Things That Work Like They Should

Some of you already know that the Old Dog and I are in love. There's nothing physical about it, but we share a special bond that only a metrosexual bass player and drummer can share.

For instance, when the Old Dog's van started showing signs of impending failure, he wanted to replace it with a more practical vehicle. A Saturn wagon would work. I offered to accompany him to the dealership. In the years since then, I have realized that we probably appeared to be a couple (thanks to the generous enlightenment of our band mates) what with the Old Dog's man purse and moist elbows.

Anyhow, on that visit, I caught a first glimpse of the Saturn Vue - new territory for a brand of car I didn't really like for various reasons (uninspiring style, cramped driving quarters, etc.) and really liked it. That year, the BMW X5 was also premiered and it was pure genius. The Vue looked a lot like it but on a budget.

My (real) wife and I went to the Chicago Auto Show a few months later, and on closer inspection, I loved the Vue. It had plenty of space for her, me, and all of our crap (drums, camping gear, groceries, lumber) and it was within our price range. I really gravitated toward the smart design of the car. The plastic door panels, fold-down passenger seat, rear power outlet, reclining back seats, hooks and tie-downs, gallon-sized storage wells, and a bunch more made me want to get it.

I opted for a front wheel drive model with a manual transmission to save gas money and have gotten roughly 26 MPG over time. Not bad for an SUV that cost just under $20K.

I'm a few hundred miles shy of 100K on it and it still feels like a new car to me. I've had a few minor issues with it, but nothing that wasn't expected or covered by the warranty. I can easily see putting another 50-100K on it. Considering the price, I think that's a killer deal.