A couple of weeks ago I was driving down the freeway when I was passed by a blue Subaru WRX. I had noticed the WRX in my rear view mirror as it overtook my car as the driver was weaving in and out of traffic driving faster than what was probably safe given the traffic load.
What caught my attention as the WRX passed was the writing on the rear window done in white shoe polish which stated for all the world to see, "I Should Have Bought the STI."
I attempted to catch up with the WRX in an attempt to get a picture of the rear window however as the freeway split approached I needed to head in a direction different from the driver of the WRX and as such no picture was captured.
The sentiment the driver of the WRX expressed is a feeling I think we all have felt at one point or another throughout our adult lives.
The driver of the WRX realized post purchase his poor decision in not getting the STI - but he is not alone.
I know for me automotive regret set in in 2006 when the newly designed 3-Series made its US appearance. The need to have the newest BMW meant settling for an automatic versus the manual transmission I would have preferred. Granted every other option on the car is as I would have ordered it and the color combination was perfect as well so to go without the manual was a fair trade off I was able to live with. At least that was the way I justified the purchase at the time.
Of course after that new car appeal wore off the decision to settle for the automatic transmission was a decision I regretted - and no matter how good a car that 330i was with an automatic, the manual makes it so much more fun.
While the transmission choice for you may not be that important, other issues come into play for each one of us, subtle nuances we all look for in defining the ideal vehicle - and having to settle for a car without that thing you look for is a tough one as the driver of the WRX obviously had learned.
Now I don't expect you to run out with shoe polish and display to the world your feelings on the back window of your current ride, but checking in here to let us know your regrets is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
For me the BMW was just one of many regrettable decisions made regarding cars in my life, another one that sticks out time and again is the late 80's Porsche 944 I had found with extremely low miles in mint condition for less than $5k. The owner didn't realize the gem he had, and I didn't act fast enough to snap up a car I had lusted after since childhood, and the following day when I called to state my intention to purchase, my heart broke when I was told it had been sold already.
So go ahead, enlighten us to the regrets you have in terms of cars.
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