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Becoming a Subaru Snob

Okay, so I've been looking at the Subaru Forester for the past three or so years. No big hurry to buy a car, mind you. My trusty little Taurus has served me well. For certain, I've kept my mechanic in business. But nothing unexpected from an eleven year old car. A car that I own outright. With low insurance premiums.

But lately she'd been acting up. Pesky electrical problems. And I began to wonder if perhaps it was time to really consider a new (used) car. But who wants a car payment and higher insurance premiums. Though, I had been putting some money aside every so often, so at least I would have a down payment.

So I did a local search on the Internet for used Foresters. And there it was. A 2006 XT in a color I could actually appreciate. Just enough bells and whistles to feel comfortable. The perfect vehicle for me. But old habits like to rear their ugly heads, and I just couldn't justify the expense, what with the economy about to go nuts and all. Maybe I could wait a little longer before giving in.

Then I had to make a trip down south of Indy to visit a church member in the hospital. The battery light had been winking at me earlier in the day, but after a call to the mechanic (the one I have kept in business), he assured me things were probably okay. Yeah. Probably. Tell that to the alternator that went out. Tell that to the battery that went dead. Oh, and just for kicks, tell the radiator with its lovely slow leak.

So on the side of the road. Some random road. I had no idea where the hell I was. I had a come to Jesus moment. As if God were saying to me, how blatant a sign do you need? Get the darned car. Do you need a smack upside the head?

And jumping ahead 24 hours, after a long afternoon at the dealership, I am now the proud (but still second-guessing...did I pay too much?) owner of a 2006 Subaru Forester XT. Blue in color, leather heated seats, big ol' honking sun roof, turbo engine (not sure I needed that, but the speedometer goes up to 150....in theory, anyway), and all wheel drive.

I take it back to the dealer tomorrow for a clean-up, a couple extra keys, an owner's manual...and they really need to explain this alarm system so the car quits honking at me at inopportune times.

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