Automotive Lust

My poor little Ford Focus is having a tough time. Every morning when I get in and start it, it shakes and rattles and harumphs for the first five minutes until it wakes up. Once it's in gear and about a mile away from home, it settles down, but the morning wake-up has gotten worse and worse in the last month.

I'm not sure exactly why this is. Part of me wonders if when I had that collision with the giant truck that cracked my headlight, that something else like a motor mount didn't crack also and it's taken all this time for it to shake itself loose.

So every morning when I get up and take Zboy to school, I fantasize about another, different car. It's no secret that I never actually liked this car. It was functional - got me from A to B in a fairly efficient manner at little cost. But A) it's RED and B) it's not my old Volvo. Now C) it shakes like it's sitting on top of San Adreas Fault - three strikes and I want it OUT!

This morning as Z and I vibrated our way out of the driveway, Z wistfully said, "I wish we could get another car. Like the Volvo or the Explorer or a little tiny fuel-efficient car." Yes, I did a double-take at the last one too. Nine year olds are more sophisticated than they used to be...

As we discussed the pros and cons of various models on the way to school, I realized that in reality, I needed to get a vehicle that would hold one tall man, one growing boy, one little but leggy girl, me, and two largish dogs. Because MY car is the family car, and we have to actually be able to fit the family into it without anyone drooling on anyone else.

My current dissatisfaction was exascerbated by my coworker's recent purchase of this:

It's an incredibly cute little Toyota Scion XD (not the one that looks like a toaster). It has plenty of room for people, but nowhere to put the dogs. No Scion for me!

Then, when we went south for the memorial service last weekend, Cousin P and her brother K both were driving these:

The Toyota Prius is a marvelous car! Good gas mileage, quiet... and there's room for people - but only if they're on the smallish side. My father (granted, a very large man) has been lusting after one of these himself, and being in the presence of not one but two Priuses, availed himself of the opportunity to try one on. It didn't fit. And I realized that not only was it WAY out of my price range, there's no way Darling Man would be able to fold himself into one of them. Scratch Prius.

So after my discussion with ZBoy this morning, I cruised the internet during lunch to see what there was out there. My criteria - Used (can't afford new), front seat/backseat with decent leg room, Cargo space for dogs, less than 30,000 miles on it, no older than 2005 (though there's a 2003 I'm considering) and as far away from $20,000 as I can possibly get.

The candidates:

2007 Subaru Forester (19,001 miles)

2003 Subaru Legacy L (23,713 miles) I am not opposed to small station wagons.
There's also a 2005 Subaru Legacy that's blue (69,975 miles which kind of lets that one out).

2007 Ford Escape XLS (12,925 miles). It's not the hybrid version though. I'd love one of those, but again, too pricy for me at this point in time.

And finally, a 2005 Honda CR-V LX (27,170 miles). I rather like this car - especially the tailgate door that opens to the side rather than to the top. Thinking about dogs here... it'll be a lot easier to close the back without nailing someone's tail with this kind of door.

So? What do you think? Do you have any experience with any of these models? Good? Bad? Quirks? Strengths? I already know that Ford does kick-ass AC, but there are other bits that leave much to be desired. Please, give me feedback!!!!

I can see my husband now looking just like this when I mention this to him...