Big Daddy by Talking Headz
Blind by Talking Headz

So, about the car. We will be selling it. It has hit it's midlife crisis where it starts breaking things to see if anyone notices. [This is where guru wimpered and mumbled, "life with an F."] It's been a good car (I grew up driving it and one very much like it) and was the right price when we bought/inherited it off my family about a year ago. But we really don't need a big hauler anymore, and we need something that will live at least 5 years. I want only oil changes and inspection costs for that entire period. No more, replace my god damn engine block shit. Oh no. No more worry that I won't get to my destination because the ____ will fall off. [/adamant cat]

We are looking at used, dull, safe cars that have something other than a lawnmower for an engine. If the gas mileage is good, so be it. We have a short list off a longer list, the passat, jetta, grand am, and hybrid cars getting an honorable mention. The three short list canidates are the Taurus SES, Camry LE, and Saturn L300. All are about the same price new or used -- they all even come in the same blah colors.

The Taurus of course would be a replacement car, sans the wagon. We've actually been inside one of these, and guru wasn't opposed to it. The rest we have not driven yet. Guru has the consumer reports and I've been talking to past drivers. Apparently the camry's can really just be driven into the ground and still work consistantly. The saturn's L300 (new LS2, i believe) actually got negative remarks as being the least amount of room for a more bulky exterior. Hee. so - since saturn doesn't offer the V6 engine in the S series, it may be disqualified.

We still need to schedule time to drive around in the other ones this week, hopefully. The problem of course is that Ford currently has the old taurus and is offering us a few incentatives to leave it there. (like not having to pay to fix the brakes, and a lowered sticker price) But you can't buy a car without at least driving the competitors...I think. I've never actually bought my own car before. I'm faking it at this point.