Besides a house, a car is arguably the most expensive thing a person can own.

And this car is a crazy milestone for me. It encapsulates so much more than I realise, when I stare at it.

I’ve driven my old white 2015 Toyota Corolla for nearly a decade now. It’s been through a lot, and under my hands, it’s nearly hit 200,000 kilometres. Throughout that entire time, I never really thought about getting a new car. I figured that it was my car, until the wheels came off, which, to my surprise, it hasn’t.

But my partner convinced me otherwise. She knew that I needed a new chapter, a new adventure and a reset. All the memories associated with that white Corolla were going to be superseded by this new car.

So, we went car hunting …

I rejected Mazda outright.

Toyed with the idea of perhaps buying an Audi, my dream car brand since I was a teenager.

Winced at the price of Lexus.

Seriously considered Honda for a second.

Laughed at the idea of ever stepping into a KIA or Hyundai.

Shook my head at the ridiculousness of BMW.

Buried the idea of ever looking at Mercedes or Porsche.

Until we came back to the same brand that I had been advocating since day 1 …. Toyota.

Toyota make the best cars in the world.

Yes, Ferrari will always have the greatest sex appeal. Aston Martin has the approval of Bond. Porsches have the legacy of 911s. But there is a reason why Toyota are everywhere.

To use a gun analogy, they are the Glocks of the car world. Unflinchingly reliable. Almost monotonous in how good they are at every metric. They are boringly excellent cars.

They’re not as expensive as a Mercedes, nor as cheap as your Mazdas or Subarus. They don’t have many ugly designs like BMW nor are they above collaborating with others. After all, the aforementioned Subaru and BMW gave us the iconic reimagining of the new 86 and Supra.

Toyota cars have been proven time and time again to be incredibly reliable, well made cars with an enviable service record.

They can be modified to carry .50 calibre M2 Browning machine guns in their flatbeds.

They’ve won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five consecutive times.

They collaborated with BMW for the new Supra. Subaru for the 86.

They sell the most cars at any given time, anywhere in the world.

Their HiLux survived every thing the boys at Top Gear threw at it.

And in my personal experience, they have amazing turning circles, no matter the size of the car.

So in the end, I swapped my old 2015 Toyota Corolla for a 2025 RAV4 XSE.

And I gotta say, I love my new car. I really do. Not only is the colour combination exactly what I hoped it to be, it’s also an aggressive looking machine. I truly love the current generation of RAV4 aesthetics.

The aggressive grill of the front end, with the angry white lights, that contrasts nicely with the black bonnet protector … the black accents that help add an edge to the look of the car and just how the body sweeps upwards to the square rear end … all of it just hits right for me.

I’m also really happy that I listened to my instincts about the colour of the car. I knew that all black wouldn’t look very nice, as my XSE comes with shiny black accents along the bottom and top of the car. So instead, I went for a lovely graphite grey and it honestly couldn’t have turned out better.

Add in the all black wheels, and my RAV4 is a tall, roomy car that makes me very happy.

It’s also a beautifully smooth drive. I love how spacious it is inside, and the way how the hybrid engine feels. It forces me to drive a bit slower, at a relaxed pace, because I can feel the slight lag when I press down on the pedal, as the engine has to choose either to use the battery or the petrol engine.

This lag is actually calming. Yes, I miss the rush of slamming down my pedal and getting instant feedback, but it led to a lot of speeding fines. Here, the RAV4 isn’t going to break any 0-100km/h in x seconds records. But that is perfect for me.

It still has that silky smooth turning circle I love about Toyotas, and because it’s so roomy inside, I actually have a place to put my left elbow, so that I casually lean whilst I drive.

I also love the heated seats, how fast it takes to defog the windows and how big the screen is, which makes reversing a breeze.

The added height is a new thing to me as well. I’m so used to being very low, that the taller RAV4 is a welcome change.

The boot space is also insane. I can fit so much stuff in the back, that it’s genuinely incredible. The car boot door is also so big, that it becomes a very nice roof over my head as I pack things.

But there is a very special thing about this car that I really love beyond how it looks and all its nice features.

It’s what it means to me. An intangible element to a very expensive purchase.

This RAV4 represents what a changed man I’ve become.

After all, it’s a SUV. A family car. Sure, it’s an aggressive looking family car, but at the end of the day, it’s built for comfort not speed.

I chose this model, because it’s an investment for the future.

And I really do love this new car. It’s so comfortable to drive, the sound system is amazing and it’s so quiet and effortless. The car just glides over the road.

The car represents change, a new chapter and my new focus on something else, something bigger than me.

A family.

Man, that’s a scary but exciting thought right there.

~ Damocles.