Lol. I know. I already went through an automatic midsize car two years ago - a 1995 Mercedes Benz E320 with 227k miles for $700.
I bought it as a project car while I had my 2014 VW GLI 6MT. Long story short, I traded in the GLI to get the wife a 2017 Golf. I kept the W124 Merc as my daily driver. It was a nostalgic purchase. It took me back to when I was living in France in the 90’s and I got to drive a 1989 W124. I just loved the ride and smoothness.
Anyway, my Merc was mechanically sound after $1k in parts and my own labor to get it to daily driver status. The M104 in-line six engine was clean and smooth. The 4 speed auto transmission shifted quickly and crisply. It also has a somewhat close ratio as the RPM would be at 2,500 on fourth gear going 60 MPH. The interior was in good shape too.
However, the paint had lost its clear coat and it was starting to rust. It would cost $3k to get it repainted and then the rust would eventually come back. Not only that, new repairs were in the horizon for a new cat and muffler, radiator, brake rotors and pads, front wheel bearings, new headliner, etc. I basically didn’t have time anymore in the weekend to DIY it. Oh, did I mention that we just had a surprise baby girl 7 months ago, nine years after our first girl! That’s why the 2017 Golf went to my then pregnant wife since giving birth to a baby is pretty hard.
So, my midlife crisis present to myself was sold for a more practical, reliable, fuel efficient mode of transport. Hence, the 2014 Toyota Corolla - but with a stick! After driving an automatic for a while - and a good automatic at that - I wanted to get back to a manual.
Now, you’d ask why I let the GLI with a six speed go in the first place? That was a mistake. I was complaining about the rev hang on upshifts and that the gearing was not really made for city driving since 2nd gear was too tall going around corners. Anyway, I could have lived with it. The Corolla hang revs as well. But the gearing is ideal for city and highway driving. One positive with the Corolla is that I will less likely get a speeding ticket driving it than the GLI or the Merc. I also get 33 MPG regardless of how I drive vs 26 from the GLI and 20 from the Merc.
So, after a series of midlife crisis purchases and mistakes, I’m back to being practical dad again for now.
