Early in February, I was told the lurching and hesitation in my 1999 Mazda would require a new engine.
That would make moot my attempt to get to 300,000 miles. New motor would mean starting over. So I accepted the fact that my baby would need to be replaced.
But not then. I had only 3,200 miles to go to make it to 300,000. The mechanic said it "probably" wouldn't die on me. So the quest was on.
Complicating matters is the fact that I have a work from home job now. So it took me until July to rack up those last few miles.
And it was getting scary at the end. Mid-July. Arizona. I could have the a/c on. Or I could use the brakes.
Not both.
Applying the brakes when the a/c was on caused the car to stall. I went without a/c for a couple very hot weeks.
But I made it.
I had previously test-driven and evaluated cars so I knew I wanted another Mazda. I drove my Protege into the dealership with 300,012 miles on it.
And drove out with a new Mazda 6.
A whole lot has changed in cars since I bought my Protege 18 years and 8 months before.
There's the whole push-button start for one thing. That took some getting used to. My Protege was a manual transmission. Seemed more logical to get an automatic this time. Supposedly the gas mileage is optimized for the automatic. But I kept forgetting to put the transmission in Park. There were a handful of times I couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't shut off.
The key fob in your purse threw me off as well. I kept reaching into my pocket for my keys. Gotta say though, I like the keyless door and trunk opening.
The automatic headlights and windshield wipers are a nice touch. I was paranoid for a while, thinking the lights weren't going to shut off on their own.
I love the backup camera and warning. The only thing I don't like? I don't like that I can mute the radio, but not turn it off.
I've adapted. The dogs have adapted. Back seat is still good sized. I added seat extenders so they wouldn't fall off onto the floor. The leatherette seats are more slippery than my old cloth seats. The windows are a little smaller. Bogie has to duck his head more to stick it out into the breeze.
Overall, very pleased. Haven't had a car payment in ages. That's not fun. But it's peppy and gets good gas mileage.
And I can use the brakes when the a/c is on.
That would make moot my attempt to get to 300,000 miles. New motor would mean starting over. So I accepted the fact that my baby would need to be replaced.
But not then. I had only 3,200 miles to go to make it to 300,000. The mechanic said it "probably" wouldn't die on me. So the quest was on.
Complicating matters is the fact that I have a work from home job now. So it took me until July to rack up those last few miles.
And it was getting scary at the end. Mid-July. Arizona. I could have the a/c on. Or I could use the brakes.
Not both.
Applying the brakes when the a/c was on caused the car to stall. I went without a/c for a couple very hot weeks.
But I made it.
I had previously test-driven and evaluated cars so I knew I wanted another Mazda. I drove my Protege into the dealership with 300,012 miles on it.
And drove out with a new Mazda 6.
A whole lot has changed in cars since I bought my Protege 18 years and 8 months before.
There's the whole push-button start for one thing. That took some getting used to. My Protege was a manual transmission. Seemed more logical to get an automatic this time. Supposedly the gas mileage is optimized for the automatic. But I kept forgetting to put the transmission in Park. There were a handful of times I couldn't figure out why the car wouldn't shut off.
The key fob in your purse threw me off as well. I kept reaching into my pocket for my keys. Gotta say though, I like the keyless door and trunk opening.
The automatic headlights and windshield wipers are a nice touch. I was paranoid for a while, thinking the lights weren't going to shut off on their own.
I love the backup camera and warning. The only thing I don't like? I don't like that I can mute the radio, but not turn it off.
I've adapted. The dogs have adapted. Back seat is still good sized. I added seat extenders so they wouldn't fall off onto the floor. The leatherette seats are more slippery than my old cloth seats. The windows are a little smaller. Bogie has to duck his head more to stick it out into the breeze.
Overall, very pleased. Haven't had a car payment in ages. That's not fun. But it's peppy and gets good gas mileage.
And I can use the brakes when the a/c is on.
