If I lived in a city, I'd chuck it all and buy a MoPed! RPD

In Chicago, I had a Subaru Forester - the four wheel drive was great in the snow. In Florida, I had a Honda CRV, (25 MPG) which I just gave to my wife and bought a Mazda 3 hatch (29 MPG) 8sec 0-60 (fun to drive). I bought 6 $10.00 tool boxes from Home Depot. They fit in the back, hold all my tools, strings, liquids, etc. and create a flat surface to put actions on if needed - but most actions fit on the back seat. I pack them in with a moving blanket or two, and they are secure.

Honda is making more hybrid models for 2010. The fit will be a hybrid. The current Honda Civic with it's non folding and too narrow rear seat is too small for actions. The Prius is also too narrow, but the rear seat folds down to make room for actions slid in from the rear.

I drive a Toyota Corolla enjoy about 30 MPG in the city and about 40 on the highway,
I haven't had any issues fitting things in back.

I'm considering building a small trailer for my bike and using that for the close (<3 miles )tuning appointments - Somehow I doubt i'd get a 'nice wheels' comment if clients greeted me at their gates.

Think again.
I'd shake your hand.
$5 gas will be here soon.

I drive a petrol guzzling Ford Explorer. Very safe, comfortable and powerful.

I noticed that whenever I rent an economy car to temporarily replace the Explorer when it is being serviced, I don't get the same treatment from customers as when I am using the big one. I am given a higher esteem based on the car I am driving. Is that to be expected?

JUNMER

Yes, I think so. I find the same thing. Cars are a status symbol so it seems. The better looking they are, the richer people think the next guy are so, they better we are treated.

Never mind that the vast majority of them are so fricken far in debt it ain't even funny but, gotta impress each other anyway I guess. I'll impress them with my paid for car!

Could that be all in your mind?
Partially in your mind?
We tend to see what we are looking for, or assume others share our values.
Then again among piano owners there may be a snob or two.

I know plenty of people who look down on people with gas guzzlers.
But then maybe I tend to see what I'm looking for.
Times are changing.

I think my '99 Saab 9.3 with 145,000 miles on it might last until somebody comes out with a good hybrid van.

The hatchback is great. I can fit a ton of stuff--and hide it.

First choice in a perfect world would be my bicycle. But like many others, I travel too far and carry too much stuff for that.

I'd personally go for the paid-for model ... whatever it is, and however funny it might look. To heck with status!

If they are impressed with my bank-owned car and ignore my drop-dead good looks and unmatched technical skill, well ... just forget 'em!

I have a 1980 Chevy C-10, bought brand new and quipped with a Tommy Gate for moving pianos. 140K on it, 3 "on the tree" inline 250-6. Looks like heck, as would be expected with a truck stored outside 28 years. About 8 years ago a customer of mine, a middle aged fellow, wanted his Knabe grand, 5'8" rebuilt, (block, shim board, stringing, hammers, keytops, regulation, etc.) When I came to the house with my old faithful rust bucket his wife pulled him aside and whispered "Your NOT letting somebody with a truck like THAT take our piano are you??" He and I got a good laugh over that.

For me newer vehicles pose several benefits; depreciation off taxes, dependability, (my time is too valuable to waste at a mechanic or to lose use of my SUV until fixed), cash flow, (I do 35K miles a year. ANY car with 150K miles needs far more frequent attention and subsequent expense and loss of time. I'd rather make the payment.)

Status is not a good word. IMHO credibility is better. The customer in general has no clue what is involved in piano service. Symbols of prosperity, as crude and clumsy as it may seem, are important to many people. I've had more than one customer mention the old wreck the previous guy parked in the drive. Saying that, there are MANY fine tuners in my area that do not share my opinion. Always has worked for me. Given the amount time on the road comfort is an important fatigue issue. I like my sunroof and good sound system and 6 way adjustable seats.

Here's the flip side story to SUV's and driving luxury cars.

I have a good technician friend who through all of his working tuning life, drove the worst looking, most ugly cars I'd ever seen. He was laughed at a lot of the time and teased by fellow technicians including my dad. He always laughed right along with them. This fellow was a very highly respected tuner technician here. Consequently, he was also very busy too, regardless of what he was driving.

This man retired about 10 years ago now. Starting in his early to mid 50's, he started traveling already.

One day, we got to talking about retirement after I saw him drive his brand new full sized custom made conversion van to a tuners meeting. He also drove a brand new motor home to Florida every winter for 6 months where he stayed in his paid for home there too!

That day, he said to me "Jer, do you remember all of those crappy cars I'd been driving and all of the fun and laughter the guys had as my expense, not that I minded it one bit, I would have done likewise?" I said, oh, sure I most certainly do Dale! He laughed and said, "do you know NOW what I was doing with all of my money??? I had a house that was paid for, no kids at home, no charge cards, nothing else to pay for so, I put all of my money into investments every single week."

He continued saying he'd been to Africa 10 times so far, travels all over the world whenever he feels like it, has half residencey in Florida and said, you can do it too Jer, anyone can, provided you save it, instead of "throwing it away like most people do. Spend it later, don't spend it now."

A point I'd like to make is that we are NOT what we drive or what we own as is the tendency in today's society. We are, what we are, through ethics, honesty, quality and how we treat others. At least, that's how I see it.

If people don't like you for what you drive. Who's got the problem?

Well said, Jer.

I was lurking and admittedly don't know bubkes about tuning (other than I needed to get it done once every six months when I had a spinet) but I'm a Fit fanatic and would offer the following observations:

1) It gets great gas mileage on the highway. For the 2008 automatic sport the quoted numbers are 27/33, however when traveling in fairly light, occasional-stoplight traffic (i.e. NOT midtown Manhattan rush hour traffic) I was getting as little as 20mpg on a new car. Happily, on the open road, doing roughly 65mph, it gets the promised 30+. I'm looking forward to their 2009 Hybrid offering .

2) You can fold every seat (including the driver's!) which makes for a lot of interior room. However, keep in mind that whatever it is you want to carry, needs to either fit in through the doors or the hatch. Unfortunately the rear hatch is not square in shape, more like an upside down trapezoid-ish shape, so things that would fit in the car, might NOT fit through the opening (I learned this the hard way last trip to IKEA.)

3) If you like listening to music , go for the Sport package. It has a more powerful sound system. And the fog lights are useful.

We've got a 2008 Impreza Outback Sport too. It's got a larger hatch opening (thank god, I would have been stranded at IKEA otherwise) and a fabulous drive. But that 20/27 mileage quote is a killer with current gas prices.

I can usually fill my Fit tank for under $35. It costs mom $50 to fill the Subaru

"That day, he said to me "Jer, do you remember all of those crappy cars I'd been driving and all of the fun and laughter the guys had as my expense, not that I minded it one bit, I would have done likewise?"

This reminds me of a book I read and re-read and would make compulsory reading at school:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Millionaire...mp;s=books&qid=1212429499&sr=8-1

I drive a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan with stow and go! I keep my parts boxes and my tool box in the rear well, this way my boxes do not have a tendency to slide, and also if I get an action, I can fold the intermediate seats down and safely carry the action! Milage is about 25 on highway and 21 in city! Great vehicle!
Jim Berna