Automotive Quandry

I drive one of the most practical responsible cars in the world. I drive a Toyota Sienna minivan. How suburban is that? It has been a great car. It has been extremely reliable (it is a Toyota afterall), comfortable, and has come in handy many times for those trips to Home Depot.

 

The problem is that it is more car than I really need. When it was bought, I was a married person with two kids and a dog. Now I can scratch off the married part. the three of us don't really need a seven passenger vehicle. In fact, the four of us didn't really need a minivan either.

 

Well, now I am stuck with it. I am back on the market and I drive a minivan. That is going to be a real chick magnet. Imagine going on a date and opening the door for someone, so they can hoist themselves up into your minivan. Woo hoo! Excitement awaits.

 

I have never really gotten much of an ego boost from the type of car I drive. It is not really a reflection of my self worth. Sure I wouldn't mind driving something flashier, but for the most part a vehicle is a means to get from point A to point B in reasonable comfort. Even if you were to ask me to name my dream car, I wouldn't come up with an Aston Martin or Maserati. A BMW 325ci is probably about as exciting as I would get. Still a car is a physical manifestation of some part of your personality. While I would like my car to have a little bit of style, the part of my personality that is reflected in my vehicle is more the pragmatic, responsible part of me.

 

I should be driving something smaller like a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Versa, or Scion Xa. All those cars are fuel efficient little things that would serve my needs 99% of the time. They are also a reflection of that dependable, responsible part of myself.

 

Even though practicality is reigning, a small part of me is screaming Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! That part of me wants to be driving down the street in a Ford Mustang or a Dodge Charger. I can rule out SUV's because I detest the gas guzzling monstrosities and call them surburban assault vehicles. No one and I mean no one in this country needs a Hummer or a Land Rover to drive to the grocery store. I guess that if you are a Hinsdale housewife, you might need the cargo space after you have spent a taxing day complaining about the new granite countertops to your contractor while shopping at Nordstrom

 

The thing is though that these cars are so commonplace an really don't reflect any individuality. When you look at the cars around you during rush hour you see a lot of them. I am also beginning to believe that Dodge only manufacturers that car in silver, because that is all that seems to be out there. I have a slightly rebellious, artistic streak and I just can't bring myself to drive something that everyone else is driving. I almost feel like I have to reject it because it is popular. Heck, even the Illinois State Police are using Dodge Chargers for their squad cars.

 

So that leaves me back to the responsible part of myself and my minivan. If I can't express my individuality by purchase a mass manufactured vehicle (some custom Italian sports car is out of my range) I might as well save my money and buy something practical instead of fun. Even though I only get 20 mpg, I might as well save my money some more because no matter how much I spend extra on gas, it is still less than a monthly car payment.