To the Moon and Part Way Back

What does 120,000 laps at the Daytona Speedway, traveling coast to coast 100 times, making 75 round trips across the Atlantic Ocean, navigating 12 journeys around the world, or going to the moon and partway back have in common with my 2002 Chevy Suburban? They are all distances our automobile could have traveled up to now in its lifetime.

This month marked the 300,000th mile of my trustworthy mode of transportation. While many of the miles were put on the SUV by a previous owner, nearly a third of its life has been spent as my traveling partner. The Bureau of Transportation says that most cars today can be expected to run up to 200,000 miles. That is a far cry better than cars from years gone by, when 100,000 miles meant it may be time to look for a trade in. The Model T from the 1920’s would rarely make it to 100,000 miles and had to be overhauled every 20,000. So, this milestone of my Suburban is a significant feat!

Terry Hunt's Ice Cream Can Celebrate Anything!

While in its day, my Suburban was probably quite the gem. Today, time has definitely taken its toll. A collision with a couple of rogue deer, a little rust on the side panels, and a few dings here and there show signs of its age. A little smoke from the exhaust, a new transmission, and some cracks in the seats also bear testimony of better days. Yet, it keeps rolling along as my trustworthy transport on our old dusty roads, rarely giving me any grief.

The day will come when the life of the vehicle will come to an end, but today is not that day. Every mile that I currently drive is pretty inexpensive as long as no major repairs are needed. They say the car you drive reflects a little about your personality. I think thrifty would be the trait that would come to mind with my work vehicle. It gets me where I’m going and brings me back home in a safe, reliable, and economical way. While the new car smell is long gone, I am still grateful for each mile the car continues to traverse in getting me to my intended destination. 400,000?

~Mark