We’ve crossed a threshold.

We’ve purchased a minivan.

As our family grew from three, to four, and now five, my wife and I were able to stuff everyone into a 1994 Volvo station wagon. But the costs of repairing that car weren’t insignificant, and with a looming summer vacation that will require four days on the road, we decided the time was right for a larger vehicle. We took the plunge and purchased a Kia Sedona.

So far, so good. I never realized a minivan would feel as easy to drive as this one—a 2007 used vehicle, with 14,000 miles on it—does. But I’m not the one doing most of the driving. That task falls to my wife.

Me, I’ll stick with my Mazda 6, which I purchased last year. It’s relatively inexpensive, passes muster with Consumer Reports (in terms of reliability), and—perhaps most important—it’s marketed to … men!

That’s right. After 13 years of driving a Geo Prizm—a car I loved, and which had just shy of 175,000 miles on it when I sold it—I wanted something a bit sporty, but still practical. However, I couldn’t afford to be extravagant, nor did I want a car that looked good but would spend more time in the shop than it did on the road.

The Mazda 6 certainly has more pep than the Geo (what doesn’t?). I can only hope and pray that it lasts as long as my Prizm. If it does go the full 13 years, my oldest daughter at that time will be on the cusp of her 16th birthday, with a learner’s permit. Guess which “family car” she’ll inherit?

There’s nothing like an old clunker to instill patience and character in our young drivers.

To my male readers: How did family life affect your choice in vehicle? Drop me a line at at crosswalkchristian@earthlink.net.