<font color='black' size='2' face='Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif'><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"></FONT><br> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3px"> <div>If you're looking for American, how 'bout a Ford Transit Connect?  I bet you can get a whole upright in one of those!  I've heard small business owners rave about that vehicle.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Chris S.</div> </BLOCKQUOTE></div> <div><br> Chris</div> <div> </div> <div>I've considered the Transit. I've looked at them, and they are a very nice service vehicle. The only draw back is that it's just that, a service vehicle. There is room for only one more passenger. I want a little more flexibility than that.</div> <div> </div> <div>Wim</div> <div style="CLEAR: both"> <div> </div> </div> <br> <br> <div style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">-----Original Message-----<br> From: chrisstor <chrisstor@aol.com><br> To: pianotech <pianotech@ptg.org><br> Sent: Fri, Mar 2, 2012 3:59 pm<br> Subject: [pianotech] Service vehicles<br> <br> <div id=AOLMsgPart_1_23344075-65e4-4eeb-b0bd-df1cd309d803><FONT color=black size=2 face=arial>Wim, <div><br> </div> <div>I got a VW Jetta SportWagen TDI.  The seats fold down flat in the back like you're looking for, but the surface is carpeted, not smooth.  Easily takes a grand action,  or an upright action in a cradle, with plenty of room for a bunch of other stuff.  I wanted a flush back cargo area so that actions would slide in and out without having to lift them.  The only ones I saw that had that feature in 2009 were the Volvo, Subaru, and Honda element if I remember right.  I couldn't afford those.  The VW has a modest lip in the back that I can lift and slide an action over.  I see a lot of techs up here in New England with Subarus, but they're already a regional thing here because of the AWD and the weather.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>My VW's a diesel.  The performance is indistinguishable from a gasoline engine, no smell, low noise for a diesel, and  38 to 40 MPG.  Sorry, not American.  But did I say 40 MPG?  VW really has something with the TDI, in my opinion.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>If you're looking for American, how 'bout a Ford Transit Connect?  I bet you can get a whole upright in one of those!  I've heard small business owners rave about that vehicle.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Chris S.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Good luck in your search.  I know it comes down to personal choice, but it is exciting to get a new one no matter who you are.</div> </FONT></div> </div> </font>