The Eye of Kris

Yes, it's true. I did the unthinkable this month - I traded in my Miata. But I didn't just trade it in - I traded it in for a minivan. It's the ultimate sign of conversion to responsible adult (or insanity, depending on how you look at it).

Now, before you picture me driving a minivan to work each day, that's not what's happening. Mary is primarily driving the minivan, and I'm driving the Protege5 that I bought for Mary several years ago. When I bought that car, I knew that eventually we would need something bigger, and that the practical thing to do once we had multiple kids would be to get rid of the 2-seat convertible. So, I have always intended to drive the Protege5 at some point. It's a sporty little car, and fun to drive, so it's not like I'm suffering. In a lot of ways, it's better for the commute to work (automatic transmission, more quiet, roomier), and since winter is upon us, I will not miss the convertible for some time.

I'm sure I will miss it at some point, though. I could have kept it if I really wanted to. Mary would have been willing to trade in her car for the van, or we could have kept three cars (I didn't get that much for the 10-year-old Miata anyway), but I decided it was the responsible thing to do, knowing that I have plenty of time to get another "fun" car one day (my dad just recently bought himself an old Miata).

I really like the van we got, though. It's a Mazda MPV, and although it's a 2005, it was still "new" on the lot. I have always said I wouldn't buy a new car because of the instant depreciation once it becomes "used" (when you drive it off the lot), but since the dealer really wanted to get rid of their last 2005, they gave us a great deal on it, and I basically got it for the "used" 2005 price, but with a "new" warranty (4 years, 100,000 miles).

We did look at a couple of used vans (a Toyota and a Honda), but they were actually more expensive than this one, so it was hard to pass up the deal on a new vehicle. Also, Mary really likes the "Razor Blue" color. It doesn't have all the high-tech features (powered doors, DVD player, etc.), but it does have a few extras like tinted windows, and every MPV has the third-row-seat that folds into the floor, which is great for trips.

One of the reasons we wanted to get something this month is all the travel we have planned for the holidays. We drove the van down to Florida for Thanksgiving, and it was so nice to have the extra room and comfort on the trip. In a few weeks, we'll be going to Michigan for Christmas, and I'm actually looking forward to the drive.

The really funny thing is that some friends of ours have an MPV, and also had a Mazda 626. The day after we bought our MPV, they traded their 626 for a Protege5, so not only do we both have two Mazdas, we now have the same two Mazdas. At least they are different colors...