New Car Future

More expensive impending repairs on the Lumina tell me it’s time to move on. Now I have no idea how to proceed. I’ve never picked out a car before. My first car, an 87 Cougar XR7, was given to me at age sixteen, when I very much wanted a cute car instead.

I drove that lovely red V8 sunroofed sportscar for eleven years, until I got my grandmother’s old car, the 96 Lumina, which I’ve had for six or seven. The endless possibilities are so exciting! But the impossibility of paying for a car, any car, well, not so much.
My dream car is an El Camino. Maybe 1985, flames up the side. Smooth . . . ride. . . . Alas, I really need something practical, reliable, that I can afford, with reasonable miles per gallon. Of course, there’s no such thing as such a car. I can’t afford any car payment. I foresee lots and lots of freelance work in my future.
Daddy took me to a couple of dealerships tonight to look. Of course, they were all out of my stars, but it was useful to drive a few, see what’s out there. We found good deals on a new Mazda 3.

Oooh, dials!

Plenty of leg room. For the chickens.

And I drove a Mazda 6, which is similar but a little roomier.

They were both fine cars, but it was pretty depressing to have to drive a 4 cylinder. I feel like less of a woman for considering it.
We went by the Toyota dealership, but they were closing up shop, so we got a price list for a few used cars (we were assured they were all negotiable) and looked at a few cars without driving them. The Corolla and Camry both seem like good, reliable cars, and the certification is pretty impressive, but both cars are out of my price range, which, you’ll recall, is zero dollars.



I am going to have to give up a lot to afford to drive. Food, for one. Yarn, for another. Lucky for me, Carrie got me signed up on Ravelry, which is the most brilliant idea ever. I am so excited. I plan to use it to organize myself to knit through my stash so I don’t have to buy any more yarn. Or I could just keep knitting and unravelling sweaters forever, like Penelope. Will that get me through a four-year car loan? If not, I can always borrow the T.