After our safe arrival back home last Wednesday, my little bride and I went to the State Farm office to pick up the check for her totalled ‘98 Saturn hulk the next day. State Farm did an excellent job in promptly and fairly processing our claim. After that, it was out to Saturn of Sterling1 to get her some new wheels. 
We’d previously driven a Saturn Astra, as documented a few posts back. MLB couldn’t get comfortable in the Astra; the lumbar support option helped, but she just couldn’t deal with the fit of the seats. So, after 3 or 4 hours of driving Chevy Malibus2, Saturn Auras, comparing the seat comforts afforded by each, and making careful note of the number and positioning of cupholders in each3, we arrived home at long last with a 2008 Aura, much like the one pictured here. Ours is a beautiful red metallic, and there are no sailboats or any such around ours.
A nice factory incentive brought the price down to the point where we got a lot more car for the same amount of money. A year’s free On-Star, and 3 months of free XM radio were icing on the cake.
We got the six cylinder model; it’s rated EPA 29 mpg highway, versus the 4 cylinder’s 30 mpg. The added pickup and maneuverability of the 6-banger was worth the negligible gas mileage sacrifice.
MLB had Friday off, and got the new one insured, and dropped coverage on the wrecked one.
So, all’s well on the car front; much to my joy, I’ve observed our cat sleeping under the new rig on a couple of occasions. We’re all comfortable, then: MLB, me, the cat, and GMAC. May this car have as long a life as its predecessor.
-k-
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[...] wrote about our new set of wheels a few posts back. It’s my little bride’s car1.; I’d have chosen something different for me, but [...]