With that said, it was getting to the point that parts on the car were just wearing out. As well made as it is, nothing is going to last forever. I had it in my head that the next big repair it needed (anything costing over $500) was the moment I knew it was time to say good-bye.
It finally happened. The day after we got back from our trip to NYC, we were meeting friends at their pool for the afternoon. I had been using the car all morning and everything was fine. We left the pool and all of sudden, the power locks went kaput, the air conditioning went kaput and the emergency brake light was permanently lit even though the brake wasn't being used. Uh-oh!
I got my car in for service early the next morning and found out a multi-control unit fuse box needed to be replaced. It was going to cost $795. Thanks, but no thanks I said to my guy Milton who has serviced my car for the last 13 years. I went one room over at the dealer and asked them to tell me what I could get for my car as a trade-in.
 |
| My ending mileage |
 |
| Saying good-bye to my car. |
The next morning Jeff, the kids and I went to test drive two cars at the dealer. I really wanted the Honda Pilot (well, I really wanted the Acura MDX but you have to wake-up sometime and realize how far fetched that idea was). The 2016 model had just come out. It was completely redesigned and looks amazing. Jeff preferred I stuck with the CR-V and get the 2015 version. He had a hard time justifying the additional $13,000 in cost for the Pilot because I so badly wanted a car with 3 rows of seats.
If I got the Pilot my life as I knew it would be over. No dinners out, no movie nights, no girl's weekends, no taking the kids to NYC for 4 days, etc. You get the point. I'd have the car I want, but I wouldn't be able to do anything else. And you all know how I like a good adventure! This would've been a selfish move on my part and the kids would've suffered too.
At the end of the day I picked the CR-V. A lot of technology has happened in the past 13 years. I got the exact color I wanted and the EX-L model with leather seats and all the bells and whistles. Once we got back from our latest vacation, Jeff and I made the new car purchase happen quickly.
When I woke up the next day with my new wheels in the driveway, I got very excited. This car is perfect for me. It's true that I don't have that 3rd row of seats I've wanted for years, but I can't really mourn something I never had anyway. Right?
One of the coolest things is when you use your blinker to indicate you are making a right-hand turn and you get a view of the right-hand side of your car. There is a camera that displays what is going on in the lane next to you. The other thing I love is the smart entry and push button engine start. I leave my keys in my purse and NEVER have to take them out. As I approach the car, it unlocks automatically. As I leave the car it locks automatically. And once I am in the car, all I have to do is hit the button to turn the car on. Good-bye "old school" keys!
As I am driving around in my new car, I feel like I was two steps away from having driven a Fred Flinstone vehicle...you know, my feet through the floor board pedaling. I will never say a bad thing about the first CR-V, but boy have their been improvements over the past decade.
Ian says he can't wait to see what happens when I get the next new car in another 13 years. He predicts we will be flying around in our cars. I already feel like I am now! What a smooth ride!
On a side note, I believe I had negotiated a really good deal on the trade-in and the price for the new car. However, it makes you wonder just how good of a deal you got when your car salesman insists you go to dinner and give him the receipt afterwards for reimbursement while they get your car ready to deliver to you. Things that make you go hmmmm. ;)
 |
| My new car!! |
 |
| This was my Pilot. It was waiting for me when I returned from the cruise. |
 | |
| They even had a "SOLD" sign in the window with my name written | in the top corner. |
No comments:
Post a Comment