::: FOCAL POINT :::: My New Ride

2.20.2012

My New Ride

One of the tasks we had to take care of since our move out west was trading in my car. I've leased Jetta's for the past eight years, and lately, I've been wanting a little more cargo space to haul thrift finds and accessories to job sites. Jeff and I went car hunting back in January, and still going thru sticker shock in February. I looked at Honda CRV, Kia Sorrento, the Santa Fe, the Tucson, the Tourague, the Tiguan, and even a Ford Escape - but Ford's body style is still too dated and won't change until the summer. Just like when looking for a place to move to to rent to live, I made a list of must haves and what was important to me. The most important item to BOTH Jeff and I was price - something to help lower the monthly car payment since our dual income has basically been cut in half. And living out west, there are SO many trucks! I really didn't want to be in a car anymore.

It came down to a compromise of letting go of some of the "extras" I had with my car like heated seats (I used to help my back esp. when moving furniture) and the sunroof. Being a LEO - I LOVE the sun and get most of my energy from it... but I figured there would be PLENTY of sun out here in the desert... But I still wanted a mid-size SUV crossover. The one that fit the bill for me at this point in time was the Tiguan. Being still a loyal customer to VW, we acquired a little extra back, esp. since I was turning in the vehicle before the lease ended. I've got a wider opening in the back, and it will be easier to load since I don't need to lift up & over like I did with the trunk. The Jetta new body is actually a little larger, and I could have kept some extras like the heated seats & sunroof, but I'm OK with trading these for the easier cargo space. Besides, it's not like it's a 30 year fixed mortgage - I can trade it in after 30 months... and maybe at that time I'd be able to get the bells & whistles on the Tucson I wanted. Still grateful to be able to do the trade, plus - the payments are $30 a month less than before. That savings will go towards GAS - especially since places are a little further apart out here and gas seems to be creeping up in price again. And even though it's smaller than a Tucson, I can still trade vehicles with Jeff to haul larger pieces when need be.

Hopefully, choosing charcoal will help cameflouage the desert dust & dirt - unlike by beloved BLACK, or even white that I was considering...

What I'm REALLY looking forward to is personalizing my ride: For the front, I'll be adding on my NY Yankee mirrored plate I use to have in the Jetta back window... For my AZ plates - sorry, this east coast girl is not going to have cactus. Both Jeff and I are ordering FREEDOM plates of the American Flag with personalized inscription - sharing later :) It will work great with my Yankee license plate frame, so even my (new) ride will be personalized!