That does sound a bit crazy, but I have to say, that is what happened. My Prius was getting to cost more in repairs than was worth to keep. So, after some serious thought and looking at the rising costs, we decided to trade it out. Now, my goal was a V8 and rear wheel drive sedan, something like a Pontiac G8 GT or GXP even. Okay, that still is, but we will get to that later.
My wife and I went down to the used car lot after browsing around their website. I had found an older BMW 325 to check out. I liked the looks and thought it was potentially a good choice for me as well as a family car. The talks that I had heard over the years was how awesome these cars were. I can have a commute of over an hour at times and did enjoy the Prius’ gas mileage of 45 miles per gallon, but it was NOT fun to drive. The BMW seemed like a FUN choice.
My wife went along with the salesman and me on the test drive. She mentioned that the back seat was big enough for two of the kids, so that met that parameter. Once I got behind the wheel, I felt that the car was too small or better yet, too low. I guess I am getting older, who knew? The ride was much more rough than I had expected. Oh yeah, they taut this car as being a sports car. The red dash lights were hard on the eyes. I had to keep clearing my eyes. Now, to give BMW a break, I did just have cataract surgery. Perhaps the 7 series would be a little nicer ride in my eyes (and backside), but not in my wallet.
The next car was a 2010 Buick LaCrosse CXL. It was bigger, larger back seat and rode rather nicely. The pick up and go was noticeable, granted I had a Prius over the past few years so that might be relative. The black leather interior was nice as well, the almost white stitching stood out to me. If you add the Ice Blue mood lighting, then the points climbed up. I liked the layout of the cockpit and was not too difficult to navigate. The ride was quite comfortable. The stereo was pretty rocking as well being a Harmon/Kardon sound system. That was a pleasant surprise. So, we put that one on the side because I saw a newer and shinier car in the show room.
The last car I drove was a 2014 Ford Fusion. It was Cobalt Blue I think and it had a black leather interior and all of the gadgets and screens that they come with nowadays. It looked nice and was about the same size as the Buick. The ride though reminded me of the BMW, a bit rough. I felt every pebble in the road. Granted Ford could have been going for that younger and sportier crowd. We put the Ford up and I went back to the Buick.
Buick? How did that factor into my idea of a V8 and rear wheel drive? Well, it didn’t. Those cars, the ones I liked, were another $10,000, or more, added to the price. So, I was going through the pros and cons with my wife on the Buick. The pros; nice leather interior, comfortable ride, big back seat for the kiddos and the trunk was big enough for letting us go on a vacation without the need of a van. The cons; not a V8 and not rear wheel drive. Okay, so the Buick does not have the towing capacity for my imaginary flats boat. I guess I can give way on that one.
The newer design, black on black and the safe and comfortable feeling that I got was worth the value I paid for it. It is reliable and has fewer miles than the Prius. It was something I felt that my family could ride in and feel safe, which put my mind at east. My wife felt good about driving it herself.
Now, eventually I will get my V8 and rear wheel drive, but I like this car enough to hold off on that extended dream a little bit longer. A Buick, who would have thought?
So, that is my quick little story about the car that I did not anticipate liking, but did. Are there any cars that you bought with a similar outcome? One you did not expect to like let alone buy? Are you still happy with it? Let us know.
Thank you.
Darren