30 January—It was a year ago today that my son adopted a pair of mature cats who shared a cage in a shelter in Windsor. Now they rule a house. Being cats rather than dogs, they don’t show their appreciation for being the luckiest cats in the world, even though they’re not allowed outside.

And it was 15 years ago today that I adopted a very young Lexus RX 350 that was begging for attention in a lot in East Haven. The Lexus had arrived from the factory in Cambridge, Ontario, a few days earlier, having come off the line a week before that. I learned a few weeks later that the RX was the only Lexus at the time made outside of Japan (as well as in Japan, of course). Now the RX is still made in Ontario and another model is made in Kentucky. All others come from Japan.

Actually, the Lexus in the lot wasn’t begging for anything. But it was painted and equipped to most of my preferred specs. And the price was lower than Consumer Reports had led me to expect—even without the de rigueur Jewing down on my part and Christening up on the dealer’s. So the car and I bonded immediately.

Since the Lexus was white—actually starfire pearl—I named it Snow Job. Donald Trump is right on the mark about there being only two sexes. He would know. But cars are “it,” not “she,” “he,” nor “they,” even when they have names. That applies to all motor vehicles, even the ones that get circumcised by having their tailpipes nipped.

Snow Job still thrives. In its 15 years only one defective component has turned up, a slow-leaking shock absorber noticed by a mechanic during an oil change and covered by warranty. Easily the best, most reliable car I’ve ever owned.

According to the Environmental Protection Administration (a bureaucracy Trump should dump, along with the Department of Education and many others), a compact car must be between 161 and 187 inches long. Thus the 2010 Lexus RX misses being a compact car by less than one inch. If I park Snow Job in a spot reserved for compact cars, then, will I be fined?

Only once in 15 years, as I recall, has a passenger—a second passenger—ever sat in Snow Job’s exceptionally roomy rear seat. And Snow Job isn’t alone in its rear seat seldom being used—for passengers or cargo. So why the hell aren’t any cars other than sports roadsters being made that don’t have rear seats and can be at least four feet shorter?

Being a conservative SUV, Snow Job is high enough that you don’t have to be a contortionist to enter the vehicle or sit so low that exiting is a painful chore. Why do drivers put up with discomfort?

Snow Job’s all-wheel-drive is nice to have in the winter around here and I assume it’s subtly kicked in every now and then when going up slippery hills. But how many people actually use all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive vehicles off-road, a capability touted by virtually all carmakers?

Then there’s engine output, speed, and acceleration. Little old Snow Job, while no slouch, won’t win any races. But I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere these days. Horsepower was wonderful when only horses had it.

Snow Job lacks the bells and whistles of the latest RX iteration but is probably more reliable than newer models, even at its advanced age. Only about seven percent of car owners keep their vehicles for 15 years. So it’s good to belong to yet another minority . . .