Talking Turkey to the Turkey with His Head in the Sand

Let the record show that Hick and Val are currently in the market for a car upgrade for The Pony. A used car that will get him to Oklahoma and back, perhaps several times, with more certainty than his 2002 Ford Ranger.

We have been looking at compact SUVs. But not TOO compact. And Hick is not so keen on all-wheel drive as Val, and feels that front-wheel drive is good enough. Anyhoo...the leading contenders are the Nissan Rogue and the Ford Escape.

Problem is, every time I see one of those two kinds of cars, within our mileage and price preferences...Hick comes up with some outrageous new vehicle that he expects me to seriously consider.

"Val! There is a brand-new Chevy Trax that is less than the price of those used cars."

"Huh. I think 4908 miles is almost as good as new. And it IS a 2016. You need to at least look at that Ford Escape, and take it for a test drive. Otherwise, that 2013 Nissan Rogue looks like a good deal. The Pony already drove it, and says he likes it. 49,000 miles is not too bad, considering his truck has 180,000."

"But Val. This is a NEW car. For less money."

"You just told me THIS MORNING that used Acadias like ours are going for $7000 less than what we paid. YOU said, 'That's what you lose when you drive a new car off the lot.' So how is buying a NEW car, even though it's less, going to be a bargain? It's obviously not the equivalent of what we're looking at. It will be smaller. With less options."

"It's a new car, Val. It will get him there and then some."

"I want it to be safe. Why don't we just wrap The Pony in foil, put him on a pair of roller skates, and push him downhill towards Oklahoma? That would be even LESS money."

Can you believe that Hick told me I am ridiculous?