Well, I did it...

[dmcutter]

While I had my wife's CRV in for routine service today, I went and test drove an '05 WRX STI I spotted on the Subie lot yesterday. It's a rocket, for sure, and a little unrefined, but the price was right so I went home to get the Box to see if they could work a good trade. On the way back to the dealer, with the top down, I asked myself what the hell I was doing. When I pulled into the lot and loudly raked the underside of the nose, I remembered why there are so many places I don't drive the Box.

While they were appraising my car, I took out an '06 WRX wagon. Much more refined, leather, heated seats, sunroof, and (yikes!) an automatic. I haven't had an automatic in 27 years...the WRX only had 21k miles on it (30k less than the STI) and was 2 grand less. Despite being an automatic, I really liked it...230 hp, 235 ft-lb, handles very nicely, although not like a lowered Box, of course.

Anyway, they offered me more than it recently didn't sell for on fleabay, and knocked another grand off the WRX since it's the end of the month. Payments worked out to be about 45% lower than on the Box, so I took it.

I hate like hell to part with the P car, but with my job there are just too many places I can't drive it, and I can't justify that payment when it spends 90% or more of its time in the driveway. The WRX will still be a fun ride and a much better everyday driver....but I know there will be another Box in my future when I'm more of a "man of leisure"....