After passing my PhD dissertation defense, I finally had some time to go car shopping to replace my totaled ML-350. I look around and decided that I’ll still buy a SUV since I’m used to the higher seating position. Even though I liked my ML-350 a lot, at this point of time I didn’t want to bear the cost of a luxury vehicle, whether it’s the purchase price or maintenance costs. In the end, I bought a 2011 Toyota RAV4 from a local dealer. It’s a base model with the 4 cylinder engine and 4-wheel-drive, with a Pyrite Mica exterior and a tan interior. I had to put in a few thousand in addition to the payout from the insurance company for my old car, but I think it’s a decent purchase. The RAV4 is in great shape and only has 20600 miles, and it’s Toyota Certified used vehicle which means it comes with extended warranties which gives me some peace of mind.
So a for a couple thousand more than what my old car was worth, I got a car that was 5 years newer, has a lot less miles, has a roof rack, has a full-size spare tire, and is better on gas. Of course, the RAV4 isn’t as luxurious or roomy or quiet, doesn’t have climate control or power seats, and has a less powerful engine and less advanced transmission than the ML-350. The RAV4 is a different class of vehicle of course, so comparing the two isn’t really fair. Even though the seats are smaller, the RAV4 has a surprising amount of cargo room though, and this is one of the reasons why I decided on a RAV4. My family buys Toyotas and have had pretty good luck with them, so hopefully this 2011 RAV4 will last a good many years. I’ll make sure to drive carefully to avoid getting into accidents. I parted ways with one car via the car getting totaled, and hopefully I won’t have to do that ever again.
One thought to “My Second Car”