A New Car! Well, Maybe Gently Used?

Image from source, Huffington Post

I've recounted my tribulations with my 1998 Jeep Wrangler here in the past. Most recently, I spent $1500 in November for myriad patches and fixes. And here I am scarcely two months later and the Jeep she is dribbling fluids again. And I haven't even finished paying the ticket on the last round of repairs.

One small silver lining exists here. Last time the Jeep was in the shop, the mechanic told me that he could find five buyers for it right then, and that he himself would be interested if I wanted to sell. So, if the repair estimate is excessive tomorrow, I'm going to take them up on it. Similar models are still selling between $6,000-$8,000. If I can get an offer in that range, I plan to take the money and run. I'll just share The Other Half's car until I figure out what to do.

I have no desire to buy a brand new car, but want to get one in the 2007-2009 range. If I can get my desired price for the Jeep, and couple that with a grand or three, I shouldn't have to finance too much. But what do I want? The Jeep was my "dream car," and I've had that now for 9+ years. A newer model Wrangler is pricey. Surprisingly, other Jeep models like Compass, Patriot, Liberty and Commander are within reach.

Other possibilities are the Mazda 6, a Hyundai Sonata, Dodge Magnum. . .as you can see, I haven't really narrowed it down yet. But this story on the 2010 Detroit Auto Show has me drooling at the (way out of reach!) possibilities.

[Excerpt]

The Detroit Auto Show's Coolest New Cars

Automakers converged on Detroit this week for the annual North American International Auto Show, where they introduced their latest models and concept cars. Since many of the vehicles won't go into production until 2011 or later, a walk around Detroit's Cobo Center is, for better or worse, a bit like peering into the future. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post