I knew for a long time that I was going to need a new car fairly soon, but I couldn't ever make up my mind on what kind of car I wanted. I'd never really had options before, being limited either by money (the Tracer I bought in college) or function (the minivan). Should I splurge and get a sporty Camaro? Or an elegant sedan? Or a quirky Beetle?
Our old, faithful "Blue Car" forced my hand, however, when it decided to have repair costs worth more than the car itself. Sadly, the car ran perfectly, but the hybrid battery sensed it was past warranty and turned on the check engine light (despite working perfectly, did I mention that?). I drove it for months with the light on, with working-battery-type gas mileage, but the light stayed on, which made getting this year's state inspection impossible. It was frustrating, because we got the car to 126,000 miles with good maintenance and it was sure to go many more if not for that battery.
After failed attempts at resuscitation at the Honda dealership, I was forced to admit I needed to decide on a new car. After a long Saturday of visiting dealerships, my ruminations proved correct. When it came down to it, I cheaped out and bought a 2014 Hyundai Accent, a small, fuel-efficient car with a great warranty.
The Kia Rio was also a strong contender (essentially the same car), but a comically bad, bumbling salesman soured the deal on that one, and it was more expensive anyway due to the fancier in-dash electronics.
I now have steering-wheel controlled Bluetooth connectivity to my phone so I can talk hands free, as well as listen to music from my phone and charge from the USB port. That was the one modern feature I really wanted. The Honda didn't even have an auxiliary jack, which made listening to anything but the radio (or CDs, but this isn't the 90s) impractical.
Speaking of Blue Car, it was a sad farewell at the dealership. This was Amber's first car, and a car I bonded with over the years. We drove many miles together. I'm just going to imagine it retired, all repaired, cleaned up, and owned by an old lady who only drives it to church on Sunday (and not sold at auction for parts and scrap). Happy trails, Blue Car.
