I just realized that as of this month, I will have had my car for 5 full years. It seems like just yesterday that I was giving up my beloved Maxima for a new love, the G35 in its first year of manufacture. Now, my baby is all grown up and has over 80,000 miles of history with me.
Infiniti has since put out several newer models of the G with more horsepower, all-wheel drive, and sleeker design, but would I consider "trading up" given the chance? Nah.
Some people see their car as merely a way to get from point A to point B. To me, a man's (or woman's) relationship with his/her car is so much more.
First of all, the car you drive should be an extension of your personality. If you are a very outgoing person, it wouldn't make sense to drive a boring gray compact sedan. If you are more of an artistic type, you probably wouldn't roll out in a pimped out Escalade.
As for me, I do feel like my car just fits who I am and what I'm about. It's not the most attention getting car, but quietly performs just as well as (or better than) many other luxury brands that receive more hype. Personally, I really respect that quality and I think it applies to people just the same as it does for a car. It's better to keep your mouth shut and just let your actions do the talking, than to constantly brag about things you don't always back up. Not only do I look for it in the friends I keep, I also try live that way myself (though I know I fall short sometimes too).
Another thing about this car is that it's typically very low maintenance, but occasionally demands some attention and extra care than others. Throughout these 5 years, I have yet to have anything break down unexpectedly with the G. But it does cost a lot to change the performance brake pads when they wear down, and the tires are expensive too when I get flats. I'm kind of the same way - pretty independent and dependable most of the time, but once in a while I need a little more help and support from those who are closest to me.
The other fact about the G that I can relate to, is that it doesn't really fit into any category or stereotype. It's a 4 door sedan, but I wouldn't really consider it economy, sport, or luxury - more of a blend of all 3. And it's a Japanese car, but Nissan/Infiniti has always been a little different than the other Japanese makers. Admittedly not always in a good way, but when I had my Maxima, I liked the fact that it didn't quite fit in with the Camry or Accord. Of course, if you really wanted to be unique, you could drive a Jeep or a Mini-cooper or something, but that's not quite what I go for either. The way I see it, you can be different without going out of your way to be different.
Admittedly, this is a stretch to compare myself to my car, but if you look at my life, you can see in a lot of ways that I'm a product of my surroundings and what I was born into. I fit into a lot of typical "Asian" stereotypes. Being raised in a church has also made me somewhat of a "typical" Christian.
But I think people who get to know me better, probably see that I don't really fit in with any particular group. Especially in college, I didn't really click with the church crowd at CFC, but I wasn't a major partier either. I was an enginerding major, but I never hung out with the hardcore geeks who were into reading electronics journals and coding Java applets in their spare time. I hang out with a lot of Asian friends, but never got into the AzN PrYdE thing. Though I wouldn't consider myself a loner, I still feel like an oddball in almost every group I associate with.
As I said, it hasn't always been a good thing. At times in my life, I have wished that I had more of a sense of belonging in this world, that I could fit in with people who look like me and talk like me and act like me in every way. It seems like there are so few people in this world, if any, that fully relate to me and who I am.
Still, you are who you are. Like I was saying with my car - I think it's only fitting that I drive a car that doesn't really fit into any category. I can appreciate what it means to be different, without being completely out there, if that makes any sense.
Another reason why I say the relationship between owner and vehicle is so valuable is, simply because you spend so much time in it. Doing some quick math and making some estimates - 80,000 miles in 5 years translates to more than an hour per day spent driving on average. That's a lot of time, and for some people who have longer commutes, it's even more than that.
Put another way, many of us potentially spend more time with our cars than we do with any of our closest friends, or even a significant other. Maybe the relationship doesn't run as deep (actually I hope it doesn't), but I'd still argue that it is deeper than we think.
There's a Cadillac commercial running lately that asks the question: "When you turn on your car, does it return the favor?". It's corny, and borderline creepy, but kind of goes along with what I'm trying to say. The driver-car relationship isn't a one-way, dead interaction. Sure, you step on the gas and the car accelerates. You hit the brakes and the car stops. But is that really all there is to it?
I remember the first time I modded my Maxima with a performance intake. A very simple mod, but when I took her on the highway for the first time and jammed on the throttle, it was one of the most memorable thrills of my life. Something about the way the engine roared, and the sudden jump in acceleration - it felt like she was literally coming alive. With my G, every time I hit a sharp turn or an on-ramp, I get excited to test the limits of the handling. And I've grown to love all the little features about the car, that I don't think I could live without any more.
It's hard to explain, but other people who love their cars know what I'm talking about. You share not only the good times but the down times too. Whenever I get pulled over for a speeding ticket, hit a flat tire, or simply get stuck in traffic for a couple hours, it sucks. But at least I never feel alone in those ordeals. My car is always there to share my pain, accompany me to my court date, patiently wait for me to get things taken care of.
People say that it's not financially wise to spend a lot of money on a car (as compared to real estate, etc.), which I'm sure is true. But I'm not looking at getting a car to make money on investment returns. The bottom line is, I have never regretted spending more on a car than is "financially wise". I don't know anyone who has spent some extra money on a car they know they'd love, and regretted it. Of course, this is talking within reason, but if you have to stretch your budget a little bit, I always believe it's worth it.
Anyways, this entry spiraled out of control pretty quickly (big surprise), but mainly I just wanted to note the very important milestone that my baby has reached. Happy 5 Year!
