One week ago my car was stolen, and now I’m driving a new car. Well, it’s not new new, but it’s new to me. It’s a black 2003 Honda Element. I’m actually sitting at a coffee shop right now, and it’s parked along the curb in the window right in front of me. I know it’s vain to sit here and stare at my car, but when you pay that much money, I consider this part of the package.

About half way through the week I realized that I wanted an Element. At first I was going for an Accord coupe or a Civic coupe. They are sporty cars and they get good gas mileage. They are low-maintenance and therefore they hold their value. But after looking at there prices, I realized I was going to be paying a lot of money, and I might as well shop around and see what else I could buy for that much.

I found a couple beautiful 7-series BMWs that were five-to-seven years old. I’ve never been drawn to the BMW, but it’s pretty hard to say no to getting that much car for such little money. If I weren’t working for a non-profit; youth ministry, I would have definitely bought one of the two BMWs. But people don’t deal well with cars that are status symbols. Maybe I should just put a sign on the rear window that reads: “This car costs less than the cheapest new cars on the market. I bought this with a modest budget because it was a lot of bang for my buck.” But even then, people wouldn’t get it…and I’m okay with that.

So I opted for the Element–the boxy, mail-truck-looking SUV that you either love or hate. I test-drove one a couple years ago, but I didn’t think it was right for me. Since that drive, I’ve loved ‘em and hated ‘em depending on my mood. All the while I was driving my gas-saving Honda Civic.

But in the past several months, I’ve come to realize that my Civic was saving me money on gas, but it was costing me in opportunity. There were so many projects around the house that I’ve postponed until I could borrow a truck from a friend. But none of my friends drive trucks. So I try to make it happen by stuffing cement blocks, bushes, and tools in the back of my Civic in the Home Depot parking lot. It was getting absurd. Now the thought of getting more done around the house gets me super-excited.

Another reason I thought an Element could work is so I could fit more people in the car with me. We carpool to the studio now, it’s become a lot of fun. I know “carpooling to the office” sounds like a real bore, but it’s actually a lot of fun. It’s me riding with my best friends to a Web and TV studio where we get to play all day with cool toys. We listen to our favorite bands on the CD player…CDs we get for free in the mail. We get our “work day started” by talking about what movies we’re going to review, which bands we’re going to interview, and what Flash games we want to make. It makes me happy to know that riding in the Element will be more comfortable for my friends.

The final reason why the Element seemed like a good investment was because I can use it to promote NoMoHo.com. Even though that is what my Chevy is for, I don’t drive it everyday. It’s more for special events and promotions. For the past year I’ve driven my Civic around town, and every time I pull up next to a promotional car, I get jealous. I could be promoting my website with my daily-driver car, but instead I’m just saving money on gas. An Element has plenty of “ad space” with it’s boxy form.

I knew an Element was the right way to go, but I was shocked to see how much a used Element cost. I shopped around on the Internet throughout the week, and I found nothing affordable. I had a friend use his connections at a local Honda dealer, and they were still all more than I was willing to pay. But yesterday morning I found a black, Honda-certified 2003 Element with low miles for $14,210 on the Internet. That was thousands less than any other Element with the same options. I knew it was a good price, but I didn’t feel like making a decision, so I went outside and did some yard work. After ten minutes of raking leaves, I stepped inside and knew I needed to do something.

An hour later my friend Fr. Dale and I were test-driving the Element. I knew as soon as I drove it off the lot that it was the right one. Everything felt right! After twenty minutes of joy riding, I surrendered the joy of haggling to Fr. Dale. I snooped around the neighboring Dodge dealership while he followed the salesman inside and haggled. Ten minutes later, I had a perfect Honda Element for $13,500. How did that happen?

After signing the papers, I drove down the 101 to meet Candyce at my neighborhood pool for surprise party for her brother. It was such a delight to drive the Element. I listened to NPR, enjoyed the AC, and hummed along the interstate. It just felt right.

At the party last night, I explained the story about how I got such a good price on the Element. “I could not find a comparable Element for less than $18,000…I can’t believe I picked one up for $13,500.” My friend Robo did the math in his head, then he responded, “That’s cool because that’s a $4,500 difference–the exact amount that your Civic would’ve been worth on a trade in.”

It looks like God gave me a trade-in, with or without my car.