The other day, I was driving on the highway and was passed by a yellow Smart Car. Approximately two to three minutes later, a blue Smart Car passed me. It seemed a little ridiculous to me, and I had to laugh. There I was, driving down the highway in my Jeep, and I was being passed left and right by cars that were a quarter of the size of mine. I wondered whether or not I was going fast enough. Looking down at my speedometer, I realized that I was driving just over five miles above the speed limit (which is relatively slow by most people s standards).
Lately, since I accepted the fact that I am going to be stuck with my sport utility vehicle for some period of time, I came to the conclusion that I should try to conserve gasoline and money by driving slower. Back when I had my Nissan Altima, I was a true speed demon. Sometimes, looking back at those days when I had that little 2001 Nissan Altima, I wonder how I didn t manage to get pulled over even once for breaking the law so much. I remember getting that little car up to 95 miles an hour on the local highway back on Long Island, New York. It was reckless and stupid, but I loved the thrill of driving fast and seeing how I could control the car.
Since the Nissan Altima, I have had two Jeeps. The first Jeep I had, I liked to speed in as well, but I was considerably more careful because unlike when you are driving in a small car, when you are driving in a sport utility vehicle and trying to do the same type of speedy maneuvers, you essentially cannot do them. Especially when you are driving Jeeps, Jeeps are more narrow than most other sport utility vehicles, which makes them more prone to tip over or roll over when you round a corner or make a sharp turn. So much for my fun, right?
There are many benefits to owning a small car. Speed and control aren t the only things. Parking is usually easier as well. There have been plenty of times when I have traveled into New York City from Long Island to visit my grandmother by car. If I drive my Jeep, then it is much more difficult to find parking where I can actually fit (though the Jeep is a relatively small sport utility vehicle). However, on the few occasions where I have borrowed my younger brother s Volkswagen Golf, parking is typically very easy, and it only takes a couple of minutes to find a good parking spot.
Another benefit of owning a small car is that the gas tanks are typically smaller, which means that it costs less money to fill up for gasoline. Compared to the sometimes astronomical prices that I have had to pay since owning a Jeep Liberty ($50 75), owning a smaller car is much more energy efficient. However, there are some downsides to having a small car. For starters, owning a small car means that you may have to fill up your gas tank more frequently (depending on your driving habits). Additionally, often times, there is not enough room to accommodate other passengers, groceries or other miscellaneous items. For example, my boyfriend has a BMW Z3 convertible with two seats. He can barely do his grocery shopping or go golfing because everything is a squeeze. On the other hand, I can transport four sets of golf clubs and three passengers quite comfortably in my Jeep.
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