Sunday, September 04, 2005
A VERY tough decision
Exercise: None - day of rest
Whoa! It's been longer than I thought since I last checked in here. I've been busy. Thursday was Chi's birthday so of course I'm not going to be spending my time here. I guess his co-workers bought him a cake a quarter of which was leftover and he brought home. He also had the chocolate mint cheesecake with sour cream, cherry, and chocolate shavings topping that I made him so there wasn't any shortage of sweets for the celebration. He ended up getting some clothes from his family, some money from my family, and I got him an IPod Mini that I think became permanently attached to him the minute he got it out of the box. LOL
Saturday afternoon consisted of car shopping. I had managed to shave my list down from 14 to 6. I set up appointments to test drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT, Pontiac GTO, Pontiac G6 GTP, Mazda 3, and an Acura RSX Type-S. I also wanted to take a Chevy Cobalt SS for a spin but never got a response back from the dealership as to whether or not there was one available. The cars I was looking at that didn't make the short list are: a Mazda RX-8, a Nissan 350Z, a Infiniti G35, a Mini Cooper S, an Audi TT, a Saturn ION Red Line, a Saturn Sky, and a Pontiac Solstice. I didn't care much for the interior of the RX-8 and it didn't get very good reviews. The Nissan 350Z has an issue with tires (suspension so tight you have to change them out about every 10000 miles) and like the TT, the Sky, and the Solstice, it's only a two seater. At first that idea didn't bother me but after I got to thinking about it, I decided I wanted the versatility of a backseat. The other reason the Sky and Solstice were ruled out was because the Sky won't even be out until next year and even though the Solstice is available, they seem to have a fairly high demand and there wasn't one available for a test drive. The Nissan G35s are nice but I wasn't sure about the design (one of those it's ok but I would rather it looked like this model types). I just couldn't see contemplating forking over $35000+ for something I wasn't completely sure I liked in the first place. Last but not least, I gave up on the Mini and the ION because the dealerships didn't have any to test drive and the wow factor just didn't seem to be there as much as it was.
The first stop was Mitsubishi to drive an Eclipse GT. They didn't have a manual I could drive (only a five speed sportronic (clutchless manual) automatic - BLEH!) but I decided to take the automatic out anyway to at least get the feel of the interior and what it would be like to drive the car. Hell, it worked when I bought my Sunfire - I had to drive an automatic then but I still bought the car. As I said in a previous post, I REALLY liked the looks of the car to begin with. Well, after I got in it, I liked it all that much more. It's wider than I'm used to or like (it's got 2 inches on Chi's car) but it doesn't look like it from the outside nor does it feel like it from the inside. The car seems to have quite a bit of get up and go even though it's heavier than most. I barely stepped on the peddle and it took off which is a good sign. :) The black leather seats were extremely comfy and although the dash (like most of the other cars) looked a little cheesy, it was better than most. Oh yah, the stereo system isn't too shabby either. :) There isn't much leg room in the back seat (as with most coupes) but that's ok. I think in the eight years I have had my current car, I have only used the backseat for passengers maybe three times. What was even better is that they have and awesome warranty and it comes in this UV blue color which is the exact color I have wanted for years. I also can't speak highly enough of the sales people I met with. Both of them had strong handshakes (something I look for as a sign of trust when doing business) and neither of them had that usual high pressure salesperson look or act about them.
Next up the Pontiac GTO, G6 GTP, and Mazda 3. All of these cars were at the dealership where I bought my current car. I wasn't overly impressed with the salespeople then and I certainly wasn't this time either. The guy I had set the appointment with shoved me off on to this other guy who was a total doofus and more of your typical car sales guy. I swear he thought I was a typical stupid woman when it came to cars since he kept asking me if I knew how much of a difference there was between a car like the GTO and the Mazda 3 and the differences in insurance rates. "Yes dumbshit I do now let me drive the fuckin cars." was the thought that ran through my head. If that wasn't enough, all three of the them left a lot to be desired. The GTO is just WAY too much car for basic commuting and some long travel which I figured it would be but I wanted to drive anyway. It's the type of machine you would buy if you want something to take out on the track and race. Although, I wouldn't say it really drives like I would expect a sports car to. The ride wasn't that rough and the tires didn't feel like they had the sort of traction I would have expected. It didn't help any that the sales guy had me go in a circle using roads that didn't have speed limits over 45mph. Hell, that didn't even warrant getting out of about third gear on that car. The G6...well, it's got kind of a blah design and the drive isn't much better - non responsive if you ask me. The Mazda 3 is a nice looking little car from the outside. I'm not big on sedans but this is one that actually caught my eye and it's one of the few that has a manual option. It suited my driving style but it too didn't have a lot of get up and go nor did I care for the interior. It looked like it hadn't been updated in 30 years time.
Next up and last for the day was the Acura RSX Type-S. Like Mitsubishi, I was impressed with the salespeople - definitely not high pressure and good handshake. I went in, met with the guy I had been communicating over the net with, he got the key, pulled the car around, explained where things were, and unlike the other two dealers, let Chi and I take it out on our own. This car is a little plain in design compared to the Eclipse but it makes up for it with the drive. Now this is a car that drives like I would expect a sports car to drive. Very grippy to the road and nice tight steering. I swear that thing would probably corner like it is on rails. I said something to Chi about it reminding me of something I would expect to find on the European roadways and he definitely agreed. It too really suited my driving style and when I took off in it, it was as though I had been driving it for years. The only thing that gave me (and Chi for that matter) a little trouble was the 6th gear. Neither of us are used to driving 6 speeds (only 5s) so finding 6th was a little difficult especially with the short throw set up. The only real downsides to this car is the fact that it costs more to insure than the Eclipse (I think because it doesn't have all the same safety features), the warranty isn't as good, it's not necessarily more roomy but it is more "open" inside, it's not quite as quick, and the sound system I don't think sounds as good. Some of the upsides - it's fun to drive, it looks nice, and it's a little cheaper than the Eclipse.
After we got done, I found myself really torn between the Eclipse and the RSX. They both have a few things I don't like but they also both have a lot of things that I do like. If only there were a car out there that were the hybrid of these two. Either that or I wish I had $60000 to just toss to the wind and a three car garage then I could get them both. LOL Of course if I had that kind of money to spend on a car, I would just bypass both of them and go straight for the Porsche 911 Turbo. LOL At the moment, I'm sort of leaning towards the Eclipse but I just can't decide. I may have to go back and do a second test drive before I make my final decision. :)
And now for something completely different.....
I had a sort of engrossing conversation the other night with someone. It started off with all the talk that has been going around about hurricane Katrina and how the moron in the White House handled things so poorly. The conversation then turned into sort of a religious debate. I admit I'm agnostic and until I see some hard core proof, that's how I will stay. I understand that some people (like this woman I was talking to) think that because I believe the way I do, I am going to hell and all that blah blah but I take real issue with those who have this sort of belief. As I said to her, if God is perfect and loves unconditionally as God is said to be and do, how is it such a being can hand down such a horrible punishment to a soul it created? What makes this so wacky is that in some churches, you are told you will go to hell if you don't accept Christ blah blah blah yet in others like the one I grew up in, you are taught that God is the acceptance and forgiveness in everyone's heart and there's none of the punishment crap to guilt you into "believing the word". Obviously they can't both be right but those who I like to call "hard core Christians" take the attitude that their way is the only way in my opinion. Pretty egocentric I think. Would God approve of that?
The other part of religion that arose from this conversation that I really can't find the logic in is that the majority of people who believe in God will agree that God is all knowing. In the same breath, they will turn around and say that people have free will. My thought is that if God is all knowing, then it is impossible for people to have free will as God knows the choices you will make before you make them and the outcome. Keeping with that logic, if God created humans and punishes them for "wrong" choices and not accepting Christ then that would mean that God only created humans in order to punish them. Pretty sadistic if you think about it. The funny part is.....after I gave her this to chew on, she shut her trap. LOL
Otay kiddies....I'm outta here.
Til next time.....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
|
