The Horse I Rode Out On

For the last couple of years, my Jetta has had more problems than I can remember. Well, a couple of weeks ago, it broke down again. Being that my extended warranty was about to expire, I decided to go in a different direction. I got the car fixed and cleaned, and my folks and I went car shopping. My choices were limited to the Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, the Toyota Matrix and the Toyota Prius. After driving these cars around, I decided I liked the Prius the best.

So, Quicksilver got traded in for a new Prius. I have to tell you, I felt absolutely horrible about this. Normally one is supposed to be excited about getting a brand new car, but it took me about three days to get over the loss of my beloved station wagon. I will probably never quite get over it, being that it was my first car and all, but my new car and I have come to accept each other.

He (yes, both Quicksilver and my new car are masculine) has been teaching me about how to drive more softly and patiently. And in return for my new driving techniques, I got 41.5 miles to the gallon on my first tank of gas. I have come to respect my new car immensely.

Without further ado, I give you....Kiyoshi-san.



From the various websites I've checked out, Kiyoshi means "quiet", although there is sometimes some discrepancy as to the meaning of that name. I'm going with it regardless. Why a Japanese name, you might ask? Well, because I purchased Kiyoshi at the end of September, and earlier in the month Kiyoshi had been completely built and assembled in Japan. So, he is truly a Japanese car.

May he run quietly, without fuss, wheels and engines working in a smooth ballet of technology for many many years to come.