Car Zero Five, Where Are You?

    A few weeks ago, I started noticing a sound coming from my car.  It wasn't constant. It would come and go, get louder and softer, and sometimes blend in with the normal car noises. It would sometimes come with a vibration. I finally had the car taken in for the day at the dealership. While they could hear the noise, they couldn't pinpoint what exactly was causing it, which must have been difficult since I only heard the noise while the car was running and moving while giving it the gas. The best they could do was suggest that a part was slowly deteriorating and would need to be replaced at a certain time. Well, I got into contact with a mechanic friend of my mom's. Turns out, we didn't give them all of the correct information when the car was taken in. The mechanic suggested that something happened when the tires were last rotated, just before I started noticing the sound. We took the car into a tire shop and had the tires rotated back. The sound was still there, only more towards the front of the vehicle instead of the rear. We contacted the dealership again, and they had a slightly different suggestion of what was wrong. Something a little more serious that would be more expensive, almost up to the point where it might be easier to just buy a new car and let someone else deal with my old one. Well, we ultimately called the dealer who initially sold us the car, and he felt that that might not be the problem. We scheduled yet another appointment to check the car a yet another dealership, as we heard some bad things about the tire shop whenever they dealt with non-tire issues. After that appointment next week, we'll see what's up and maybe take it back to the dealership where I first got the car and get a final assessment.

    In the interim, I'm starting to look for a new car in a worst-case scenario.  I have three primary criteria in a new car.  First, it can't be an EV. Now, I'm all for supporting the environment, but electric vehicles just don't have the same output as traditional ones. They are also blocky, bulky, and usually ugly. Also, I really don't have any accessible outdoor electrical outlets at the place I'm renting. Even if I did, I park in a lot across the street.  While there are outlets at the center where my store is, the place is older than me. I would have major compatibility issues. Besides, I might not be staying at either place much longer, but those are topics for future posts.

    Second, no SUVs or trucks. I don't have to transport large numbers of people or heavy loads. The heaviest thing I usually take is myself at around 170 pounds. I don't need all that space or power. Furthermore, my mother is not only a frequent passenger, but she also drives my car at times. I'm over eight inches taller than she is. (I can't tell you how many times that I have bumped my head or knees all because she forgot to move the seat back.) She would have a hard time getting into most SUVs, and an even harder time trying to drive one.  Forget about trucks; they would be even worse on her.

    Finally, I want an American automaker. While foreign models are well-made, they just aren't for me. My mom had ones for well over fifteen years, and I hated it. While it didn't have too many problems in that time, most notably the mouse incident, I never felt right in it either as a passenger or driver. In fact, all four of my previous cars have been a GM. Three Chevrolets and one Oldsmobile. I would love to keep the streak going. Only after these three criteria are met will I start narrowing down the details of what I really want.

    Unfortunately, the only car that any of the GM brands make that fits is the Chevy Corvette. Even if I cold afford one, my mom would never let me have one. The only one that Ford makes is the Mustang, and my mom doesn't like that one either. While I haven't checked too much into the other domestic automakers, things aren't looking that good. Sure, GM has some 'small SUVs' that almost could work, but they are really just redesigned station wagons. I will not compromise in getting a new car, but it looks like that is what I might have to do. I noticed this six years ago when I first started searching for my current car, my second Impala in a row. Trends were moving away from the styles I liked, and into styles that I would never get. I would almost prefer fixing my car, even without the guarantees and warranties that the repairs would last, just so I wouldn't have to get something I hate. It's not fair that the only cars being made for the majority market are from foreign brands or an EV that is practically useless for my lifestyle. These trends might change, but not soon enough for my benefit.