9:09 p.m. - 2007-06-25
Car and Cargo
Kia and I grew emotionally attached to our car this past week. That is to say, our old car, not to be confused with the new car that we just bought out of fear that our old car would leave us stranded by the side of the highway somewhere. The old car (which we only recently named: Car) was a 93 Saturn blue-like color station wagon that we bought in 2000, not quite four years into our marriage. Since we weren't yet homeowners and neither of us are international drug smugglers, it was the biggest purchase of our lives up to that time. A new seven year old car. Momentous! It cost fifty-six hundred eighty-eight dollars, which we didn't have. We applied for a car loan from my stupid crappy suck bank and were turned down (UW Credit Union, where I'd had an account for like ten years at that point. Thanks, UW Suck Bank For Jerks That Doesn't Look Out For Its Loyal Customers and Which, By the Way, SUCKS), so then Kia got financing through the Saturn dealership, an avenue unavailable to me thanks to a disastrous credit history. That Kia, and not I, was able to secure financing was a surprise to no one.
So, we had a station wagon and happily drove it for several years, often loading drums and other bulky payload into its backside. Car got pretty good mileage and had a low center of gravity. It was easy to park and maneuver and generally met our car needs with aplomb. Car wasn't fast or flashy or particularly comfortable or attractive but it was reliable. It broke down a bunch of times, but never left us stranded. Car was a perfect gentleman in terms of where and under what circumstances it chose to stop working, usually breaking down in the safety of our driveway when we didn't have an immediate appointment. Car was very considerate.
In the last couple years, Car has grown noisy and sluggish, causing us to wonder, will the next major repair be worth it? We grew increasingly concerned about its ability to manage long trips. We still liked Car, but wondered whether it was up to the task. In today's competitive world, it's very important that one's car be capable and reliable. People, drums and horns have to move on a moment's notice. The economy and our way of life depends on it. A week ago we started looking around for a new used station wagon. We wanted something of recent make that we could drive for a few years without constant maintenance.
You know what's weird? They don't make station wagons anymore. Not really. Not the traditional, long, low-slung slab of yesteryear's interminable Sunday family drives. Since SUVs infested the motor vehicle mainstream, cars are built with more height, less length. There are station wagon-like vehicles, with Subaru most nearly preserving the classic design, but most wagon-type cars seem like combination minivans/hatchbacks/urban assault vehicles. Most of them didn't appeal to us. A mini-van was out of the question, since the thought of being a mini-van owner was more than Kia could bear. It seemed as though we were destined to join the legions of Subaru owners who live in Madison. Or WERE we?
Kia did some research and learned all about the Pontiac Vibe, which is a sort-of, pretty much station wagon with space comparable to that of Car. There were a couple being sold at dealerships in town. But a Pontiac? A USED Pontiac? I grew up not only living in Pontiac (MI), but riding in numerous Pontiacs. No Pontiac has ever lasted for more than seventy thousand miles. BUT WAIT: According to Kia, the Pontiac Vibe has a Toyota engine and so is not only a station wagon, but possibly a station wagon that can be driven for more than two years. We looked at a couple, and decided to buy one. At which point we were overcome with a newfound affection for the car we were replacing, or Car.
"Do you think Car knows?" Kia asked on the way to the dealership?
"I think Car knows, but is keeping up a stoical demeanor," I replied.
Sad. We gave up Car in a trade-in, which ultimately seemed like the best course. We never wanted to be a two car household or deal with the hassle of selling a car ourselves. When we finished all the paperwork and drove away from the car lot in our newly purchased Vibe, I felt more melancholic about Car than happy about the new car. But we're adjusting. New car is becoming more familiar each day. Car will be missed, but it would have wanted us to move on.
