The A/C in my husband’s car started having problems back in the fall. We didn’t worry much about it since it was getting cooler weather and we wouldn’t need the A/C again for several months. It’s already started to get warm here so we had it checked out a few weeks ago. They estimated $2,400 to replace the evaporator. What?!? It’s not quite 4 years old and has 60,000 miles, which to me seems a little young for such a big problem, considering our old car is nearly 12 years old with 175,000 miles on it and it’s A/C didn’t go out until last year. So we’ve started comparing what it would cost to get a different car versus paying for the repairs. Do we get the same kind of car or a different car? Do we get a car, or do we get a van or wagon Do we get a new car or a new car to us, aka used? Do we lease? Will someone give us enough for our broken car to pay off the loan?

This whole thing got me to thinking about all the cars I’ve had before (I say that like I’ve had a lot. Maybe I have. I dunno.) So a brief car-trip down car memory lane:

My first car I technically still have. I drove it last week, as a matter of fact. It’s a 1997 Mitsubishi Galant. Green. That cool teal green that was popular in the mid- to late- 90s  but that is not at all popular now. It’s the aforementioned 175,000-er. I got it the night before my 17th birthday as a surprise. It stayed with me through that last year of high school, went with me to college, and was one of the things my husband liked about our relationship — he preferred my car over his truck; I liked his truck. It endured 4 winters in Indiana and got it’s driver-side mirror knocked off once. It had issues with belts and A/C , and got a rebuilt transmission 3 years ago, but overall it’s been a good, dependable car. We currently use it as our “spare.”

My second car was actually hubby’s truck. A 1995 Toyota T-100 (the predecessor to the Tacoma). It was maroon and had a king cab. Very nice. It was one of the things I liked about him. I had wanted a truck but my dad wanted me to have something more appropriate for hauling stuff and hauling friends — a 4-door with a trunk and good gas mileage. The truck was great, but it met its fate one early, icy, Indiana morning when it skid on an icy hill and hit a telephone pole. Hubby was behind the wheel but wasn’t hurt, at least not from the impact (the air bag burned his arm). He was moving very slowly down a hill, aware of black ice, and there was just nothing he could do. The truck was totaled. We took the insurance money and paid off the Galant.

Fortunately by this time, we had already acquired my third car — our first car together. Sweet, isn’t it? A 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. Our first SUV. We actually leased it because to buy it was too expensive. It was great for winter weather driving and looked nice too. The gas mileage was horrible, so when the lease was up we turned it back in. We were already back in the south by then and didn’t need the 4-wheel drive down here.

A few months before the lease was up on the Montero, we bought hubby’s Volkswagon Passat. Brand New. 2005. Silver, with leather seats. Very nice. He loves it. Drives it every day, even without a working A/C.

Finally, my Pilot. I made my first used car purchase last year — a 2005 Honda Pilot — and I love it. It had low mileage and we got the payments that I wanted. My service rep is a neighbor, so that works out well.

I imagine future car purchases including a truck — we’ve wanted one ever since we lost the last one, but it’s just not been practical (yet). I’d like to always have two different styles of vehicles — like one car and one SUV/van. That way there’s one vehicle with mega room and one that’s just right Think Goldilocks and the three bears: “This one’s too big. This one’s too small. But this one is just right.”

Of course, there will come a day when it won’t just be the two of us needing vehicles. I don’t even want to think about that. Our boys may end up driving a 1997 Mitsubishi Galant who’s color went out of style 2 decades ago.