New Car

So I picked up my new car last week. I actually liked it. It's the newly redesigned 2006 Civic. Cheap, good on gas, reliable. Good move. It's actually quite sleek. It's funny- they gave it the Acura body so it looks much better than the older models. When I went to WalMart to pick up some stuff, the Walmart guy was like THAT'S a CIVIC? Damn- girl- that thing is nice!

I know...I was ok with it. A bit of a step down from the Pathfinder I used to drive, but still, I was enjoying it.

Then last night it started to screech. Like loud. Like my kids are covering their ears loud. So I spent 2 hrs this morning at Honda. Not exactly what you want to do one week after dumping your money in a new car. Not a good experience at all. Especially considering I haven't even made my first payment of five years of upcoming payments. I felt like crap.

So I drive in all panicked and the Honda dude asks what the Odometer reading is. I tell him that it's 561. He laughs and says "oh sweetheart, I said O-dometer, not trip-ometer".

OK- Can I tell you how much this ticked me off? What- cuz I'm a woman- you assume I'm too idiotic to know the difference between the Odometer and the tripometer? Idiot. So I reply with my best smile ever "oh honey- actually- that IS the Odometer- would you like to double check?? I actually DO know the difference". I was about to tell him that I wasn't his sweetheart, but forget it. ARG ARG ARG.

So two hours later he tells me its the new brake pads. Squeaking. Now, I've been driving since I was 16, and I may not be a mechanic, but I do know that it's not normal for a new car to do that. So I told him that. He told me to give it another 1000 km to break it in. He said I was probably "too gentle on the brakes". OK- Am I gentle when I'm driving 160 on the hwy? What the heck does that mean anyways? Whatever. I give him my shpeel about how this really sours the whole new car experience, and that I will be back in exactly 1001 km.

But I'm still not satisfied. So I call the sales guy. He's much better. He tells me he's heard of that cuz Honda just re-engineered the brakes and brake pads. OK- so what if it doesn't go away? He tells me "don't worry- we will take care of you. I promise. This is a Honda- we will take care of you". I trust him, I leave. But I'm not sure.

I'm not trying to be cynical, but would it be different if I were a man? I mean, I bought a new car, precisely so I could avoid the mechanic thing....This is not fun.