Auto? Mobile?
A few months back, Taz and I joined Zipcar in order to get a car for Furfright, and since then I have been driving a bit more than I otherwise would, and trying out numerous different vehicles. For Furfright, I got us a Honda Civic, because I remembered previously driving what I thought was a Civic hybrid from Chicago to Philly and absolutely loving it. In driving the Civic down to FF, however, I realized that either it was a different type of vehicle that I drove to Philly, or the design of the Civic has changed over the years, because it was a cramped, unpleasant vehicle for driving all around.

In general, I have found that this is a big part of my driving experience: Vehicles that I like before I try driving them tend to be the ones I really find very unpleasant to drive, and the ones that I dislike before trying seem to be the most pleasant to drive. For driving with minor chores, we usually get the unattractive but very effective Toyota Matrix. It handles great in everything but snow, and even in horrible weather it got the job done without any heart-stopping moments. The ultimate surprise, however, was when I used a Honda Element to bring home our new mattress and box spring a few months back. I still maintain that this is an ugly, ugly vehicle. But, it drives like nothing else, just perfect for what I like. In fact, I have found that the more "truck-like" a vehicle handles, the more pleasant I find it to drive. It's funny, back when I hardly found cause to drive at all, I thought I might one day purchase a Mini Cooper. Now, I think it's more likely I'll end up driving a pick-up, should I ever bother to purchase a car.