In semi-Japan related news, I’ve ordered a new car from said country. It’s been three years but it seems like I haven’t really had the BMW for long and now it’s time to say goodbye. I brought the car in for inspection last month and my mechanic called up and said that if there was ever a time to get out of this car, it was now. It required a little over $4k to get it back on the road in good shape and he made no promises that I wouldn’t need more work in the near future. I think I made some comment on here when it was in the shop for $2k worth of work last time that I felt like things we getting into shape and I could hopefully get a year of easy driving. No can do, apparently.

So given the necessary work, the only way my mechanic figured I could get rid of it without doing the repairs and feel good about myself was to trade it to a dealer. They’re used to getting trades that need work. It’s what they do for a living. That’s all the motivation I needed to head straight to the Subaru dealer. You may remember I owned the first generation Impreza WRX and parted with it to purchase the BMW. It seemed like a good time and a good trade, but in hindsight I probably should have hung onto the Subaru. In any case, I’ve missed it ever since and although I kinda promised myself I wouldn’t buy new ever again I find myself burned by my first used car experience. I also find a lack of WRX inventory in New England, used and new, such that the price on a used WRX with 30k miles on the clock is marginally less expensive than a brand new one. Sure, I’ll take a hit on depreciation but I’ll have a brand new car with a full warranty.

I did try to be a grown up and test drive a Legacy Outback, but it was enormous without offering much extra cargo space or any fuel efficiency. The 4 cylinder engine was underwhelming for a car in that class. Amy preferred the ride but that isn’t enough for me.

I also considered a Honda Fit, which would save on gas and purchase, but I’d probably kick myself daily for passing up the opportunity to get back into a WRX.

There are a few new WRXs in the state but none of them were quite what I wanted. If I’m buying new, it should be what I want. I was also told ordering a car from scratch would be significantly less expensive than trying to get my hands on an existing one. So that’s what I did, and they were right about the price. I ordered a new WRX on February 5th and I got word this past Friday March 11th that the car is built and sitting in Japan. The timing of the call suggests they wanted to reassure me the earthquake wouldn’t delay the process, which I appreciate, although my car should be the least of their worries.

But I was glad to hear that our rendezvous is close at hand. There’s a boat due in on the 25th that will hopefully be carrying the car. I’ve been driving the pickup truck since the BMW came off the road without passing inspection and it’s given me a lot of time to question whether or not spending all this money is really worth it. I know that will all stop the moment I get inside, pair up my iPhone with the bluetooth, open the moonroof and pump up the jams. Then after 1,000 miles, unleash 265 turbocharged ponies through all four wheels on the unsuspecting road.