My New(er) 2007 Saturn Outlook XR AWD
I finally picked up my replacement Outlook after my first one died. So what was wrong with it? Well, the dealer doesn't know and neither does Saturn Engineering. The truck has been shipped back to the factory for "Engineering Discovery." The cool thing is how great the dealer was about it. They went out of their way to locate a model as close to the one I originally had and when they found it, a model that had everything mine did with the addition of the trailering package, the dealer didn't charge me for it. They also agreed to pick up the rental car cost even though technically, I was 100% responsible for that.
This newer one seems great so far (though I still have less than 100 miles on it) and I'm really glad I didn't give up and go to a different brand. I've had four people ask me about the truck and all four said the same thing "this is a Saturn?!" The fit and finish of the interior is definitely not similar to the other Saturn models and they've gone out of their way to improve the brand's image. I think they've succeeded. Granted, the sticker price was a little over $42,000 but I think that's still a great value.
Now I just have to have some babies or get more dogs to justify all of the interior space! Kudos to Saturn of Colorado Springs for doing the right thing and keeping me in a Saturn.
I've added a few new pictures in my Flickr gallery.
My Other (used) 2006 Toyota Yaris
Ok, this is getting ridiculous. The silver Yaris I got yesterday decided to die when I was at Safeway today so I had to call Budget to get a replacement brought to me. Of course, I have to pay the difference since the newer car rents for more than the older (only $3 more a day, but still) car.
I had nearly a panic attack last night while trying to sleep because the car I traded in is on a transport heading to a New Mexico auto auction and I have no vehicle to speak of and have no idea how long I'll have to rent a car. I'll get reimbursed by GM after I send in my receipts but I still have to front the cash indefinitely. Joy.
My (Used) 2005 Toyota Yaris
Yep, my brand new Saturn Outlook died on a remote Colorado highway and I was forced to call roadside assistance. The dealer thinks it's both a mechanical and electronic failure and I likely won't have it back for 2-3 weeks. So I had to rent this little Toyota since the delaer was out of loaners :(
My New 2007 Saturn Outlook XR
After 6 great years of service from my Saturn Coupe, I traded up big time to the new Outlook SUV. I keep my cars for a while so I didn't skimp on creature comforts. Mine is equipped with every option except the sunroof (ripoff at $2,125) and Navigation (my Tom Tom is MUCH better).
Quick facts:
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275 HP V6
All Wheel Drive
Premium leather interior
Premium Audio (300 watt, 16 speaker, 6 CD MP3 changer, XM Radio, Line input jack for my I-Pod)
Headphone jacks and seperate radio for rear passengers
Remote start and engine block heater
Auto and power rear door
perimeter alarm system (for parallel parking and backing up)
1 year of OnStar with turn by turn navigation
Heated seats
3rd row (can seat up to 8 adults comfortably)
Dual climate zones
And so much more
I thought I'd keep my little coupe longer but she had over 100,000 miles and two wheel drive doesn't get you very far here in the Colorado High Country. Plus I got a great rate (1.9% for 60 months) and used my grandfather's GM discount.
Downside: *barely and I mean barely* fits into my garage here at my condo.
Check out more pics at Flickr
The 2 Months That Didn’t Happen
"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated"
Mark Twain
Yeah, I'm still alive. I haven't updated my blog for several reasons. To start, I took a consulting job in Indianapolis and the hotel I stayed in had awful "free" wi-fi and for about 3 weeks, I was relegated to sitting outside a Starbucks using my illicit credentials from when I was an engineer on the Hotspot project at T-Mobile.
The second reason is because I had nothing to write about- the job sucked big time and was pretty much the worst decision I've ever made. I secured a new contract for my firm and was rewarded by getting very little of the money thew owed me. The only positive thing that came out of the trip was that I got to see my family for 3 weekends and I was able to see my niece on the day she was born.
But things have changed. I got a dream job in Colorado Springs and will be moving here permanently. It's a great city with mountains and hiking galore. Stay tuned.
P.S. Colorado Springs is an alpine desert so I'm pretty sure "Rain City Story" wouldn't apply here. Hmmmm.
