A Mini Adventure.

We have all heard the stories of friends or family members trading in their used vehicle at the last possible moment, just before it dies, with tall tales of smoke billowing from under the floorboards, stealing each precious breath as they careen down the highway, praying the ‘ol jalopy makes it just one more mile before quitting for good; or stories of incessant grinding and clanking coming from the engine as the adventurous narrator screeches his or her vehicle to a halt at the glass doors of XYZ dealership. Most of these accounts one must take in stride, usually just going along with the story to appease the teller. Well, not all those car stories are exaggerated.

I had owned my Hyundai for six years before it began acting up. Besides regularly scheduled maintenance, for six years the vehicle cost me nothing. It was an inexpensive, quickly paid off; pre-owned fleet vehicle when I bought it in 2001. But last month something happened to the poor girl. My wife and I knew it was time to trade her in while the running was good, but financial worries changed our minds and we decided to spend the money needed to keep the car in good health for another five or six months. About a grand and thirty days later, this tale begins.

Our car was in trouble: the vehicle’s fifth gear, overdrive, sporadically refused to engage after downshifting up steep hills. I, more optimistic than sensible, hoped ignoring the slippage would solve the problem; and if that did not work then by having the transmission fluid and filter changed and the transmission sensor reset, I hoped all would be straightened out. On top of this bill we added muffler work and a timing belt change. Sounds like a lot of work, right? But at the same time, one cannot own a seven-year-old vehicle an honestly believe they will never have to spend money on it. The cost, at the time, was simply written off by us as the cost of owning an aging vehicle.

It is easy to look back and see the writing was on the wall: the car was dying. Yet, for six years the price paid to keep the vehicle running in tiptop shape was merely scheduled maintenance. How were we to know it was resting on death’s doorstep? In addition, while I may not be a mechanic, I have listened to NPR’s Car Talk a few times, and I have talked with a mechanic or two in my days. (Okay, so I’m not very qualified in this area.) The one theme I’ve discovered throughout listening to Car Talk is that if the car needing repair is worth more to the owner than the costs of that repair then one should keep the car. My car was worth more than the $1000, or so I thought!

All our hopes were dashed a few days ago when my wife drove the Hyundai to work. On the way home she had to stop twice on the interstate to let the transmission cool, because the vehicle refused to go over 50 mph or shift into 4th or 5th gear. The final nail was hammered into the vehicle’s coffin that night.

The next morning, using Auto Trader, my wife was able to locate a relatively close dealership with one or two vehicles of interest. One vehicle in particular, a Mazda mini van, appeared to match all our desires: a larger vehicle, but not too large; possessing the ability for one to relatively easily move from the front seat to the back seat, and listed at price we could afford.

Our trip to the dealership was an eventful one. I had not realized how close to death the poor Hyundai was. The 35-mile drive south on the interstate ate up nearly 1/2 a tank of gas, eight gallons worth, because the automatic transmission refused to shift into 3rd, 4th, or 5th gear unless traveling downhill. Trust me when I write this: thirty-five miles at 47 mph on the interstate makes for a long drive– and it upsets a lot of drivers.

Pulling into the dealer lot with the Check Engine light now glowing an unlovely, radiant yellow, we prayed that the dealer would agree to take the Hyundai as a trade-in and we would find a decent vehicle to drive home. We knew there was no possible way the Hyundai would make the return home. And, if we were unable to find a vehicle we liked on the lot we would probably have to feign a purchase and request an overnight test drive before committing to a new vehicle– and neither of us wanted to go that route.

Five hours later, minus one dead Hyundai and plus one new-to-us Mazda 5 and a suitable car loan, we were on our way home in comfort. I never thought I would be a mini-van man; and although we’ve only had the van a few days, and I have only driven for a few dozen miles, I like it. The room, the comfort, the ease of loading and unloading, seating Taylor, and the ability to move from the front seat to the back seat without exiting, makes this vehicle (or ones like it) darn near a necessity for traveling with kids.

I pray this new vehicle will serve us as well as our last. I have no problem shelling out monies for standard maintenance: oil changes, tires, breaks, the occasional exhaust piece, etc., so long as we are not hit with the big repair bills. At this point in time, we can use all the breaks we can get!