Other cars disappear from view

Emma Truax never felt the need for a car before COVID-19. Having spent years living in cities, as a student and as a digital consultant in Toronto and as an educator in China, she relied on public transit to get her where she needed to go. When the pandemic hit, taking the subway and streetcars was less appealing to the 33-year-old, who began to feel trapped within her downtown neighbourhood.

With her beloved dog QiQi, who she rescued as a puppy while living in China, Truax searched for the perfect set of wheels to meet her needs. She tells us what she loves about her 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks – and the special car seat she purchased for her pup.

“Growing up, my parents had a Toyota RAV4. I like being up in a vehicle and able to look around me. I’ve always been more comfortable in an SUV,” said Truax. “When I started looking around, I was leaning toward buying a Jeep, but at the same time I started hearing some buzz around the Bronco. I saw it on the street stopped at a red light. When I saw it, I was immediately like, ‘I don’t want a Jeep anymore, this is what I want.’

“It was really the Bronco or nothing else — nothing else sparked my interest in the same way,” said Truax, who leased her Bronco Sport Outer Banks from Bourgeois Motors Ford in Midland, Ont. “Since the time I picked it up I haven’t seen another one on the road. I like that it’s kind of a rare find. Just the other day a guy at a red light gave me a thumbs up and said, ‘Nice car.’ Another older gentleman and his wife stopped to ask me about it.”

Truax said there a few things she wants to do with her Bronco, when it’s possible to do so. “I want to be able to visit my parents who live in the country. And I will be using it in the city, so I wanted a vehicle that felt safe. I also have a good friend who lives in Nova Scotia, so I wanted something that might allow me to go on longer adventures. Something comfortable and with enough room for that kind of travel.

“And, wherever I go in the Bronco, my dog QiQi will come with me. I ordered a dog booster seat for him the day after I picked up the car. I wanted him to be secure in the car but also high enough so that he could see out the window. He loves going for drives.”