car odyssey
Oct. 19th, 2005 04:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deborahjrossMy old car, a 1990 Mazda Protege with 194K miles, keeps creaking toward retirement. I have a special fondness for it. Besides being nimble and comfortable, it was my "freedom" car, bought in 1997, when it was clear the family was disintegrating. I picked it out myself, paid for it with my own money, salvaged it after I got rear-ended 5 years ago. It seems to have survived the overheating incident in August, but now has dead brakes. The light came on a short time ago, I made an appointment at the mechanic's, then brakes started feeling mushy. That sinking sensation isn't all in my head, it's my foot going down to the floor. Got me home, though.
So, come Monday morning, a friend drove me to the nearest car rental place and I've been driving a Dodge Durango SUV because all their smaller cars were still out. I hate the thing, and the experience is valuable because now I know I never want to own one. After my Protege, it handles like a waterlogged barge, the controls are confusing and difficult to reach, the seats uncomfortable, and I won't mention the gas mileage. Today, called AAA and got the Protege towed into mechanic's in town, to be looked at tomorrow. Either it can be fixed for not too much money or it gets donated to a worthy cause.
After the overheating incident, I made myself think about a replacement. Basically, I hate cars. I don't want to deal with this, I just want reliable, fuel-efficient, reasonably ergonomic transportation. I don't want to price shop, and I don't care what it looks like on the outside so long as the interior is clean. So I've decided my best bet is to buy a used rental Toyota Corolla -- Hertz and Enterprise both have outlets over the hill. For 12-14K, I can get a car still on the original warranty, with 15-40K miles (that's the price diff at the 2 companies) and a complete maintenance record. If money were no object, I'd probably get a Prius or the Honda hybrid, but I don't currently drive enough miles to make up the difference in price, even at today's gasoline prices. I get 28 or so in the Protege, and the Corolla should do much better.
Even if the Protege survives this encounter, I fear it's only a matter of time until it's laid to rest. The only question is when.
So, come Monday morning, a friend drove me to the nearest car rental place and I've been driving a Dodge Durango SUV because all their smaller cars were still out. I hate the thing, and the experience is valuable because now I know I never want to own one. After my Protege, it handles like a waterlogged barge, the controls are confusing and difficult to reach, the seats uncomfortable, and I won't mention the gas mileage. Today, called AAA and got the Protege towed into mechanic's in town, to be looked at tomorrow. Either it can be fixed for not too much money or it gets donated to a worthy cause.
After the overheating incident, I made myself think about a replacement. Basically, I hate cars. I don't want to deal with this, I just want reliable, fuel-efficient, reasonably ergonomic transportation. I don't want to price shop, and I don't care what it looks like on the outside so long as the interior is clean. So I've decided my best bet is to buy a used rental Toyota Corolla -- Hertz and Enterprise both have outlets over the hill. For 12-14K, I can get a car still on the original warranty, with 15-40K miles (that's the price diff at the 2 companies) and a complete maintenance record. If money were no object, I'd probably get a Prius or the Honda hybrid, but I don't currently drive enough miles to make up the difference in price, even at today's gasoline prices. I get 28 or so in the Protege, and the Corolla should do much better.
Even if the Protege survives this encounter, I fear it's only a matter of time until it's laid to rest. The only question is when.
