I love cars, but due to circumstances have bought/driven what was practical at the time for our budget/lifestyle.
Having finally taken early retirement in 2010, we have enjoyed a routine of driving trips around our beautiful state. My Hyundai Santa Fe SUV finally needed replacing, and I wanted very specific upgrades with my next purchase (I do 99% of the driving).
Made a "must have" and "nice to have/not mandatory" list of features, then did Net research for a year - magazine reviews and user reviews. I narrowed the list of SUVs down and in early 2017 started doing test drives.
I kept returning to one specific SUV. After almost 18 months (a specific feature I was interested in wasn't going to be available until the latest model) we took delivery of a factory-ordered 2017 Ford Edge Sport. This is the AWD model with twin-turbo 2.7L V6.
It is quiet, comfortable, has all the safety features I wanted (and none I didn't), loads of power - we live in a hilly area with fast-moving freeways; superb handling, great braking, and is perfect for driving trips.
We keep our cars on average 8-10 yrs. I don't bother trading in cars any longer. Now I just give them to friends who need a reliable used car but would struggle to pay for one. We always keep our cars in perfect mechanical condition.
I'm in my late 60's now and figured this is probably my last vehicle, so splurged for the first time on exactly what I wanted.
.....although, if I did decide to buy juuuussst one more 'last car', it would probably be an electric or hybrid. No worries about what to do with the Edge, though. My best friend, who had always ranted about hating Fords, drove the FES after I bought it, on a twisty back-country road in Sport Mode (tightens up the steering, stiffens the shocks).
She kindly volunteered to take the Edge off my hands any time I get tired of it, LOL.
We were going to pay cash, but Ford offered us a 5 yr 0% loan. I never turn down the chance to repay with inflation-devalued dollars, so we took it.
Pretty much every time I'm in the driver's seat, I remark to my husband, "Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this car?!"
He rolls his eyes and replies, "Yes, dear!"