After spending more time with the Ford C-Max - I HATE the touch screen interface.

Complaining about this is probably the height of diamond-shoes-too-tight, but -- we had a Cadillac XTS for vacation (long story; Tim's dad wouldn't ride in the BIL's minvan because it's uncomfortable [it actually really, really is]; Tim's dad happily rode to the beach last year in his brother's Cadillac; Tim's dad paid the entire rental for *2* beach houses; therefore, we said we'd get some kind of luxury car to drive him to the beach [it was the least we could do, since he paid for the houses]; because of connections, we ended up with a loaner Caddy at zero cost to us to drive to the beach, for real), and its touchscreen interface is so poorly designed I wanted to punch it. Except if I did, all that would have happened is the stereo volume would have turned down.

Other than that, though, the XTS is a fairly sweet ride, and oh my god, that ENGINE. I wanted to have sex with that engine. (Hey, my car is an Echo. A 14-year-old Echo. Put me behind the wheel of a new 8-cylinder Caddy, and OH MY GOD. That engine is a thing of beauty. So responsive. So powerful. And now I sound like bad fic, don't I?)

(I have 3500 miles on it. In 14 months. It's okto rage at me, I know I'm lucky.)

I have zero commute now. Tim's is 1.3 miles. Seriously, if I got a new car, I would put very few miles on it. Which is fine with me.

I know Steph, if that is all I have to complain about the car, it isn't that big a deal. But if I do get a new car, I want all the bells and wistles to make beautiful music.

I'm trying to use my rental car experiences as a chance to test the newer models out. Push starts with no key still feels incredibly strange.

I figure at this rate, I'll need a new car when I'm 60...,

But if I do get a new car, I want all the bells and wistles to make beautiful music.

The problem with the XTS's touchscreen console was that whenever I tried to call up the icons along the bottom of the screen, I accidentally hit the stereo volume toggle thing and turned down the stereo. I think if you're designing a dang Cadillac, you should put a little more thought into where things are situated in relation to each other.

It was nice having XM radio, though. Since we had Tim's dad with us, we listened to 40s on 4 the whole way. (Except when I ran errands by myself, when I switched to either 80s on 8 or one of the R&B stations. BABYFACE 4EVAH.)

Push starts with no key still feels incredibly strange.

We had that! It was unnerving at first, but by the time we got home, I felt like a chump using a key for the Echo. Like, what is this Stone Age technology?!?

I haven't graduated to push starts. Still econo model egg car and the Mazda 2 didn't have that. Which I'm fine with. Remote locks and USB was a huge graduation up (last was power windows! Maria is laughing her ass off at me, I know.)

That's totally plan-having, ita. Go you!

Wait, I don't mean to reveal my stupidity, but when you say 0% 5-year loan does that actually mean no interest for the first 5 years? Or is it more like 0% APR?

And there I go, posting after you've already given an explanation because I got a phone call mid-sentence.

Remote locks and USB was a huge graduation up (last was power windows! Maria is laughing her ass off at me, I know.)

Ahahaha, the Echo has manual windows and locks. I love getting a rental just so that I can use the key fob to pop the trunk all the way across the grocery store parking lot. LOVE.

Burrell, I put some money and trade in down, but 0% for the entire loan. So no interest ever. I guess that's APR? I forgot as soon as I needed to.