a couple weeks ago i was in some severe negations for a 2009 honda crv. my mom finally decided to pull the trigger... she was going to buy a brand new car. so i came in as the negotiator... something i found myself really enjoying. in the endless hours they make you wait as you negotiate, i would often wander around the showroom and check out some of honda's finest. i guess i was most drawn to the pilot, but i tell you what, that third row seat was kind of a joke. despite it luring me with its leather seats, in house dvd player, and that good ol new car smell, i just couldn't really see myself rockin it. it was then i looked out the window and saw ol EV and thought, i really love, like really love my car. i honestly want for nothing... not a sparkling 09 anything. EV has my heart.
now my unwavering love for EV is no easy feat. we've owned a lot of cars these last six years...
when we met i was driving an 82 volvo, and b had a newer white ford ranger. after ditching the volvo, i decided in this jungle every girl needs a jeep. so i found myself in a lifted green jeep cherokee with black rims... pretty sick. then we decided to go to scotland... so we sold both the cars, and went one whole year without a vehicle- just the good ol double decker- edinburgh's finest. upon returning home, we decided first and foremost we needed a vehicle. after some considerable research we (well b) decided on a toyota t100. we were sooo stoked on this truck. but as time went on, and we discovered that we'd need two cars so i could get to work, we decided on getting b's absolute dream car (ok, so it didn't look exactly like that). this worked okay for awhile, but it had two flaws. one, i thought i was gonna pull a muscle getting the carseat in and out all the time (too low to the ground), and the seats were like a pair of mesh basketball shorts... perfect for cracker crumbs. so off to craigslist this one went, and into our hands we found a 93 toyota 4 runner. this car was pretty sweet for a lotta reasons. since lils was still facing backwards, we could roll down the back window and she could gaze at the scenery. it also was ideal for ol emma lou (back when we actually took her places), and it was old enough that we didn't feel like we were gonna trash it. after much consideration we decided two toyota's were a little much and decided to sell the t100. with that gone, we settled on a great commuter car for b, which to this day he still dutifully rocks... a 97 4 door honda civic. this thing is like the original hybrid... 34 miles to the gallon, but no AC. it def gets the job done. after a brief run with the 4 runner, we decided to get a bigger car, since baby #2 was on the way. on this go we decided to get our real dream car... a 2006 toyota tacoma double cab long bed. black. bad ass. this car was soooo sweet. we were able to camp in it, do lots of home improvement projects and of course help people move. we really loved this car. despite its double cab capabilities, it was pretty difficult to have 2 kids in there. nursing was next to near impossible, and the gas mileage was starting to get to us.
it was then we realized we were destined for a van.
i'm not gonna lie and say that minivans aren't that bad. i have never, ever wanted one. it wasn't hard to convince b. i mean after all, i've got two kids now. put me in a minivan, and these inevitably follow. our pride was at stake here, and there was no way i was going to succumb.
the eurovan was the perfect compromise. it had all the perks of a minivan (minus leather seats, in dash dvd players, and automatic doors on both sides- all features i actually really covet). the eurovan was big like a van, but it was a vw (cool), they are discontinued (rare and vintage), and its like having your own wall to wall carpet condo to drive around in (roomy and comfy). once i stepped into that 02 silver EV with only 50,000 miles on it, i truly had arrived. two years later and i haven't looked back. call me a dude, but i love my car.
b does not exactly share these same sediments. though he likes it for the kids and coolness factor, he does not like how much it sucks like a volkswagon. homey is used to working on anything, and everything. even cars. in college, dude once put a new transmission in his ford ranger over christmas break. however, this is no vanagon. this is vw's german engineering at its worst. so as much as we wanted to be shocked when we found out we needed a new transmission, we kind of knew that it wasn't abnormal. since we can't afford the big dogs (their quote is almost to ridiculous to repeat - just think a down payment on a mobile home), we have found a guy in slo to do it for the price of a decent vanagon.
so here's our dilemma people... after we fix it, do we sell it or keep it? and if you vote sell it...
1) are you interested, and 2) please tell us what car to get.
don't get all facebook on me people--- stay true to the blog!!!
5 comments:
i didnt read tjis whole thing cause it was too long for my head at this time of day... but we just got a honda crv and LOOOOOOOOOVE it. love it.
if you love the EV as much as it sounds like you do, invest in a real tune-up and keep it.
i'll by your euro for 3500. take it or leave it. or i'll trade you for my sweet mpv! mom jeans included!!!
no but for reals i say fix it and keep it. i can't see you in anything else. that baby is sweet and once you get a new tranny in it you'll get a good 30,00-40,000 more miles out of it easy!!!
Holly, I've been pondering this same question. Do I get a minivan (and be destined for mom jeans) or do I buy an SUV with 3rd row seating. Basically, the conclusion is that getting kids in and out of a 3rd row in an SUV is NOT practical. My cousin loads her daughter in through the back/trunk. Minivans are the way to go if you want those cool doors, extra room for nursing, ease of moving around, and nowadays, they have a ton of cool storage options. So, if you're going to retire your EV, go for an Odyssey as it has all of the features that you love from your EV minus the cool image. Hey, maybe B will get you rims to dress it up!
BTW: we're due the 15th so we'll be first to #3!
Holly, there is NO WAY you will EVER look like that in those mom jeans, really no matter how hard you tried I just don't think you could do it.
Eric and I debate often enough about the true practicality of a minivan with a bunch of little ones...they really do make sense, image aside :). But I'd rather a Honda Pilot (Ryan and Jenny have an '09 thanks to her dad's car dealership). Our current cars are a '95 4-Runner and a '97 Honda Civic, so maybe soon we'll get Pilot soon, and maybe you should too.
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