There she was, silver paint, two doors, and a 65 HP engine under the hood. My first car was a 1984 AMC Renault Alliance. It was originally my grandmothers “beauty shop” car, and did not travel more than a hand full of miles during any trip. When the car was gifted to me it was 22 years old with 27,000 miles on the odometer. Few have had the opportunity to see a product by the late AMC, let alone drive one. American Motors was bought out by Chrysler in 1987 and renamed Eagle. However, Renault remains very popular in the European market and in racing. Although it was not the Acura RSX I had my eye on, it had plenty of character to leave a lasting memory for my friends and I during its year long tenure as my daily driver. When piling three friends in the car, the shocks would sit low and flooring the gas pedal was a must to get the car up to cruising speed. I quickly decided that the push-button radio had to go, and a new CD player along with four fresh speakers were installed. Occasionally, the vibration from the bass would cause the rearview mirror to fall off the windshield. This would have not been a problem but the Renault was only equipped with a side mirror on the drivers side, limiting view behind and on the sides of the car. Parking was quite easy in this car, it was so narrow and short it could be parked in narrow spots and fit in any parallel parking spot suitable for a Mini Cooper. The 1.4L engine paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission limited my top speed to around 68 miles an hour, a characteristic that made my parents feel at ease. Due to the cars age it became a maintenance nightmare. Seals and gaskets leaked regularly, the tires had dry-rot and the muffler quickly rusted through. Even ordering an oil filter for the car was a pain, the metric threads and style required it to be ordered online each time the oil was to be changed. The straw that broke the camel’s back occurred when the cable controlling the speedometer snapped and couldn’t be repaired. Sadly, the Renault was retired and it was time to search for a suitable replacement.
It was August of 2008 when the Renault was replaced. A gold colored 2005 Honda Accord was the next car that became mine. My dad had purchased a new car, thus handing his down to me. The driving experience I have had behind the wheel of this car has totaled up to 30,000+ miles and many different states along the way. My first long distance trip came when I drove to North Carolina from Chicago for my summer internship. Winding through the mountains in West Virginia was an entirely new experience for me and allowed me to develop a more personal relationship with my vehicle. The 240 HP V6 engine made climbing steep grades a breeze, while the car hugged the road while traveling down a hills and navigating a curves. Most recently a trip from Chicago to Kansas City completed. This trip allowed the Accord to prove its fuel efficiency, averaging 28 MPG throughout the trip. This vehicle at 107,000 miles has required minimal service during its lifetime. To me, this solidifies Honda as a brand I will highly consider when looking for my next car.
During each summer in high school I worked a landscaping job at a middle school. This opportunity allowed me to fall in love with one particular car. It was a Ford F-250 Super Duty work truck. The first time I sat behind the wheel of this massive beast a smile came across my face. The power available via the large V8 engine made hauling a load or a trailer a breeze. This vehicle inspired my interest in country music, a genre that remains as my favorite today.
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