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DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Donna At Reggie's Music Joint

"I really love all-American cars. They're built tough!"

The Ride
The Driver: Donna
Car in Question: 2004 Pontiac Aztec
Spotted at: Reggie's Music Joint, 2109 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60616
Odometer: 122,648

THE DEFENSE

Q: What's your car's main use?

A: I mostly take it back and forth from work, but I drive it to friends' places, to the grocery store. I take it wherever I need to go.

Q: What's your favorite or worst part about your commute?

A: My favorite part is the fact that I live so close to work. It is literary a 10 minute drive from Chinatown to the South Loop, which is great because I don't waste a lot of gas or time going back and forth. Since it's such a nice commute, I really don't have any complaints.

Q: Do you have any rules for your car?

A: I don't have any rules. The only thing I don't like people to do is to cough or sneeze in my car and not roll down the window. I know that sounds kind of silly, but it's a pet peeve of mine. I just feel like you should open up a window afterwards, so fresh air can circulate inside the car.

Q: What do you listen to while driving in your car?

A: I pretty much listen to all types of music. In the past I used to just sit in the car with the radio on, and just relax. But it drains the battery. I learned that the hard way. One day my dad had to jumpstart the car and I had to take it out for a 30 minute drive just to charge it up. Now I usually take it out once every two weeks, usually on a Wednesday night, and cruise around and listen to music.

Q: If your car had a theme song what would it be?

A: If my car had a theme song, it would probably be "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah!

Q: If your car had a human emotion, what would it be and why?

A: I can't really just give it one emotion. It has its days where it exhibits a range of emotions. But for the most part, I would say it has a Type B personality. It gets you there and back, and hums quietly.

Q: How did you get your car?

A: Well my dad originally bought the car for himself. But since I use it more than he does, I now look at it as both of ours. I really like my car though. It hasn't really had any major problems. It's not too old. It's still one good piece of hulkin' machinery. I hope it has a lot of miles left in it.

Q: What do you think your next car will realistically be?

A: I really love all-American cars. They're built tough. There's usually not a lot of problems with them. I would really like to get my hands on a Ford Fiesta because I heard that it's a perfect road trip car. I think it gets like 40 to 45 miles per gallon on the highway, which is perfect, if I ever do want to get away! I, however, hope it sits higher off the ground than a Honda. My mom has a Honda. It's way too low to the ground. I have to literally crawl/roll out of the car just to get out. And when the car hits an aboveground bump, you can hear it scrape the bottom.

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

A: Too bad Pontiac had to shut down. I was born and raised with a line of Pontiacs, so I really loved the way their cars looked. We had three Pontiacs from the time that I was born until now. The first one my dad had was in the '90s. He sold it for a Pontiac Trans, which was a van. Now we have the 2004 Aztec with us today.


Photos and interview by Nicolette Chambers

Are you ready to Defend Your Ride? If so, email localautos@cbs.com with "Defend Your Ride Chicago" in the subject line for submission details.

View previous Defend Your Ride features as well as other great stories for people who love cars at CBSChicago.com/Autos

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