Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Cars

Torsten and I make decisions slowly. Or rather, we make decisions and then rethink them, over and over, until we get to the decision that we know doesn't have to be rethought.

For example, we knew we wanted to move away from DC almost two years before we actually did it. At first we decided to move to New York. Then we decided to move to San Francisco. Then we realized that those cities are both very expensive and started researching more affordable options, which is how we landed on Denver. But we were serious about NYC and SF at the time.

It was the same with getting a car. Torsten wanted a sports car and had planned to buy one before we even met, but it just never happened. Then when we moved in together we decided to get a car with the savings in rent. We test drove several of them and decided on a used Acura TSX, but my dad talked us out of it by pointing out that if we ever wanted to buy a house, we'd need to save up for a down payment, and a car is the opposite of an investment because it only loses value while costing money to maintain.

He was right, and I'm not sure we'd have been able to buy our house when we did if we'd bought a car when we were originally planning to. All the thousands of dollars we would have spent on that car instead went into a high-yield savings account and turned into our down payment. So, thank god for reasonable parents who talk sense into you.

But when we realized we were moving to Denver, FOR REAL THIS TIME, we knew we had to buy a car. And we did a ton of research. We very nearly got a Subaru Impreza WRX. Subarus are beyond practical for Colorado, with their four wheel drive, and the car was relatively affordable and also very sporty. But it was a bit more than we wanted to pay, even used, and it only comes with a stick shift, which I would have had to learn to drive. And that would be OK--I want to learn how and I have a feeling that I'll enjoy it very much--but I didn't want my only car to be a stick shift, and especially when our first real experience in it would have been a cross-country road trip where I would have had to share the driving.

So then we looked at other options. The Ford Focus, a Mazda, the Toyota Corolla. And finally the Honda Civic, which we ended up getting. The car was three years old and had 23,000 miles on it. It's a fabulous car. I can't rave enough about it. No, it isn't sporty, and Torsten still grumbles a little when he hears the sound of a WRX engine revving nearby (and that happens a lot in Denver). But it gets incredible gas mileage. It is extremely reliable. It has a ton of trunk and storage space--we couldn't BELIEVE how much we were able to cram in there when we moved. Even the freaking cupholders are brilliantly designed.

And also, that thing is PRACTICAL. It's a great car, but neither of us is emotionally attached to it, so it's OK if it gets scratched, or if the dog gets wet at the dog park and has to ride home that way. It'll be OK when a baby spits up in there or a toddler spills juice in there. This car is a workhorse and it is perfect for what we need. So again, we definitely came to the right decision.

Of course, that doesn't stop Torsten from dreaming of BMWs and convertibles and luxury SUVs. Maybe someday...

What about you? Do you own a car? If so, do you like it? If not, what car would you like to have, and do you think you'll ever get it?

30 comments:

  1. I love my civic. And I am totally with you on the storage space. People could never believe how much stuff I fit in that little car when I was moving to and from college. Mine is a little sportier bc I have the 2 door, but that's actually something I don't like about it anymore. 2 doors can be a hassle sometimes. The gas mileage is fabulous!!!

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  2. Sigh, boys. We currently share one little truck. If we ever move we need a 2nd vehicle. I am thinking fuel efficient/will be able handle at least one car seat; my husband is thinking pimped out gas guzzling giant Tony Soprano style SUV that could house more kids than we'll ever have. Ahem, am most likely putting foot down. I want possibly a prius or a Camry.

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  3. I love our Civic. It moved us form CA to MD.

    My dream car was my last car, my blue and silver Honda Element. It could be hosed out, it could fit in a quen captain's bed. It's been totalled and this time, we made a practical decision to get a Prius.

    Maybe someday, if I have enough money and don't feel guilty, I might get another Element. It made me feel safer than sedans do. I was high above the ground.

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  4. as you know, i love my civic too! and for almost all the same reasons. i have a few scratches/dings on my car, which sucked but SO weren't a Huge Traumatic Event like they would have been with a really nice (or even new!) car.

    my ex has a subaru WRX though, and those ARE nice cars. i do recommend that as a second car one day, possibly w/the turbo boost on the hood..? :-)

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  5. My first car out of college was an old, used Honda Odyssey (yes, minivan). I traded it in for a cute little Honda Civic just a few months before my surprise twin pregnancy. Oops. But it's amazing how much we can fit in there. We've taken road trips with two kids, a stroller, and all the stuff we need for a week and have managed to fit it all in the civic. I love it.

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  6. We have two cars, which is a necessity where we live. There's little to no public transportation so we both have a car.
    I have a KIA Sedona minivan and he has a Hyundai Santa Fe (small suv).
    The cars are affordable, practical, have a GREAT safety rating and warranty, and are rather boring. :)
    But, I don't care that much about cars. I need it to have room for 4 carseats, all the kids' stuff, and drive reliably. My minivan does all that, and gets pretty good gas mileage to boot.
    D's car only hold 2 carseats, but we don't use it nearly as much, and he's still able to pick up one or two of the kids for various things if necessary.

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  7. I loved our Civic. We bought it used and would have driven the wheels off it if some jerk hadn't stolen it and did drugs in it. Lovely.

    Now I have a Subaru Forester and I adore her. My first new car, I refused to let anyone in it wearing perfume or smelling of fast food because I wanted that new car smell to last as long as possible.

    She's a stick shift, though, and while I love driving it, I'm the only one in the family who can, so if we all go somewhere, I have to do the driving. Not always fun.

    My dream car is a Prius or a Civic hybrid. I've driven both, and they're very nice.

    I'd go for a SmartCar, but Killer would throw herself in front of a train if I did (she really doesn't care for them much).

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  8. My first car (that was all mine and not bought by my parents) was a black ford focus zx3. i loved that car. i knew every mile on that car and it was many miles -- over 150K when we sold it. my new "mom" car is a white mercedes e320 wagon that we bought off of craigslist for a steal. we've had to put some money into it, but we love it -- it won't lose its value and it is nice and roomy.

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  9. We have two cars -- a Pontiac G6 and a Mustang -- and we love them. I've had the Mustang since I graduated from college, and the mechanic says it should last for many more years. When it dies, I definitely plan on getting another one.

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  10. I still have the first car I purchased with my own money - a 2003 Toyota Echo. I LOVE this car. Like you said about your Civic, I don't worry if something spills or it gets a minor scratch. And it gets fabulous gas milage. I'm talking 40+mpg on the highway, and even in the mid to upper-30s in town. Also, I've had it for 4 years and all it's ever needed are oil changes, tires and 1 new belt. It just rolled over to 100,000 miles a month ago, but I plan on keeping it until at least the 200,000 mile mark (and will probably be able to sell it even then for a decent amount), unless we have too many kids by then to make it work (it is a rather small car).

    We are now starting to look for a second vehicle, and we both want something that can haul stuff, which means we'll either be getting a truck (with an extended cab to fit the baby's car seat in) or an SUV that has a decent towing capacity. Unfortunately, the cash for clunkers program cleared out most of the reasonably priced vehicles like that around here, so it might be a long search. Good thing we have until February!

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  11. Jess, you're really not a Coloradoan until you own a Subaru :)

    Just kidding, of course! :)

    We have an Outback and love it. It is truly the most practical car you can own here.

    And funny you brought up cars, we're thinking about getting another one. We are sort of back to needing 2 cars. But, I guess I would want a new Outback, and it wouldn't make sense to have TWO Outbacks. Or, maybe it would...one nice one and one beater (although mine's hardly a beater) for camping and hauling gardening stuff around.

    Or, maybe a hybrid?

    We're not really "car" people, so who knows?

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  12. I'm never going to own a car until they start mass producing flying, time-traveling DeLoreans. Flux capacitor or bust!

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  13. My husband and I just bought a 2010 Outback. It's practical for us, weather-wise and dog-carting-around-wise. I actually don't obsess over cars much so when people ask me what my dream car is, I have a hard time answering them. My husband, though, would die for a Nissan Z!

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  14. I would so get what you have - only in silver. My mom drives a 2001 Honda Civic (bought new) and it's just a really, really great car, even ten years later.

    I would so get a 20__ honda civic - a couple of years old, not brand new, but since it'll be a couple of years until I get a car, I have no idea what the model year will be!

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  15. We have a BMW 3 series that we bought used and a Mazda3. I love both! The Mazda3 has an amazing amount of trunk space, the BMW has a surprisingly small trunk (the stroller takes up prett much the whole thing).

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  16. I've only ever owned Hondas. I've had 3 Accords and loved each one. They are fun to drive, get great gas mileage and last FOREVER. My first car was an '86 and my brother and I drove it until it had almost 300,000 miles on it.

    I actually got rid of my car this year because I was unemployed and I have been able to rely on public transportation, but eventually when I get another car, I'll stick with the honda. Although, I do love the WRX.

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  17. I believe I've made it clear before that I hate cars, but regardless, I love my little Civic, too. It is a kick ass, quality car and I plan to drive it for 20 years.

    I still really want a Subaru Outback. They are ideal for around here, too. But, like you and Torsten, we decided it was a bit more than we wanted to pay. And the Civic's gas mileage is exactly what we were looking for. The Prius only gets about 3 more miles per gallon!

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  18. I love honda civic, people say it saves them more money because the gas doesn't run out so easily. It looks beautiful too. :)

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  19. I have my dream car- BMW 528i. In Texas, you MUST have a car. It's not an option.

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  20. we're currently car shopping and I'm leaning towards the civic- thanks!

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  21. I drive a 2004 Honda Civic myself, and I absolutely love it! It IS great on gas, isn't it? FABULOUS little car for zipping around in, and Honda's are so damn reliable. If you take care of them, they can last FOREVER.

    I actually inherited my car. My grandfather bought it in 2004 (it was a demo, with only 6,000km on it, which was awesome). He unfortunately got sick and ended up passing away in April of 2005, and my grandmother doesn't drive, and he always said that he wanted me to have the car if anything happened to him... so there you go. He and I were extremely close, and I know that I'm a lucky girl for having him think of me that way (otherwise, there'd be no way I'd have a car of my own right now).

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  22. Since I live in San Francisco and am single (and will therefore NEVER be able to afford to buy a home), I'm pretty thrilled that I splurged a bit on my car. I'm one of those people who gets emotionally attached to cars, who sees a nice, fast (but also reliable - read: Lexus, Infiniti, Acura) car as practical because it contributes to my daily happiness. It really does.

    And even now when it limits my housing options in SF, I love my car. I'd rather have a studio and my car than have a 1BR and drive something more "practical."

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  23. Since I live in San Francisco and am single (and will therefore NEVER be able to afford to buy a home), I'm pretty thrilled that I splurged a bit on my car. I'm one of those people who gets emotionally attached to cars, who sees a nice, fast (but also reliable - read: Lexus, Infiniti, Acura) car as practical because it contributes to my daily happiness. It really does.

    And even now when it limits my housing options in SF, I love my car. I'd rather have a studio and my car than have a 1BR and drive something more "practical."

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  24. I am soooo not a car person. I drive a Toyota Matrix and I like it just fine. I don't have a dream car. Homer has a company car - it sits in our driveway every night, but I couldn't tell you what kind it is. Luckily, he doesn't care about cars either. If it drives, we're satisfied.

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  25. I own a Toyota Camry and I love it. My entire family has Toyota's so I'm biased but I know that Civics are great too!

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  26. I've heard a lot of great things about the Civic!

    My husband and I both own Infinitis. He has a G35 and I have an FX35. We love them. His is the sports car for fun, and mine is the practical, AWD one.

    We love cars. We also have a project car - a Datsun 280Z. We have lots of dream cars too.

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  27. We drive a 2001 Ford Escape SUV. And we bought it used and it is in really good shape. Thinking about buying a Milan Hybrid.

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  28. now here's a post i can get into - i LOVE talking about cars.

    i have a volvo s40 and it's the perfect car for me, i love it.

    i would keep looking for a suburu!

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  29. I just have a boring 07 Saturn Ion. A bit small with two kids, but it gets us from A to B and I traded in my much older Jeep Grand Cherokee back when gas was over $4/gallon and I was driving a heck of a lot more. I really would like a Suburban or a Tahoe if I have to get a bigger car -- but I doubt I'll ever have the money for one of them. :)

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  30. I drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla S. I bought it brand new on my own. Currently I have 165K miles on it. I've only had to do maintenance on it so far and one belt that was covered by the warranty.
    I live/work in a place where its cool to have fancy cars, but you know whats better than that? A paid off car!
    LJ drives a newer Chevy Impala and his car is paid off too. I may end up buying a used Prius with the Carpool stickers. In California on a 100 Mile round trip commute you can use all the help you can get. That or a scooter. We will see.

    LJ wants a new Camero or a gas guzzling truck. The funny thing is that practicality wise we could use a truck. Go fig.

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