Farewell, Fellow Traveler

[corvid]

So.

On Monday, I traded Carbonate in.



Carbonate got its name because it's a black, Saturn Ion Level 2, and the Carbonate ion has a valence of +2.

It was the newest car I've ever owned, having been only three years old when I bought it back in 2007. In all that time, the only unexpected maintenance I'd ever had to perform was replacement of a gas line that had rusted out, compliments of one too many Wisconsin winters. However, at ten years old, it was definitely starting to show its age. Fuel economy going down, the serpentine belt was at the end of its useful life, at least one of the wheel bearings was shot and needed replacement. I was planning on replacing it during its tenth year, but had hoped to hold out through the summer before I took on a car payment again. Then I considered how much I might need to spend now to bring the car through the summer, and realized there wasn't much advantage in holding off. Besides, Ms. Dewdrops' car is even older, we've got a trip to Missouri this weekend, some diving trips out of town, I've got to haul myself & gear to PSG... So it was time to pick up some newer wheels.

However, before I introduce you to the new car (I've got something I need to add to it, that hasn't gotten here yet...), I can't let old Carbonate go without some recognition.

Ten years old, and only once did something fail on me. It got me to three different PSG sites. It got me out to Rhode Island and back for my Temporary Exile. For 8 months in 2010, I put some hard, hard miles on it. Working in the Milwaukee suburbs, when Bandit moved three hours away. Every weekday, I put on 150 miles just for my work commute. If I went down to Bandit's on a Saturday and home on Sunday, that was two days with at least 175 miles. So there were times when, with other errand running and whatnot, I'd put 2000 miles on in 10 days. Some of those trips to see Bandit had me coming home in pretty rough weather, and we never had an accident. The time I went a bit too long on a threadbare tire & blew it at 80mph on the way home, Carbonate stayed in perfect control.

So, sitting here, a couple days into having the new car, I'm enjoying a nice dram in honor of my seven years' traveling companion that I said goodbye to a couple of days ago.

Comments

[incognita.livejournal.com]

May you have as many happy memories in the new car as you did in Carbonate. ♥

[claidheamhmor]

Nice number plate. :)

What sort of mileage did it have?

[suibhne-geilt.livejournal.com]

The best was about 33mpg, when I was commuting to Milwaukee on the interstate daily. Lately, with mostly in-town driving, only about 27-28.

[starthieving.livejournal.com]

I'll raise a toast to that Satty. I drove a '97 SC2 until 2011. 36 mpg!

[fiddledragon]

I have a Saturn Ion as well...likewise a 2004 model. I bought it new, paid it off, and am now teaching my kids to drive on it!!!

But, it's starting to show its age as well. It's been hit a couple of times, but still looks nice. Mileage is certainly better than our van, but not tremendously great, and things are just starting to wear down.

I had one majorish issue with it, that turned out to be a recall issue, and they fixed it. Otherwise, no major repairs or anything.

Marc and I basically owned Saturns from about 1997ish? On...our experience was, most of them are gold. The lemons show their tartness very early on. (It's why we stayed away from used - but it sounds like you got a winner!) In fact, he still has the only car I ever bought under my name only. (He got it in the divorce - it is a 2000 model). But that one was driven harder so is in worse shape - but it's still amazingly drivable (maybe not here in MA, but....)

So yeah - the only car company I ever actually trusted to have good solid cars in this modern era - and they're defunct :(