I really did love that car, it was my first big purchase all by my lonesome self, no help from my parents, no relatives acting like a guarantor when I applied for the loan. I did the research, filled up the paper work and test drove what seemed like a gazillion cars until I couldn’t resist the lure of a shiny black Lancer. My love affair with Raven lasted 5 years, I took it everywhere, I saw the entire state of New Jersey, I drove around NYC, the 5 Boroughs and upstate NY with it. It got me to Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Connecticut, and even the Poconos Mountains of PA. Most importantly it drove me to my new home in Ontario, Canada and the surrounding cities of Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Aside from the regular wear and tear of any vehicle, I never had a problem with Raven until that one fateful day when it was taken away from me by the insurance company after the accident and I was left with the practical Honda.
Car enthusiasts will argue the value and reliability of Honda’s and I’m not going to dispute their claim. It does last and it drives like you’d expect any 14 year old Honda’s to perform. But it doesn’t have that same tantalizing hold that Raven had on me, maybe because it doesn’t feel like it is mine. The Honda is merely this thing that gets me from point A to point B. It keeps me warm during the winter and cools me down during the summer. It’s great on gas mileage and I’m comfortable enough sitting in the drivers seat when I’m stuck in rush hour traffic, but its not the same. I can create a T chart listing the pros and cons of surrendering to my impulse of getting another car this weekend. I don’t have to worry about car payments and sky rocketing insurance prices, the car still has a lot of kilometers in it that it will last me a couple more years and yes it is reliable and I’m pretty sure with proper care it will last forever.
The negative side of it is that it’s a 14 year old car, wear and tear will come at me more often than not (thus the new radiator that I had to spend a couple hundred bucks last weekend to replace), I’m apprehensive on taking last minute road trips because of the fear that it might break down on me in the middle of nowhere (although my mechanic swore that it would never happen.. but still..) and call it a pure emotional reaction but I’m probably the 3rd or 4th owner of the car.. and did I mention it’s a 14 year old car. It doesn’t hold any value to me. Ok, maybe I’m a converted hedonist but it can also be argued that what may be valuable to me may be not be to others.
Sigh… but after everything is said and done and I look at the T-chart, it will as always boil down to one thing.. Getting a brand new shiny car is not financially feasible right now and it would probably be the worst idea to do so. (hmm is this a sign of maturity?!!? Lol) I do need to look at the bigger picture and accept that there are other things that I need to prioritize and a lot of bills that need to be paid. If I stick to the plan and banning any fortuitous events, next summer for sure is the right time to give in.
I won’t be able to replace my lancer, rest assured Raven will always have that special place as my first, but if my finances work out next year, I’ll be in a better position to drive around in a brand new ride. I’m eyeing a 2009 Mazda 6 fully loaded.. I’ve always been a sucker for product/brand marketing.. zoom zoom forever!! =P
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