December 9, 2004
THE LONG RIDE HOME: CAR SOLD
Tuesday eveningís drive home, and yesterday morningís drive to work, were somber ones for me. Each marked the last time Iíd drive my Land Rover Discovery on familiar roads at familiar times. As much as it pained me to do it, I sold my car yesterday afternoon to a really cool cat named Dave whose wife is expecting the coupleís first baby next spring.
As anyone voluntarily letting go of something so precious would do, I took time yesterday morning to connect with my car one last time. I washed her exterior, twice, vacuumed her out, and doted over her like a Mama Bear would her cub. On the drive in to work I purposely drove sans radio, so as to fully appreciate the hum of her engine and her ability to hug every nook and cranny of the road. The drive was, perhaps, the most satisfying one of our tenure.
Why give up such a great ride? Well, for starters, when I sold a business back in 2002, I had a payout plan in place that afforded me the opportunity to own a Land Rover. But since the company that bought mine essentially went out of business earlier this year--which means that I no longer get paid--my personal finances changed to the extent to where I needed to give up the car so as to allocate my finances more appropriately. (BTWÖ Word to the Wise: A 200-page asset sale agreement means nothing if the buyer doesnít agree to personally guarantee the payout!)
For now Iím driving a blue Chevy Cavalier, on loan from Enterprise (ìPick Enterprise. Weíll Pick You Up!î). While the Cavalier is a far cry from the Disco, it does serve its purpose rather well. It took only $17.00 to fill the tank (as opposed to $45.00 for Rover), and while sheís small in stature, she more than makes up for it off the line.
Within the next couple of weeks I hope to settle on a used late-model Toyota or Honda. Iíve been looking around these last few weeks and havenít been able to find exactly what Iím looking for, so if anyone knows of something in the $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 range, feel free to let me know by leaving a comment below.
Posted by Mikal at December 9, 2004 6:14 AM
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Awww, Mikal, that's really sad. I thought the Rover was simply great. Anyway, there will be opportunities again when things are better. I am sure another Rover awaits you in the near future! All the best!
Mikal, I am sorry we have been so out of touch. It is absurd, really. I am sorry to hear you sold the Rover, I know that must have been extremely difficult. It is interesting you just sold an SUV, because my students with CAP would love to talk to you. They are frustrated with the pollution generated by the auto industry and are trying to promote alternative fuel source vehicles such as hybrids and biodiesel. While these are not perfectly sustainable solutions, they are much better than the gas guzzling SUV's. They are tryin got assenmble a summit to discuss this issue and to talk about how we can move towards a more sustainable path in the auto industry. More info to follow, but keep your chin up, because you are in a position to make an important decision that affects the environment and your wallet (better gas mileage!). You are my idol Mikal Belicove.
Mikal,
I hate to she her go but you gotta do what you gotta do !!!
I HATE TO BREAK THE NEWS TO YOU BUT I AM NOT SURE YOU WILL FIND A DECENT LATE MODEL TOYOTA FOR 2G'S BUT I MAY BE WRONG
JUST MY THOUGHT.....HOPE ALL IS WELL
Great! In a very short number of years that Land Rover will be selling for $5,000. They may be the worst vehicle on the road in America for holding value. Although all Lincolns drop like bras during the Mardi Gras as well. I frequently see late model ones for under $5,000 in the Houston classifieds. If you read the Millionaire next door; you will see that relatively speaking, no millionaire ever buys a new car. Ever. So you are on the road to recovery from the number one biggest financial mistake that most Americans make, buying (and God forbid) leasing a new car.
Buy your next one for cash and it will feel ten times better to drive.
