It’s not that we didn’t love the little Honda. We both loved that car to death – quiet, peppy, reliable, and just big enough to hold all of our stuff when we first went nomadic and sold everything except what would fit in it. But California has not been kind to it. From getting stuck in 14” of snow on the way to Fresno Dome, to boulder-strewn Forest Service roads, to the constant dirt and dust that comes with boondocking, the poor little Honda has been suffering.
The suffering is no more, and we’re ce-rtain that the Honda is on its way to a nice quiet home with a little old lady who will wash it weekly and drive to church, bridge, and bingo. With 111,000 miles on the clock, it’s got at least 139,000 more to go – it IS a Honda after all! We would buy another one in a heartbeat later on in life, but now is not the time for a four-door family sedan.
We’ve talked about buying a Jeep for six+ months now, and when the gauges on the Accord starting doing the occasional flicker, we decided to bite the bullet and pick up the Wrangler. Despite both of us cringing at the thought of buying a new vehicle, the Wranglers hold their resale value extremely well and a used 2010 with 40,000 miles 
on the clock is only 2-3k cheaper than a brand new 2012 with a warranty! No-brainer here, and we found the perfect 2012 Unlimited Sport at Folsom Chrysler Jeep outside Sacramento.
No need for the Rubicon and all it’s offroad goodies, we’re simple – power windows, power locks, 4wd, limited slip differential, 4 doors, and of course – the removable hardtop. After having rented a soft top when we were in New Orleans several months ago, we knew that we would spend just as much time on the freeway as on dirt roads, and the wind noise from the soft top just wouldn’t work.
Colette was quick to remind me that when you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. No rock crawling or mud bogging for us, just the same rocky rutted Forest Service roads we would have abused the Honda with. Here’s hoping that it proves to be as reliable as the Honda has been. Happy trails!
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