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Many families trade in their cars every year, so a new vehicle in the driveway is not a big deal. But for the Motavalli/Masarech household, the last new car goes back to 1985 and my wife Mary Ann’s Toyota Tercel wagon. But her trusty ’96 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon blew a head gasket at 140,000 miles, and we’d grown tired of used cars.
So the search was on. We might have looked at another Subaru wagon, but new ones are pretty pricey. And we really wanted to go hybrid. Toyota Prius came close, with its major tax advantages, great dependability and stellar fuel economy. The Honda Civic Hybrid also was an early contender, but Mary Ann banged her shin climbing into it. What could I say? This was her purchase … well, she had some help from our girls, 12-year-old Maya and 10-year-old Delia.
"The girls and I often comment on the cars you test drive," my wife told me, "and most of the time what we say gets short shrift. But we were in the driver’s seat of this purchase. We had the advantage that the cars we considered were pre-approved by you for reliability and fuel efficiency. After that, girl talk ruled, and the car that most suited us was the $16,000 Honda Fit."
Mary Ann’s talking points:
1. Headroom (make that hair room). Plenty of roomy, high-end cars are built for men with long legs. When I inch the seat up to reach the pedals, my short (but rather vertical) hair occasionally touches the ceiling, which really bugs me. I don’t want anyone or anything to mess with my hair. The narrow-but-tall Honda Fit could accommodate Marge Simpson’s beehive.
2. Cupholders. I’m the inveterate multitasker, especially on my regular drives from Fairfield, Conn., to work in Princeton, N.J. Eating and driving is normal. Delia (peering forward from the back of the Fit): "Mom, your cupholders are big enough to hold bottles of Vitamin Water." Maya: "There are three cupholders in the backseat!"
3. Fuel efficiency. Maya: "Mom, this gets good gas mileage, 31/37 mpg. That’s good for all your trips to New Jersey." What she didn’t mention: I hate to stop for gas or, worse, pump it myself, so better fuel economy is a huge plus.
4. Cargo room. As the satisfied owner of wagons, I worried about not having enough space for stuff. I need at least a hatchback. The Fit, although tiny, has versatile fold-flat rear seats, which also can be pushed out of the way for tall items.
5. Looks. It’s incredibly cute, and the blue color we selected delighted the girls and matched my new cell phone. I found I was emotionally drawn to the Fit. I wanted to drive a car that got noticed but had plenty of room for a family of four.
I think I fell in love with a vehicle for none of the reasons you write about. Delia picked up on this, and asked over lunch: "Mom, when you say you shouldn’t buy this car, but want to … is that a mid-life crisis?" Now if it only had heated seats …
