John's Exploration

That was in May 2006, my 1995 Maxima Check Engine light is on. This car has a lot of body issues, but I have a good three or four years of its operation. During that time needs to be replaced is the only idler. I know that this car has been ten years, a series of upcoming issues. So, driving in Iowa a few years later, I know that if you have two-wheel drive, the winter will be very bad. I really like to drive, want to have a manual transmission in the rest of my life. I think it can not be done in an automated way device drivers and car connected. So there are my two main qualifications: automobile clutch and all-wheel drive. P>

From there, I hit the web. After conversations with a very happy Subaru owner, I thought I’d check out their site. I really liked the WRX since it had enough power and didn’t really scream, “Rice me out!” So I sent a dealer inquiry through their site. I got a response a few hours later from Jim Miller Subaru here in Cedar Rapids. He said they had a shiny new 2006 STi in stock, and I could come down at any time to check it out. I grabbed my parents since this would be my first major purchase in life, and we went out that night to do some test driving. The STi was the first one we got in. Interestingly, they didn’t keep the shift knob with it; the salesman said it was a theft risk. So we got in and started it. The car had a rumble that warmed the soul. I was a bit taken back by the wing that followed me while I drove, but the car was amazingly responsive and had loads of power. Next, I got in the WRX. Well, the STi was a six speed, the WRX was a five speed. It had a quieter cabin but didn’t talk to me like the STi did. So, I thought about it for a couple of days, then went down that Saturday and picked up an STi with 19 miles on it. Payments were $670 a month, but that was fine since I was single but dating and had minimal expenses. Also, my interest rate was a really low 4.9% because of some college graduate deal Subaru had going at the time.

Life was great; I drove the car everywhere, including a trip to south Texas and back. People asked how my teeth were after the trip. The car had performed marvelously and was the easiest long trip I’d ever taken. To put it succinctly, I loved my car. I was a proud papa, and it was my child. My wife and I married that August. Things really changed in March of 2007 when we found out my wife was pregnant. It was early May when I ran the numbers on upcoming bills, and the STi was a huge drain every month, especially when my wife stopped working after the kid was born. That and the stupid jokes about having a kid in the car were dumb. C’mon guys, come up with something that’s actually funny. So I called the same salesman at Jim Miller up again and asked him what my options were. They had a 2007 Legacy base model in stock, and with the $1500 incentive to buy, I could help cover up my negative equity in the car. Well, I looked at it, and the color was awful, even my wife didn’t like it. A couple of days later, he called me back and said they’d just gotten in a 2006 Legacy GT Limited. It was an automatic, but I got to keep the turbo, and it had a lot of nice features like heated seats, leather, and a defroster under the wipers, which helps in Iowa winters. So I picked it up and lowered my payments to $512 a month. I traded the STi in one year to the day from when I got it, along with the winter wheels I’d picked up, with a tear in my eye.

The interesting side story is, on July 3rd, we were on our way back from lunch and had just pulled out of the apartment building in my wife’s ’97 Stratus (which was nearly paid off). We were hit doing no more than 20-25mph. Her car ended up getting totaled. So we had to find something new for her. Even with the money from insurance, there’s another $210 outgoing a month on cars, so we were behind where we were before. Maybe it was a good idea to get rid of the STi after all.

So here I have a strong electric vehicles, which can gallop in traffic and is very comfortable to drive, but it is missing something. I do not like to drive in his car, the car and I did not have any contact. This is my one way from here to there. Okay, so I do not have to put super premium 93 octane (but only one station in town) on the inside, because it requires regular premium. In general, it does not save that much, really. Trading all season tires very bad. Each season they are very bad. All-wheel drive is very good, the car can easily depart from the parking frozen. I Why do I want a new car? If this is very good in all aspects, what's the problem? Like I said, not fun to drive. So a week ago, I called the local BMW dealer (Mark Zimmerman) ask a 325xi / 328xi / 530xi car, which has a stick. Downstairs, he looked at my car now, he said, they definitely want to do business with me. That they did not meet the requirements of my car inventory, but if I can give them a few weeks, they will get one. Or take sitting there in M3. right. I want to further lower my payment, but if so, I will accept it! just kidding. So now, I'm waiting for my final callback I want to be a family sports car. Until I can afford 335xi.