[Quick$bux]

My fiancé and I were both in the market for new vehicles. She drove a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo, and I a 2007 Ford Edge. Her car was over-heating and needed thousands of dollars worth of parts and labor to get it running, and considering she had it for almost 14 years, I decided she deserved something much nicer. My Edge, while still fairly new at only 5 years old, was having considerable electrical issues regarding the stability control. Unfortunately the warranty expired, and having quotes upwards of $3000 to fix the issue was seriously making me re-think trading the vehicle in for something new. I was originally thinking about a Range Rover Supercharged, but considering how little I drive and how much of that driving is in the city, gas mileage would be horrible and all of its off-roading features would never be used.

What She Got: 2013 Toyota Prius




I seriously had no idea how nice these things were on the inside. Granted we got the top-of-the-line model, but this thing has solar cells on the sunroof that keep the interior cool as long as there is sunlight. Visit the beach on a hot summer day, and the car remains nice and chilly when you step in. Very nice. The 50+ MPGs do not hurt either. Bluetooth, Pandora and Spotify Apps built into the Nav System? Yes please.

What I Got: 2013 Chevy Volt




Wow, the inside of this thing reminds me of a cockpit in a F-35. There are digital gauges everywhere, displaying the efficiency of your driving and every diagnostic you can think of in regards to how your vehicle is functioning. Voice activated GPS, 8 Speaker Bose System, Media Apps for Weather, Spotify, and Pandora are at your disposal. It has a rear-backup camera coupled with both front and rear collision detection devices. There's even a parking assist. The craziest part is I can start my vehicle with an App on my phone and check real-time diagnostics at a whim. It's the nicest vehicle I have ever owned. Plus, considering I drive less than 40 miles a day, there's a good chance I will very rarely ever use the gasoline/hybrid driving system (electric all the way baby).

Oh, and I get a (much needed) $7500 rebate on my 2012 taxes from Uncle Sam.

This all works out kind of perfect, as it's good publicity for us to drive eco-friendly vehicles when we open up our eco-friendly Juice, Smoothy bar, and Fitness studio called The Green House next month in our downtown Scottish city called Dunedin. Life is good.