My New Car

I finally got the car thing settled this last week, and I think I made the right decision.  I really wanted to keep my Jeep, or at least keep some of the extra nice features, but I chose to really make a dent in the monthly payment and not get caught up in the desire for luxury.  I would save even more if I went with a 5-10 year-old car, but I CANNOT.  STAND.  HAVING.  MY.  CAR.  IN.  THE.  SHOP......PERIOD.  So my decision was a compromise. 

I ended up leasing again, since I am precisely the kind of driver the lease was made for.  I don't even come close to going over my miles, I'm a decent driver who is capable of keeping the vehicle in good shape with relatively little effort, and I prefer the peace of mind of having a new car (which won't need any scheduled maintenance aside from oil changes until after I turn it in) and am prepared to pay extra over the long haul in order to have that peace.  And since monthly lease payments are almost always less than one would spend per month if they were buying, it works out that much better for me.  In short, I'm knocking about $125 off my monthly payment for my Jeep, along with anywhere from $20-$30 per month in gas, and I don't know how much yet on insurance.  My sacrifices for those savings are 4-wheel drive, the freedom to go anywhere, on any type of terrain (which, granted, I almost never used), comfort in the form of roominess, and leather seating. 

Now, you generally think of leather seating as being something that's just nice, maybe even more of a status symbol than anything.  But for me, that leather seating allowed me to be worry-free when it came to carting Jack home from the dog park covered in mud.  This really is what I currently consider my biggest sacrifice, but I made it, knowing it would require some adjustment in thinking and preparedness.  Now I need to make sure I always have a couple of old towels and a big sheet ready to guard against a big mess.  

What I got was a 2011 Hyundai Elantra GLS.  It's a 6-speed automatic that is supposed to get anywhere from 24-47 mpg, has traction control, an iPod cable that allows me to operate my iPod directly from the car's stereo, bluetooth (which I think my Jeep actually had, but that I never knew how to use with my phone until now), and more space inside than it looks like from the outside.  I like it, though it's not as comfortable as the Jeep.  Here's a picture of this model from the Hyundai website, though the one I got is in a color called desert bronze, which is kind of a light tan/gold/bronze.  Not my most favorite color, but the only color out of the three options I had at the dealership which wouldn't constantly make me feel like I need a car wash.  I learned the benefit of that with my silver Jeep, which was also not a favorite color.

It's nice to have it done, and it's nice to feel like I did my research and didn't make an impulsive decision - and to feel like I accomplished my goal of saving money in a significant way.