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September 04, 2006
My new car
I made a rather big purchase this weekend. After debating about the issue for months, I finally came to the decision that I needed a new car. My old Honda, which I have had for 7 years, was finally getting to the point where it was becoming too expensive to repair. The final nail in the coffin was when the ac compressor went out on my way home from work. I noticed that the car was slowly becoming warmer, and when I looked behind me, there was a cloud of white smoke coming from behind the vehicle.
Amanda took Chewie (that's the name of the Honda) to the repair shop, and we received a bit of a sticker shock. To repair the ac unit, it was going to cost us at least $700.00. Considering that we just replaced the blower motor just two weeks prior for $160.00, we were approaching a thousand dollars very fast. Keep up these kinds of repairs, and before you know it you've spent enough for a new car in a vehicle that is 14+ years old.
After talking with Amanda about the climbing costs, we decided to start looking around for a new auto. The problem that we have is that we don't have a lot of cash to put towards a new car, especially when we are in the process of buying a new home. The replacement vehicle needed to be cheap, in very good condition, less than 5 years old and get great gas mileage. There were very few cars out there that fit this need when we looked ... but I had an idea of what it was that I wanted.
About a year ago, Michael and I went out test driving cars. I knew that the time was coming close to when I would have to consider replacing Chewie, so I wanted to get an idea of what was on the market. I test drove several cars, but was very impressed with the Chevy Aveo. It had a lot of get-up and go, was very roomy for being a compact car and fit my needs for a new car. I didn't purchase the Aveo when I test drove it with Michael, but I knew that when the time came that I would seriously consider an Aveo.
Fast forward about a year, and here I am needing a car. I've never been big on purchasing a brand new car, so I tend to look for used vehicles that have under 60K miles on them. As luck would have it, I found an Aveo for under $10K that had all of the things that I was looking for. After taking the vehicle for a test drive, Amanda and I decided that we found the car that I wanted and proceeded to put everything together for a purchase.
This is what my Aveo looks like.
As of Saturday afternoon, I became the owner of a 2004 Chevy Aveo. It's a bright red color, has four doors, has a manual transmission, a MP3/CD player and gets great gas mileage. It has under 60K miles, and the body is in very good condition. The interior of the vehicle is also in good condition, with a few minor things that need to be cleaned to my satisfaction.
On Sunday, Amanda and I made a trip to a store called The Neutral Zone, which has things to purchase for UK and UofL fans. Being UofL fans, we purchased a new front plate for my car. It's black with the Cardinal logo centered in the middle. I wanted to replace the temp front plate that came with the car, which was a trashy looking plate that came from the car lot that I purchased the vehicle from. We also purchased a window sticker for my back window ... so that people will know that I'm a Cards fan regardless if I'm coming or going.
Now, I just need to get used to the clutch on my new car. It's a bit different than Chewie's ... very sensitive in comparison. The breaks on the car are also very touchy ... and I have stopped the car a bit faster than I planned a few different times. The really weird thing that is taking a while to learn is the power stearing. Chewie didn't have power stearing, and I was very used to not having it. When driving the Aveo, I find myself over correcting my turns because I'm used to having more resistance at the wheel.
It's all just a matter of time...
~out...
Posted by ed at September 4, 2006 11:09 PM
Comments
Congrats on the new purchase. Of course, I think the Cardinal logo just makes a fine car ugly. Heh ...
My Father in Law would be happy - he has worked all his life at Allisons/GM. So I am destined to purchase GM cars for the rest of my life.
RIP Chewie. I know my 1994 Saturn (Shizelle) is coming to the end of her days too. She has served me well for all these years, especially on all those 3 AM rescue runs. It will be a sad day when I have to let go of her.
Hash
Posted by: Hash ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://edengelking.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 5, 2006 02:30 PM
Thanks Hash.
Regarding the Cards logo ... you have to understand that I grew up in a house divided. My father, Mike, was always a huge Cats fan, especially in basketball. However, the football season has always been a big disappointment as far back as I can remember.
My mother, on the other hand, has been a Cards fan. Since my move to Louisville, especially after WHAS took over the UofL contract, I've found myself rooting for the Cards.
When it comes to any KY team playing, I'm going to root for them, regardless of who's playing. The only exception is when the Cats play the Cards ... since I'm a Louisvillian now ... I gotta root for the home team.
Not to mention that the red car would look weird with a blue UK logo on it... ;)
Posted by: eengelking at September 5, 2006 09:53 PM
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