A View of Life Closer to the Ground

"And suddenly I realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension." - Ayrton Senna

At a certain point, technology will surpass what we consider to be driving.  Soon enough we will be driving autonomous cars, free to read, text, do our hair, and whatever else we need on our way to work.  With each vehicle I've bought and sold, I try to stay connected to my car, the road, and my experience behind the wheel, because that's what driving should be.  An experience.

As I look back I realize at the time of my last post I was still driving my 2001 Grand Cherokee and praying it wouldn't leave me stranded (again) on my next road trip.  I was back and forth between home and every time I was there the Jeep was up on jack stands and I was putting another band aid on the failing dyke that was the 4.7 drivetrain.  In a career where I rely heavily on my wheels to get me to recruiting events for 5 months of the year, this was just not acceptable.

So, as I began pondering what my next automotive move would be, I started a checklist of things I wanted in a vehicle.  Reliability, toughness, road manners, fun factor and other categories of the sort peppered a spreadsheet on my computer.  As I filled in vehicles of different shapes and sizes and test drove a dozen or so, my list began dwindling to one:  Toyota Tacoma.

I drove a Tacoma at a dealership in Middletown and immediately fell in love.  It was a silver '06 TRD Sport with a short bed and 70,000 miles.  It was perfect:  drove well enough on the highway, had a toughness factor and a good aftermarket following that would make modifications easy and (relatively) cost-effective.

As we swung back into the dealership, I looked at the salesman with me and asked "So, how much is this beauty?"

He rustled through his papers, found the stock number, and confidently stated, "This one is only $26,899"

You could have knocked me over with a feather.  Come again?  I was still living in the Jeep bubble, where a 6 year old Grand Cherokee can be had for well under $20k.  (For instance, just found a 2011 Overland with 75k for about $21k)

I pointed to a brand new Tacoma sitting next to me, looked at the salesman with true bewilderment, and said, "So you're telling me that this 6 year old truck is the same price as the brand new one sitting right there?  That's absurd!"

He looked at me, clearly annoyed, and said "Well, THAT'S what they go for, OK?"

I handed him the key without saying a word, turned, and walked away.  My first experience with the inflated resale values that keep Toyota faithful sticking with the brand.

I then began looking through for Jeeps and some other smaller company SUVs and test drove some more.  Even found a couple lower priced Tacomas, but with the mileage on them it just didn't make sense for me to buy them.  I had gotten to the point where I was going to step away from the market for a bit and let some new blood filter in, and had one more vehicle to go and look at, a used Jeep.  I pulled up to the dealership, and out of the corner of my eye, I see a Toyota with a hood scoop tucked in between a few other SUVs.  I walked up to it, and was discouraged when I discovered that there were no stickers on the windows.

I walked inside and found a salesman, and inquired about the steel blue beast.

"Oh, that one's contract just fell through, guy found a better deal somewhere else and left us high and dry."  He tapped away at his computer, and when he looked up he said, "Price is $15,400."

We walked outside to a gorgeous 2004 4Runner Sport with a V8, and get this, 48,000 miles.   It checked every box of reliability, ruggedness, fun factor, and with the XREAS suspension underneath, was a breeze on the road.  While it didn't have some of the creature comforts I was looking for, I knew if I didn't jump on it I'd lose it.  So I did.

I spent two years behind the wheel of that 4Runner, and put over 45,000 blissful miles on the odometer.  I only had one major repair which, thankfully, was covered under the extended warranty I had purchased.  I upgraded plenty, went on some incredible adventures, and have timeless memories from behind the wheel of that truck.  It was everything I had ever wanted in a vehicle.

Unfortunately, the fact that it just wasn't PRACTICAL for me at the time ultimately closed the book on my torrid love affair with TRex (only vehicle I've ever named...).  At 95,000 miles I decided it was as good a time as any to get out from an SUV and into a car.  I was able to sell TRex to a guy who appreciated Toyotas, and knew the truck was going to a good home.  I cried a bit when he pulled away with it.  TRex was the first vehicle I had ever bought on my own, and first I had ever truly loved.

In a decision that still has me scratching my head at times, I went off and bought at 2014 Mazda 3 with the 2.0L engine and a 6 speed manual.  I had a couple parameters that needed to be met for me to make the ultimate leap to a car...

Car had to be fun
Car had to be unique
Car had to be manual

If there is one thing that has always been on my mind, growing up as a gear head, is that I wanted to DD a stick shift at least once in my life.  And, for the most part, am glad that I did.  The moments I'm unhappy with that decision tend to pop up quite often on the I95 corridor...

Driving a stick shift is a holistic driving experience on a daily basis.  One major perk of having to row my own is that I am on my phone exponentially LESS than I was in the 4Runner.  You have to pay attention, make sure you're in the appropriate gear, downshift coming up to lights and through the twisties.  When you're driving around a slush box, you're only utilizing half of your legs, and hence, half of your brain.  It is much easier to be distracted when you're driving an auto.

After two years behind the wheel, I don't need to look at the tach to shift.  The car has a gear display that shows shift points, and I can hit those points just about perfectly by feel.  I can grab the shift knob and know what gear I'm in just by the positioning of my hand.  I can have music bumping and know what gear to downshift to or when to upshift without listening to the engine.  You begin to understand your car and the dynamics of driving.  It makes you a better driver overall.

Unfortunately, the manual gear box is a dying breed.  Automatics are more advanced and more efficient, they shift bette,r and have more gears.  Hell, Chevrolet and Ford share a 10-speed auto that is said to be fantastic, regardless of whether your bopping around the block or jumping the Raptor on a Baja track.  Exotic auto makers are opting for dual-clutch automatics that complete shift faster than a human can blink their eye.  Technology has surpassed what we used to know as "ultimate performance."  And with stricter efficiency standards, auto makers are looking for MPGs anywhere they can.

The Mazda was a car that caught my eye from the moment they rolled the production cars out at the auto shows.  They were a vastly different look from the previous generation with fantastic body lines and a big, aggressive grille.  Their driving dynamics were vastly improved, and with two engine options, appeal to a wide variety.

I was also looking at a couple other cars, including Corollas, but I wanted something that I didn't see a ton of.  And I see a LOT of Corollas.  On a regular basis, I still only see 2-3 Mazdas in the city, and they still catch my eye on the highway.

Another selling point for me was the vast array of options you could get on an economy car.  I bought the Grand Touring edition, so I have heated leatherette seating, Navigation, Bluetooth audio, blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert, and a back-up camera.

(If you don't think a Back-up camera is worth noting, consider this: on a BMW M240i, a $47,000 coupe, a backup camera isn't available without spending $950 on the "Driver Assistance Package."  They are standard on the Mazda 3i Sport, priced at $17,800.)

My biggest gripe about the car, and will be the reason I sell it for an SUV:  I.  CAN'T.  SEE.  ANYTHING.

I turn my head to back up, and all I see are the seat backs.  Swooping body lines make for some reduced visibility out of the back windows.  Thankful for the backup camera.

I turn my head to check my blind spot, and with my seat position (important with a clutch) I have a nice view of my B pillar.  Thankful for blind spot monitoring

I try to pull out of a driveway with vehicles parked on the side of the road, and.  Well.  There's not a gadget for that...  Let's just say I pray a lot more than I used to.  I literally feel as though I'm taking my life in my own hands pulling out onto a busy city street.  The fact that I haven't been T-boned in the city of Hartford is still baffling to me.

I get into traffic and have to rely on the brake lights of the car in front of me to read the flow of traffic.  Do you know how many cars' brake lights DON'T WORK?  TAKE CARE OF YOUR DAMN CARS, PEOPLE!

The one saving grace of the Mazda, on par with the company's ethos, is that it is a fun car to drive.  Even with 16" wheels it handles well, tracks straight on the highway, and gobbles up speed without me thinking about it.  Yes, there is road noise, but you'll have that with any lightweight economy car.  However, getting into an on-ramp at 60mph and hugging the inside of the curve in 3rd gear, and rocketing past the flow of traffic as I upshift to 4th gets more and more fun each time I do it.  I take the back way home quite often in the warmer months so I can put it through it's paces.  The fact that I haven't gotten a speeding ticket in this bright-red machine is a marvel.

The other surprise for me, was it is a decent vehicle in the snow.  I have gotten back into skiing in the last coupe years, and being able to get to the hill is important for me.  I bought a full set of Blizzaks for it and it is a regular mountain goat.  I only had one situation on my way up the hill to Stratton this year, but I was able to crush 15 days this year through snow storms and slush without a worry.  Now, would I prefer a bigger 4x4 SUV?  Absolutely.  But for what it is, the Mazda does just fine.

My view on life from closer to the ground has definitely been an experience.  The Mazda has brought me back to the roots of when I learned how to drive on my father's property.  It has reminded me to be more attentive to the road and my car.  It has brought me happiness even though it is not the perfect vehicle for me.  If only every one could have this connection to their vehicles.