Better Than CarFax!

I've been having this in-depth conversation with myself the past few days and though I'm happy with the outcome in that I've come to a few necessary realizations, I'm also a bit disappointed in myself. Reason being is that the realizations I have made are in regards to issues I thought I had dealt with long ago. In accordance with the theme of this blog, I am a 28-year-old woman who has come to a crossroads within her life. More specifically, I'm at an age where I'm no longer dating. At this point, my relationship has a long-term goal and to reach this goal, there are steps that need to be taken. Maybe its better if I put it this way...

I'm buying a minivan...

No more flashy coupes and sports cars. A minivan is a vehicle you buy for stability. It has that feature that will correct your wheels if it feels that you've lost control, it has tons of room, its comfortable but functional as well so you never lose sight of its purpose, it is THEE ultimate "I'm ready to settle down and have a family" symbol... I could go on and on but I think you get my point. I'm looking at the big picture. The person I'm with has to have similar goals, be ambitious, working... But its not enough to just go out looking for this criteria because in reality, the "finding" part is not the hard part, its the maintenance...

To keep your vehicle running smoothly, you must perform regular maintenance...

Like I said before, minivans are comfortable vehicles, but you shouldn't take that comfort for granted. If you don't maintain that van, it WILL start to not run as smoothly and eventually not run at all with continued maltreatment. One thing I've come to realize is that the longer you've had a vehicle, the easier it is to pick up on when something is wrong. What happens a lot of the time, however, is either a) thinking that its no big deal and will fix itself, b) misreading of "signals" because after all, it is a vehicle and what it thinks is a sure fire way of letting you know something is wrong may not come across as clear to you. Therefore, you must perform regular maintenance. If something seems wrong, check on it. It may be nothing but let a "nothing" go by for too long and more than likely it'll become a "something". As for the minivan, everyone is not "auto-savvy". Speak up! Blow that horn! Blow a gasket! Whatever. Just don't sit their idling, though, and expect the consumer to understand that there's a problem. Furthermore...

Just because your minivan sputters every now and then DOES NOT make it a lemon...

"Lemon laws are United States state laws that remedies to consumers for cars that repeatedly fail to meet certain standards of quality and performance" (Wikipedia.org). Translation, don't and to expect something to the contrary is foolish. What you need to learn is what is tolerable, and what isn't. If your headlight bulb blows, that's simple to fix. Now if your engine falls out, you know that takes A LOT of work, work that u have to decide is worth it. Either way, don't run back to the dealer at the first sign of trouble. You keep turning in your vehicle for every little thing, no one is going to want to sell to you anymore. Work at it, and it'll become finely tuned to your needs. Last but not least...

A minivan is not a station wagon, is not a sedan, is not a SUV...

Therefore, don't expect it to act as such. More specifically, don't make comparisons and be upset when they don't measure up because you're comparing apples and oranges. The word "vehicle" is just an umbrella word. Many makes and models fall under that umbrella. Therefore, all vehicles are NOT the same. How one vehicle does or doesn't respond does not dictate the quota for all. You wouldn't put diesel fuel in a Maserati would you? So you can hardly be upset when you treat your minivan as something it's not and don't get the reaction you were looking for.

Summarization...

Know what you're looking for. Realize what is a must and what you're willing to concede on. If you're too picky, you'll find yourself walking for quite some time. Regular maintenance, pick your battles wisely as to what needs "fixing". Follow these rules and you'll be the happy, proud owner of a Luxury Minivan!!! Now this may seem like regurgitated information. However, I realize that being this age and at this stage of my life makes me more ready to absorb and apply this information. It also makes me realize a lot easier when I'm not doing my part. So, my knowledge is now yours. I hope that it is taken as such. Now...

GO OUT AND BUY YOURSELF A MINIVAN!!!! =)