What Your Car Says About You: Colorado Edition

Spend a few hours in any Boulder parking lot and you will see the same dozen vehicles. This is an affectionate field guide, written by people who work on all of them and love every one.

The bumper-stickered Outback

The state vehicle, unofficially. CU sticker, 14er checklist, dog hair on every surface, snowboard rack year-round. The owner is kind, has strong opinions about coffee, and probably needs a head-gasket check around 130,000 miles.

The lifted Tacoma

33-inch tires, rooftop tent, recovery boards bolted to the rack. Has been to Moab. Will tell you about Moab. Will also need an alignment at our shop because lift kits change geometry whether you wanted them to or not.

The Tesla Model Y in the cul-de-sac

The new Boulder default. Quiet, fast, fastidiously clean. Owner is slightly smug about gas prices and slightly anxious about winter range. Both feelings are valid.

The 4Runner that has seen things

Faded paint, off-road bumpers, real mud in the wheel wells. 250,000 miles and still going. Owner has a smile when they talk about it. We hope to keep it on the road for another 250,000.

The Sprinter van

Solar panel, vent fan, climbing gear hanging in the back. The owner has a remote job and a Patagonia membership. Diesel maintenance is non-negotiable on these and we are happy to handle it.

The Honda Civic that just keeps going

The student car. The first-job car. The hand-me-down. Cheap to run, hard to kill, easy to fix. Honest cars deserve honest shops.

The minivan still doing the work

Sienna, Odyssey, Pacifica. Soccer schedule on the dashboard, Goldfish crackers in every seat. Underrated vehicle, overworked, and the parents driving it deserve more credit than they get.

The classic project car

An old Bronco, a 1980s Land Cruiser, a 240Z. Boulder has more of these than you would expect. Owner is patient, mechanical, and not afraid of carburetors.

The takeaway

Cars say something about who we are. They also say something about who we trust to keep them running. We see all of these in our bays and we love them all the same. Whatever you drive, drive it proud.