In 1986 I bought a blue Subaru station wagon and kept it until July 2007, when I replaced it with a Toyota Sienna mini-van.

It was a “GL” model station wagon. (Later that model became the Loyale, then the Legacy.) In 21 years I put over 200,000 miles on it. Notable trips---all from the Seattle area---were to southern California, northern California, the New Jersey coast, and to Moab, Utah three times.
I got a license plate that said “BLU WGN.”

I loved its boxy appearance, rain gutters (nice for attaching a roof rack), and decent ground clearance. Its four-wheel drive (with low range!) was handy in snow, sand, and loose gravel.

However, it was not what one would call the epitome of comfort and convenience, as it lacked air conditioning, power steering, power windows, stereo controls on the steering wheel, keyless entry, and remote hands-free door opening. The engine had only 70 (seventy) horsepower, a disadvantage on long, steep hills and on freeway entrance ramps. Its noisiness on the highway became annoying. The amount of money I had to sink into the thing to keep it going (engine work mostly) was a financial killer. It averaged about 20 miles per gallon. Worst of all: it had not a single cup holder! :-)

Though I loved the car, by 2006 I wanted more comfort, more power, and more space for road trips, so I made the difficult decision to sell it. A neighbor bought it in June 2007. Since then I have driven a Toyota Sienna (the “Green Weenie”), which is roomy enough for trips and hauling our dogs around.

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