Saturday, August 06, 2005

The first in a series of answers to questions posed by readers. The question(s) from Lee Anne Millinger.

You write often about your daily commute, but I don’t remember any posts specifically about the car you drive. What kind of car do you drive?

I drive a 2003 Toyota Corolla LE. Silver with gray interior and wood trim. Power everything, no sunroof. CD/cassette stereo. I love it and I call it Silverado.

Why did you buy/lease it?

I bought it because I needed a new car. I wanted a super reliable car that would get excellent gas mileage since I knew I would have a long commute. All but one of my cars have been Toyotas (and the one had a Toyota engine) and I never had a serious problem with any of them (except for one that I killed, but that’s a long, embarrassing story). The one minor repair all Toyotas need after a while is to have the exhaust system worked on, but it’s not a huge problem and doesn’t impact the running of the car.

As for the gas mileage, it’s great. I get about 30 miles to the gallon most of the time. However, when I take a long road trip, I get closer to 40 mpg. Very nice.

What do you like/don’t like about it?

I have no complaints really. The one thing that took a while to get used to was the narrower well for the driver’s legs. The console between the seats is wider than in older models.

What kind of car would you want if money were no object?

Hummer H2. Not really.

OK, really.

No, not really. Much.

Actually, I’d like to have a Toyota Highlander.

What does Beau drive?

Beau drives a 1993 Ford Mustang. He’s laughing because it’s sort of a funny thing - it’s two-toned aqua/teal blue because he was in an accident a while back and never got it repainted after the repairs.

Will your car needs change after you marry?

Not immediately, but at some point we’ll replace his car with an SUV (he’s saying minivan) if we have children.

Thanks for your question(s), Lee Anne.

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