Not A Truck Yet

I have always had it in my horse-centric mind that I would own a truck when I grow up.  "Normal" women and girls do not usually dream of owning a truck, but horse girls do.  Having a truck is crucial if you own a farm and horses.  I have owned a handful of cars in my life, but none of them have been trucks.  My tried and true car for the last decade has been a 2001 Honda Civic coupe, which is a far cry from a farm vehicle.  Despite this, I loved that car and planned to drive it until it would no longer run (Did I mention that I also loved high MPG and not having a car payment?).  Unfortunately, the old girl was getting on in years and it became clear that we were in need of a larger vehicle.  Maybe now was the time for my truck?!  I had secretly hoped that my next car would be just that...

...however, I am a practical gal and I consulted my checklist before going to test-drive trucks.

Do I own a horse?
YES (Horray!)

Do I own a horse trailer?
no

Do I own a farm?
no

Do I haul feed, hay, or other large items for my beloved pet?
no

Do I need to drive in inclement weather to tend to my horse throughout the year?
sometimes

Do I need to haul stuff home for home repairs or projects?
YES, but we have a van that already does the trick.

Sigh.

Hmmm.  It appears that I do not really need a truck yet.  Trucks are pretty reasonably priced compared to cars, but if part of your reason for purchasing a new car is to upgrade from two doors to four, then you must buy an extended cab in your truck and that starts to become pricey.

Double-sigh.

Also, trucks have atrocious gas mileage.  Besides always having wanted a truck, I have also always been an environmentally conscious gal and I cannot stand the difference between the MPG of my civic and the MPG of a truck sans trailer.  Add the trailer and, of course, things get a whole lot worse.  I know this, because every time that I haul my horse somewhere (which isn't often) I have to pay someone else.  It adds up quick and makes me kind of sick.  I can get just about 40 MPG on the highway in my Civic (What a good car she was!).  Of course, the only way I could have brought Harley along was if I held his leadline out the window and let him run beside the car.  I am pretty sure that would be ill-advised.

My husband always comes through in these types of dilemmas.  He did some (extensive) research and found a car that, although not a truck, seems to fit the bill.

Four doors with plenty of cabin space.
A raised frame and all-wheel drive.
Decent gas mileage and the best for this type of car.
Not an SUV (I strongly dislike SUV's, especially their gas mileage and the false sense of security they seem to give their drivers.  Those things can roll.).
A driver's seat that raises up high enough for me to see out the windshield!  Double-win!  (This is a consistent problem for me.  The Civic was one of the few cars that fit me.)
Plus, all-weather mats all around and an all-weather tray in the trunk (because I make a huge mess).

And the best part?  The car comes in ORANGE!
Tangerine Orange Pearl to be exact.
My civic was "metallic mustard" (called Inca Pearl by Honda), which was loved by me and despised by many.  I think that I kind of liked it more, because so many crinkled their nose at it.  I guess that says something about me as a person.  I will leave that open to interpretation.  ;)

So without further ado, I present to you my new not-a-truck, the Subaru Crosstrek:

If it decides to snow this winter, I will no longer be prevented from visiting my horse.  In the past I had a hard time driving out of the neighborhood, because Civic's are not exactly ice-worthy and our neighborhood was not being plowed when we first moved into our house.  Once the plowing situation was taken care of, I still had trouble with the back roads leading to the farm and even more trouble with the long driveway to the barn.  My car did not have ground clearance, so any bumps or snow drifts were a serious threat.  I would rather stay home then have to make an embarrassing call requesting the tractor come pull out my vehicle.  Those days are gone, because my new crossover vehicle has excellent ground clearance and all-wheel drive.

Maybe one day a truck will be a practical vehicle for me, but, until then, I am very happy with the alternative.  It is fun and easy to drive and I no longer have to steer around big (and little) dips and divots in the driveway to my horse.  I have heard and read that Subaru owners are very satisfied customers and keep their cars for a long, long time.

I do want to make sure that Mother Nature knows that despite my new wheels, no snow is still fine with me.  ;)

My previous car.  I like color in my horses and my cars!

I love my new car, but Harley is still my favorite ride.