DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Sarah at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

Q: How long have you had your car? Where did you get it?

A: I bought it after trading in my old Subaru--also an Impreza--at a dealer in the area. It was definitely the biggest investment I've made thus far in life! I've had it just about five months.

Q: How would you describe your purchasing experience?

A: I got it from Glanzmann Subaru in Jenkintown, PA and the experience was pretty good. They were friendly and easy enough to work with. I had decided well in advance of purchasing the car what exactly I was after. I was lucky Glanzmann had exactly what I was looking for!

Q: What neighborhood do you live in?

A: I live in the Italian Market neighborhood, technically Bella Vista, 19147.

Q: What is your car's main use? How much time do you spend in it?

A: Two primary uses: driving to/from work and driving to/from hockey games. My drive to work is only about five miles roundtrip, so I don't spend much time in the car except on hockey game days.

Q: What's your least favorite part of your commute?

A: So many stop signs and traffic lights between work and home. City driving is not always fun.

Q: What's your favorite day trip from home?

A: It's definitely the shore. Most recently, we drove to Ocean City, MD, hung out on the beach, took a nap, ate all the boardwalk food we could handle and then drove back home as the sun set. Windows down once we returned to the city, great times.

Q: Where's the farthest place you've driven to with this car?

A: The longest trip I've taken was to beautiful--please note the sarcasm here--Uniondale, New York. Made a pitstop in Brooklyn. In total, it was about a three and a half hour drive. And I did it alone! Thank goodness for my friends' good tastes in music and generosity in making mix CDs for long rides!

Q: Do you have any rules in your car?

A: Don't throw stuff on the floor, and if you smoke, keep your window wide open!

Q: What do you listen to in your car? Do you ever rock out or sing along?

A: I rock out all the time! I listen to FM radio, sometimes talk radio in the mornings, or my own CDs/iPod. It has a six-CD changer as well as an aux cable hookup for the iPod.

Q: Does your car have a theme song?

A: For the purposes of being awesome--and because it was, at one point, the song the Phillies played in their clubhouse after a victory--I'll pick Kid Cudi's "Day 'N' Nite" as its theme!

Q: How many miles do you think are in the life of your car?

A: It's got at least 100,000 more to go!

Q: What will your next car be?

A: Obviously, I haven't given this much thought yet since I just got this car, but I do love Subarus. Since I plan to live in the city a while longer, it's not outrageous to think that I could just buy another Subaru when the time comes. But, as for my dream car, I'll stay within the realm of possibility and say a BMW 3-Series hatchback.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about your car?

A: Just this morning, as I was walking out of a coffee shop and into my car, a guy driving a similarly colored Impreza saw me and waved--only because we had similar cars. It's a Subaru thing.