When I made the decision to go back to work after our youngest son started school, my husband and I began to research what type of vehicle we should buy. In an effort to save as much as possible price-wise, we decided to look only at used cars rather than new. I had been wanting an SUV for some time and remembered the Pontiac Aztec. When I mentioned it to my husband, he teased me about the possibility of Montezuma's revenge. I reminded him of the fact he's a former Marine and said I wasn't concerned.

That weekend, we visited a couple of the car lots within a decent proximity of our home and found a yellow Aztec at the Chevrolet dealership. My interest grew quickly because yellow is my favorite color. The price was good too. This was a 2004 model and I remember a friend whose father is a GM mechanic said Aztecs of that year seldom showed up in his shop. I told my husband I wanted to take it for a test drive and about then the salesman walked up with the key in his hand. Apparently he spied my interest from a distance.

When we took it out on the road, I was amazed at how well it handled, and how tightly it turned. The ride was very smooth too. The console is easy to understand and everything is with easy reach. I am one who sometimes has difficulty understanding an owner's manual, so having something that is easy to learn the operation of helps. I would say the only complaint I really had was adjusting to the way the back window looks in the rear-view mirror. It took a little getting used to, but all the storage space in the back and the ease of getting things in and out makes up for it.

After we signed the papers, I drove my new ride over to the school to pick up the kids. My daughter didn't have an immediate comment about it, but my son said, "Wow Mom, you look like a giant bumblebee!" That's an eight-year-old for you. One thing for sure, I won't have a problem finding it in the parking lot.