NEW CAR

BEFORE

I am just 20 minutes away from going to pickup my new car. No doubt pictures will follow... I am excited and it will be a pleasure to get out from under the 92,000 mile 'doubts' which, like a tiny oil leak, make me wonder what is ready to explode or fail.

Over the course of a car you get used to these things (that clicking in the dash that seems to be a shorted cycle/uncycle thing in the heating system) - that engine noise, the judder when backing up or turning sharply, the broken latch, the door you have to try to open twice. It adds up and stresses a bit. Under warranty and new, whatever it is, is fixed free and will not be ignored.

I have half-expected my AC to quit too - not an issue now that it's fall, but quite the deal (and EXPENSIVE) in the summer... why? Because it'd be so darn impossible to ignore!

So, in an hour I will be at the dealer and done with my ol' A6... it's been good to me and I'll miss it, sorta, but the NEW Supercharged A6 will endear itself, no doubt.

AFTER

Nice ride! There's a lot to get used to but I am already loving the Supercharged 300HP engine. It steps OUT and I really wanted that! Overall, the new A6 is comfortable and equipped (Prestige package) with almost anything I can think of. It doesn't have the radar that actually takes over if you are about to crash but I'm not ready for that degree of robot. This does have voice command, and that could be fun.

As I pulled out of the dealer's lot, my old car was sitting there looking kind of dumpy - I hadn't washed it - why? If a car could look forlorn, that's what I saw in my last glimpse. I don't name cars or anthropomorphize them, but it looked sad.

Now to attack that owner's manual.