Change.

     My fellow bloggers, change can be a good thing. As most of you have read from my previous posts, I recently purchased a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Before I owned the Jeep, I was behind the wheel of a 2001 Ford Taurus with 259,800 miles on the engine. The Ford was my dad's car since 2001, so I grew up with it for the majority of my life. I have spent long hours in that car traveling back and forth from state to state every important weekend, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and anything else you can think of to visit family. My dad taught me how to drive in the Ford. It was the first car I had ever driven. Back in April of 2010, my dad put me behind the wheel for my very first time. He took me out to the country, and told me to drive.

     I learned to drive this car before I even had my permit. Once I completed driver’s ed., I was allowed to drive with my grandparents when I went to visit them. They also have a Ford Taurus, one year older, but the same all the way around. I drove a Ford Taurus for quite some time. I had mine for 4 months until it finally stuck out with my father, as he is tired of fixing it time and time again. We are currently trying to sell it. My dad has fixed what's wrong with it, and it’s currently on Craigslist.

     When I got my Jeep, I had no idea how to work it. My Taurus had the gear shift on the steering column, and the headlights on the dash, and the wipers and turn signals on a post. This car was built in 2001, therefore it is front wheel drive, has no traction control, and has horrible power steering, and due to its age, it's very loud, and has developed amazing pick-up. When I first got in my Jeep, I kept reaching up to the steering column to put it in gear, when the gearshift is between the driver and passenger seats. The radio is about 1 foot higher than the Ford, and the headlights, turn signals, wipers, and rear wipers are all on two posts on the steering column.

     The first time I drove it to the grocery store, I got trapped inside it. I could not find the door handles. They are about a foot lower on the door than my Fords were. I also have turned off my lights many times when it is dark and raining, due to the fact that I am used to the wipers being on the left hand post. The Jeep has them on the right hand post. My Taurus had no right hand post.

     I drove my Taurus for the first time in about a month yesterday, and boy it was a lot different than I remembered it. The first thing I didn’t remember is sitting so low to the ground. My Jeep sits up high because it is well, a Jeep. Then I put that key in, and when i heard that engine turn over and roar to life, man, it brought back so many memories. The whole neighborhood probably heard that car start. It's hard to explain, but it's like home. I didn’t confuse my Jeep with this car, like i expected to. I knew where everything was! But I drove it, and man that car moves quick. I will say I do miss several things about that car. That I do not have on my Jeep.

1. Front wheel drive: It's so fun to drift around the roundabouts and fish-tail the car. I can't do that in my Jeep, its four wheel drive.
2. No traction control: My Jeep has traction control. You can turn it off, but if you pull maneuvers the car doesn’t like, the computer kicks in, and tries to counter you. This is no fun. I miss peeling away from intersections in the rain and feeling my tires spin.
3. Loud exhaust: The Ford had a pretty rough exhaust. It was loud, and emitted fumes that smelled like a diesel truck. The Jeep is not as loud as I would like it to be.
4. Driving a Ford in general: Ford was the only American auto manufacturer that did not receive a government bailout, and I was proud to drive a Ford because of that.

I sometimes miss my Taurus. But you know what they say...You never fall out of love with your first car.

Farewell my fellow bloggers, and in the words of Anonymous, "Middle Age - When you want to see how long your car will last indtead of how fast it will go."