car buying
the big guy and i currently own two cars - a honda civic (mine!) and an acura integra. they are both great cars with good gas mileage. the problem is that we currently have a bunch of stuff that needs to go to goodwill/the dump, and he is a musician who occassionally likes to carry is bass amp AND his wife in the same car to attend a gig. so - we need to look into buying a new, bigger car. (new to us, not necessarily new).
we have a friend who has recently entered the world of used car sales so we've test driven a few. ok - i admit, i just sat there gripping the passenger seat "oh-shit" handle while the big guy drove and our friend told us how good we looked in that particular s.u.v. - but anyway...
the big guy has also spent hours online doing his homework and dreaming of that perfect balance between driving up the side of a cliff, ease of repair, leather interiors, and affordability. i have spent endless hours fretting about insurance, gas mileage, whether or not i could parallel park anything that he would want to buy, etc.
i feel bad, because i know that he has considered those things too - but while he can share in my worries, i am really not excited about the prospect of purchasing a new car. i will be happy for him when the time comes, but i think he is starting to get agitated with my tendency to play devil's advocate with his suggestions. (will that be practical in three years when we have a car seat?)
i really don't want to be that wife who nags her spouse and mocks his need for a V6 engine, but i am also steadfast about being practical. what to do?
10 Comments:
(from Lady J...and by the way I don't think of myself as Lady J. I have way too much dirt under my nails for that handle. But you know who I mean.)
It seems to me that once you are actually pregnant, you'll have to replace both your cars. So might as well accept that Jaimie loves to buy items with engines. Tell him you need the new car for an IKEA run; see if that drops the cargo room.
mmmm.... the ikea angle. hadn't thought of that! i knew these comments would work out in my favor.
and by the way - you may have dirt under your nails at this moment, but you were the first to harass me into getting a manicure. you are always a lady by my standards!
older Toyota 4runners rock. I don't recall when they started putting the V6s in them, but the 4 bangers aren't too bad with a standard trans (SR5), rather than an automatic. They're even relatively easy to work on. I see no point in having leather interiors on something you're going to take off road, either.
My perfect vehicle is an 88 4runner with the 22R EFI, SR5. Decent mileage, you can take the top off, you can haul bass equipment (i have plenty of that myself) and the S.O. and even a couple of band members. When the engine finally dies (in like 30 years) you can have someone put a newer celica 22r turbocharged engine in it..w00t!
But i'm a diehard toyota fanatic... i have an '86 4x4 truck (4runners are the same platform as the trucks) with 230K on it, well-battered, still running like gangbusters.
used pickups are where it's at ... sticker price,insurance costs, mileage all combine to make this a viable option ... I tend to think all families need a vehicle that they can use and abuse on the weekend ... for runs to Home Depot (or Ikea!), Portland Nursery, or whatever.
since you mentioned that it might be used for gigs (w/expensive equipment in the back) and it rains in Oregon, maybe consider an extended cab or hard cover for back.
hey pril (http://www.greeblie.com/nthofpril/)- thanks for the feedback! i checked out your blog (at least i'm assuming it's you) - an oregonian musician who smokes camels, reads sci-fi, etc, etc? you may just be my husband's doppelganger. scary.
I'm all about the station wagons these days. A Subaru Legacy or Outback would get the trick done and be a family-friendly (upon review, I actually DO have 2 slots open on my pregnancy calendar, so...). But I do have a fondness in my heart for Toyota 4Runners (in case someone just wanted to buy me a car, any of those 3 would make me tremble with joy).
(really is ratsnagger here - i'm not signing up either) I like the 4runner idea - got one in the family - 87 and runs good with lots of miles. I think the wife likes my SUV better but she can't have it. :-)
Suburbanites flee the streets! There is no perfect vehicle for two people. Try not to let yourselves fall into the husband/wife roles. Also, I know a friend who drives a '52 split window VW Bug, that's impractical for a carseat, not an SUV. If you're going to spend the money, enjoy the car, you'll be able to make everything else work.
Hyundai Santa Fe
I've been very happy with my Saturn SL1 (108,000 miles & counting). They do make larger models, the L series. My own dh thinks we should look into a new car, larger so it's easier for elderly relatives to maneuver in and out of car. He's thinking PT Cruiser. I'm thinking, hmmmmm?
Tracy the Magpie (who just found out that html tags are *not* accepted)
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