Falling Out for PT

Every so often you have to take your car to the shop to get it tuned, tightened and in general, fixed up so that it will continue to churn out those miles. The better care you take of it, the longer it will last you and the better it will run overall. There are those who put off such things and I have been known to do it once or twice in the past, but when you invest in a car the better care you take of it, the less your investment will depreciate. At least that's the theory. I'm hoping that soon, auto engineers will devise a car that doesn't require any maintenance for decades. If something needs to be changed, it will be as simple as popping in a new chip or cylinder that contains all the tools to effect the repairs. Doctors are inventing nano-machines to clean out our arteries automatically, why not our engine block? At least this way we might be spared the prospect of renting a sub-par automobile while we wait for our cars to return.

The shop I take my car to has a deal worked out with Enterprise so they are co-located and generally offer customers a couple of days free rental as an incentive to bring your car in. The prices are always reasonable and there has only been one instance where I have had to pay for an additional day or two of rental for the car, otherwise it has always been in a timely manner. However, the selection of vehicles can sometimes be... well... questionable. I understand that free rentals will rarely be a car of higher quality than the one you currently own. There are those rare instances where you may end up with a car that is so superior to your current car that you're inclined to let them keep your car and you drive off in your rental. It's extremely rare, but it could happen.

In my case, I have been stuck with clunkers once or twice that have made me beg to have my car back, tuned up or not. I have had faux sports models that have the acceleration of a sloth or the refinements of a McDonald's Happy Meal. You get familiar with your car to the point that you can flip the station without having to search for the button, you can adjust the volume and roll down the windows. In a rental you're sort of groping. I remember I was once given a Suburu Impreza as my rental. It was a base model so it didn't have a turbo charger, all wheel drive or anything resembling speed and it was the worst two days of my driving life. I am a believer in the philosophy that the driver is the key element, not the car. I mean ask yourself; how many times have you been on the highway and have seen a sports car cruising below the speed limit in the right lane?

That's not because they are driving a slow car, but simply because they are a slow driver. I am much the same; you can put me in any car and I should be able to drive it much the same. Sure there will be differences in speed and acceleration and cornering, but overall, the driving should be the same. Unfortunately in my time, I've found that there are some cars that will not be tamed and will not allow for a good driver to work out the kinks. This is not to say that I'm a driver on par with someone like Fangio or Schumacher but I think I am one of the better drivers out there.

So having suffered through less than impressive vehicles in the past, I was surprised to find that I had a choice of a Chevy Cobalt or a PT Cruiser from the rental selection this morning. I have struggled with a Cobalt before so i decided to go with the PT Cruiser; the minivan of crossover sport utility vehicles. It's a car that doesn't seem to know what era it wants to be in. It's got some retro styling but modern accessories. If it had wood panelling along the side, I would have been tempted to throw a surfboard in the back and commute to work listening to the Beach Boys. I have only driven it to work but already I'm hoping that the shop will call soon to tell me that they will have the car done by this afternoon. I'm going to give the car a fair shake, but things are looking a bit iffy at the moment. Time will tell.