On the Road in Style

It took sixteen years. I sat patiently in the passenger seat, my fingers itching to clutch that taut steering wheel, my foot unconsciously pressing on an imaginary gas pedal while my mother drove. And then the day came when I turned sixteen and when my mother got a new, much better job, and with it, a huge, white, (and we only say this behind her back, because it really is a nice car) old lady-ish 2001 Buick or Olds or something classic Americana like that. "What about my little car?!?!?" she wailed. I smiled secretly. The quirky, sparkling brown 2000 Altima was mine.

Armed with a fresh learner's permit (In my silly little state, you have to wait six MONTHS before getting your actual license... At least the picture is good... And I lied about my weight, but who doesn't?), I settled behind my steering wheel, adjusted my seat to beautifully ergonomic angle, and took off into the sunset, my mother wincing at every slightly crooked turn and squawking to brake sooner. She also admonished me every time I called the Altima "mine" because her name was on the lease. She was just letting me borrow it for the time being. Whatever.

I love my Altima. Even though I've only had my permit for about three months, this car and I have a psychic bond. It point it where I want it to go-- work, grocery, wherever -- and it goes! (Note the exclamation point. My gorgeous car does not go. It goes!)

Amenities! Amenities! Let's start from the bottom up. Spacious stretching room keeps me and my long-legged family comfy, even though I prefer to keep my seat scooted up slightly so my knees won't get stiff. Velvety smooth upholstery in a lush neutral pale beigey-brown coordinates with everything. Plenty of storage space for loose change, tapes, mints, CDs, lipsticks keeps me as obsessively organized as I love to be. The nice, relatively high-quality stereo plays CDs and tapes with equally good sound, but the only problem for big beat-lovin' teenagers like myself is the lamentable lack of bass. Still, I forgive my precious Altima because the good continues to outweigh the miniscule bad.

Continuing with the goodies... The great heating and air conditioning gets running quickly and smoothly, defrosting in minutes on ultra-cold mornings and keeping me cool and in control on muggy afternoons. The bright display and lights are easy to see on dark and stormy nights, and I have never known the wipers to ever get stuck. Never. And last, but certainly not least, the sun roof. Heaven is driving with the sun roof open, the music blaring, and you are laughing in spite of the mess your hair has become.

In short, the 2000 Altima is a fabulous little car. It drives smoothly, accelerates aggressively, and fits into any tight spot. And did I mention how starlet-like just about everyone looks in it? It matches every single outfit you could possibly dream of, and the glamorous, glittering, golden brown of mine is the exact color of my favorite eye shadow.

But the really great thing about my Altima is the attention to detail. The sun roof, the cruise control, the CD player, the sunglasses holder over the rearview mirror... It all fits! Even the sexy little spoiler on its surprisingly roomy trunk is like the final feather in a peacock's plume: the finishing touch on perfection.