Personal Narrative Analysis

Purchasing a new car can be a gamble. There are many factors that play part in a car buyer’s decision. Take for instance a 2010 Ford Fusion and 2010 Honda Civic. Both are great cars, and will most likely be worth every penny a person puts in to one of them. But, taking into consideration, gas mileage, features, and price, which would be the better buy? Now, of course, different people have different requirements and expectations that must be met by a vehicle. But there is probably not a single person who wants a car that doesn’t get decent gas mileage. The 2010 Ford Fusion four-door sedan gets roughly twenty-three miles per gallon in the city and thirty-four highway miles per gallon. That’s pretty good, considering that even some smaller
cars can’t beat that mileage. However, the 2010 Honda Civic puts up some mean competition. This four-door sedan can reach up to twenty-five city miles per gallon and a whopping thirty-six highway miles. A few gallons may not make a huge difference to some people, but what if there was more to the package? When shopping for a new vehicle, most potential buyers ask themselves, “Am I wanting more luxurious features, or more casual, straight-to-the-point features?” With the Civic, the buyer can get a little taste of both.
Like most small cars, the Civic offers the power windows and locks, antilock brakes, and antiskid control to stabilize the car in changes of direction. The leather upholstery and automatic sunroof give the model a classy touch that makes it even more enjoyable. But even better, the 2010 Civic offers a top of the line navigation system. The navigation system brings out the more luxurious style by including voice recognition, satellite radio, and Bluetooth cell phone connectivity. The heated front seats adds that extra touch of spice that makes the ride more of a luxurious one. In contrast, the 2010 Ford Fusion comes with many of the same features such as the power windows and locks, leather seats, a sunroof, and heated front seats. However, it also offers more features such as a blind spot warning system, back-up camera, and a six-disk CD changer. It also comes equipped with an auto-dimming rearview mirror that dims when a vehicle is driving behind you with bright lights. However, unlike the Civic, the Fusion does not come already equipped with the voice activated navigation system. If the buyer choose the have the navigation system, the CD changer is then downgraded to a
single-disk. What a person spends on a vehicle rests solely on what they want and expect out of it. Starting off at $19, 995 and reaching up to $27,975 for hybrid models, the Fusion is priced mainly because of its many classy features. The luxury features of the Fusion minimizes the fact that it gets a few miles a gallon less than the Civic. However, if the buyer is more concerned with fuel economy as opposed to high-end luxury features they might choose the Honda Civic. Starting off at $16, 365 and rising to $24, 965, depending on the model, the Civic is pretty much all about great fuel economy and less about what it can do. Not saying the car isn’t luxurious at all, but with the lower prices and fewer features compared to the Fusion, the buyer gets what they pay for. Although the Fusion gets only a few miles per gallon less than the Civic, it still has way more features that offers a more luxurious feel to the ride, and proves to be the better buy between the two cars even though it costs a few thousand more to purchase. Ultimately, deciding between the two boils down to how much the buyer wants to spend for what they’re getting.