My Honda Civic: The Sweetest Thing.
Welcome back to The Sweetest Thing! Today, I'm going to talk to you about something that is still pretty exciting to me, even though it's been a part of my life for nearly a year now. That thing is my first-ever brand-new car.
When I was a teenager, I was very fortunate that my parents had an old third car, given to them by my grandparents, that I was able to drive. It was a 1988 Honda Accord, and it behaved like one. We made it through a lot of old-car difficulties, but finally a critical mass of indicator lights forced the car off the road.
A few years later, my grandparents (the other ones this time) came to the rescue and gifted me their old Buick LeSabre as a college graduation gift. It was a very generous gift. The car was up there in mileage, but had no significant problems. It also had power seats and an awesome radio that told you what song was playing at any given moment, which certainly helped me with my pub trivia.
I had a love-hate relationship with that car. I loved all of the young adult milestones it joined me for, the kind family it reminded me of, and that it always smelled like strawberry air freshener (even years after I had any in the car). I hated, however, how it seemed to always have something major that needed to be repaired. But I felt stuck with it. It was, after all, My Car. And how do you know when to draw the line and stop fixing an old ride and put that money towards a new one?
Last June, that time finally came. The Buick had passed inspection in April, but there were a number of safety issues that needed to be repaired ASAP. I wasn't ready to put three thousand dollars into a car that had nearly 200,000 miles and was 12 years old. So we said a rather painful goodbye.
I've always wanted a Honda Civic. I bet that's a sentence you've never read before. I'm kind of a nerd, but that's okay with me. Hondas have great ratings and I know a lot of very satisfied Honda owners. My experience with the 1988 Accord proved that many Hondas could rough it for twenty years or more. I'm into practicality and durability. So I set up a test drive. I left that day with my first-ever new car.
I was lucky that I waited so long to buy my car. 2016 was the year of the redesigned Honda Civic, and I absolutely love its sportier look.
The car is incredibly fuel efficient; I average about 40 mpg and only have to fill up once every week and a half or so, despite two hours of commuting each day. It also has the song identifier, one of my favorite care features (I know that's silly). It's fun to drive, which isn't something I knew was possible. It's got a back-up camera, great trunk space, and excellent safety ratings. I'm very, very pleased with my purchase.
I didn't have the best experience with the dealership I purchased the car from, but I like the Civic so much that I'm willing to overlook it. I will buy a Honda again. I'll probably buy it somewhere else, however.
And that's my Sweetest Thing update for today. What kind of car do you drive? Anybody else an ex-Buick owner?
Happy Friday!
Danielle
