I needed a new car, a different car. My long love affair with my sleek, silver bullet, my 2012 Honda Insight has ended. 10 years. I have great memories of driving the Silver Bullet.
My sister and I drove across Canada to Maine to eat lobster and crab. Maine was so scenic and our little cabin idyllic and fun. So many visits up to Traverse City to visit my friend Marsha, where we sampled the wineries and told our sob stories of break-ups and heartbreak. My many many hours of carpooling with Elke, Jeff, Aviva, and Jee. So glad to have others with me through the early Michigan snowstorms and the complete whiteout on the road.
I’ve always opted to buy a brand-new car and then drive it until the wheels are practically falling off. I have bought a few used cars but usually there was lots of deferred maintenance just waiting around the corner to cause me a headache. Why would I buy a used car.
I was really hoping the Silver Bullet would last me a few more years. Lots of people told me they drove their Hondas for 200,000 miles and more.
But, when I returned from a 3-week trip to Florida to help a friend who was getting a knee replacement, the car wouldn’t start without a jump. And even after driving it around for 45 minutes to an hour it still wouldn’t start without the jump. So it was decision time. Pour money into an old car, which had none of the cool safety features like a back-up camera and side indicator lights when there was a car sneaking up on you in your blind spot, or, get a different car.
I was certain I wanted an electric car but somehow the choices weren’t great. All the options were more expensive than I cared to spend, most had a long waiting list. Oh yes, pandemic made buying a car a challenge. I loved the look of the Tesla, which does look incredibly cool, but the thought of supporting that Maniac that owns Tesla Motors- no way!
The other choices were a lot less attractive, and the likelihood of finding good charging facilities while on a road trip still leave a more than a little bit to be desired. In a few years possibly, but that part of the new green revolution seems to be moving at a turtle’s pace.
So, as it turns out the lease on my sister’s Ford Escape was expiring the following month. Maybe I could buyout her lease? Could I buy a Ford? I hadn’t owned an American car in over 20 years. This car had all the bells and whistles that I never would have selected and paid for myself; like heated seats, heated steering wheel, tinted rear windows, oh my. But here’s the thing, I live in an old house and it turns out the opening for the garage door just barely accommodates the width of this monster.
Here’s the crazy part. I had paid off my Silver Bullet years before but I couldn’t find the title. I wanted to donate the car to NPR, but without the title…. A deal breaker. The bank I had the car loan thru had been swallowed up by another bank that had subsequently been swallowed up by yet another big bank. Finally, I was able to get a new title through the DMV. I was so sad to say goodbye to my Insight, a great car that had served me so well. And what a surprise at the gas pump when I filled the tank of the Ford, ouch $50 instead of my usual $20 or $25. Believe me, that took some getting used to. The Silver Bullet bit the dust, now I’m driving the Dame D’Argent, or Silver Lady. Looking forward to creating new memories of being on the road.