Saturday, November 29, 2008

It's a fair trade

The second half of November is always an explosion of busy-ness for us. Matt and I both have birthdays, there's Thanksgiving, shopping, decorating for Christmas, and lots of football. We have survived all of this mostly intact, though a couple of times we've come close to giving away one or both of the children.

Yesterday we got some super fun news (said in an incredibly sarcastic voice): we need a new car. Matt's car is a 1999 Altima that he bought the minute he graduated college. Until then, he had been driving his grandmother's 1984 Chevy Caprice Classic. I couldn't confirm this online, but I am fairly sure those were the largest cars ever made. Anyway, he has loved his Altima, and has driven it into the ground. He took it in for routine maintenance, and was told that it could explode at any moment. Well, it was more technical than that, but you get the picture. So, since it would cost 3 times more to fix it than the car is worth, it's time to shop! We went around today and found a few things, but nothing that screamed "BUY ME!" The problem is that there are plenty of cars that would scream that at us, but they cost so much we can't listen to them. The ones we're looking at can't really scream--they just kind of gasp and mutter. To make it worse, we aren't even sure we want a car. We might get a minivan or an SUV. Way to make decisions, I know. Whatever we decide on, we're hoping they'll give us a reasonable trade value for his car. If not, we have two kids that we might throw in.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm pretty sure the Caprice is still parked at Grandma's if you want to start driving it again . . . and it now has a unique paint job and a longhorn hood ornament thanks to Jonathan!

Matt said...

For what it's worth, I love my Trailblazer... And if you buy something from Frank Fletcher, tell them I sent you (I'll get some type of referral prize). Good luck!!!

Cori said...

I definitely say buy a Chevy Trailblazer!! When I get a new car, I want a Trailblazer. It drives like a car, but has room like an SUV! GOOD LUCK!

Alice said...

I totally understand your dilemma. We are in the same boat. We only have one car and need to look for another. I personally HATE looking car shopping but there are some good deals out there if you take the time, or have the time to look. Good Luck!!!!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about Matt's car!! I do love my Chrysler Pacifica, it's a crossover between a car & suv!!! It seats 6 & gets pretty good gas mileage!! Let me know if you want to drive it!!
Kori "0)

Anonymous said...

We'll sell you our Jeep! How cool would you look waiting for Abby at the bus stop in a Jeep??

Anonymous said...

You've been wanting a Town and Country! Think about the swivel seats and "game" table. You must get something before you make the trip to Mountain Home. Think about all that extra room for Christmas presents! Now is the time.

Patty

Anonymous said...

Trailblazer?? Not a good choice in my opinion..!! Unless, of course, you want your vehicle to depreciate approximately 50% when you drive it off the lot. Trust me, I know from personal experience.

GK

Gloria Brown said...

My '98 Altima was told the same thing. But rather than spending $25,000+ on a new car, I spent about $2500, and now have a paid-off car that should go another 11 years! Food for thought...