We come to my current vehicle: a 1998 Mazda 626.
My husband absolutely hates this car, despite the fact that I'm somewhat attached to it. His issue with the car: it's the anonycar. I have literally inserted my key in other black four door sedans in parking lots because this car looks so much like every other car built in the late 90s. When filmmakers 50 years from now make period pieces set in the early new millennium, they will people the background driving shots with as many Mazda sedans as they can get their hands on. They will likely be using my own personal car in the background shots because this zombie car will not die.
I personally consider these things to be major pluses. Anonycars are not often broken into, since they blend into the background. Zombie cars that cannot be destroyed despite your best efforts will keep you rolling even though you're embarrassed to be seen driving them. (According to J, there is no greater automotive sin than a car that's boring as hell that will not die. I disagree.)
Usually, I love this 13 year old car and I'm thrilled that it's given me nary a problem in the five years I've driven it. But sometimes my husband's antipathy rubs off and I find myself committing acts of wanton car lust. I have lusted in my heart for the Honda Fit, the Subaru Forester, the Ford Fiesta and the Mazda 3. Considering the fact that I have owned five cars since I started driving at age 16, and I have had no brand loyalty whatsoever in that time, I feel I should move on to the Subaru when this Mazda goes to the big garage in the sky. Unfortunately, that will probably not happen in this lifetime, which means I'll have to take the Mazda out back and shoot it if I want to move on to my next vehicle. Which would probably just make the Mazda mad and not stop its forward progress.
What I think is most telling about the reliability and boringness of this car is the fact that I have no stories to tell about it. It simply works. I get in, turn the key, and it goes--while getting decent gas mileage. I'm not sure if I should be sad or proud of the fact that this is probably my dream car.
(It's J's opinion that I should feel deep shame.)
