"WE'RE due a new car". Those dreaded five words. You see, in our house getting a new car is always such a fuss. Everyone wants something different: I want a nice looking 4x4 with a good badge whereas my Father wants a sporty estate, but still with a good badge. I like the prospect of having a new one and the test drives are pretty exciting, it's just that I can't face letting go of my loveable, beautifully made (well to me anyway) 'C-RV'. I like being the proud owner of a Honda no matter how much of an 'old person's car manufacturer' they are. Ok, Ok, I confess. The first time we took it for a drive as a loan from the garage, I hated it! It was ugly, for the older generation, it was bulky....Well, it was a Honda. I just couldn't get my head around the idea of actually owning a Honda. I had been born into a world Audi's and BMW's, not "those". There was no way I was going to let them get that car! I even went so far as to say the over head light in the back was in the wrong position, so when I turned it on I couldn't see to tie my shoe-lace properly. It was no use. Their opinion and the fact that it was "better for the dog" over ruled anything I had said (even the important shoe- lace matter). I've lived with it now for three years, and It's been the best years of car ownership that I have lived through (in my eighteen non driving ones). It goes well, it stays together, and even I have to admit that it has done us well (cute too). I love it! So, back to the issue of not being able to choose a car. It shouldn't be that hard. I mean, every one of them has four wheels, and goes (hopefully). It's just not that simple. There's speed, ride quality, looks, colour. There's EVERYTHING! And, like three years previously, it's started again. First up was the Volvo V50 (let's get this bit out of the way first, a Volvo?). Anyway, sat in the back I felt like I was being driven through a potato field, on a bike, in the Alps, and to top it all off, the dealer at the end of our test drive, decided to call me "love". "Love?" It was as if I had suddenly been thrust into the cast of East-Enders or something, "love!" I don't think so. All in all, not a good night then. I blame my parents for this, I really do. A long, long time ago one Christmas I got given a bright pink Lamborghini with the white interior, and a phone that Barbie spoke to you on if you pressed the right buttons (not a good thing to do whilst driving, as I soon found out.) It was a beauty of an electric car. Best one on the pavement. I had all the kids down the park chasing me.

It was brilliant! However, ever since then I've wanted a real one and no (affordable) one has ever matched my expectations. Not even close. I have grown since then, obviously, but the passion for an expensive, very good looking car has raged on. I get annoyed when boys I tell this to look down at me and say "what you, a girl, likes cars?" Well, why is that so hard to understand? Of course those type of people think we should just sit pretty reading 'Heat' magazine and and stick to liking and doing "girly" things. It has happened quite a few times and one recent event had me as dumb-dounded and Jessica Simpson was when she tried to figure out where Buffalop Wings came from when she noticed Buffalos don't have wings. (Ok, I lied, I do read 'Heat'.) As I do like cars, I recently took a trip to Beaulieu Motor Museum, and to my excitement they had the Ferrari Enzo that the Top Gear driver (The Stig) drove on the actual show. There it was in all it's red, Ferrari, Stig glory and there I was in awe of the machine that once housed my icon. It was at this point that I let out a screech as I touched the door handle and screeched, "I practically touched The Stig!" Yes, I agree not the most academic of things to say in that particularly public situation, but cut me some slack I was excited. So, I turned round to get my camer and there were these three boys (you know, the type that wear Hawaiian shirts, because England has turned into the Maldives over night, and sandals that say 'no, my outfit just isn't stupid enough') stood staring at me so intently I thought they were going to burn a hole straight through. The big guy mouthed, 'she likes Top Gear' to the other two and they both, practically in unison, replied, "she?" I gawped as if he were some kind of freak of nature (might as well have been with that shirt on). I really couldn't believe it. It did of course, just start because I like to look at Richard Hammond and think that Jeremy Clarkson's clever wit is hilarious, but over the years I've learned to love and even find myself interested in the 'automobile'. This is why, then, that the the everyday task of choosing a car (everyday?), is to me a massive deal. It has to be perfect. Even now, as car names come pouring out of mouths as "ossible candidates", I retort, "I'll check the Top Gear gyuide" and numerous answers to that effect. It seems I'm never going to be able to choose. For now, then, it will just have to be another of those Honda re-runs.