PHOENIX, AZ
Old car stored. New car secured.
Remember the car dilemma? Well, thanks to the generosity of good friends (and, by good friends, I mean my parents) ... I put my SLK into storage for two months at a facility just down the road from my parents' neighborhood in Charlottesville, VA. Just before my parents head back to South Dakota for the summer, they will retrieve my car and park it in their Virginia garage. Super nice of them! Plus it will save me a lot of money ... well, assuming dad doesn't charge me. ;-)
In the meantime, I just secured my ride for the next several months!
< drumroll, please ... >
It's a 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD!
Ahhhh, breathe in that used car smell! :)
I picked this car because it is reliable and has one of the highest resale values. It is a nicer ride than the RAV4 and has way more punch than the 4Runner (although the 4Runner is a very cool looking car). It isn't made for off-roading, but that's ok because things will have gone very badly if I find myself off road.
I opted for AWD because I assume I will hit some bumpy mountain roads at some point, plus a lot of mud, if not snow ... and I will likely end up selling it somewhere in the northwest where AWD is more highly valued. Plus, there were just four AWD Highlanders in Phoenix in my price range, which made choosing this particular car quite easy.
And finally, a HUGE thank you to Jared and Katie for letting me use their address to have my plates delivered. Not sure how I'd have managed the Virginia DMV otherwise!
Excellent choice!