Zack had been driving the same small sports car for 35 years. It was a classic. But it was a 'user' classic. He had never bothered to restore it. It had a few minor dents and dings and a bit of rust here and there around the rear wheel wells. His border collie had somehow broken the front passenger seat. The horn didn't work. The driver's side door wouldn't unlock from the outside. The rear wiper didn't work, and so on.

But Zack loved his little car. He loved the way it drove, still able to handle tight corners with agility. He loved the smooth feel of the manual transmission as he shifted through the 5-speed gearbox on a winding country road. He couldn't push it past 75mph (120kph) without a complaint from the fuel-injected 2-liter engine. But he didn't need to drive it fast, just smart, by knowing when to drop the car into 2nd or 3rd gear while going into a corner and accelerating out.

When Zack sat in his car, he was in his 'comfort zone.' It was like his favorite pair of sneakers or old jeans – no matter how old and worn, he couldn't part with it. But simply because he loved the old car didn't mean he shouldn't treat himself to a brand-new model. Of course, he would keep the classic, and store it in the garage, taking it out once in a while for a spin just for old time's sake.

A slick speaking salesman at the dealership was eager to show Zack the latest sports model on the lot. "This our top-quality roadster. We're very proud to offer it at such an affordable price. It not only handles like it's on rails, but it has all the latest gadgets like GPS, blue-tooth, real-time traffic information, on-street parking information, and hazard preview."

"Does it come in British racing green?" was all Zack could think to ask.

"Absolutely! In fact, we have one on the lot. You can drive it home today!"

"But I have my old car with me. I can take a cab here tomorrow."

"Better yet," said the salesman, "We can handle the paperwork today, and I'll deliver it myself tomorrow!"

The following morning, the new car arrived as promised.

Zack took it for a spin on his favorite back roads. The car handled like a dream. While he was cruising along the highway, he began to fiddle with the on-board computer – the command center for everything from air-conditioning to tire pressure monitor.

"This is way too complicated!" He cursed to himself, "All I want to do is turn the damn radio on! How many stupid menus do I need to scroll through! And while I'm trying to drive! Why won't the power window stop halfway down? How do I turn the AC off?" etc.

Zack was so distracted and upset with all the complicated controls that he nearly drove into another car.

"That's it! This piece of crap is going back!"

Story and Illustration Copyright © by Michael DeFrancesco