Drive

My first car was a 1990 Geo Prism, which I mentioned before in retelling a happy little story about how I was almost killed in it once by an oncoming train.  I inherited the car from my brother when I was in college and he moved to New York, joining the ranks of the carless city-dwellers.  It was a fairly bare-bones vehicle, with a manual shift and a faded cloth interior, but it got better gas mileage than most of today's hybrids and it never conked out on me, even with the brutal winters of the northern tundra and the long drives between Michigan and Georgia. 

My memories of the Geo are inextricably tied with those of college itself -- spontaneous trips to Meijer in the middle of the night to buy ice cream and Pull'N'Peel Twizzlers; pulling out of my driveway for a groggy early morning rowing session while the party at the fraternity next door raged on from the night before; stopping off with my teammates en route to a crew race to buy Peeps at a drug store, then laughing riotously as I pulled back onto the highway, the sugar high taking hold of us; summertime drives back to campus after a day of boating and kneeboarding on a lake, my friends asleep on each other's shoulders in the backseat. 

One of my college roommates had a decades-old Buick with a hood so rusted that it had to be hammered shut; another had a barge-sized Grandma car with a perpetually empty tank because she didn't like to keep money "tied up in gas."  Our cars were sources of constant amusement and good-natured ribbing, and the question of who would drive the carless roommates around, or who could borrow whose car, was always subject to negotiation (no one ever took my Geo, because most of my friends couldn't drive a standard and, anyway, my dad had given me strict instructions never, ever to let anyone borrow my car (ever!), which I dutifully followed).

Back in high school, I'd been one of the carless masses, relying on Allison and Sarah (and, more often than not, my mom) for transportation.  Allison drove her dad's 1968 VW Beetle, which lacked power steering -- or power anything; you could break an arm trying to get the window down -- and required a fair amount of urging to get up to highway speeds.  Still, it had its charms; you could always hear her coming thanks to the Woodstock-era muffler, and you had to respect a machine that had over a quarter of a million miles on it.  I can hear her clear as day yelling, "Come on, CAR!" as we took an especially precarious turn or tried to make it through a light before it changed. 

Those high school years after we all turned 16 were largely spent tooling around in Sarah's Volvo.  She had been blessed with a luxury automobile, the preppy red sedan of her dreams, and we all took full advantage of its heated leather seats and state-of-the-art sound system. 

It was the Volvo that we took out to her lake house in the summers to swim all day and scare the crap out of ourselves at night, up to Little Five Points in Atlanta to buy bootleg 10,000 Maniacs CDs, to the ER when I cut my hand trying to help her mom take the trash out, and around town, just riding with the windows down and "Blackbird" or "Two of Us" blasting from the speakers.  In college, Sarah emailed me with the news that she had been rear-ended at high speed and, while she was fine, the Volvo was no more.  It was strange to know I would never sit in it again; an era had somehow ended, and as it happened I'm not sure if we ever rode around town together after that, as we all scattered to grad school and jobs, our trips home less frequent and seldom overlapping.   

My mom's minivan from my high school years has its share of associations, too -- long treks to and from Atlanta for dance classes and auditions, tearful road trips home from ballet summer programs and the occasional steely teenage silence as I wondered when my life would finally cease being so dreadfully tedious and provincial (boy, I can't WAIT to have an adolescent daughter!).  That van had a hair-raising tendency to stall at the most inconvenient times, and when I was a novice driver, it seemed to have a vendetta against me; I would be in the middle of an intersection, making a left turn with three lanes of traffic poised to hurtle toward me at any moment, and the steering wheel would seize up, the car huffing to a stop as I frantically braked and tried repeatedly to get the engine back to life.  Oh, how I hated that van. 

All of this somehow came to mind because we took a Zipcar to a quasi-work-related thing outside the city this weekend, and the only car they had available was a BMW.  That car was extremely awesome to drive, I have to say.  Usually I'm happy to have the chance to get behind the wheel at all (how novel!  we could go anywhere we want, and no one is going to be sitting nearby clipping their toenails!), but this was especially fun because, well, it was a BMW.  I'm no brand whore, but that was a NICE car; it was smooth and quiet and comfy and very responsive.  And since we sat in standstill traffic for over an hour both ways, I had lots of time to contemplate these admittedly random memories and appreciate the fine craftsmanship of that car.   

While I don't know that we'll be buying a car anytime soon (the closest parking garage to us costs -- ahem -- $468 a month, and that's BEFORE the city's massive parking tax and, might I add, does not include the cost of the car itself), I sometimes like to think about what I might drive if we did have our own wheels.  The Honda CR-V seems to be a very popular choice among my friends, and it's certainly efficient and economical, ideal for the growing family.  For its high-ranked safety features and its beloved boxy shape, I remain drawn to the Volvo station wagon (especially the Cross-Country) -- for some reason, I always thought that's what I would drive, but then, I also thought I would live in Connecticut in a house with a white picket fence and prize-winning hydrangeas and my husband would have a family compound on Nantucket.  And then there's the Beemer, which might be rather conspicuous and not exactly a bargain, but very fun to drive.

All of this to ask, how about you?  What do you drive, and how do you like it?

Comments

[terriwc]

I can't believe you got to drive a BMW! We will own at least one minivan forever, I think....all the better to transport grandchildren! Got to take them to the Festival of Lights at Christmas, for one thing, and be ready to drive cross country to see the sights once retirement starts. But I have Infinity envy--sister's car. I don't know that I will ever have the opportunity to drive anything remotely considered a luxury car.

[Tara]

I've had my fair share of cars in the short time I've been driving (seven in 10 years... some of them shared with my husband), and my favorites have always been the SUVs. My best memories are of driving around with the moonroof popped in my stepdad's Nissan Pathfinder in high school. But just before we moved to Japan we bought a Honda Accord Hybrid, and I LOVE that car. It drives really nicely, was gently used so we got a great deal, gets great gas mileage, is roomy inside (my husband is 6'1" and would be comfortable sitting in the backseat), and it's a very pretty car. I hope I still love it this much when we move back from Japan, get it out of storage and are able to drive it again (in 2.5 years!)! Oh, and as for parking taxes/payments, I don't know how people do it in big cities like New York and Tokyo. I'm so glad we live on "American soil" in Japan, because if we had to live in Central Tokyo I don't even want to know how much it would cost to own a car. In some places you have to prove to the government you have a place to park before they will sell you a car.

[steve]

I'm on my fourth old BMW, and I just love 'em. If you can find a good independent mechanic and are good about staying on top of routine maintenance, they're cheap to maintain, will run forever (my '89 convertible has 220k miles), and they're just fun as all get out. I'll never buy another transportation appliance.

[Chris]

Unfortunately we live in Southern California where public transportation is pittyful at best. We have a Mini Cooper S and a Vespa, both of which we love, especially with ever soaring gas prices. Not exactly family mobiles, although we do drive our Old English Sheepdog around in the Mini.

[rachel]

We have a Dodge Caravan and while it's nice to ride in and practical...I hate it. But it's nearly paid off, so I just can't convince Tim to trade it in for something cooler. We used to have a Toyota Sienna which was pretty cool, as far as minivans go, but we traded it in for the bigger, more comfortable Caravan.

We also have a Toyota Camry which is also practical and nice to ride in...and I love it! It gets good (not great) gas mileage, usually in the low-mid 30's.

My first car was a 1984 Dodge Omni. It was silver and literally drove like a tin can on wheels. But it was awesome. His name was Bob. My favorite young-person car was my 1990 Nissan Sentra. I once got 49 mpg! I don't know about you but I laugh at the car company commercials now days that enthusiastically praise their celebrated vehicle's 25 mpg. Is that suppose to be impressive or something? 'Cause it's not.

Btw, my dream car is a Volvo XC70. Tim laughs at me. I think it's awesome.

[rachel]

We have a Dodge Caravan and while it's nice to ride in and practical...I hate it. But it's nearly paid off, so I just can't convince Tim to trade it in for something cooler. We used to have a Toyota Sienna which was pretty cool, as far as minivans go, but we traded it in for the bigger, more comfortable Caravan.

We also have a Toyota Camry which is also practical and nice to ride in...and I love it! It gets good (not great) gas mileage, usually in the low-mid 30's.

My first car was a 1984 Dodge Omni. It was silver and literally drove like a tin can on wheels. But it was awesome. His name was Bob. My favorite young-person car was my 1990 Nissan Sentra. I once got 49 mpg! I don't know about you but I laugh at the car company commercials now days that enthusiastically praise their celebrated vehicle's 25 mpg. Is that suppose to be impressive or something? 'Cause it's not.

Btw, my dream car is a Volvo XC70. Tim laughs at me. I think it's awesome.

(My apologies if this is double posted...I'm having issues.)

[Elizabeth]

I am fairly new to your site and I am laughing out loud as I read some of your older entries!

I currently drive a mini van that is 8 years old. I love it. I can make one child sit in the back and one in the middle and can actually drive somewhere is peace. Before the van I drove a Chevy Cavalier for 11 years. It was my birthday gift when I turned 17. The van is totally awesome because it is PAID OFF!

When my husband and I got married he had an old, old truck that died the month I got my first full time teaching job. I think cars can sense these things don't you? We bought a new cavalier and then traded it in when we had baby number two. We bought a vibe which was ok but hubby wanted a truck. We have now had a truck for almost 5 years. I tease him that the truck will be his 11 year vehicle.

Again, I really enjoy your style of writing!

[jonniker]

As you know, we're Honda people. I have a CR-V, Adam has an Accord. I'm not a car person, so I don't pay any attention to them at all. As long as it runs well, drives in snow and is reasonably comfortable, I don't know that I care what it is.

I WISH I was a car person. Cars seem so fun! But I can't bring myself to care about them enough to spend that much money on them. I mean, I want a SAFE car, but beyond that, meh.

[Mandee]

I'm not a car person either. Although, I did love my first car. A Mazda MX-6. With a sunroof. And a CD player--very cutting edge in 1991. I could really blast those Wilson-Phillips CDs.

I am currently driving a Chevy Equinox. It's the best of both worlds because it's built on a car frame, but has the room of an SUV. My sister liked it so much, she went out and bought one, too.

[Jamie]

My friends call me the Angel of Car Doom. When I get a car, the manufacturer of that car inevitably curtails production of that particular model. Leaving me with an uncool car for which no mechanic carries the parts.

Case(s) in point:
My first car, a used, cherry red Dodge Daytona. I drove this until college, when one of the axels broke. You know, like the bar that connect two of the wheels. Awesome.

My second car - a used Suzuki Esteem. Immediately dubbed the "Self-Esteem" and was a good little car until I realized it was nothing more than a green golf cart with doors.

Now I drive a Mitsubishi Galant, bought used from a car rental company. So if they drop off the market, you'll know why. :)

[-R-]

I have a Mazda3, which is not the greatest car ever, but it is fine.

H is going to get a new car in September, and he is probably going to get a 3 series BMW. We test drove one a few weeks ago, and I forgot what a difference there is in fancy cars.

[nonsoccermom]

I live in a suburban area in Texas, where public transportation is virtually non-existent. Driving is non-negotiable here, unfortunately.

I have a 2002 Toyota 4Runner, which I LOVE. I have never had a major problem with it at all, almost 100K miles later.

[metalia]

We drive the Saab SUV which I ADORE, and it's funny, because I never had affectionate feelings for a car until this one. (That COULD be because I drove an '88 Chevy station wagon for most of my driving life, but whatever.) We needed a big car for our growing family and my husband's golf habit. (Those golf bags are NOT SMALL.) It's big, but not too big, and still drives like a car. I do, however, have awful guilt pangs about singlehandedly destroying Mother Earth with each trip to the supermarket.

[Allison]

I drive a Honda CR-V, which I think you know already, but I LOVE it. I will never go back to a small car again because I love sitting up high.

After the Bug died a slow and painful death, Jeff and I wreaked havoc on a Ford Tempo given to us by our grandparents. Its death occurred shortly after Jeff had to drive it to school in first gear because something had gone gravely wrong in the transmission.

[Carolyn J.]

I went on & on about my Mitsubishi Lancer GTS on my blog when I got it last Christmas. I still love it.

I had an option to buy a BMW, but I found out how much parts & service cost. It's quite painful.

[Alyce]

I drive a 10-yr old Toyota Camry. It's shockingly spacious, comfortable, and a grandmariffic shade of lavendar. I wanted something that would last forever after my Jeep Cherokee was totaled 2 years ago (not my fault). I took the cash from the accident and bought the Camry. Not having a car payment is heavenly.

JB and I never had a car while we lived in NYC, but we certainly knew plenty of people who did. We figured even if we used it every other weekend it wasn't worth the parking, insurance, car payment, and depreciation. We could rent a car for that kind of cash. And we never did get away that often.

[Heather M.]

Oh, my DH will tell you that I have had more than my share of cars over the past 14 years of our marriage! I currently drive a Suburban...we have a love/hate relationship...love & have to have the space with 3 kids & 2 big dogs...hate to fill it up at the gas station! Hate the gas mileage! My favorite car was my DH's White Grand Prix that he let me have when we got married! AWESOME car & great gas mileage....nothing ever went wrong with it & it even had a sunroof! Oh, to be young! My worst car was a cheap little red Pontiac Sunfire that would stall out on me at red-lights...oh, but I just had to have it because it was sporty & RED! ACK! Was so happy to trade that one in. My first car was a Ford Escort Stick Shift that my dad put a great boom box system in for me. You could hear the bass from a block away...Heh, I grew up in the 80's, k? Thanks for the trip down memory lane!!! My dream car is a Mercedes SUV. Someday.....

[KDA]

We drive a Saab 92-X. I don't think they make them anymore. It's basically a Subaru Impreza--same body and engine, which is made by Subaru. So, I guess it's really a Saabaru. It's a good litte car--good gas mileage and zippy. It's a manual transmission, which makes it fun to drive. It seems like fewer people know how to drive a stick.
We also have a 1986 BMW 325. It still runs well and doesn't require a lot of upkeep. It has an astonishing amount of miles on it.
My first car was a 1976 BMW 2002. I loved that little car. We sold it a few years ago when we moved to a place w/o a garage. The buyer flew to the Midwest and drove it to AZ. That was a great car!
I think our next car will be a Mazda3 or a Subaru Impreza.

[Gotham Girl]

I am currently driving a 2001 Acura Integra. It was my dream car when I was like 21 years old. Now I finally own one. It's a cute little sports car with a spoiler and sunroof. I really love it. This car is much better than my first car, which was a 1992 Nissan Sentra. The Sentra didn't have air conditioning, heck it didn't even have a radio. It was bottom of the line, but it served its purpose. Someday in the future when I leave NYC, I would like to upgrade to either an Audi or a BMW.

[H]

My family (2 teenagers, 2 adults) has 2 Honda CR-V's, a Honda Accord and a Subaru Outback (my husband's work car.) Most often, I drive one of the CR-V's and I love it. We've had one other Accord, we love those too.

I wonder if your mom's minivan was a Ford Windstar because we bought one soon after Ford started making them (huge mistake) and ours was the most persnickety unreliable piece of crap ever. EVERY time we were on a long trip and were in the middle of the midwestern prairies, the damn "check engine" light would come on. The dealership never did find anything wrong and claimed it was an electrical problem causing the light to come on, but who wants that kind of stress!

[Lawyerish]

This is all VERY interesting. Thank you for sharing your wheels with me!

And H, my mom's was a Dodge Caravan, I think from 1988. SUCK.

[KCW]

Wow, I'm commenting on a week-old post, but as you may know, we are among the CR-V crowd. A few NYC-specific strong points: it is short enough (in both height and length) that you don't have to pay the SUV surcharge at your garage, it has a cover over the rear storage section so people can't see the crap you left in the trunk if you have to leave it on the street; the side-view mirrors flip back to avoid getting sheared off, and finally it can survive a full speed crash with a NYC taxi. ("Yellow scuds," according to the NYPD Highway Patrol officer who watched the cabbie plow into my side while running a red light.)