Saturday, July 26, 2014

Absolutely Red

I have a new car! And it's really, really red....

Toyota Scion XB
Two weeks ago I traded in my old car (a Toyota Corolla) for this. I love it! I didn't expect to buy a fire engine red car, but the salesman talked me into it. It was the only Scion he had on the lot, and someone had ordered some special features on it and then never followed through on buying it. He offered us the extras for free (fog lights, spoiler, clear coat paint protector thingamajigs, a better stereo) if we bought that particular one. For the first few days I felt terribly conspicuous driving such a red car, but then I got used to it, and now I kind of like it. The red seems cheerful and fun to me now!

The official color is "Absolutely Red"

The car we traded in was only two years old, and had just passed the 12,000 mile mark. Corollas get great gas mileage, and are very reliable, but the car was never very comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. It certainly wasn't made for things like road trips or going camping. We bought it when my husband was just finishing up chemotherapy, and at the time we weren't sure that things like camping trips would ever be possible again. We bought a car that made sense at the time, but now that life is back to normal, our needs have changed. Now a bit more space and cargo room is important to us. Especially since we've added a fourth member to our family this year!

George

The Scion will be perfect for hauling our two big dogs around in. The inside of it is surprisingly roomy, with ample space for legs and plenty of overhead clearance, even for tall people in the back seat. The small cargo area and the back seats will lay down flat when we want to take the dogs somewhere, and we've bought a canvas tarp to put down to save the seats from damage. The hatch and doors open close to the ground, just right for the mutts to climb in and out easily. Even with two dogs traveling with us, there will still be enough room for luggage and/or gear. The car isn't really all that big; it just seems like it because it's designed well. The gas mileage should be fairly good, and it has great reliability ratings. It's been much more comfortable to sit in than the old car (my back didn't like those seats at all) and I've had fun driving it. Best of all, now we can plan a family vacation!

The ones we really bought the car for.

5 comments:

  1. Gosh Jennifer; I really don't know what to say. Where's the Fire?

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    1. Haha :). It IS really bright. You can't miss it!

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  2. How wonderfully exciting! Huge congratulations on your cool new ride! My maternal grandma is a big fan of red cars and has only bought crimson hued rides for over 20 (maybe even over 25) years now, a she says they're easier to find in a parking lot. Personally, I love the colour red, so that alone will be enough to get to cruise around in a ruby coloured vehicle. There's something fun and eye-catchingly vibrant about that colour and, as Granny says, it is easy to spot in a crowded parking lot. :)

    ♥ Jessica

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    1. It IS easy to spot in a sea of black, gray, white, silver, and dark blue cars! :)

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