M’hijito has been driving a decrepit wreck ever since some teenaged brat crashed into his parked Camry in San Francisco, totaling that beautiful car and two other vehicles. The amount her insurance company paid him came nowhere near enough to buy a comparable car, and so he ended up replacing it with a sporty-looking but aged four-banger convertible with a leaky roof and shredding plastic seat covers.
Although the car runs, we suspect that at any time it’s going to fall apart like the Minister’s One-Hoss Shay. Wind whistles in through the splits and cracks in the roof and around nonfunctioning side windows, which is just as well, because the natural blow-dryer effect helps to dry out the rainwater that seeps in with every light sprinkle.
Recently one of his dad’s partners surfaced with a 2002 Honda Civic that he’d like to unload. It belonged to the man’s son, who has gone off to fight in the Middle East. Despite a a fender-bender in its past, it appears to be in good condition, and the guy is willing to sell it for $5,000. With only 64,000 miles on the odometer, that’s a bargain: the Kelly Blue Book private seller price is over $8,200. And it gets a cheering 30 miles per gallon!
In his heart of hearts, M’hijito craves a Toyota pick-up, the better to fulfill the labor-intensive role of the Happy Homeowner. These babies, however, are pretty pricey even in older models. And they are so beloved by their owners that a decent used Tacoma rarely comes on the market.
The little Civic is such a bargain and such an improvement on the clunk he’s driving around, he’s about decided to buy it. It seems like a smart move. He can always borrow my Sienna when he wants to tote things around or if he wants to go on a road trip or camping expedition. I’d love to drive a 30 m.p.g vehicle for a few days!
😉
Images:
Honda Civic, Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons
Toyota Tacoma, Public Domain, Wikipedia Commons