Recently sold my beloved 2001 Saturn SC1 coupe. I bought it in Oceanside, CA in April 2001 and drove it until this past spring (if you think I keep Macs and iPhones a long time...
). But I found a Saturn enthusiast and I came across a great deal on a pre-owned Toyota Solara (black, tan convertible roof, tan leather(?) interior, automatic, good MPG, roomy trunk, great condition, etc.).
So, for the first time since 1994, I'm no longer a Saturn guy (owned two, from 1994-2001 and then 2001-2021...pretty damn good testament on that second one).
I've only ever owned/driven 5-speeds, and I've always said "no more...my next car, whatever it is, will be an automatic". I'm glad I know how to shift gears (which means I can drive anything I come across, an emergency, etc. But I love going down the road and able to sip a beverage or nibble on a Kit-Kat with a free right hand). And as much construction and surface-street congestion as I encounter in this town, the constant stop/starting and slow-downs are a lot easier to deal with without all the endless manual gear-shifting. I like just dealing with a gas and brake pedal. At this point, that's about all I want to have to think about.
And I'm keeping the Toyota sticker-free (I've always put a white Apple logo sticker in the lower center of my rear window, but that seemed to mean more 15-20 years ago before they went and got all legit/mainstream. I may as well put an IBM or Coca-Cola sticker on my car, right? Who
doesn't own an Apple product at this point? Hardly the same as owning one in 2002-2003 (and the feeling that went with it at that time).
