Zoom Zoom!

I've been doing car research and even test drove some cars, lately.  No, I'm not getting a car any time soon--too many big bills, lately.  Plus, my car is still going strong.  I'm just getting the itch to put myself into more debt...er...get a feel for what I might get should my car croak.

Anyway, so I'm looking for a compact or subcompact.  It's a far cry from my full-sized 2001 giant-assed American Dodge Intrepid.  I love my Intrepid, but there are only so many times you can try to park that thing and scrape the crap out of it because it's too big and your parking spot in the garage is too small before you start thinking of reversing the size discrepancy.  Besides, I don't drive so much or haul so much crap that I really need a car that big.  And she's 10 full years old with only about 70k on her--she's not getting any more valuable for trade, and I'm just waiting for those miles to be worth diddly squat when something major breaks simply due to age.

So, we randomly go out test driving this last weekend.  That's kind of fun!  Well, mostly.  The first place we went to was a Ford dealership because I'm enamored of the Fiesta.  All they have on the lot is a manual transmission.  In grey.  Ok, but why in the HELL would you only keep one in stock.  In manual.  In grey?  I mean, the whole point of these things is that they are cute-as-hell in obnoxious green and fun-as-hell in Ford's new American (old European) automatic.  Sheesh.  And THEN, we get down to what I really want.  The salesman, up to this point, did all the right things.  Made eye contact with me instead of talking to my guy, asked me what I'm interested in instead of my guy, etc.  So we start talking about price points for an order-in.  Pretty much the same as if it had been on the lot (except who wants the one on the lot?  That's why it's still there.  Duh.)  Cool.  Features?  Oh, I pretty much want everything.  Top price is still pretty affordable.  Color?  Obnoxious green.  Or maybe yellow.  Anything but black.  I have a problem with black cars.  Since I can't see the contours on the body (not that it really applies to the itty bitty Fiesta, but pretty much all sedans, otherwise), I can't tell most black cars from the next.  The salesman replies...get this..."kind of like how all Asian people look alike.  Hehe.  Not that I'm racist."  Yeaahhhh.  Thankfully, the next Ford dealership not only had an automatic, but had one in obnoxious green!