Well, I've pretty much made up my mind what I'm going to do next in the auto business.... what I feel best about, and what will best meet my future driving needs. Anybody in Car Chat want to guess what the next vehicle will be?....only a dollar a toss, folks.




(Just kidding on the betting)

No, I'm actually serious, though, about the next automotive step. I typically keep a vehicle 4-6 years.....my present one (an Encore GX) is a 2021 (I ordered it in the fall of 2020, and it arrived in January of 2021)...so, I've had it for well over 5 years now, and it is almost 6 model years old. I consider 5 years or so the economic sweet-spot between losing too much money in the first few years of depreciation vs. the increasing likelihood of non-warranty repairs as it ages past that....and I need good day-to-day reliability because of the volunteer work I do almost every day, shopping, medical appointments, etc..... Also, in general, all else equal, the more miles you put on a vehicle, the less it is worth.

Rather than get an end-of-model-year 2026 vehicle that's been sitting on the lot, which may a little cheaper due to end-of-year clearance-incentives from the manufacturers (and always pay cash in total, so the low-financing is irrelevant, and you don't have to worry about credit-ratings), I've decided to order a new 2027, right off the assembly-line, with fresh tires, battery, paint, weatherstripping, fresh fluids in the engine, etc.... IMO, that is worth maybe a few extra $$$$ on the transaction-price.

Before I actually do the paperwork, deposit, order-forms, etc... however, I'm waiting for the final 2027 specs on the vehicle to come out from the manufacturer to see what colors, specs, packages, options, will be available (or still be available) and what will change. Then I'll know exactly what I can order. I suspect that will be some time this summer, so, until then, I'm just waiting.

So, if anybody wants to guess on the vehicle....fire away. I'll give you the answer as soon as someone correctly guesses it.

I'll give you two hints.........

First, it may (?) surprise some of you......not others who have known me for a while.

Second, it will not break the bank. I don't spend large amounts of money on really expensive vehicles....certainly not six-figure ones. Even with vehicle-purchases, I still believe in keeping a big cushion of money in the bank for emergencies, investing, and other needs.....especially in these inflationary times.

 

Chevrolet Trailblazer

 

Suburu Outback

 

Forester Hybrid

 

Bronco Sport

 

Well, THAT didn’t take very long. Bingo…… Frank is correct, on the first guess.

 

A bike. You have to change and adjust your driving habits to limit or avoid gas usage.

 

Deleted.

 

what about the magical quiet tuning?

 

…which I can also easily do with a car LOL.

Motorcycles have always scared me, for several reasons. Potentially unstable, hazardous on slick roads, no real physical protection other than a helmet/biker-suit, no seat belts/restraint gear, front and rear brakes have to be coordinated with separate controls and can flip you forward if not done correctly, hot exhaust pipes can burn you, and some bikes, particularly big Harleys, are extremely noisy. All that, and much more. No thanks.

 

No I mean a human powered bike. Motor bikes still use gas. Using less gas is still using gas. You must adapt and change your habit from using gas to using none at all.

 

My arthritic knees, though not painful and OK for walking slowly, are too weak for a conventional pedal-bike. You all have to remember ........I'm not a young man anymore. And, besides, where I live, a bike can be risky with the high traffic level we have.

 

I'll address that issue when I go into the reasons why I chose a Trailblazer....coming up shortly. Stay tuned.

But, for one thing, my ears, lately, have been doing some of the quiet tuning themselves.

 

The Trailblazer seems like a good choice. I like the styling. Any colors in mind? AWD or FWD?

 

Tune in next week, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.....