It's a new car!!!

The time has finally come for me to bid adieu to my faithful and much loved 1999 Subaru Legacy GT. Jim may remember the day I got that car. It was Sept. 10th 1999, the day we first met face to face. I picked it up on the way to meet him at the airport. We’ve been through a lot together these last 10 ½ years and it’s going to be tough to let her go. But there should be plenty of life left in her yet, and at least she’s going to a good home…Joyce’s younger daughter Heather and her family, who are VERY excited about finally having wheels.

I’ve been thinking about a replacement vehicle for about a year now, and it was an extremely tough decision. The obvious choice was another Subaru, in this case the Impreza 5 door, but I also really liked the Mazda 3 Sport (I owned a Mazda prior to the Subaru, and loved it). I deliberated between those two models right up until the end. The big attraction of the Subaru was sticking with AWD and a brand that had proven extremely reliable for me. OTOH, I preferred the styling of the Mazda (though the Impreza is no slouch in that dept. either), and found the bells and whistles a little more alluring. In the end, sex appeal won out over utilitarianism, and I opted for a Mazda 3 Sport GT-E. I’m a little apprehensive in moving from a manual to automatic transmission (so Joyce can drive it), but curious about the 5 speed sport mode automatic.

While I’m pretty excited about taking delivery of the Mazda, it’s tempered somewhat by having to say goodbye to the Subaru. At least the old gal is staying in the family.