My car nut of a husband and I have been test driving vehicles of various persuasions for several weeks. We’d made the difficult decision to replace our very old 4-wheel drive Tahoe. It’s been a great vehicle that helped us traverse occasional iced over freeways and heavy rainstorms with equal aplomb and safety. Big Jack will now be someone else’s dependable, cheap transportation.

What We Drove

Chevy Tahoe LTZ, top of the line luxury that just about drives itself. Terrible gas mileage stats but the ride is so sweet and the vehicle such a pleasure to drive that you immediately start rationalizing a possible purchase.

Ford Flex Limited, like the Tahoe LTZ in its luxurious appointments and comfort. The back seat could be considered a media room with the DVD Entertainment center, as is the Tahoe. Slightly better estimated gas mileage. Again, you rationalize purchasing one of these just because it’s such a comfort and delight.

Chevy Equinox, nicely equipped but definitely not in the same category as the previous two vehicles. This one is practical because of the estimated gas mileage. Everything is geared to the driver’s comfort with the power adjustable seat, not the passenger who has to make do with a manual lever for forward and backward and tilt.

Chevy Camaro, totally hot vehicle with a V6 that gets 29 mpg for an element of practicality. Even the V6 is 305 hp, and that’s enough to make any power enthusiast happy. Great comfortable seats.

GMC Terrain, basically the same as an Equinox but most dealers seem to order this version in the upgraded packages with more bells and whistles so it’s easier to find one with more options.

We looked at Chevy Aveo, strictly for the gas mileage; Cadillac SRX, comfort and luxury plus hoping for gas mileage; Buick Enclave, still looking for that ideal mix of comfort, luxury, good gas mileage, and SUV styling that puts you up above the rest of the freeway traffic thus making it easier to spot traffic jams ahead.

We didn’t even consider imports because we know that buying American really is important. We’re trying to do our part, however small it might be, in improving the economy of the country. So we always choose American.

(If our elected officials had wanted the automotive cash for clunkers program to be truly successful, they would have made the stipulation that the new vehicle purchased be an American vehicle. Don’t bother telling me about the Toyota plants in America. Where do you think the bulk of the money from Toyota sales go?)

What We Chose

We drove home in a GMC Terrain, Cyber Gray, a nice blend of comfort, convenience, and 32 mpg at a slightly higher ride than a car. I think we’ll really like it, and I hope it will serve us as well as Big Jack.

Takeaway Truth

The bottom line? We are a car culture. E. B. White, in 1943, wrote in One Man’s Meat: “Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car.” Most of us like to get there in a car that’s more than just a means of transportation.