,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.0-liter overhead cam V6, three-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Alamosa, CO
Odometer reading: 174,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
Being a Chrysler fan means constantly looking back to the company’s “glory days.” When exactly those glory days were is a subject of some debate: Was it the “Forward Look” cars of the late 1950s? The muscle car era? The recently departed Hellcat era? Everyone has their own opinions. Not too many folks look back fondly on what could be called the “Bob era” (Eaton and Lutz) immediately preceding the DaimlerChrysler debacle, but one important development from that time cannot be understated: Plymouth offered cars in not one, but two shades of purple.
This metallic aubergine color was made famous by Plymouth’s neo-hot-rod Prowler, but it was also available on the humble Voyager minivan, like this one. Plymouth also offered the Neon in purple, but it was a non-metallc shade that had more in common with Grimace than with grape Skittles. This is a base-model short-wheelbase Voyager, which the seller says is equipped with a 3.3 liter V6. But I have learned my lesson about taking the seller’s word for things, and since the VIN was posted in the ad, I checked – it actually has the 3.0 liter Mitsubishi engine, backed by a three-speed Torqueflite automatic. It runs great, and it has new tires, brakes, and more.
It does have some options on it, power windows and locks and cruise control, at least. It’s a one-owner van, and it looks like it has been well-maintained. In fact, it appears to be one of those vans that was not really used as a passenger van; I don’t think anyone ever even sat in the second two rows of seats.
The purple paint looks nice and shiny, and I personally prefer the most basic of these vans, with the gray bumpers and the small wheels. They have an honest, no-bullshit look to them. I could do without the Pep Boys wheel covers, but I’m not sure bare black steelies would be better. You shouldn’t have any worries about rust, either, from a southern Colorado car.
2006 Kia Rio5 SX – $3,200
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter dual overhead cam inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Denver, CO
Odometer reading: 107,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives great
As the 1990s faded, so too did most automakers’ color palettes. Gone were the teals, magentas, and purples, but small and sporty cars were still available in yellow. And although silver was ascendant, a new color gained popularity here and there: this burnt-orange color, sometimes called “spicy orange” or “fiery orange.” Kia’s shade was a little more red than some others, but if you see it in the sunshine, it really pops. And a car like the Kia Rio needs all the help it can get to make it interesting.
The second-generation Rio shared a platform with the Hyundai Accent, and was allegedly a big improvement over the first generation. I should hope so; I test-drove an early Rio back in 2002 and it was dreadful. The first generation’s wagon version was called the Rio Cinco here; for this generation, Kia stole Mazda’s silly naming convention and called it the Rio5 – no space. It’s powered by a 1.6 liter four, and this one has an automatic (sorry). It has a scant 107,000 miles on the odometer, and it just passed an emissions test. Its timing belt was changed at 84,000 miles, so it’s good for a while yet.
The inside of the Rio shouts “economy car” so loudly your neighbors will peek out their windows to make sure everything is okay. It’s industrial gray, and made from hard plastic and scratchy fabric. But it’s in good condition, and the fit and finish looks better than the earlier ones.
I’m disappointed that the photos in this ad are so dark, because I’ve seen this color in person, and it’s great. It has a few bumps and bruises, the clear coat is failing on the hood, and the ad mentions something about hail damage, but it doesn’t look terrible for a cheap used car.
As I said, they’re kinda boring apart from the color. But boring runabouts have their place too; a good beater, especially one with some cargo space like these, is a wonderful thing. And if you find yourself in need of such a beast, why not choose one that stands out a little? You’ve got a choice between an eggplant-colored van, and a spicy red-orange hatchback. What’ll it be?
(Image credits: sellers)
I spent about 20 years living in a particularly shitty part of the Midwest, and that generation of Chrysler van was an inescapable sight on the roads. Most of them were barely roadworthy. They’d usually be rusted to shit with plastic bags taped over broken windows, and broken headlight/taillight lenses. It’s so weird to me to actually see one in good shape, I had to give it my vote.
Rio’s were never much to look at or desirable, but I suppose the same could almost be said for a Purple People Mover like that van. Still I would much rather take a clean minivan from a private seller over a clean sort of mini van from an LLC sales lot. also I am not sure the 2006 Kia’s were quite yet up to the quality mark I would need them to be.
I’ll take the Plymouth Barneymobile. I need a cheap crap-hauler.
I went with the Great Grape Ape! 🙂