I got my driver’s license two days after my 17th birthday (a little late, I know) but didn’t get my first car until nine months later. That was the summer of my junior year (the summer after my junior year, to be exact). My first car was a 1988 Jeep Wagoneer that I bought from a junkyard for $1,100. It was not the nicest vehicle on the planet, but it got me through almost three and a half years of driving.
I dumped my Jeep for a much newer, much nicer ’99 Nissan Sentra. The Sentra took me through the rest of college until I bought my first brand new car, a 2008 Scion tC. I loved my tC but started to yearn for more luxury and needed a four door vehicle to tote around our impending twins so I bought a certified 2007 Acura TSX.
After almost four years with the TSX it was time for another upgrade to a larger, more powerful, and more luxurious Acura TL. The TL was such a good vehicle that it stayed with me for almost six years before being replaced with my current vehicle, a Genesis G70. This page is a walk down memory lane (in reverse-chronological order).
2020 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport
| Make: | Genesis |
|---|---|
| Model: | G70 |
| Dates Owned: | March 2020 |
| Price: | ~ $49,000 |
| Purchased From: | Genesis of Manchester |
| Miles: | 60 |
| Color: | Havana Red |
| Body Style: | 4 Door Sedan |
| Engine: | 365 HP 3.3L Twin Turbo 6 Cylinder |
| Transmission: | 8 speed automatic |
| Notable Features: | LED auto on/off headlamps, auto dimming outside mirrors, ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, auto high beams, lane keeping assist, radar cruise control, blind spot monitoring, navigation system, Car Play, power seat bolsters, power thigh extension, power tilt / telescoping steering wheel, 14 speaker premium audio system, heads up display, electronically controlled suspension, power trunk |
| Memories: |
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| What it means to me: | My Acura TL was a phenomenal car for me and set the bar really high for my next vehicle. I wanted my next car to have more power and even more technology. My ultimate decision was between its cousin the Kia Stinger and a Mazda CX-5 SUV. I ultimately went for the car that I wanted more than the one I needed. It’s a bit cozier than my outgoing Acura but it looks hot and drives amazingly. |
| Work it had done: | None yet! |
2012 Acura TL SH-AWD w/Technology Package
| Make: | Acura |
|---|---|
| Model: | TL |
| Dates Owned: | May 2014 – Present |
| Price: | ~ $32,000 |
| Purchased From: | Merchant’s Auto |
| Miles: | 36,000 |
| Color: | Crystal Black Pearl |
| Body Style: | 4 Door Sedan |
| Engine: | 305 HP 3.7 Liter 6 cylinder |
| Transmission: | 6 speed automatic |
| Features: | Power Windows, Locks, Mirrors, Cruise Control, Umber Leather Upholstery, Heated Seats, Cooled Seats, Heated Mirrors, Auto-Dimming Rear View Mirror, Bluetooth Phone Link, Bluetooth Audio, Home Link Garage Door Opener, Dual Zone Climate Control, Driver Seat Memory System, Front/Side Curtain Airbags, Front and Back Side Airbags, Side Seat Airbags, Occupant Classification System, Keyless Entry, Push Button Start, CD Player w/ iPod integration, ELS Premium Surround Sound Audio w/ Subwoofer, Navigation system w/ 8″ screen, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof, A/C, Outside Temperature, 4 Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Blind Spot Monitoring, Xenon Headlights, Fog Lamps, Security System, All Wheel Drive |
| Memories: |
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| What it means to me: | When it came to purchasing my next car I strongly considered a Kia Optima Turbo for its combination of style, features, and power, but the less-than-stellar reliability reputation of its turbo engine and lack of all wheel drive turned me off. That narrowed my search down to just two contenders – the TL and the Infinity G37. I drove both and liked the TL better. It was a bit larger, felt more comfortable, had both blind spot monitoring and cooled seats, had the interior color I wanted, and had a better sound system. I really love my TL. It’s a great powerful car and the sound system is the best I’ve heard in any car. It is simply fantastic! |
| Work it had done: | Her first year was a bit rough. Luckily most of it was under warranty:
Second year was better:
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2007 Acura TSX
| Make: | Acura |
|---|---|
| Model: | TSX |
| Dates Owned: | October 2010 – May 2014 |
| Price: | ~ $19,000 |
| Purchased From: | Prime Acura North |
| Miles: | 50,000 (49,600 when purchased) |
| Color: | Nautical Blue |
| Body Style: | 4 Door Sedan |
| Engine: | 205 HP 2.4 Liter DOHC iVTECH 4 cylinder |
| Transmission: | 5 speed automatic |
| Features: | Power Windows, Locks, Mirrors, Cruise Control, Leather Upholstry, Heated Seats, Heated Mirrors, Auto-Dimming Rear View Mirror, Bluetooth Phone Link, Home Link Garage Door Opener, Dual Zone Climate Control, Driver Seat Memory System, Front/Side Curtain Airbags, Front and Back Side Airbags, Side Seat Airbags, Occupant Classification System, Keyless Entry, CD Player w/ iPod integration, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof, A/C, Outside Temperature, , 4 Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Xenon Headlights, Fog Lamps, Security System |
| Memories: |
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| What it means to me: | I fell in love with the TSX the first time I took a ride in one owned by a co-worker. The car just felt so smooth and inviting. I started doing research but couldn’t afford one so I put it on my wish list for the future. When it came time to purchase a four door sedan for my expanding family the price of used TSX’s had fallen to a level that I could afford. So I bought a car that was slightly older than mine with a few more miles as an upgrade. |
| Work it had done: |
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2008 Scion tC
| Make: | Scion |
|---|---|
| Model: | tC |
| Dates Owned: | July 13,2007 – October 9, 2010 |
| Price: | $18,716 |
| Purchased From: | Scion of Portsmouth |
| Miles: | 10,000 (108 when purchased) |
| Color: | Nautical Blue |
| Body Style: | 3 Door Liftback |
| Engine: | 161 HP 2.4 Liter DOHC 4 cylinder w/ VVT-i |
| Transmission: | 5 speed manual |
| Features: | Auto Up/Down Power Windows with Jam Protection, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Cruise Control, Front/Side Curtain Airbags, Front and Back Side Airbags, Side Seat Airbags, Driver Knee Airbag, Occupant Classification System, Keyless Entry, CD Player w/ iPod integration, Alloy Wheels, Dual Sunroofs, A/C, Outside Temperature, 160 Watt Six Speaker Stereo, Subwoofer, 4 Wheel Disc Brakes with ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Projector Headlights, Fog Lamps, Security System, Blue Interior LEDs, Spoiler, Reclining Rear Seats, First Aid Kit |
| Memories: |
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| What it means to me: | Wow, after 16 years of school I was finally done. It’s time to treat myself, to reward myself for finishing a difficult four-year program and landing a great entry level job. I did my research and I couldn’t have found a better fit. The car is sporty, fast, and affordable. I can’t ask for anything more! I’m truly out on my own now and I’m committed to rewarding myself… for the next six years:) |
| Accessories Installed: |
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| Work it had done: |
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1999 Nissan Sentra
| Make: | Nissan |
|---|---|
| Model: | Sentra GXE Limited Edition |
| Dates Owned: | November 2005 – June 13,2007 |
| Price: | $1,850 |
| Purchased From: | Private Owner, Rollinsford NH |
| Miles: | 247,231 (227,800 when purchased) |
| Color: | Slate Blue |
| Body Style: | 4 Door Compact |
| Engine: | 115 HP 1.6 Liter DOHC Inline 4 |
| Transmission: | Automatic with Overdrive |
| Features: | Power Windows, Power Locks, Power Mirrors, Cruise Control, Airbags, Keyless Entry, CD Player, Alloy Wheels, a cupholder (yeah, it’s important to me). |
| Memories: |
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| What it means to me: | I had finally outgrown my first car. I was done with my junker, it served me well, and I was joining the rest of the world by driving a car that actually looks good. My friends all thought that I was crazy to buy a car with so many miles on it, but in the end the gamble paid off. The Sentra was good to me. It had few problems and provided everything that I coudl ask for in a car for that price. I really did feel kind of bad trading it in, but it was time for bigger and better things. |
| Work it had done: |
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1988 Jeep Wagoneer
| Make: | Jeep |
|---|---|
| Model: | Wagoneer |
| Dates Owned: | August 2002 – November 2005 |
| Price: | $1,100 |
| Purchased From: | Lambert’s Auto Salvage, Rochester NH |
| Miles: | 162,000 |
| Color: | White with Woodgrain trim, baby! |
| Body Style: | 4 Door (Very Old) Sport Utility Vehicle |
| Engine: | 4.0 Liter Inline 6 |
| Transmission: | Automatic with Part Time and Full Time Four Wheel Drive |
| Features: | Power Windows (one of which did not work), Power locks (the passenger lock worked every time, the driver lock sometimes, and the rear locks never), Power Mirrors, Cruise Control (stopped working after a year and a half), power seats, Air Conditioning (that never worked), a rear windsheild wiper (stopped working after two years), leather seats, a cassette deck (which I replaced with a CD player and then replaced with a caseette deck again so I could use my iPod), and oh yes, woodgrain trim. |
| Memories: |
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| What it meant to me: | It was my first car and I could not really complain. After a summer of saving, I had enough money to buy myself some wheels. They weren’t pretty, but they got me where I needed to go and taught me some things in the process. |
| Work it had done: |
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Relatively Ambitious 