14. Cars
So I'm looking for a new car. "New" to me, that is. I think I have it narrowed down but I waffle a little bit.
I'm pretty sure I want to go with a Toyota Highlander. They seem to get great customer satisfaction reviews, hold on to their re-sale value like crazy (ie: they're expensive even with a lot of miles on them), I know it'll last a long time and it would have enough space for 2 kids, all of our crap, a canoe, bikes, etc etc.
I also like the Honda CRV, but I fear ultimately that it's not "big enough" - I hate saying that because I love small cars and would love to continue to drive one, but I know how we are. I know how we are ESPECIALLY when packing up for a weekend or even an overnight trip somewhere! We have a lot of crap! I don't want to be stuck in a car (which I hope to have for 10+ years) that I don't think will 'fit.' (I looked at a CRV when I bought my Focus...I really loved it but it was too much $$ and used!)
Part of me questions getting a mini-van, however. Particularly the Toyota Sienna or the Honda Odyssey. I like both vehicles quite a lot. My folks have a Sienna which I love. Spacious, easy to get in & out of (with infant seats especially), nice features, etc. I like the Honda for similar reasons. But I'm just not sure if I can go down the "mini-van" road yet.
Lord knows I am NOT cool. Not in any way, shape or form. I know that a car neither will make me cooler or less cool, yet I still feel like getting a mini-van catapults me into a category I cannot enter...yet.
Friends have said "oh if you had 2 kids already, you would jump on the mini-van bandwagon (so to speak) right away." I know, they're probably right. But I don't, yet, and I'm still hesitant to go down that path.
*sigh*
Regardless, I have no $. I just have a car which I'm afraid to drive in the winter & won't fit my capacity needs for much longer. I want to get something before the roads get crappy. I would like 4WD or AWD. I would love to have a hitch so we can use the bike rack.
Hopefully I can find a good deal in the coming weeks. The clock is ticking and I would prefer to get this taken care of sooner rather than later.
I'm pretty sure I want to go with a Toyota Highlander. They seem to get great customer satisfaction reviews, hold on to their re-sale value like crazy (ie: they're expensive even with a lot of miles on them), I know it'll last a long time and it would have enough space for 2 kids, all of our crap, a canoe, bikes, etc etc.
I also like the Honda CRV, but I fear ultimately that it's not "big enough" - I hate saying that because I love small cars and would love to continue to drive one, but I know how we are. I know how we are ESPECIALLY when packing up for a weekend or even an overnight trip somewhere! We have a lot of crap! I don't want to be stuck in a car (which I hope to have for 10+ years) that I don't think will 'fit.' (I looked at a CRV when I bought my Focus...I really loved it but it was too much $$ and used!)
Part of me questions getting a mini-van, however. Particularly the Toyota Sienna or the Honda Odyssey. I like both vehicles quite a lot. My folks have a Sienna which I love. Spacious, easy to get in & out of (with infant seats especially), nice features, etc. I like the Honda for similar reasons. But I'm just not sure if I can go down the "mini-van" road yet.
Lord knows I am NOT cool. Not in any way, shape or form. I know that a car neither will make me cooler or less cool, yet I still feel like getting a mini-van catapults me into a category I cannot enter...yet.
Friends have said "oh if you had 2 kids already, you would jump on the mini-van bandwagon (so to speak) right away." I know, they're probably right. But I don't, yet, and I'm still hesitant to go down that path.
*sigh*
Regardless, I have no $. I just have a car which I'm afraid to drive in the winter & won't fit my capacity needs for much longer. I want to get something before the roads get crappy. I would like 4WD or AWD. I would love to have a hitch so we can use the bike rack.
Hopefully I can find a good deal in the coming weeks. The clock is ticking and I would prefer to get this taken care of sooner rather than later.
Comments
I don't blame you on wanting a 4WD or AWD. We're over it too - the Impala in particular is a MESS in the winter (which is why Mark drives it! LOL). We're looking at a Subaru Outback for our next one - something big enough for a kennel in the back so we can add another dog to the mix.
Yeah, I'm wishing that we'd gotten the minivan.
Good luck!