When we moved to the United States in 1980, no one in my family knew how to drive a car, though my dad knew the most about cars. He purchased his first car - a 2-door
Ford Maverick with a manual transmission on the steering wheel. The owner helped to teach my dad to drive it.
After some practice with the vehicle owner, my dad learned to drive the car. I don't recall how long we owned it, but my dad sold it and replaced it with a 4th Generation 4-door
Buick Skylark (with an automatic transmission).
The Buick had a very nice, plush ride but had constant issues with its automatic transmission. Every 6 months, something needed to be repaired. My mom learned to drive it and received her driver's license on this car. It had a very soft and comfortable ride.
After multiple transmission repairs, my dad purchased a new Nissan Sentra wagon (to replace the Buick Skylark). He kept driving the Nissan Sentra for a very long time (until it died). We used it for all long family trips to New Jersey (Ocean City), Philadelphia, and New York.
For my mom, my dad purchased an older 2-door
Chevy Nova hatchback with a straight 6 engine. I eventually used this car during my IBM internships in Kingston, New York, and East Fishkill, New York. When I arrived in Kingston, I thought I could take the bus to get to IBM, but there was no bus service. My mom let me borrow her Nova while I worked there. I also used the Nova during my senior year at Lehigh University (freshmen were not allowed to own cars on campus).
The Chevy Nova had multiple mechanical problems, and I learned all of the basics of do-it-yourself auto repair. My windshield wiper motor died and needed to be replaced. All the drive belts, the water pump, and the battery needed to be replaced. During one accident, I punctured the gas tank, and the gas tank needed to be replaced. After such an experience, I have stayed away from all General Motors vehicles.
When I graduated from Lehigh University and was offered an internship at IBM Endicott (followed by studies at Georgia Tech), I purchased (with my dad's help) a new
Toyota Tercel EZ (4-speed manual). The Toyota came completely bare - without a radio or air conditioner. A few years later, I eventually had a radio and an A/C unit installed in Houston (a few years later). However, the selling price was $6700 - a great deal then.
I learned to drive a manual transmission on the Toyota Tercel EZ. I used it in Atlanta, Georgia (where I attended Georgia Tech) and later in Houston, Texas, where I worked for Compaq Computer. The Tercel was a very reliable car and rarely gave me any problems. I used to change the oil and oil filter myself. It required very little maintenance (other than tires and brake pads). It had very slow acceleration, and the joke was that turning off the A/C was my turbo boost.
When I moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1994, I replaced my Toyota Tercel EZ with a Subaru Legacy L wagon (for easier carrying of outdoor gear, such as windsurfing boards and mountain bikes). I chose the front-wheel-drive version (not the all-wheel-drive), and I still needed to use chains when I drove to snowboard at Mt. Hood Meadows in the winter. All the additional drivetrain complexity for an AWD vehicle was not worth it (for the few times it was needed).
After relocating to Sacramento, California, I also used the Subaru Legacy for drives to Lake Tahoe. On more than a few occasions, I had to install chains to get to Kirkwood or Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resorts. The Subaru was a respectable car, but replacement parts could be hard to find. When I had a minor accident (in which someone rammed me), I had to wait about a month for the body shop to get all the parts. I changed the oil and filter on the Subaru, and I felt it leaked some small oil (not so on my Tercel).
In 2000, after purchasing my first home in North San Jose, I traded my Subaru Legacy L wagon for a new Lexus RX300 SUV. I drove the Lexus for almost 10 years and 150,000 miles. It was the best car I have ever owned, with no significant problems during 10 years.
In 2001, I purchased an Infiniti G35 sedan for my wife (who was driving a Nissan Altima). The Altima was handed off to Grandma. The Infiniti had excellent acceleration but wore out brake pads and tires quickly. It also had never-ending problems with the airbag sensor. I took it to the Infiniti dealer every 6 months to repair the airbag sensor, but it failed. Since I thought the audio system was horrible, I had a custom Audio system installed (with new Focal Speakers and a subwoofer) by Ernesto Onate of Sound Innovations. It sounded much, much better!
2011, after selling my Lexus RX300, I decided to trade up for an Audi Q5 SUV. I ended up leasing the vehicle with the "option" to buy, but I felt taken advantage of at the Audi of Stevens Creek dealership. I will never purchase another vehicle there.
Inna really liked the Audi Q5, and it became her primary vehicle. At the same time, I purchased a 2008 Toyota Sienna minivan to be able to haul my windsurfing, mountain biking, and other outdoor gear.
After my motorcycle accident (in which I broke my left shoulder), my wife convinced me to replace my Honda CBR1000RR motorcycle with a 2009 Mini Cooper S convertible. The Mini was a lot of fun driving, but it was noisy, with a jarring ride. It also had frequent mechanical problems, and I needed to replace the water pump 3 times during 3 years of ownership (my Lexus RX300 never needed a water pump repair during the 10 years of ownership!)
Parents' Cars
1980: Used Ford Maverick (1972) - sold
1981: Used Buick Skylark (1980) - traded in for Nissan Sentra
1983: New Nissan Sentra (1983) - traded for Ford Taurus
1984: Used Chevy Nova (1976) - Mom's car used by me occasionally at IBM and at Lehigh U.
1990: Ford Taurus (sold)
1992: Ford Aerostar minivan for business
1994: New Nissan Maxima (traded for Lexus ES300)
2000: Lexus ES300 (Dad's car, leased)
2014: Toyota Corolla LE Plus (returned)
My Cars
1991: New Toyota Tercel (1991) - traded in for a Subaru Legacy L
1995: New Subaru Legacy (1995) - traded in for a Lexus RX300
2000: New Lexus RX300 (2000) - sold on Craigslist
2001: New Infiniti G35 Sedan (2001) - traded in for a Toyota Sienna XLE Limited
2011: New Audi Q5 SUV (2011) - currently driving (Inna)
2011: Used Toyota Sienna (2008) - currently driving (Boris)
2012: Used Mini Cooper S Convertible (2009) - sold on Craigslist
