New Car(s?)

P and I had been talking about a new car to replace the Red Menace.  Then all the layoff talk started at work, and we shelved the discussion until my future looked more certain.

At least, I thought we had.  Then last week while I was in Austin, P went and pushed the issue: he got into a wreck.  He is fine, not even a stiffness, he was going really slow when he hit the idiot who had left her car in the road without her hazards on on a slick wet morning.  But his car is totaled.  Both airbags deployed and the radiator and everything on the front right of his car is busted.  Dude at the body shop said they'd probably total his car if it was new.  But it isn't new.  It is a 2001.  And so we find ourselves in the hunt for a new car.  (If I lose my job, we'll become a one car plus Mustang family (I think we can get the old girl running for not much money, at least for to-the-store daytime type errands.).)  If I don't lose my job, well, we're going to get 2 new cars, because this doesn't negate the fact that my 2000 Dodge Durango, aka The Red Menace, has 180k miles and needs a new transmission among other things.  I've spent all of our married lives trying to avoid two simultaneous car payments, but such is life, and this is what life has given us, for now.

Preston is looking at:

The Subaru WRX

The Mazda 3

The Honda Civic SI

or The Nissan Altima

If there is an option to increase the engine size, you can bet that's the option he's looking at.  All of these are available in 4 doors, and that is the only way we'd buy a car with the Z.

I had originally thought I wanted another SUV... (Well, no, what I really want is another Mustang, but since the Z makes that impossible!) but now that I'm looking at Preston's interests I'm thinking about going the sedan or hatchback direction.  I think he may rule out the WRX for himself because of insurance costs, but I am cheaper on the insurance pocketbook than he is.  I find none of these cars to be sexy, but I guess I've moved to a phase of my life where that can't matter now, so what I do want is something with 4 doors but that drives "sportily".  I want a family car with lots of get-up-and-go.  Decent cargo space would be nice, too, hence the hatchback interest. Oh, and I want a stereo that I can plug my ipod into!!!!  We'll see.