Still waiting on the Road Trip

Well, I didn't get to take that road trip. I got really busy doing things around the house and take care of a PC issue with my uncle. This Friday is when I am going to take it. I don't like Black Friday shopping, so it will be a good time to take to the open road. See what kind of mileage I can get out of this Elantra. My goal is to see if I can get 40MPG. From what I have read on forums and Google searches, it shouldn't be that hard to do. They said the key is to use 100% gas, no ethanol. So, I am going to do an experiment. I am going to burn a month of regular gas with Ethanol. Then I will burn a month of nothing but 100% gas with no ethanol. It should be an interesting experiment. I will keep detailed records.

Test run driving to my new job.

Well.. Today I am going to drive to the area of my new job as I look for the perfect route and get used to the lay of the land. I'll report back after we get back. Should be interesting.

In the beginning.. I went completely insane.. Here is my story..

I think I'll post a little bit of my background so everyone can get an idea of what is going on. Where to start..

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.. WAIT! WAIT!! Too far back...

I am currently working on a project that is about to end. I got a call for a job working in Sumter, SC. It's a 25% increase in pay and a promotion. I talked it over with the wife. She gave me the green light. So I took the job.  I was like, hmm. I just accepted a job that is 100+ miles away. AM I CRAZY?? Why yes. Yes I am.

I looked at apartments and hotel weekly and monthly rates in Sumter. Most of them are expensive. I was thinking. It's about 80% interstate. I am going opposite of traffic. I could drive this. But what to drive? My quest over the weekend was to look for a car. Should I go new? Should I go used? Certified Pre Owned?  What make and model? I wanted to go as cheap, but as comfortable as possible and above all else, get really good gas mileage. And since I am driving 200 miles round trip every day, one word comes to mind, RELIABILITY!!!

After many hours of looking and thinking, I narrowed my choices down to 4 possible contenders, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, and the Hyundai Elantra.  The 3 main options I HAD to have are AC (I live in the south), cruise control, and a manual transmission. Looking at dealer inventory, I couldn't find any manual low end model Honda Civics. So, Honda Civic is out. Up next, Nissan Sentra. Same thing, no manual transmission. Same with the Toyota Corolla. So, I went to the Hyundai dealership. They had ONE Elantra on the lot that met my requirements. It is a really nice car. I test drove it. It is really comfortable inside. The reviews for it were up there. It gets about 38MPG. QAPLA!! (Yes!! I am a Nerd, Geek, Trekkie) SOLD!! I bought it that night.

Here is my 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS. It had 12 miles on it when I bought it.

So, I am starting this blog not just about my car, but how I am holding up at driving 200 miles round trip every day. I know it's going to be an adventure.  I hope I don't go crazy. I'll post on the weekends. But don't be surprised if I do a quick post here and there during the week. Wish me luck.