Car Search

The dilemma that I have for the summer is what car to buy. I just bought a new (used) car two years ago, it's a Volvo S40 sedan, and I really like it. So, why do I need to buy a new car after only two years? Well, the S40 is a pretty small sedan, and when the car seats are in the back, the front seats have to be pushed all the way forward. I could probably live with that with only moderate discomfort, but my husband is tall enough that he can't comfortably ride or drive in the car with the seats that way. Hence, new car. It seems a little counterintuitive to me to spend money on a car when I don't have a job, but c'est la vie. Besides, I never sold my Jeep Wrangler when we bought the Volvo (anyone want a red 1998 Jeep Wrangler with low mileage?), so I can sell two cars and hopefully get enough cash to pay the majority of the cost of a new car.

What seems like a logical car to get is a minivan, but for reasons that I can't quite explain, I have a serious problem with buying a minivan. I don't know what my issue is with them, I just REALLY don't want one. We rented one once, and it was actually quite comfortable and easy to maneuver in with the little one, so again, I don't know why I don't want one. Maybe it's because every family that I know with small kids own a minivan and for my entire life I really strove towards nonconformity. Granted, that tendency has mellowed out a little bit since I graduated from college, but I still just don't want to be like everyone else. Because I've said all this, you know I'm going to end up with a minivan right?

The next car type that I've considered is a station wagon. Ironically, there are very few station wagons that have legroom in the back seat that is considerably larger than the space in my sedan! But, I've considered the Volvo XC70, the Chrysler Pacifica, and the Dodge Magnum. I ruled out the Magnum because it has really poor visibility, and I ruled out the Chrysler Pacifica because it has pretty poor gas mileage and is essentially a minivan without the convenience of the wide sliding doors. This leaves the Volvo...the problem with the Volvo is that it is pretty pricey and it's not very fuel efficient. If I'm going spend a lot of money and settle for lack of fuel efficiency, I should get an SUV!

So, what about the SUV hybrids that are out now? My husband is a little wary of them because they're quite new and unproven yet. There's not much info on resale value or on dependability yet. Moreover, with hybrids, you may be saving on gas but you're ultimately creating incredible landfill waste with the batteries...there's no way to recycle them currently, and they're obviously not biodegradable, so at the end of the car's lives there's going to be a huge hybrid battery graveyard somewhere. Nevertheless, I am intrigued by the hybrids, and will still consider them...perhaps a lease? Anyway, we drove the Ford Escape Hybrid, and it was incredibly sluggish and poor handling, so that's out. The only two hybrid SUVs that have pretty good ratings are the Lexus and the Toyota. I can pretty much rule out the Lexus because I can't afford it (unless I find an incredible job in the near future), which leaves the Toyota. I haven't driven it yet, but I am looking forward to seeing what it's like.

All of these considerations give me a headache. I just want a car that's fun to drive, is safe for my kids, has space for us all to sit comfortably, is good in the snow, and that doesn't break the bank. Is that too much to ask? To quote John Cusack in Say Anything, "I can't figure it all out tonight sir..."