Introducing Ringo

Before moving to London we went back and forth quite a bit about whether or not we would want to have a car while we were here.  Public transportation here is amazing, and many of the families we talked to about living here said they never had a car and didn't feel like they needed one.  A difference is that we have 4 kids, and most of them did not.  Also, as we were deciding where to live, we felt more comfortable living outside central London and further north.  Public transportation is still readily available, but having a car is also more feasible because there is better parking options and less traffic. Ultimately we decided we would want a car for getting to church, larger shopping trips (like IKEA and Costco), and weekend getaways (like Warwick Castle).  Though trains and buses are always an option, and we still use them frequently, we have enjoyed having the car.  Sometimes it is just quicker and easier.  

The first month we were in London, Amazon provided a rental car for us.  As the end of the month neared, we knew we should start looking for a car.  Driving and parking, particularly around our neighborhood, is on very tight, narrow roads, so we wanted something small.  However, it needed to be big enough for our family of 6.  We had been told by ward friends that finding the right car can take a while, so we started a search online the week before we had to return the rental.  

To our surprise, finding a car did not take us long at all.  We found a VW Touran on Gumtree, UK's equivalent to Craigslist, the first night we were looking.  Though a 2004, it had low mileage and the price was right.  As a bonus it was the exact same color as my first car.  We test drove it the following night and decided to buy it.  After working out insurance, Matt drove the car home the following day, less than 48 hours after first looking online.  After being in our family a week, we decided to name him Ringo.  

Introducing Ringo, our new 2004 VW Touran

The previous three car purchases in our marriage have been brand new vehicles.  Since we will not be here a really long time it just didn't make sense to buy a brand new car and we wanted to spend as little as possible since we really don't drive around all that much.  But it is a strange adjustment to drive an older, used vehicle.  Though Ringo test drove just fine, I'm discovering he certainly has his little quirks.  The interior is worn and aged, I have to pump the gas a bit to get him started, he struggles to make it to the top of Muswell Hill, and he gets a bit shaky if we go over 50mph.  But he sure tries and so far he gets us everywhere we need to go.  We are hoping Ringo can survive long enough to take our family on some adventures over the next several years.  

I get by with a little help from my friends . . .
Going to try with a little help from my friends.