New Tires

Several years ago, when Dad was still alive and kicking, Milady and I went to Dad and Mom's place for supper.  After supper Dad was walking us out to the car, and noticed that the tires on Milady's ride was starting to wear.  He mentioned that she might think about some new tires.

"Really," she asked "You think it needs new tires?"

"Either new tires," the old man retorted, "or trade it in."

We laughed and went home.  By the next weekend, Milady was driving a new car.  Dad's recommendation was all she needed.

Fast forward several years, through two different rides, and Milady actually put new tires on her current ride.  Shortly thereafter we began hearing road noise, and thought simply that the tires were noisy.  But, last week, she mentioned that she had been looking at car ads.  Her current ride, a 2010 Ford Explorer, with just less than 100K miles was starting to show its age, some of the little courtesy lights were going out, and the Explorer was now too big for our needs, and she was jonesing for a new ride.

So, last Friday she went car shopping.  Milady shopped online during the week, identified some targets, and headed south, toward Lafayette.  (Note to car dealerships.  If you don't have your full inventory online, Milady doesn't know that it's there.)  She made a deal at Courtesy Ford, in Breaux Bridge.  With her trade, I think she got a screaming deal and she's very pleased.  But, during new vehicle prep, they found a problem with her new ride, a 2015 Ford Edge Titanium, so they gave her a loaner to drive for the weekend, a 2014 Edge SEL.  She brought it home for the weekend, and we were able to spend the weekend getting to know the platform.  It's not her new one, but it's very close.

First impressions.  In the last five years, they have packed a lot of technology into cars.  Milady's ride is the Titanium package, and the loaner was the SEL, a step down, but even the SEL is impressive in the tech department.  Lots of safety features that five years ago was not available at any price.  Back-up cameras, blind spot monitors, sensors that tell you when you're too close to something.  The technology is impressive.

Both the loaner and the Titanium are equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine.  It's sporty and with front wheel drive, seems to power the vehicle very well.  Handling is nimble and the car seems to want to run.  It's a good thing that it has cruise control, because I found it hard to hold the car to the speed limit.  Milady really likes the way it handles, like it's glued to the road.  We drove it to her mother's on Sunday, up Louisiana Highway 8, a fairly good two-lane road with twists and turns. The car feels good on the road, like you're connected to the road.  

The dealership called yesterday, her car is ready for delivery.  They're going to drop it off to her today.  This morning, she went to the insurance office to swap the insurance for the new ride.  As it turns out, the new car with all it's safety features is cheaper to insure than the older Explorer.  To the tune of about $250.00 per year.  Go figure.  Safer car, cheaper insurance.

Newer ride, screaming deal, better technology, better gas mileage, cheaper insurance, what's not to love?  We'll have to learn to use the "beells and whistles", but that's  just a matter of getting acquainted.