My new ride

Even though the 401k has taken a big hit this year, my job looks solid, even with the unfortunate likelihood of an Obama presidency. For 12 years, my 1996 Accord has been a workhorse and was the first new car that my wife and I purchased when we graduated from college. A few weeks back, it crossed 200,000 miles.

But, especially over this last year, it's been having little failures along they way that have been putting it in the shop more often. The most recent forced some appointments to be canceled while we juggled getting the kids to school and me to work. We were going to hold off and replace the car next year. But, the weak auto market lead us to see if we could get a good deal now.

And get a good deal we did. I hate buying cars and dealing with the "stealerships", which is one reason I make my vehicles last as long as I do. This time proved a pleasant exception. For the first time, I walked out knowing that I got a really really good deal on my purchase.

Some of you probably won't be surprised at my choice. The wife and I tested out several cars, and while there were some serious contenders, we ultimately both agreed that we had found our car:



This thing is amazing inside and out. I had done a lot of research and thought I knew a lot about this car. Even I was surprised at the amount of thought, detail, and creative gadgetry that have gone into this car.

The whole experience with this particular dealer was actually pleasant. I'm actually looking forward to the next time I'll be in the market for a purchase.

I could have bought a Benz, BMW, or Lexus. But, I would have been buying something to impress other people. I don't really like any of those cars, for a variety of reasons. This car is a reward for me and I'm now looking forward to the work commute each day.