[speaker001:] Yeah, Jonathan, uh, you s-, you say it's near and dear to your heart. Buying a car is, uh, something you're contemplating, I take it.
[speaker002:] Uh, fantasizing about.
[speaker001:] Uh.
[speaker002:] Can't do it right now. Our situation is that we're a two car family
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and I have a mini van we bought a few years ago.
[speaker001:] Uh [faint].
[speaker002:] It's got a, uh, five year loan, so that's still got a couple years to run
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and the car I get to drive is a, uh, Nissan Sentra that's going to be ten years old next month so,
[speaker001:] Wow [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] I think
[speaker001:] They get,
[speaker002:] about, uh, sprucing that up in a couple years if I can.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh. What do you think you'll, uh, what kind of a car do you think you'll buy next?
[speaker002:] Well [breathing], since I just turned forty, I'm thinking about [LAUGHTER] a forty year old man's car, something, uh, something real sporty
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] but, uh, realistically with, uh, the need to take the kids to school, probably have to have something that, uh, wouldn't wined up putting their knees this their throat when they sat in the back seat. *spelling wined should be wind
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Something a little seating room. How about you?
[speaker001:] Well, I think the next car we get will probably be a [breathing], well I, I like Buicks. We have a Buick Century now, it's a nineteen eighty-seven
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] and, uh, whatever I get, I want to have, uh, air bags, uh, both driver's and passenger side and four door because it's much more convenient if you're carrying anybody to, you know, rather than have them stoop down to get over, so
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] I think the four door is probably a major requirement and, other than that, uh, you know, reasonable cost and safety and, uh, as much economy as you can get out of a car. Uh, you know, I'm not looking for one with a great big engine, uh
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] something that will carry it around careful, I guess is best, best way to describe it. Right now, we've got a V six and it, that seems to be just fine. I know they s-, they're coming out with some V eight now and I think that's probably a little over kill for this day and age.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I was surprised to hear that the V eights are coming back, so, they've got some pretty powerful sixes.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And, uh, you know, V eights seem to be a return to the days of, you know, ten or twelve miles a gallon.
[speaker001:] Right. I, uh, I drive a, a truck, a Ford truck. I, I like trucks because they're spacious, and it's handy to haul things. Uh, it's not related to my business, I just really use it, basically, for transportation, but there's so many occasions when I've had to move some members of the family or do this or that, and it's
[speaker002:] Sure.
[speaker001:] it's handy to have a truck and not have to borrow one.
[speaker002:] Is, uh, traction much of an issue for you up there.
[speaker001:] Traction?
[speaker002:] .
[speaker001:] Uh, not really, uh, you know, it's a two wheel drive truck and I figure if it's so bad that I need a four wheel drive, I probably ought to be home anyway [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Actually, uh, pretty good way of looking at it, yeah. We, uh, we had a small accident with our mini van
[speaker001:] Wow.
[speaker002:] a few years ago. A case where there was a, sort of freak ice storm and we weren't aware of it, and just slipped on some black ice and went into another car, and, this is a rear wheel drive model. So, we got some monster studded snow tires after that.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Haven't had any problems since.
[speaker001:] What kind of, what make is the mini van?
[speaker002:] It's a Mazda.
[speaker001:] Mazda, I see.
[speaker002:] And, uh, we're pleased with it in terms of comfort, and, uh, driveability. Fuel economy isn't great, being a mini van, but, uh it's real nice for carrying around our kids and others and
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] it's, uh, got some nice features in terms of being able to remove seats and flip them around so we've been able to do some real creative, uh, load hauling when called upon.
[speaker001:] One of my sons has a, a Plymouth, uh, van
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] or, you know, uh, uh, that same type of thing, the Voyager, I guess
[speaker002:] Right.
[speaker001:] and, uh, they have a, a child that's five years old and it's really handy for hauling him around and, and their stuff, and, of course, as he gets friends, I'm sure that will be even handier. So, I know if we were, if we had kids still at home, we're in our fifties now, but, if we had kids still at home, we'd certainly have to seriously consider a van just for their functional value.
[speaker002:] Yeah, I think that we're going to be, uh, owning a mini van for some years to come. Probably till the kids are out of, uh, high school anyway.
[speaker001:] What about, uh, all wheel drive? Is that something that you'd be interested in or is that,
[speaker002:] Uh [breathing] I'd be satisfied with a, a good front wheel drive car when it comes time to replace the Sentra.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And even as, as light as that is with, uh, the small tires it's, it's done pretty well
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] in winter, uh, again, like you, if conditions are, are that bad, I probably don't want to be driving anyway.
[speaker001:] Right.
[speaker002:] So I know I'd be happy with a, a reasonable, uh, four door. You know, again, we've, we've got the same issue with getting kids into the,