My Car History: Part 2

 

Last week I shared some memories with you.  I mentioned that since I was young, I have really loved cars, and I remember most of the ones that my parents owned throughout my time at home with them.  I left off there.  Since the time that I have been on my own, I have had five different cars… six if you include the Volkswagen Passat that became mine.  Although it may have been a bit boring reading about my childhood, I want to do more of the same, except this time, my insights may be a bit more relevant to you, the reader.

 

Again, you may find this boring, but stick around because my favorites may surprise you!  Come along with me…  Let’s look at the cars that have been my own.

 

2004 Volkswagen Passat

I have already mentioned the Volkswagen Passat.  My mom and dad bought a new 2004 Volkswagen Passat Turbo as a leftover in 2005.  It was a great car, and one that Mom loved dearly.  It brought her back to one of her favorite cars she ever owned… her 1989 Volkswagen Fox.  The Passat was fully-loaded, had a five-speed manual transmission, and of course, had a turbo.  That alone made me think the car was cool, but at that point, I didn’t really know enough about the inner workings of a car to really make a truly educated decision about the car.  I just knew that the car was the nicest we had ever owned and that my mom loved it.

 

I never really had any interest in driving it, I supposed because it was a stick shift.  Until then, I had learned to drive our Honda Odyssey minivan.  I can’t tell you what changed my mind, but eventually I did.  After that moment, I was never the same.  I learned how to drive a manual transmission on the Passat, and I never wanted to go back to a regular automatic again.  It turned into the car that I drove most often, and as much as Mom didn’t like to admit it, I was slowly taking that car from her possession.

 

In terms of numbers, it wasn’t the most impressive machine.  Driven by a 1.8 liter, turbocharged engine, the car made about 170 horsepower.  It was adequate compared to everything else, but when that turbo kicked in, the car felt as fast as I ever needed to go.  That’s kind of what made it special.  It had leatherette seats, a moon roof, and an awesome sound system, all of which were great.  Driving the car was just such a satisfying experience.  It was never the best car that I ever had in any one area.  That is, it was never the most fun, or the fastest, or the best equipped, but it never did anything wrong or poorly.  Having said that, I do believe that it was kind of the best car that I have ever had, even though it wasn’t really mine.

 

2013 Mazda Mazda3 Hatchback

The first car that was really, truly mine, was my 2013 Mazda Mazda3 hatchback.  My parents, being very generous, gave me the option to trade in the Passat that I was using on any car that I could afford that I wanted.  With a known major repair coming up for the Volkswagen, I took their offer, opting to make payments on a new car, rather than pay for a several thousand dollar repair I knew I would have to have done.  I picked the Mazda, because it was white, it had a six-speed manual transmission, and it was good on gas.  I worked as a sales rep at the time, and I needed something that didn’t take premium fuel.  On top of that, the Mazda did about twice the gas mileage as the Passat.  It also helped that I got 0% financing and that they gave me a great trade-in value for the Passat.

 

The Mazda was wonderful in every way.  I fell in love with it even before I took it home.  It had less power and no turbo, but the car was zippy.  It could out-handle most other cars on the road.  Although it didn’t have as much power as the Volkswagen, it was lighter and nimble.  The Mazda was simple.  It did still have push-button start, a new feature to me, but not too much else in terms of features.  Automatic climate control was really the only other novelty feature on the car.  Otherwise, cloth seats, a base sound system, and regular cruise control was the name of the game.  It didn’t even come with power seats.  Honestly, it was quite refreshing.  On top of that, the car was just so much fun to drive, even more so than the Volkswagen!

 

2013 Toyota Corolla

I had that car all the way until last year, my longest held vehicle to date.  More on that later.  For a very short time at the very beginning of my marriage, my wife had a 2013 Toyota Corolla.  Her parents got that car with the intention of handing it off to her.  For us though, the payments were a bit too high.  For me that was kind of a good thing.  There was nothing wrong with the car.  It had a lot of features, but to me, it was just a Corolla.  I think I may have driven it twice, and I still hated it.  I hated it because of principle of it, not because of the car itself.  Everyone has a Corolla right?  I didn’t want that.  To this day, her parents still have that car as we gave it back to them and got a different one for us.

 

2012 Honda Civic Si Coupe

The car we… Or rather I, picked was a 2012 Honda Civic Si.  I thought it was that first step into the “sports car” world.  That was only partly true.  Most would argue that it wasn’t a rear-wheel-drive, two-seater, which is true.  But it was a car, separated from the base car, and built specifically for the affordable, sports car minded individual.  That was good enough for me.  It was also cheaper than the Corolla.

 

Being a Civic Si, it had a naturally-aspirated, 201 horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission.  The car was tossable and fun.  I got the coupe version with gave it an even sportier look and feel, but I soon found out that the 2012 Si was the battle ground for controversy.  It was the first year they replaced the high-revving traditional Si engine in favor of a lower-revving engine with more low-end torque.  I quickly found out that, even though the car was pretty quick, the model I had was looked down on in the Civic community as the beginning of the end.  I didn’t really mind that, but something was becoming apparent to me.

 

When wife and I got the Si, I handed her the keys to the Mazda 3.  This seemed fair, but I was finding that I really missed driving the Mazda.  Who would have thought?!  The Mazda just felt crisper, more organically fun, and just better.  To this day, I really can’t describe what made the Mazda better, more fun…  I attribute it to how Mazda makes their cars, and I hold on to that belief to this day.  I firmly believe that Mazda makes some of the best cars at any price point that you can buy today.

 

2010 Hyundai Sonata

This in part made our next choice a fairly easy one for me.  Both cars had manual transmissions.  While my wife can drive a stick, she doesn’t prefer it.  We also wanted an even cheaper vehicle to maintain and take care of.  The Civic was up to be traded out.  Only a year and a half after getting the Civic, I traded it in on a car just for Beth: a 2010 Hyundai Sonata with over 110,000 miles.  This may seem a bit silly, but it was a good choice.  We still have that car almost two year later now.  It is still going strong, and even though it isn’t in the best cosmetic shape, Beth loves it.  We can take it anywhere, park it anywhere, and drive it in bad weather without the fear of banging it up!

 

It almost gives the car an endearing quality.  As much as I don’t care for the car because it is a larger, cushy sedan that handles as well as an elephant that was just born, I feel connected to it.  It is rather pleasant to drive.  It’s super easy to take on long trips.  The maintenance costs are low.  All of this adds up to a surprising “A” grade from me.  I’m not sure how long it will hold up, considering that it is pretty beat up, but as long as it is around, I can appreciate it for what it is.  I may not love it as much as some other cars that I’ve had, but deep down, I do really love our humble Sonata with barely more than a radio.

2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

This bring us to the present.  Having been in the workforce for several years now, and having paid off our student loans, I set my sights on a life goal:  Owning a true, honest-to-goodness sports car.  On January 2, 2017, that dream came true.  I traded in my Mazda 3 on a 2015 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.  Although I never really looked too much into getting a Genesis Coupe, I knew about them.  When I saw this one on the lot, it just stood out.  There was something about it that made me want it.  I eventually did buy it, and I have it sitting outside my window every day when I wake up.

 

Day by day, it has grown on me… not that I hated it to begin with.  Quite the opposite is true.  I have both grown to love and appreciate the Genesis Coupe, even though the car isn’t perfect.  No car is perfect.  This one just happens to be perfect for me.

I wrote an article on the Genesis before, and you can look at that to see my in-depth thoughts, but as far as all my cars go, the Genesis is not the most fun… that award goes to the Mazda.  It isn’t the most perfect… I would have to give that award to the Passat.  Also, it isn’t the most endearing…  Surprisingly, Beth’s Sonata takes that one.  It is, however, the most completely satisfying car that I have ever owned.

 

Let me explain.  I wanted to drive the Mazda all the time, because I could never get enough!  It was like taking a go-cart everywhere that I went.  The Sonata is great if you just have to go somewhere.  It never pushes you, and you just get there when you get there.  The Passat was the best all-around vehicle.  Even the Civic Si had the best transmission and best engine in any car that I have ever owned.  The Genesis is different.  When I open the door, get in, and push the button to start the car, I am surrounded by a sense of belonging.  Everything sort of just… slows down, and I feel like I could just be perfectly happy sitting in the driver’s seat every minute of every day.  It just makes me genuinely love the car in its entirety.

 

To end… I have to say that picking a favorite would put me in a pickle.  I can really say that the Corolla, Beth’s Sonata, and the Civic Si, are all out of the “favorite car” running.  The others though are really too close to call.  All have their own redeeming qualities, and each had a different feel that made all of them special in their own way.  Five cars in about six years is quite a few, and I don’t think that trend will keep going strong.  Something that will continue to go strong is my love for the automobile.  The thrill and experience of Just being able to drive a car is special to me.  Whether driving a minvan or driving my Genesis Coupe, there has been a memory every step of the way, and I intend to create more and more as I continue driving into the future.