My wife has noticed how much I enjoy the Streetfire site. I showed her my profile where I have posted all my Rides, and all the comments and messages. I showed her my photo albums from my drag racing days. And then the question arose - "How come you get to have all this fun, and I don't ?"

I wasn't quite sure how to answer this question delicately. After all, her car is . . . well . . . ordinary. I chose my words carefully, and responded, "Your car is . . . well . . . ordinary." That explanation was . . . well . . . unacceptable.

Ok, so it’s not a Camaro or Mustang or exotic. But it is my wife's car, which she really likes. And so, I present her 2000 Chrysler Cirrus.

Our story begins in the Fall of 2002. My wife's 1996 Chrysler Concorde had proven itself to be a comfortable, reliable daily driver. But, as the odometer turned 100k, the transaxle developed a rather loud whine. Being the original, UNREBUILT transaxle, I began to wonder if this was "the sign" I was supposed to pay attention to. And so, the search began.

Regular readers may remember that I have a very specific taste in cars that is somewhat odd. My wife, on the other hand, describes herself as exceptionally nondescript, and a good representation of what the "average" consumer is looking for. This “opposites attract” approach can make the car buying experience somewhat challenging. For example, Bedford Ford Lincoln Mercury in Bedford, PA, (my employer at the time), traded in a beautiful 1996 T-Bird with only 26k original miles. This was exactly what I like - V8 powered, rear wheel drive, two doors. While my wife agreed the car was in mint condition, she didn’t like the uncomfortable seats, rear wheel drive in the winter, and the restricted rearward vision (shorter drivers often find their rearward vision obstructed by the large C-Pillar of a two door car).

Later on, Bedford Ford traded in a 1998 Chrysler Sebring Coupe, an LXi edition in Gold, with 56k miles in excellent condition. I brought it home to the same results - she loved the look of the car, but was rather underwhelmed after driving it. Turns out the Sebring was even more difficult for her to see out of than the T-Bird due to the lower driving position.

A few weeks had passed when I spotted this 2000 Chrysler Cirrus in the front row. It must have been the exceptionally ordinary appearance of this car that rang a bell. So, after work, I asked the standard questions. This one-owner car was purchased new from and serviced by Bedford Chrysler right across the parking lot. Since it was not the owner's primary car, it had only accumulated 12k miles since new. I brought it home that evening for the "test."

Immediately my wife liked the convenience of having 4 doors. It also had a rather large trunk, a comfortable power driver's seat and a CD player. However, what impressed her the most was the driving position - outward visibility was excellent in all directions.

I was impressed mainly by two things. First, the car was still under the factory warranty. Second, since these cars are plentiful and . . . well . . . ordinary, they aren't that expensive. Hey, I think we just agreed on something ! My wife signed the papers on January 23, 2003.

Eight years later, the Cirrus is still going strong as it approaches 70k miles. Yes, there have been a couple of bumps in the road along the way. This car seems to have a decent appetite for transmission speed sensors, (the sensor(s) fail occasionally, sending the car into Limp Mode). And, we did have to replace the a/c evaporator in the dash, (this is part of the sales agreement that comes with every Chrysler product). But, from the roomy for the class interior to the large trunk to the 30 mpg on the highway, it has proven itself to be a wonderful car. We refer to it as our best "sensible" vehicle purchase . . .