I need a new set.
OK, just so you all know. I love my car. All of its 1998 gas guzzling Ford Expedition self. It has three faults, no 4wheel drive, it guzzles the gas, and it has 165,000 miles on it. I have been driving this beauty for 6+ years and it works great. I can fit three car seats in a row and still have a back seat if needed. It tows our little boat. It is old and used enough I don't mind an occasional spill or vomit episode. But all that said, I need a new car. Jerry doesn't like us driving it on long trips anymore and he is holding his breath for something major to break.
So here is the list of things we must have. 4wheel/all wheel drive, leather, room enough for 3 car seats, some storage space and or a roof rack for storage, and the capability to tow the boat. Oh yes and we would like it to be fuel efficient. And, we don't want a huge payment.
Do you know how hard it is to find this golden car? You can go huge and guzzle the gas, but how earth friendly is that? Or you can go smaller, loose a few seats and a bunch of storage. What we have to weigh out is how often do we use the storage? How far do we tow the boat? What is the majority of use for our car? Well we only occasionally take long trips and we only really use the boat in the summer and we only tow it 15 miles. I really use my car for hauling kids around town. So what is the point of getting the huge car?
Now in the search for the perfect car I have a folder in my favorites called "Car research". I use the following websites constantly to try and pick out the perfect car.
www.autoland.com
www.carsoup.com
www.fueleconomy.gov
www.autotrader.com
www.carsdirect.com
www.edmunds.com
www.carmax.com
www.cars.com
www.consumerreports.com
I am constantly searching, thinking, and choosing a new car. So far we were going to get the Acadia, Sequoia, Navigator, Expedition, Pathfinder, 4runner, XC90 ... the list goes on.
We have even been to car dealerships ready to buy and only to return empty handed. I have called the bank, gotten funds ready for a private party purchase, and changed our minds.
Now things might change for us. We have always said we were going to get a used car. But President Obama passed a law called CARS aka cash for clunkers. Yes, I drive a clunker. However, we can get money towards a purchase of a brand new car if we trade in our car. More money than we would be able to sell it for. What do they do with our car? They recycle (destroy) it. Kind of sad. But the deal is we have to get a fuel efficient car. So the search is on, again. Thanks Mr. President.
2 comments:
I was out looking for a car and the dealers told me to check out the net for info. I ended up finding a site where a guy is writing about using the cash for clunkers to buy a new vehicle. He also tells you everything you need to know. It is at www.slickbudget.com if you need any info about it at all. He even had links to value your vehicle.
being the research junkie that I am. Each auto maker has a tool to value your clunker, plus it shows you what cars are available to purchase. It is a limited group of cars but each is fuel efficent. Saving the earth and stimulating the economy. 1 billion dollars or November which ever happens first.
Post a Comment