Complex Numbers

And My Machine, She's a Dud

Actually, today's title is misleading - my pickup truck's working just fine.

For the past couple of years, though, I've been toying with the idea of getting new wheels, though I really haven't done much about it - when I'd first planned on buying, the economy crashed, and I decided I'd hold out a while longer. I've had the truck for 10 years, now.

Besides the lousy economy (which makes it a great time to buy a new car, unless your income has been slashed like tires in the Bronx), the other thing stopping me was:

What the HELL do I want to drive?

Well, apart from this:

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Which I'm not going to get, for various reasons, not the least of which it costs more than I paid for my house.

An SUV or minivan is right out - don't need the space, and don't like the image.

I don't want another pickup truck. I've driven one pretty much from the moment I got my license, I don't really need one anymore, and what's the point of having a mid-life crisis if you're just going to drive the same kind of vehicle?

Sports cars are a big no, too, because they're sports cars and will give people the entirely wrong impression about the size of my man-parts.

And I'm too old for entry-level vehicles.

Plus, I don't really like the cars on the market right now. They all look about the same, and the ones that don't, well, they look ugly.

And I'm painfully aware that, for the first time in my life, I'm actually considering "image" as one criterion in car selection. Which is why I'm avoiding BMWs and Mercedeseses. Or anything from Detroit.

So I have to ask myself: "What kind of car can a middle-aged guy drive without making it look like he's reliving a lost childhood or looking forward to retirement?" (This is especially hard to answer because I want to relive a lost childhood and I'm looking forward to retirement.)

And there's just not much out there like that. Everything's geared toward college kids, families, or bald guys with Issues.

I test-drove a Subaru and a couple of Nissans today. Not bad, but I didn't exactly fall head over heels for either make. And the Toyota dealership completely ignored me. Yep - guy walks in on a slow day at a time when Toyota's reputation is in the toilet, and they wouldn't even talk to me. Maybe it was the Bruce Springsteen tour shirt I was wearing, but that didn't slow down the Nissan folks.

Fortunately, I'm in no hurry. But it bugs me that I can't even decide on a freaking CAR.