DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Posts Tagged ‘Hyundai Elantra’

New Addition to the Family

Hello Friends, we have a new addition to the family!

On Wednesday, we welcomed a new little bundle to the family, it’s name is Spark, Chevy Spark. When Tayair pulled up the driveway I almost cried, it was the cutest little car I’ve ever seen. Not quite as small as a “Smart Car” but just as cute and compact as the Volkswagen Beetle was back in the ’30’s.

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The 2002 Hyundai Elantra that Malik was driving began acting up, even after a replaced engine, the brakes and rods began to go and it just nickeled and dimed us so it was time to get rid of it, we will donate it to Goodwill.  We decided to hand down the 2005 Honda that was purchased in April and then get Tayair a new vehicle.  My husband had visited Diver Chevrolet last week and thought the Spark would be the perfect car for him, one that would get him from Point A to Point B and would last for many, many, many years!

Not having purchased a new vehicle since 2005, it was amazing to see all the bells and whistles in this basic car. I thought my friend’s Mercedes was loaded with amazing features but this little Spark was also equipped with some awesome controls, including Sirius XM Radio, Bluetooth, 9 airbags, USB outlet, touchscreen infotainment system, steering wheel mounted audio controls, and an emergency communication system (OnStar 6-month free trial).

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I didn’t realize it was a 4-door, and squealed with delight when he opened the back doors, so cute and surprisingly comfortable with ample leg and head room.

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The trunk was a bit too small for me and there isn’t a spare tire, instead an air compressor and a can of “fix it flat”, but with OnStar just a push of a button will get you emergency service.

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This vehicle will be in the family for a long time to come and I can honestly say that it’s a welcomed addition even with the car payments!

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Linking up with today with Tough Cookie Mommy – hop over and join the fun!

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Disclosure:  This is not a sponsored post nor did I receive compensation for the writing of it, all opinions are 100% my own.  I have no connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Plants in the Back Seat

Hello Friends and Happy Sunday

I hope you had a good weekend with an opportunity to spend quality time with your family/friends and did something fun and enjoyable.  Yesterday, I took my car in for an oil change and Malik was my chauffeur so I took full advantage by having him drive me all around town running errands – it was good being Mommy!  I had him drive me to Dunkin Donuts, Dutch Country Farmers Market, Family DollarPNC Bank and then finally to Lowe’s it was fun for me, not so much for him.

We gave him Tayair’s old car, remember the 2002 Hyundai Elantra, well you would have thought it was a new Mercedes because when he realized the plants had to ride in the back seat he wasn’t happy!  I  purchased two hanging baskets, a Color Combo Patio plant, Sweet Basil, Heirloom Tomatoes, Curled Parsley and Cilantro and they rode shotgun in the back seat fully protected by a yard of plastic – it was hilarious!

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Hanging baskets – Petunias, Calibrachoa and Lobelia

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Curled Parsley – boil and drink like tea it’s great for the digestive system

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Cilantro is a wonderful fragrant herb

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Basil also keeps the bugs away from your garden

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Color Combo Welcome Plant – Bidens, Licorice Plant and Trailing Petunia

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Love the handles on these hanging baskets

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Time to check out

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Malik reluctantly loading the cart

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The plants riding in the back seat (along with vacuum cleaner)

Today I cleaned in and around the pool and cleared out my little garden which was overrun with Mint from last year.

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Have a wonderful evening – Smooches!

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Car Shopping – Kia

Last Sunday, hubby and I went looking at cars (here) to replace our son’s 2002 Hyundai Elantra.  We only looked at used vehicles so today my son and I went to Martin Kia to look at new ones.  He was interested in the Kia Rio so we walked through the lot peering inside, checking the prices and reviewing the safety records.

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I guess the dealers inside sensed we weren’t looking to make a purchase because no one came out to greet us until we were about to leave.  The internet has really changed the way people purchase their cars so the dealers can give you more time to browse and are in less of a rush to make a sale.

From the exterior the 2013 Rio 5 Door was the perfect size, the interior features were standard and included driver, passenger, front side and side curtain airbags, with 4* NHTSA safety rating.  The estimated gas mileage of 28 city/36 highway wasn’t great but considering my son doesn’t travel far it was acceptable.

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Same features in the Rio 4 Door

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Saturday we will visit a Hyundai dealership to check out the new Elantra, make a comparison and hopefully an opportunity to take test drive.

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Car Shopping Is No Longer A Fun Event!

Once upon a time not so long ago car shopping was a fun and exciting adventure, flipping through magazines, reading the classifieds, looking for the perfect car, with the perfect color for the perfectly affordable price.  That was “BK”, “before kids”, now as a parent of 2 sons we are once again in the market for a car, not for me nor hubby but for #1 son.

We were very fortunate the first time when we found a 2002 Hyundai Elantra at a very affordable price but with very high mileage and now, “Miranda” is on her last legs.  She is not going to make it much longer and it’s not worth putting any more money into having her serviced.  She was dutiful in her position and served us well, she valiantly got the  boys back and forth to High School with weekend jaunts to the mall and grocery store.  Now the time has come to find a replacement and it is not a fun event.  The sticker prices are a hard pill to swallow but we must keep in mind that good safety features and good insurance ratings are our number one priorities.

Hubby and I spend a few hours yesterday looking for vehicles that might fit the bill, first stopping at Carman Auto Group in New Castle.  We didn’t see many but there was a 2012 Ford Fiesta, with mileage that wasn’t too high but was a bit out of our price range.

Ford Fiesta

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Our next stop was at Willis Chevrolet in Middletown.  Willis is where I have my Hyundai Sonata serviced and customer satisfaction is their #1 priority so it wasn’t a surprise to find that they had a few vehicles that caught our attention.

A 2011 Ford Fiesta SES, mileage was a bit high for it’s age and a sticker price worth negotiating, the other vehicle was a 2009 Chevy Cobalt Sport, mileage and price more palatable.

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Ford Cobalt

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Now comes the fun part…the research…checking State Farm Insurance, KBB, Carfax, Cars.com, AAA, Costco and any other website to compare prices, and safety features – this is no longer a fun event and I still have to get a hooptie for son #2 – do you know where I can get a 2fer!

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