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I have what I consider my dream garage at the moment... 2015 FR-S and a 2016 4Runner Trail Edition Premium. How I arrived to this is quite the journey and I was only saved by the fact that I work for Toyota and get my cars at cost.
2010 - I have a 2005 MINI Cooper S for the wife and a 2007 VW GTI for me. Really like both cars but the crazy snow we get in WV makes the VW a pretty poor winter car even on snow tires. I decide to buy a 2010 4Runner SR5 that I've been eying. After getting the 4Runner and loving it, I get the urge to get something RWD. The GTI is breaking down every other month so I want to get out of it before the warranty is up. I drive a Miata and S2000, love both, and decide to sell the GTI. When I go to buy the Miata, my wife says that maybe I should wait to see what happens with the FT86. I agree that it is probably better to put that money toward the house instead of a superfluous car.
2011 - I find out my wife is pregnant the day before the FR-S is officially announced. FR-S plans are on hold.
2012 - With a MINI and a 4Runner, my wife and I decide to get a Prius v as her family car and use the MINI as a fun car for either of us. Our daughter is born.
2013 - Drive the kiddo all over the place in the Prius v. 4Runner and MINI largely stayed around town.
2014 - Driving the Prius to my inlaws house, I have an epiphany that I'm only putting 3000 miles on the 4Runner yearly and it has crazy resale value. It is driving me crazy to not have a fun car of my own. I sell the Prius v and get an FR-S. I trade the 4Runner nearly straight up on a Rav4 Limited so I have 1 family car that is AWD, spacious, and the wife will be happy to drive.
2015 - MINI releases the F54 Clubman. My wife likes it and mentions she might trade in her 11 year old MINI in early 2016 for the more baby friendly and AWD Clubman. In late 2015, I'm driving home from work in the Rav4. I rarely drive the Rav to work, but needed to drop some larger items off while driving to work. A 90s Camry comes across center and hits me head on. The Rav4 is a total loss. Knowing that my wife wants the Clubman, I decide to replace it with a 4Runner Trail Edition.
2016 - We test drive the Clubman S and my wife loves it. We hit our down payment target in March ($25k down) so we order the Clubman. The old MINI is sold after the new MINI arrived.
So, by some crazy circumstances and my impulse to buy an FR-S has me going through some crazy number of vehicles since 2010. But, I now have what I consider the perfect fleet. Fun RWD, AWD hatch, 4WD SUV.
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