The Older You Get...The Bigger The Vehicle?

Lately, when it comes to my family's desire for a new vehicle, cars are out and SUVs and minivans are in. Currently, we have a 1997 Buick LeSabre. With car payments scheduled to end by early next year, my dad has started the process of thinking about what vehicle he would like to get next. Every vehicle that he has mentioned to me that he wouldn't mind having is either an SUV or a minivan. I'm talking about vehicles like the GMC Envoy, the Cadillac Escalade, and Buick's new minivan (that I can't remember the name of). And it's not just my dad who thinks like this. My aunt's car is now basically toast, so on Tuesday, she went with my dad and got herself a new vehicle...a Dodge Caravan that my dad told me is quite nice.

Maybe it's the versatility of SUVs and minivans that people of my parents' age are attracted to. With a minivan or SUV, you get cargo space and seating for more than five. There is room to relax for the driver and all his/her passengers. I don't mind SUVs at all. The Lincoln Navigator, the Escalade, and the SUVs from Infiniti, Mercedes, and Lexus are sharp vehicles. And minivans are nice too. However, my ideal vehicle at the moment would probably be a nice luxury sedan over an SUV or a minivan.

I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of driving. In fact, I haven't done it in any way, shape, or form in years. Basically, I learned just enough (and drove just enough) to be able to pass my Driver's License test. I've had my fair share of issues with driving. I failed Behind The Wheel when I initially took Drivers Ed and had to take it my Senior year in order to pass the class. I was 18 when I got my Driver's License. When my dad took out driving, I got into a fender bender with an old white couple. In what was clearly my low point, I got so frustrated when trying to back out of a parking space in a Jewel parking lot (not a damn person would stop coming so I could get out) that I lost it and made my dad reclaim the driver's seat. I plan to get back behind the wheel now that it's getting warmer outside. I have gotten to the point where I am kind of frustrated with having to work what I need around others' schedules. It would annoy me just a little bit to have to wait a couple of days to go get something I needed to get because my dad either had no time to drive me or more than likely didn't feel like driving. If I can get to the point where I can handle street driving well (we'll leave tackling the expressway for another year...or two), it'll give me some measure of independence again.

But when I do start driving, my ideal car would probably be something like a Chrysler 300. I don't want the Chyrsler 300 because it's popular...I want it because it looks sharp and comfortable.