New Car Shopping

So, gas prices, huh? What's up with that? Up--get it? A joke! I just crack myself up sometimes.

Anyway, I was filling my car the other day. My 1998 Honda Odyssey, which is still a sweet ride, if a bit. . .what's the word. . .oh, I remember. . .OLD. But, it still drives great! And I still can drive multiple kids to events and stuff! And--oh, yeah, gas. And gas prices. Sure, it gets great mileage for a minivan, but it still costs more than $50 to fill the thing.

And lo! There was a choir of heavenly voices saying "Behold, for we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all car buyers. You shall search for the 'Hybrid Synergy Drive' and it shall be wrapped in a Toyota Prius, which shall bring good gas mileage to all peoples!"

Now, Captain Sweetie has raised the issue of a new car with me quite a few times over the last couple of years. You know, as the MamaVan has aged over time, and his car leases run out and he gets a new car and he wants to be certain that I am not feeling left out of the new car party, and I DON'T because I still love the MamaVan. I mean, it's purple! And is actually a compact car! Who doesn't love a minivan that is actually a compact? It's not so much a minivan as it is a tall station wagon, with car-type doors, not those stupid van sliding doors, and it gets 20 mpg, which is as good as just about anything and I still like it!

But then, I had my vision, and started looking at the Prius.

Man, those puppies are everywhere! But they look good--kind of like my sporty 1988 Acura, which was my last new car. I even got to drive one! I know! I mean, there is a six month waiting period to buy a Prius, but they had one on the lot, and I got to drive it! And not only did I drive it, but even after driving on 2 highways and a bunch of local roads, I averaged better than 52 mpg!

Can I also just say, there are a ton of features you can get on a car that didn't even exist when I bought the MamaVan? There is this "Smart Key" technology, which means you can put this thingie in your pocket or purse and it will allow you to unlock the car and even start it, without having to actually dig the thing out! And there is a navigation system that uses a touch screen, just like on an iPhone! Well, I don't know if you can actually load photos on it, but still! And how did I live so long without a backup camera which transmits the view behind your car in HD?

Okay, but what I really want are seat warmers.

I'm going to go get myself on one of them there waiting lists. Stay tuned.