New car. Wait…what?

*sigh* It was a long time coming, wasn’t it?

I had been having problems with the Jetta since I lost my job at the Soul Stealing Company in August. The car was really loud and when I got back from my surgery in October it was clear a pipe had gone. I replaced it for $700 and went on my merry little way. Two days later the steering wheel started shaking uncontrollably. I brought it back to Sears (where I got my new tires last year for $500) and they said my control arm bushings were going, $450 worth the labor. I held off for a bit since I was broke, and then we went home for a month to visit family for the holidays. When I got back, Adam went out and started the car and said it sounded a bit "rough." I didn’t think much of it, I mean, it had been sitting for a month! So, two days ago I went out to start the car to go bring it to the mechanic and…nothing. Everything was working but it wouldn’t start. The first time I started it there was a HUGE burst of smoke and some sort of putrid smell. Obviously, I turned the car off. After that it just wouldn’t start.

I was so furious. I didn’t want to put the sort of money in the car that I knew it was going to need to be fixed. I stormed off and left the car half shoveled out. When I called my family it was a unanimous "get a new car." Easier said than done! I just started a new job, moved in the last year, and have a very large (large) amount of student loans. I didn’t think anyone would approve me. I managed to get in contact with a bad credit specialist that put me in contact with a dealer in the area that knew how to deal with my situation. Long story short, I needed a cosigner. My father offered but he wasn’t strong enough as a candidate. Once my Mom knew that, she approached my step father, and he offered to cosign. Needless to say…today…two days after my car breathed its last breath…I drove home in a new car.

Well, not totally new.

Friends, meet my first (almost)new 2008 Ford Focus SE Coupe with 32,000 miles on it:

I love it. I mean, I can’t even describe my love for this car. It’s so cute. It has black interior and a great sound system. It gets 34mpg and has a system tracker that will TELL me how many MPG I’m getting and how many miles I have until empty. It includes an iPod jack. The things that I like that I Haven’t Had Like Ever:

– A glove compartment. No, really. I didn’t have one in the Jetta. Apparently Germans don’t wear gloves.
– Cup holders that can hold, you know, cups…and not just a sippy cup.
– 5 star crash test car with side curtain airbags. Since, er, I  wasn’t sure the Jetta airbags…uh…worked.
– Air conditioning. Oh man. Air conditioning. That prospect will be so exciting in July.
– Remote keyless entry that opens the trunk and the doors (!!) that I can LOCK…without having to climb through the passenger side. Oh em gee.
– The nifty "system check" feature that runs a diagnostic on the car BEFORE I LEAVE THE PARKING LOT and tells me silly things like if my trunk is open and if I have low tire pressure.
– A speedometer. You wouldn’t think this is important but man, I haven’t had a working one in THREE YEARS.
– Cruise control: see above. If your speedometer doesn’t work…neither does your cruise control.

And that’s only a few awesome features, kids!

Overall, I’m happy. I’m pretty sure my family will be even happier when I stop talking about it.