Charlie - the other man

Some of you may be shocked to hear that I have another man in my life. No, it's not my unborn son (yet!)...it's my 1992 Subaru Loyale named Charlie. I've been driving Charlie since 1997. He was my first (and only) car, lovingly given to me by my dad.

Peter changing Charlie's spark plugs

Since I now take public transportation to work, I don't drive much. However, this weekend I spent several hours driving around the DC area. The time in my car I was reflecting on how much I appreciate Charlie and how I hope he lasts for years to come.

Why do I love my beat-up, 16 year old car? Since you asked....

• Visibility. My blind spots in this car are few and far between. Good visibility will be high on my list if we ever have to replace Charlie. Trust me, a pregnant lady really appreciates not having to twist her torso in order to see traffic behind her.
• Great A/C. I don't know how he does it, but my little car's air conditioning is even better than the A/C on our 2005 Subaru. I guess they just don't make 'em like they used to.
• Reliable. Yes, Subaru's are reliable in general (another important quality in a car), but Charlie goes above and beyond. In 11 years I've only broken down on the side of the road once.
• Durable interior. Thanks to Armor All, the interior still looks pretty good. (I love Armor All...to the point where I use it as a verb. "Peter, have we armoralled the cars lately?")
• Takes curves at speeds most cars can only dream of. Subaru + Mountain Girl. Need I say more?
• Doesn't go much faster than 60. Some people might see this as a detriment, however, if you can't go over 60 without the car shaking a bit, it actually makes driving more relaxing. You're not constantly evaluating if you should pass the car in front of you or change lanes, etc.
  

Lest you think I'm totally biased (instead of partially biased!), Charlie has at least two shortcomings.

• He leaks oil. I think all older Subaru's are fated to this state. At least all the old Subaru's our family has ever owned.
• No cup-holder. Oh I live for the day to have a sturdy, stable cup-holder built into my car! I tried the attachable ones, but it's just not the same. Charlie's successor will definitely have a cup-holder.
  

So, let's all raise a glass to Charlie's health. May he live long(er) and prosper!