A Day In The Life.....

[disneydream06]

Well, actually it was yesterday in my life. lol...

My friend, Neil aka mrdreamjeans was coming down to Rochester to pick up something from a friend, and so we were going to meet up before hand and do some window shopping for a new to me vehicle.
We met up at the mall. Neil beat me and got some shopping done. I did a quick walk through of Barnes & Noble. Saw a book I want, but didn't buy it.
Neil, Bella, his little pup, and I bundled up into my rental and drove over to the Chevy dealership to look at a couple of vehicles I was eyeing there. Unfortunately, I didn't see either of them on the lot where I saw them before, so I assumed they had been sold already. :o Then we drove out to the Subaru dealership on the South end of Rochester. We parked and walked over to a couple of cars I was looking at. One is a Forester and one is an Outback. I was leaning to the Outback.
A salesman came out and talked to me about the Outback and then got the "keys" so we could go for a test drive.
It drove really nice. LOTS of bells and whistles that would take a lot of studying to figure out. LOL...
We went back and the salesman asked if I wanted to test drive anything else. I didn't really think so, but Neil convinced me to test drive the Forester to at least have something to compare the Outback to.
The Forester drove really nice too, but I preferred the drive of the Outback.
I explained to the salesman the situation with the loan and waiting to get my brother off the deed to the house. I asked him if they could hold the care until I could officially get the money from the loan, hopefully by the end of the week.
He took us inside to talk some numbers.
It added up to more then I was looking to spend, just short of $40,000. :o But with the vehicles that I have been watching getting sold before I could get any of them, I decided I wanted to get this car.
A little more background on the Outback, it's a 2024 that had been used by the deal as a loaner and it barely had 3,100 miles on it. So practically new. It has the XT Limited package on it. So it's really nice. It's white with an off white and black leather interior.
Well, I signed papers to purchase it the vehicle when I get my loan money. :o
I took Neil back to his car so he could go meet his other friends, and I filled up the gas tank on my rental and took it back to the airport to return and rebook it. That makes $2,300 in rental fees so far. :o :o :o
Then I went home and got Maggie out to do her duty and get her fed. Then I headed back to the dealership to sign my life, well my loan money, away. :o :o :o

I got done at the dealership just in time to make it to the movie theater to see the movie I got a ticket for at 7 pm. It was another of their "Mystery" movies where they tell you the rating, the running time, and whether or not it was a horror movie. The movie ended up being "My Penguin Friend". It's based on a true story of an old man in Brazil who rescues a penguin and then how the penguin stays with him until his migratory cycle calls him home to his nesting area clear down in Argentina. Then the next year the old man and his wife are shocked when the penguin comes walking into their little house on the beach and stays with them until going back to Argentina. I recommend seeing it, and if you do, bring tissues. There were a couple of points where I was practically bawling from both happy and sad tears. :o :o :o

Today is Minnesota's election primary, so I ran uptown to vote, and then stopped at the insurance office to see what was going to happen to my car insurance by getting the new vehicle.
O.M.g.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My car insurance is going to go up about $800 a year. WTF!!!!!!!!!! That is the same price I pay to insure my house. :o :o :o

Time to get that loan and then rob the bank on the way out the door. :o :o :o

Comments

[murakozi]

When I got my Subaru, I was trying to decide between the Outback and Forester. The Outback was nicer, but the Forester was more affordable for me, and it also still had some physical controls instead of the giant touchscreen. Six months later, after hernia repair surgery, I was glad I had the Forester, because it's so easy to get in and out of.

Last year, I had a 2024 Outback as a loaner car while the modern equivalent of the thermostat in my Forester was being repaired. It was really nice, but in addition to the huge touch screen, that one also had led's at the base of the windshield that'd flash as part of the lane departure warning system. I prolly could get used to that, but that big ol screen.... Eh. I just want to be able to reach down to adjust stuff without having to look.

[disneydream06]

YIKES, nobody said anything about lights flashing at me. :o
It apparently has a light on the inside of the side mirrors for blind spot detection.
Other then rentals, I haven't had anything new enough to have any of those bells and whistles on it. :o

[murakozi]

They weren't bright flashy lights. They were down where the windshield meets the dashboard. They were just part of the lane departure system. My Forester has the same system, sans lights. I actually keep it disabled, since with all the lane shifts on roads in my area due to construction, it tends to go off a lot.

That loaner also must've had every single option available in it. The thing was worth twice what my car is.

[disneydream06]

My loaner has everything on it too.
Including auto Hi Beam headlights. I turned that off after a couple of days. ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!

[armiphlage]

You have such cheap home insurance!

[disneydream06]

Really? :o :o :o

[thewayne]

Welcome to the Subaru family! Sorry to hear your insurance is taking quite the hike, that's really something. Might be time to shop for a less expensive policy. Is your car insurance bundled with the same company that does your home insurance?

[disneydream06]

Thank you. :)

I think I misspoke, not up $800, but still bad enough up $400 for the year. :o
Yeah, I just bundle my home policy with my car policy. :o
I just took the safe driving course to get a discount for that.

[thewayne]

So $35ish a month.  Not terrible, as new cars go, honestly that's not too bad.  You might be able to increase your collision damage.  One thing I'd be very cautious about changing is your comprehensive.  I don't know how often you go thru windshields, but since you probably have the EyeSight system, which is fantastic, a new windshield is well over a grand.  ALWAYS demand a factory original windshield on replacement and that it be properly calibrated, it is critical to the proper functioning of the EyeSight safety system!

[disneydream06]

Well, my insurance went from $600+ for my old Escape to $800+ for the Subaru every six months.
You have to have insurance, but who the heck can afford it any more. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thewayne]

That... is a bit steep. We're paying that per car for a year! Might be the area you're in, I don't know. But we're also married, and that tends to lower rates a bit.

BTW, good choice on the Outback vs the Forester. The Outback has a larger engine and lower profile with the same ground clearance and gets, IIRC, a bit better mileage. I've driven the Forester, and like them, but I think the Outback overall is a better vehicle and if I ever have to replace my Crosstrek, plan on getting one.

[disneydream06]

Oh, I thought they had the same engine. :o

My friend Neil who was with me has a Crosstrek too and as we were leaving joked that he was going to switch to a Outback as well. LOL...... He said he could use the extra room when he travels home to Texas at Christmas time. lol.......

[thewayne]

Yeah, Outback is definitely more spacious, and about the same MPG.  No, the Forester has the same engine as the Crosstrek, which is smaller than the base engine in the Outback.  Unless they've made major changes that I'm unaware of.

[disneydream06]

I was reading some where that the Limited XT and one other level in 2024 have the turbo, otherwise I think all the rest at the regular engine.
And then I looked at my paperwork, and I do have the turbo according to that. :)

[thewayne]

Oh.  That's one reason why your insurance jumped!  One word of warning: before you shut off your engine at a destination, let it run for about 15 seconds after setting in park.  It allows cooler oil to flow to the turbo's intercooler and extends its life.  Once you turn off the engine, oil stops flowing and shutting off your engine immediately can have hot oil still in the intercooler and can theoretically shorten the turbo's life.  Personally, I'd never get a turbo: no need, and it increases costs - both purchase and insurance - and can increase maintenance cost in the long term.

[disneydream06]

Thank you so much for that tip.
Wonder if it's too late to put in a different engine? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[thewayne]

You might talk to the dealer about changing the contract for a non-turbo.  They may be amenable.

[disneydream06]

Right now, I am just happy that they are honoring the contract and not tearing it up with the waiting they are doing for my loan to come through. :o

[kaishin108]

So you got the Outback?! That is what we have. I personally prefer the Forester that is a foot shorter but parking is still pretty easy with the camera. :)

Sorry I have been MIA. Hadn't been feeling that good.

Hugs, helen

[disneydream06]

{{{HUGS}}}
I hope you are feeling better? :o

Well, I got the Outback on paper so far. LOL...
I am really hoping now that I will get it by the beginning of next week at the latest. :o

[kaishin108]

That is so awesome! I hope it works out very well for you.

Hugs, helen

[disneydream06]

Thank you. :)

[madamoiselle_sambuca]

Jon Jon Jon!! What have I been telling you LMAO!!! Come up to Canada!! :D

[disneydream06]

But then I would be so far away from our State Fair. :o

[madamoiselle_sambuca]

Firstly: https://www.canadaswonderland.com/
Secondly: https://www.theex.com/

HOWEVER, the damn Ex is pretty much done much to my chagrin.

If you ask the right ppl then, there are little things that you can attend. :)

[disneydream06]

Those look like a lot of fun. :)

[madamoiselle_sambuca]

Yes m'dear!