The Deal is Done and the New Girl is Home

So boys and girls, 23 days after the accident and 21 days after picking up our rental vehicle we are finally getting on an even keel.

I like that word: keel. Using it kind of floats my boat, even though I don't own one. It's a nifty trick.


The rental went back yesterday, and we picked up our new used CRV.

The two events coincided nicely as that was the very last day that insurance would fund a rental. Even then, I had to beg and plead for extra time.

Goodbye Jeep Patriot. You were good on the road but were found wanting in comfort and ergonomics. My back will not miss you although you tried your best.

The newcomer is black, just like the former CRV and also like the rental Jeep Patriot.

The CRV is pretty comfortable for us. We were quite willing to be thrifty and get into a Civic or something of similar size. We're all for economy for us and for stepping with the more favorable environmental footprint of a smaller vehicle; we really were. But you see, our backs think they are old, and they kicked up such a fuss.

Oddly enough, the CRV and Civic are just about the same width and length. I guess the extra height makes the CRV more comfy womfy.

Another limitation is that we live in Canada and like to use our garage in winter, but it's a small garage. Both small sedans like Civics and small SUVs like CRVs will fit. The somewhat larger Accord-size-vehicles would be too tight a fit if they fit at all. The CRV is tight enough as it is; Sue must exit the passenger side before I pull in or else she'd have to stay seated until spring. Being a kindly fellow, I would gladly bring her bread and water, however.

What is it with us and black SUVs? We never particularly want black but seem to have developed a penchant for ending up with same.

At least in automobiles, black shows the dirt more than white. It doesn't seem to make sense, but there it is.

We know about black and white and cars and dirt because we've owned both black and white vehicles and we allowed both of them to get dirty — at least once.

Owning both white and black cars must prove that we are either color blind or the opposite. I don't know which. Yes, I do. Hint: I am so left on the spectrum that I am pink.

Why are socialists pinkos and fascists rednecks? It doesn't make sense. What's wrong with purple or lavender for us left leaning types? (Just slightly left. Let's not go all political today, ladies and germs.)

Car hunting is not fun but making the deal is fun — about as much fun as getting a root canal, that is.

Our deal almost broke down over a difference of $350. I know it's a paltry amount when one is spending a fortune, but wars have been fought over less, and even Sweet Sue was getting pis ... er, ah ... annoyed at their negotiating tactics.

Obviously, we reached an acceptable solution for both sides with both getting what they wanted. Figure that one out.

What is with the $399 that dealers want to charge by default to get their extra special theft insurance? If you try to opt out, they squeal like their crown jewels are being absconded with. I suppose that hurts though. I know I would squeal if someone were to put the squeeze on my jewels and head for the door.

Around here, with sales tax, warranty extension,  PDI charges, and rust proofing (which is kind of necessary in the Great White North), you can easily add $5000 - $10000 to the cost of the car, which kind of makes a mockery of the sticker price and the low finance charges that the dealers post to entice the great unwashed into their showrooms.

A 13%  sales tax hit is a pretty doggonedly whoppingly humungous amount on top of a big ticket item. This is the price of being Canadian, but we are quite fond of our publicly funded health care, which we are rather in need of after forking over those taxes. Teapartiers would not be their normal happy, jolly selves up thisaway.

And then there's the financial finagling. To get the best interest rates we had to make sure the loan was over x dollars. Meanwhile, we were trying to balance good rates with keeping the monthly payments low enough that we could still afford milk, bread ... and the occasional pat of butter. Very occasional. Butter is overrated anyway.

We still don't have the insurance settlement in hand, but we have been able to cover that by some insider trading. Should I expect a knock on the door, or will they just knock it down?

Oh oh, I think I hear sirens.

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This was our penultimate view of Harriet the Honda, aka Harriet the Chariot. Once we learned that she was destined for the scrap heap, we did visit her one more time to grab the stuff that she used to carry around for us. It was an emotional farewell. It's odd how one can get attached to a vehicle.

The rental jeep: she who will remain nameless. Also yours truly loaded with coffee mugs.

 

The new girl is being coy about her name. Will it be Hermione the Honda? Or maybe Harmony, or Holly. Suggestions? (Note: this is not she but a photo of same from the web.)