Riding In Style

As I mentioned a while back, we’re going to be getting rid of the Airstream Interstate B van because now that we are not commuting back and forth from Alabama to Arizona, we don’t really need it. But first, we wanted to have something to replace it with.

After doing a lot of research, talking to quite a few people, as well as getting feedback from blog readers and friends, Terry decided that she wanted a Subaru Forester. We had first considered an Outback, but the more people we talked to and the more research we did, we decided that the Forester might be a better choice. One thing we heard from several sources was that the Forester is a lot easier to get in and out of compared to the Outback. On Sunday we had stopped at 77 Subaru in the Show Low Auto Mall to be able to look at different cars without having a salesman breathing down our neck, since they are closed on Sundays. We found two or three that we thought would meet our needs, so yesterday we went car shopping.

Sales representative Matt Williams greeted us when we came in and spent a lot of time with us, showing us the different models and options. All it took was sitting in both the Outback and the Forester to know that everything people had told us about how access in and out was a lot easier in the Forester was correct.

Once we had narrowed it down to that model, we looked at some of them and Terry settled on a 2025 Forester Touring Hybrid, which is the top of the line in the Foresters. This is our first hybrid car ,and we were impressed with it during the test drive. Acceleration is good, when the EV part kicked in mileage jumped up to around 40 miles per gallon, which is better than the advertised 35 MPG, and we were pleased with how comfortable the ride was and how quiet it was inside the car.

It’s charcoal gray with a dark gray interior, all-wheel drive, automatic transmission, a great sound system, 19-inch wheels, leather seats that are both heated and cooled, both the driver and passenger seats are powered and have memory recall, it has a sunroof that we will probably never use, and every other option available.

I have bought a lot of cars in my life, both new and used, and I also worked as a car salesman during my misspent youth, and I expected a lot of haggling and time wasting once we sat down to work out a deal. Surprisingly, that didn’t happen. Matt showed us what their offer was, I made a counteroffer for a lower amount and asked to have a cargo net included, we shook hands and it was a done deal. Lane Jackson, the general sales manager, handled the financing part of it and was able to match the interest rate that Chase Bank had quoted me. All in all it was a good buying experience and Terry is very happy with her new ride. Thank you, Matt and Lane, for all the time you spent with us and being straightforward about everything in the sales process. Based upon our experience, I would recommend the folks at 77 Subaru any time.

It looks right at home back ot our place.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – I just realized that when someone in their 20’s is talking about old people, they are talking about us.