Fleet News

We generally buy high mileage cars and drive them as far as they will go.  We plan, really, to keep them forever and will only move on when they can no longer be trusted or repaired.  Sadly, the Vue finally reached that stage:  After 307,000 miles, the motor was strong, but the front end had a chronic rattle, shimmy, shake, and wander that we could not fix.  We put bearings, bushings, tie-rods and tires into it, but couldn't settle it down.  We decided it was time.  We told the guy at the used car lot that we wanted to trade it in.  He took one look and skipped the appraisal.  It was going to auction.  In exchange, we got another Chevy.  A ten year old sport ute thing (a lot like the Vue) but with only 64,000 miles, a 243,000 mile improvement.  (I have never in my life owned a vehicle with fewer than 100,000 miles.)  It is in very nice shape, probably too nice for us, but there are really just two things I don't like about it:  1) The color is too gaudy, nearly ticket-me red and 2) Chevy named it "Captiva."  Captiva?  I asked VSO about it and she said, "It's an island."  "What island?"  I asked, "Alcatraz?"  I thought that was pretty witty, but evidently there is a resort island in Florida called Captiva:  White sand beaches and yachts.  Just our thing.