About a month ago it was time to bid adieu to our family hauler of seven years.
So, I naively thought this was the right time for the switch to a "mid life crisis" car.
You know, something low-slung, racy, rumbly and totally out of character for a 48-year-old to be seen driving.
That's when my wife reminded me our offspring were still elementary grade schoolers and needed mom and dad's taxi for a good few more years to come. So, I somewhat reluctantly got the keys to a new version of our old van.
But last week I did get a glimpse of what could be on my driveway next time around - Scion's FS-R - thanks to the folks at Open Road Scion Richmond who entrusted me with a few days of test driving this rear-wheel driven, coupe.
Straight away, you notice this is a car that values performance.
How? Plunk yourself behind its chunky steering wheel and you notice the largest dial on the dashboard is for engine speed, not velocity over the asphalt.
True, there's a digital speedometer inset into the tach and a redundant speed dial to the left, but your attention is lured to how many revs the 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, boxer engine can take as you roar around town.
And I do mean roar, since the FS-R has an unmistakably prominent rumble emitting from its twin tailpipes. If a car can get by solely on sounding fast, the throaty emissions from the FS-R - which are purposely channeled into the cabin - manages to do the job.
But this is not all show and no go. The Scion's power plant rolls out 200 horsepower which was more than enough to catapult it in speedy fashion on my jaunts around town and along the highway.
The transmission in my tester was a sixspeed automatic which allows those race car fans the option of changing gears with the use of paddle shifters behind the middle spokes of the steering wheel, which has just the right, exaggerated grip points to give you a commanding feel.
I dispensed with the paddles after an initial try since the auto shifted smoothly enough. Plus, nothing can really replace the degree of control a driver has when given a clutch with just the right take-up, and ponies to spare.
Handling was crisp, despite the steering wheel feeling a little on the heavy side for a relatively light car - Scion says it weighs in at 1,251 kg with a manual transmission.
Thanks to that trim figure, the FS-R is listed in decent fuel consumption territory. With just a few days to drive it, I wasn't able to get a good, realworld read on the numbers, but the manufacturer says the auto will burn through 8.3 litres of premium gas over 100 km in the city, and 5.8 litres where the stop lights end and the open road beckons.
So, is this a true, midlife crisis car? Well, it ticks a number of boxes in terms of performance, and looks.
But it's also kinda practical. Despite the FS-R's diminutive exterior dimensions it can still pack away a week's worth of groceries in the trunk and rear jump seats that are clearly more for parcels than passengers.
I guess the old habits of a minivan driver die hard, especially when it's your turn to go re-stock the fridge and pantry.
Base price of the Scion FS-R is $26.450.
