Q: Neat Toyota. Do you have a nickname for it?

A: I say it looks like a cat. If you look at the front, it has a little nose where the Toyota symbol is, so I call it the cat.

Q: What is the cat’s main use?

A: Driving me and my mom to work. At least about three hours a day. Driving on the highway is my favorite part. I really just enjoy the experience. Not really sure why, but I do. My least favorite part is driving on Stony Island because of all the traffic on the street.

Q: What was your favorite day trip from home?

A: Probably Colorado. Well that isn’t really a day trip, but it was my favorite trip. The trip was a lot of fun. We made a lot of pitstops, and went on a couple of tours, which was cool. I went with my brother and two of his friends. Even though we had a lot of drivers, it took us about two days. We probably could have made it there faster, but we kind of slowed ourselves down by making so many stops.

Q: What’s the craziest place you driven to in your car?

A: We drove to Ithaca, New York. That was kind of crazy because of the mountains. We weren’t used to or comfortable with all the twists and turns on the road. The trip actually was pretty peaceful, but it had the potential to become crazy pretty quickly, if we made the wrong turn.

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

A: Primarily just rap or the news. I know it’s kind of a random mix, but that’s what I like.

Q: Do you rock out or sing along while listening to music?

A: I don’t actually sing, but I do turn my music up really loud. The music blasting actually sounds pretty good in here.

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

A: It would be pretty happy. It’s also quietly cool. A lot of people actually love this car. It looks pretty lame from the outside, but once people get in they have a really good time.

Photos and interview by Nicolette Chambers

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