geo metro.

my first car was a 91 geo prism. it was maroon and it got about 34 miles to the gallon. my new car is a 01 ford focus. it is silver and it gets about 26 miles to the gallon. (although it may sound like it, i am in no way attempting to make a parallel between color and gas consumption. )

aside from the obvious things (a few huge dents, a busted mirror, a busted door handle and a plethora of scratches) there is nothing that i didnt like more on my old car. i pretty much wish i had my prism back every single day. it used to hold simply sentimental value, but now it would also hold a great deal of monetary value as well.

sure the car itself isn't worth a lot, but when you can go another 8 miles to the gallon with these ridiculous gas prices?! thats incredible. so when i found this article on cnn.com this afternoon i got really excited. geos are making a comeback. thats terrific.

in a time and place where we're judged by the type of vehicle we own - wouldn't it be nice to brag about the fact that you were saving more money than your neighbor? you could take your neighbor out for a steak dinner and say "guess what? for the amount it costs to fill your tank, i can fill my tank AND pay for this steak dinner! pass the A1."

i could make this into a "why do we have to be impressive with our things?" or a "go buy a geo metro" blog. but i think i've decided the thing that makes the most sense to me is something along the lines of "why not just keep it practical?" i'm currently typing on a macbook. is that a status symbol? sure. but its also one of the easiest, most uncomplicated and portable devices i've ever used. it makes my life easier. however my car does not need to be shiny and flashy. its purpose is to get me from point A to point B, so why not want my car to make life easier on me by saving me some money at the same time? its not even science.

i really want to go out and get a metro. i think they're terrific and i'd really be much more comfortable driving one. plus seeing that i'm pursuing a career that isn't necessarily going to hook me up with dinero for life - it'd be nice to save a little for other things.

hopefully this article doesnt come entirely true though. the last thing i would want is for the world to catch on to my philosophy and start to understand that cars like the geo metro - that save you money and still possess the capability of getting you places - ought to cost more than those other flashy cars that get you about 150 miles on a full tank. i'd like the world to keep thinking that vehicle image is important so that i can reap the benefits when the best cars are unwanted and cheap. hopefully.

i give it four years and i'll have purchased a mid 90s gasoline-saver. cmon complete independence.

-ap.