Way back in the day when I was young (seems so long ago that it's hard to believe that I ever was), I had a '62 Austin Healey Sprite - an underpowered but super fun British sports car. It was great for zipping around the winding roads out in the country where I lived. It was awful in the winter though and I did a few 360s until I decided to put it up each winter. Fast forward some 40 odd years and all of a sudden, I get the urge to get another sports car. Guess I'm relapsing into a second or third childhood.
What I'm looking for is something that can liven up short weekend trips and Sunday drives for my wife and I and even maybe take along on some short vacation jaunts.
So, then the fun started. The searching/road testing.
I started out looking at Porsche Boxsters. Great car to drive - looks pretty good too and the price is pretty low for a a Porsche. I'm ready to make the jump when I discover that they're a mid-engine car and that about all you can do when you open the compartment is check, change or add fluids like oil and windshield washer solution. Everything else has to be done from underneath. Oops! I can see the repair bills when anything needs to be done. Nope...... Not for me.
Next I decide to look at Mazda Maita's, even though I've always considered them more of a ladies' car. Hey, it's only for fun, so what!
I road tested a couple and they were every bit as much fun as I thought they'd be, but it gradually dawned on me that maybe it wasn't quite what I was looking for.
Why? Remember - this if for my wife and I to tool around in. So, here're the flies in the ointment.
1. My wife hates speed and blasting around corners - she's more effective than any speed control device you can put on a motor. I swear that she even snoozes with an ear out for wind noise so that just when I think I can open up and run a bit while shes dozing off, she wakes up and throws an anchor out the back.
2. I look at the trunk in this things and suddenly the thought crosses my mind - okay, supposing we go on a trip for a few days that requires more than just a blow dryer and hair curling iron? Where am I going to put the rest of the stuff?
3. We might have to take the dog with us from time to time. Sure, he's a Miniature Schnauzer, but I can't cram him into the glove compartment, so where am I going to put him?
4. I live in the great white north and you don't see any sane people driving Boxsters or Miatas in the snow and slush. Heck, some of our snow storms would bury these things.
Hmmmmmmmm! I got the idea that maybe it was time to go back to the drawing board. My objectives were still the same, but I had to seriously rethink how I was going to achieve them.
After thinking about this for a while, a small light went on! What about that 4 wheel drive thing I had rented in Fuerteventura a few years back? It was a lot of fun to tool around in.
Looking back, I remembered that it was a Suzuki Jimny. Not much power, but:
1. A soft top
2. Room for the two of us plus dog, plus now teenager if he felt like coming along.
3. Enough room for some luggage
4. Available in four wheel drive and high enough off the ground not to get completely snowed under.
I started looking around again, eventually found a low mileage '03 Chevy Tracker 2 door drop top and bought it.
Hey, this is not for zipping around corners on country roads unless you like rolling over, but it's a comfy convertible that's really fun to cruise in.
My wife love to ride around in it so I don't have to drag her out kicking and screaming and;
- I don't have to store it for the winter and in fact, with 4 winter tires and 4 wheel drive, it actually outperforms the family sedan. Real neat bonuses.
So, here I am with a Chevy Tracker, after having started out looking for a sports car.
Quite a turn of events, but one that has turned out to be great for us.
Make It A Great Day!
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Contributor's Note
Just a short rant on how I went from looking for a sports car to winding up with a 2003 Chevy Tracker.
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