Goodbye old car, hello new car!

Saying goodbye to the trusty old family car wasn't easy. It has served us for the best of the last 12 years or so, ever since it came into my possession after my younger brother decided to move to the US.

The car, a 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi, was part of our growing family, and both my kids grew riding in that car to go to doctor's appointments, parties, family gatherings, out-of-town trips, school, and many other destinations.

It's a hardy automobile which has seen many mishaps (not so major bumps and scrapes on both ends and the sides, piston-breaking incidents and timing belt breakages). But for every incident, we made sure to fix her up right away.

The time finally came to let go of it before it got any older. Driving around in a 14-year old car is not a joke, no matter how well-maintained it is.

Which is good timing, too, coz it had already been fixed up with a new coat of paint not more than two years ago, overall body repairs included. I also removed the tint recently to make it look clean and new! The interiors were well-maintained, too, despite going through the growing years of two children. The upholstery has had its share of baby vomit and various other liquid substances spilled on it.

To advertise the car, I stuck a big FOR SALE sign on the rear window and parked it along our street for a week. In a couple of days, I got a lot of text messages and calls asking about the price. Some wanted to get it really low but I didn't bite.

In the end, it was sold for a reasonable amount, not too far from the standard selling price of such models in the market. I'm glad to let it go while it was still running well and in good condition.

What replaced it is a new Honda Civic 1.8S automatic transmission that came as a perk in my new company. Its sleek Alabaster Silver finish makes it look really sleek and sporty! The kids now have bigger room in the back and a more stable ride for out of town trips. Yet its still a passenger car, a bit bigger than the Lancer, but the more powerful engine will make it just as exciting to drive!