Concerning the reliabilty of the DMC-12, my personnal belief is that it is very reliable when treated and serviced properly. I own VIN 17145 (canadian model...that already had 60,000 kms when I bought it) since 1995 and I have added 35,000 kms (23,500 miles) of every day use (meeting with customers, going to lunchs, visits to supermarket, going to golf etc). Total repairs and maintenance for these five years are less than 2,000 $CDN including a set of tires. This car is as predictable as my Subaru Legacy, and except once for a fuse related problem (it took less than 10 minutes for me to find and correct the problem) it has never let me down on the road. Nothing to be compared to the Vega... Thank you to all those who contribute to this wonderful forum and happy new year to all! François Laplante Hudson Québec VIN 17145