Nearing The End of the Line
On September 30, 2005, still unmarried and childless, I felt absolutely no guilt in asserting that picking up my brand new MINI Cooper was the greatest thing to happen to me (possibly tied with earning a Master’s Degree and playing music in front of 600 people).
Small Cars Only
Now, nearly four years later, removing the statuses “unmarried” and “childless” have eclipsed that day, but I still love my car more than any non-carbon-based things in my life. (My Fender basses are made of wood…) But this lease will be ending soon. About 2,000 miles too late, as it turns out:
50,000 Miles
The guy came today to perform the end-of-lease inspection. (So soon?) Come February, when Carrie goes back to work, it’s going to be my job to drive Jack to day care, and I just can’t see myself getting that baby seat in and out of the MINI every day. So, at least temporarily, my MINI-driving days are going to come to an end; and, finally, I can sense that day drawing near. And, still, that new-MINI-owner feeling hasn’t gone away. It’s an awesome car, and I am still thinking about getting another one when Jack gets bigger.
For now, though, it’s time to choose a new ride. My criteria are fairly specific: I need a car that comes in a manual transmission, with a factory-installed iPod dock connector, that I can get Jack in and out of fairly easily, and that doesn’t suck. I am down to about three choices — the VW GTI, the VW Jetta, and the Subaru Impreza wagon. I test drove a GTI the other day, and I don’t think I’m going to like the other two even remotely as much. For a non-MINI, I really like the handling, acceleration, and style. It’s got a lot more horsepower, though not quite the same suspension. The radio, etc. is nicely laid out — the newer MINI interior is quite a step back from the styling in my ’06, in my opinion — and looks nice and modern. Yes, I’m still going to drive the other two, but I feel like I’ve decided already. The only potential factor to keep me out of it will be the price. Cross your fingers for me. :)
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