This post is also available in: Română (Romanian)

For every car I’ve bought, I didn’t think too much about it; I’m not the type who knows cars in detail. I only know that it has to take me from point A to point B, and that’s it. Cătălina is the same as me when it comes to this: you see something, you like it, you buy it.

That’s how we’ve done it with every car:

• Audi – During a work break, Cătălina and I went to see the car. We liked it, we bought it. It lasted until it was totaled. Good car.
• Touran – We went one evening to see it, in the yard of an apartment block, drove it around a bit, shook hands on the deal. The car is still running in town, and whoever owns it is very happy with it.
• Mazda – We got it from a car dealer, the first car we saw, bought on the same day. It’s still running, but the DPF needs fixing so it can “perform at its best” 😂.

But since our family is growing in December, we’ve reached the point where we no longer fit in the Mazda. We need 7 seats.

Initially, we were looking for a VW Transporter, a minivan, but I couldn’t find something good and also have the money at the time, so we kept postponing and saving for one.

Until one day, someone from Arad posted an ad for an unusual car, one I wouldn’t have found otherwise if they hadn’t mentioned in the ad that they were open to a trade for a Transporter.

It’s an American car, the only one of its kind registered in Romania: a VW Routan. I didn’t even know it existed. It’s actually a car made by Chrysler under the VW badge, an attempt by VW to enter the American market.

I hesitated a bit because it’s the biggest engine I’ve ever had, and also because most cars from the US are totaled, repaired, and brought to Europe.

But I figured that, overall, this car should last us at least a year, so I accepted the risk of losing 8,000 euros. It’s just like in investments: risk-reward analysis.

After some good analysis and a “YOLO” moment, we decided to buy it.

I’m not the type to fuss over cars, always have the oil changed on time, or replace a strut as soon as I hear a noise. If possible, I’ll drive the car from A to B until the wheel falls off. I don’t like spending money on something that depreciates anyway.

So I’m not concerned when someone says, “If X breaks, you won’t find parts for it.” Look, if I really need something, I’ll find Chrysler parts (the original car) in Romania, or worst-case scenario, I’ll find them on eBay and wait longer for them to arrive. We drove the Mazda for ages with the DPF warning on because a new DPF costs 4,500 euros without labor. I’m not crazy enough to pay that much for a repair.

So, in conclusion, I don’t buy a car based on:

a) how easy it is to find parts b) how cheap the parts are c) always worrying it might break d) worrying about fuel consumption e) worrying about how expensive the tax is

For me and my family, a car is a necessity, and that’s it. This car came at the right time, and I also succeeded in not spending too much on it (considering that next year we’ll have our interview and move to the USA). We all fit in, including the baby on the way, and we even have a spare seat. Given where we are as a family, this car fit us like a glove.

That’s all. Safe travels, colleagues! AR21SUA out.

PS: Cătălina came up with the idea for the license plate. I wanted to keep the old one, but she said, since it’s an American car, why not go with “USA” or “SUA” 😂.