My New Car

Posted by Marci on Dec 2, 2010 in | 0 comments

It’s funny how what you believe you desire isn’t necessarily what you want.

Since seeing the Italian Job, I thought my dream car was a blue Mini Cooper with white racing stripes. It was the vehicle I wanted when I placed the dream to own a sporty car on my list. At the time I was driving a 1997 Honda Civic that had dents, scratches, and rust. My friends often told me that I looked like a poor, college student driving around.

When I started to shop for a new automobile, I thought about my slogan, Settle for Nothing Less than Magnificence in Life and began to wonder if I should think bigger. Maybe a Mercedes or an Infiniti.

As I began to test-drive, certain aspects of my personality became apparent. Though I loved the luxury cars, the practical side couldn’t come to terms with having a large car loan. Gas mileage became a sticking point; my need to be green over-ruled the idea of getting less than thirty miles to the gallon. Pricey maintenance schedules for the better cars made me feel that I’d be putting my car through college. The Mini Cooper seemed to fit all my needs except the ability to fit a suitcase or my whitewater kayak into the trunk.

After many months of shopping, I realized that though I want the greatest life can give, material things don’t excite me (well except for sparkly shoes).

I went practical. I paid cash for a blue Honda Civic EX with an extended warranty and low miles.

The amazing part is that I love my car. It has a sleek, sporty style and has plenty of get-up-and go. It fits in my garage, has a great sound system, and gets almost 36 miles to the gallon. It may have louder cabin noise than a luxury model, and it doesn’t have heated seats, but it’s mine and I can go from point A to point B without worry.

I guess I’ll leave the impractical spending to journeys around the world.