04.04.11 - 11:01 pm

i bought the kia for $6300 back in 2005. in 2011 i sold it for $650.

now i need something else. something bigger. safe for a family. utilitarian enough to handle the rigors of my work. i need it to be able to drive in inclement weather: snow, heavy rain, ice. it needs to be able to haul 800 lbs of water periodically. it needs some decent gas mileage, above 24 mpg preferably. and it needs to be at a price i can afford.

ugh. this is so hard. this is when competition become overwhelming. so many options. so few that meet all the criteria. dozens that would be great...if getting under 15 mpg was great.

ive been going back and forth on the honda element and toyota rav4 for weeks now. the element has everything i want but not the gas mileage. the rav4 is essentially the same vehicle, only with better mileage.

theyre both expensive. grossly overpriced. if price wasnt an issue, either would choosing a vehicle. in addition, the markets of certain areas fluctuate the prices: a rav4 in texas is several thousand dollars cheaper than the same one in oregon.

i feel like this is the first adult decision im having to make as an independent consumer. i just wish i had the means to do it independently. this becomes an almost permanent decision, one that will have lasting effects for years to come. and i dont want those lasting effects to be excessively high monthly payments, constant repairs and unexpected problems present at the time of purchase, but undisclosed.

i dont want to get screwed, be it by a car salesmen or some dude on craigslist.

and i wish honda elements would get 30 miles to the gallon.