You know that feeling when you buy something that you have coveted for a really long time? There can be immense satisfaction in owning something shiny and new. In 2010 I purchased a Mini Cooper Clubman with 10,000 miles on it and I was in love. It was a deep brown color and it caught my eye the minute I saw it.
I nicknamed that car “Hot Chocolate” and it looked amazing with my little blue kayak perched on its roof. I loved that car from the moment I laid eyes on it until this week when I gently patted its hood and said good-bye. “Hot Chocolate hit 112,000 miles last month, was burning oil, sounded rough and was started to look her age!
I spent $686 bucks on her recently but she still needed brakes, tie rods and probably some engine work. I didn’t have the nerve to sink anymore of my hard-earned money into a vehicle that I didn’t feel comfortable would get me where I wanted and needed to go.
For the last few months, I have been car shopping my way. Essentially that means I really pay attention to any car that turns my head and start to narrow down my choices. By the time I started to schedule test drives I pretty much thought I would choose either a Subaru Impreza Hatchback or Mazda 3 Hatchback. I was leaning toward the Impreza because it comes standard with AWD and that is a big plus here in Upstate New York!
When I walked into the dealership to test drive a 2014 Impreza, I was distracted by a brand new car that I didn’t recognize. As the salesman started telling me all about the dealership, I interrupted him to ask “What is that car?” He says a Hyundai Veloster. Disappointed, I say “ya, I have seen those but they only have 2 doors and I need at least 3 so I can easily get the dog in/out”. He tells me it has 3 doors plus a hatchback and I go check it out.
I like the car but it is brand new and not in my price range. Plus it is black and I want something with some color! I go and test drive the car I was initially interested in and I like it but it is more dinged up than I want. When I get home I stared to look for more Impreza’s to test drive and find 1 about 40 minutes away. Plus they have a used Veloster with no price on it so I make an appointment to drive both.
I tested the Impreza first because that is what was interested in the most. Again, I liked it and it was in a bit better shape than the first one I drove. It was nice – yup just nice.
Then I laid my eyes on the Hyundai Veloster! I liked it the minute I saw it and loved it the minute I drove it. Whoever owned it prior took amazing care of it. It looks shiny and new despite having 34,000 miles on it. There is not a dent, ding or scratch and it has a nice deep hatch that will hold whatever I decide to toss back there. Plus it was $1000 bucks cheaper than the other car and I figure I can use that to buy really good snow tires to make up for the fact that it doesn’t have AWD. Oh and it has color, really nice color.
I have been saving for the last few years to pay cash for my next car. Oh what a feeling! I have never been so happy driving away from a car dealership. There will be no monthly payment for the next 5 years. This baby is fully paid for and that makes driving it even more enjoyable. I am choosing wealth by staying out of debt.
So Good-bye “Hot Chocolate” hello “Orange Crush”! Or maybe “Orange Kiss” or “Citrus Kissed”. I haven’t quite decided!
I do know she is fully paid for, fun to drive and a really sweet color! Oh and she made it up and down the hill at the lake with no problem!!!!
Lake Girl