The New Car
The news so far this week is that on Monday night I purchased a new 2007 Dodge Caliber SE. This is the first car that I have purchased on my own, which is pretty sad considering I'm 27 years old. On the other hand, when you get incredible lease deals from VW because your father works there, it is hard to pass them up...
So anyway, the Caliber is black, and it's pretty much the base model except it has an automatic transmission and the power features option (power windows, doors, etc). So far the best thing about the car has been the free year of Sirius satellite radio. Finding radio stations that I like can sometimes be a challenge, but with of the options available on satellite radio, I haven't run into that problem yet. Not only can I listen to rock or alternative music when I want to, but I have a whole station for 60s music (which I enjoy), as well as ESPN Radio, which is huge. I was even listing to some 'mellow rock' last night.
The thing I particularily like about this car is the fact that it sits up higher than most cars. It almost feels like you are sitting in an SUV, though you really are not. It is pretty spacious too, which will be good for hauling hockey equipment, the dog and cat, and other things. I've been driving it a few days now, and I like it so far. There are only a couple of things that I think could be improved. First, the engine pick-up is a bit lackluster, and it seems to hesitate a bit when you try to start from a stop. Also, the brakes are a little bumpy, but I chalk that up to just not being used to them.
All in all, a good purchase. I've enjoyed the car so far this week. So now I have to determine how I am going to get the VW turned in, seeing as how I have little free time....