Published: Mon, 03 Feb 2025 19:55:59 -0800
No I probably shouldn't.
I've switched back to my old car, a Saab 9-5, after borrowing my mom's Prius V for the past 6 months. My folks only really use one car and so have been using the 9-5 at most once a week for those few times they both leave the house. I did a long overdue oil change on it and fell back in love with the car.
Sure it's not the most fuel efficient, or the fastest, but it just feels nice to drive. I took it for a test-spin after the oil change and the way the seat held me as I took turns and the nice rumble of the tubrocharged inline 4 made me feel alive. Something I never felt in the Prius.
So I gave my mom back her keys and drove home my old bucket of bolts last Sunday. It was exhilarating feeling the turbo spool up going up the on-ramp. Driving a very slow car for 6 months makes you appreciate having some power again. It also got better gas mileage with the new tire, which previously had been leaking air.
It was all fun until Wednesday of last week when I got a puff of steam come out from under the hood. There's been a minor coolant leak for some time, which I was treating with a top off of the reservoir every few weeks. Well, the leak got bigger, not aided by the sudden rise in use after sitting in the hot sun for the majority of the Summer. At first I thought one of the hoses may have slipped off, but no, the plastic connection to the radiator had snapped off. I jerry-rigged a new connection using a lot of epoxy and a plumbing reducer, but the leak was still there. It turns out this crack was a lot larger than I thought.
I've been trying to patch it up with epoxy, but with how cramped it is, I keep failing to fully cover it. It's gotten better, but I still need to refill the reservoir every time I drive it, not good. Right now I'm just using distilled water since I don't want to be spilling tons of toxins every time I drive, and it is a lot cheaper than coolant. I've ordered a replacement radiator, but I'm hoping to patch it up so I can still drive it in the meantime.
One thing that has shocked me is how fine I am with the issue. Sure it's a little stressful whenever that low coolant warning splashes on the display, but the problem excites me more than it demoralizes. Part of the fun of having the car is fixing the problems, something I never had to deal with in the Prius. It's odd but I missed having them, because problems created opportunities to learn, opportunities to be creative.
It's also spiritually fulfilling. I grew into myself in that car. 6 months ago I tried to be someone else, someone I thought was me, but ultimately proved not to be. I enjoyed how cheap the Prius was to drive, how cheap it was to go places, but at the end of the day, driving the Prius felt hollow. The Saab has soul. I feel more like myself again, holding onto the steering wheel, tapping the gear shift levers, and keeping my eye pinned on the temperature gauge.
I regularly check my email, If I don't respond quickly, send me a poke:
jasco.website@pm.me