Time to Say Goodbye

No Cherokee, no longer.

Turned her in on Friday, under the allowed mileage on the lease and in almost as good of shape as when I picked her up. Someone will be getting a very nice SUV out of this....I just hope the trans problems are indeed electrical and not mechanical. Either way, not my problem anymore.

The turn-in process was pretty quick and painless, but since I didn't re-lease or buy a car from them before I turned it in, the reacquisition fee wasn't waived for me this time around....and they upped it to $425 from the $300 I was expecting. Should have read my contract a little closer. All is not lost though. I have 60 days to get a vehicle through Chrysler and still qualify for a lease loyalty rebate. Now if I could only find that Charger I thought I had tracked down on a nearby lot....

So technically I am carless at the moment. I have a car in my possession, well if you can really call a Kia a car, but I don't have one of my own right now. With my dad not able to drive for at least another 6 weeks, it just seemed to make more sense to take my time and find a deal that I like on a car that I really want. Not having a car payment for a month or two and doling out money at the gas station less frequently will be nice....but I'm surely not sold on this car thing yet.

It's been nearly a decade since I drove a car consistently. The last car I bought/leased was a 1998 Protege. Since then it's been nothing but trucks and SUVs as my primary mode of transportation. Driving a car the last couple days has already been quite the adjustment, but now I am looking to do it permanently, and I really have no idea which car that I'm considering would be best for me.

No matter what, a car is going to be better on gas mileage than my Cherokee was....but how high do I want to go with the MPG? I love getting 40-50 MPG on my motorcycles, and that has helped to offset my fuel consumption in the summer. Now I have a chance to really make an impact on my wallet and help out the environment by getting a small, cheaper, very efficient car. Being the neo-hippie that I am, this all sounds great.....but being a single guy, it's not like I can exactly go that route.

During dinner on Saturday, at Baskin Robbins no less, my mom tried to sell me on the benefits of owning a Kia. This is the same woman who has been bothering me for a grandchild for nearly a decade now, since I am her only child and, therefore, her only hope for a grand kid. "Mom, if you EVER want the chance at a grandchild, you DO NOT want me to buy a Kia. I will never reproduce if that happens....hell, I may never have sex again if I buy a Kia."

Yes, I can talk to my mom like that and be fine.

And yes, it's sad, but true, that I have to consider things like this when purchasing a new vehicle. So I have plenty to consider tonight as I search for a new vehicle while watching my Burgundy and Gold on Monday Night Football. I would appreciate any suggestions for a possible new car that wouldn't put a damper on my....social agenda.