Well, my baby to be has decreed my car not suitable…
It was beautiful. 2000 Jeep Wrangler, bright yellow. 30x9 tires, soft top, stick. But it only had two seats… No problem for just wifey and I, but not acceptable for a bubbly bundle of joy.
But a smart one am I!
Problem solved. The aftermarket seat only took 2 weekends and 2 broken bolts worth of excitement to install. But, alas, it was no use. The seat left no space for a stroller, and so the beautiful, masculine expression of sport-utility mahem had to be traded in.
For a Toyota Echo.
And dammit if that’s not the neatest car I’ve ever seen. OK, so it doesn’t have the pure dripping testosterone of the Jeep, but dammit, that car if freakin’ cool. It’s shorter than a Geo Metro sedan on the outside, but big enough inside for my 6’1, 200 lb frame. It’s got plenty of back seat space, a respectable trunk, and plenty of charm. To top it off, it’s rated at 35/43 MPG, nearly triple the Wrangler’s horrid 15 MPG on a downhill with a tailwind.
To top it off, it’s got enough nooks and cranny’s inside to snow all of Michael Jackson’s spare parts, and still hold my cell phone. It’s got two glove compartments, cubbies on each side of the radio, door pockets, a shelf-like cubbie under the steering column, and to top it all off, a drawer that slides out from under the passenger seat. The high roof means that even at my height, I have a spare 5 inches between my scalp and the ceiling. It feels much more spacious and airy inside than did my 01 Civic, and about equal to my 92 Accord.
And with all this room, it will fit in the tiniest of the tiny parking spaces, a must on the overcrowded Monterey Peninsula.
Oh well, just wanted to share that! It gets it’s true test when the little one arrives on June 28th.