Well, pending one more visit to a mechanic, my car might well be on it’s last leg. Again. The transmission is slipping between 2nd and 3rd gears. So maybe the assholes at J. Koons were right earlier this year when they said it was slipping. (However they were still wrong that my car wouldn’t pass inspection, and I’m still pissed that they refused to diagnose/fix my fuel pump problem). Anyway, I’m once again looking at new cars.
I’m still not exactly sure what I want.
If I go with a GM it will be because of their current offers combined with some rewards cash. If I go that route, I’ll probably stick with either a Pontiac G5 or Chevy Cobalt, both are small and relatively cheap and should be able to adequately serve my basic needs.
Nissan’s cars have really been growing on me. I like the styling of the Altima Sedan. I’d be interested in the new Altima Hybrid if they were going to sell them in Virginia. And I really like the new Altima Coupe. However by the coupe ends up being about $28k once the options are included. Being as that Altima may be more than I need, the Sentra and even the Versa may be good choices that can get me moving for under $20k.
I had all but ruled out the Camry Hybrid, but it’s now a strong contender based on the many included options, the fuel mileage, and the fact that I can drive it in the HOV lane around here. At around $28k it makes a strong argument for being a better choice than the Altima Coupe.
That then leaves some permutation of the Honda Civic. A basic one can easily be under $20k and a hybrid with 40/45MPG is only $24k.
I guess I’m just going to have to make a decision matrix and go with the output. Assuming the ol Grand Prix is actually dead, of course.
UPDATE: I just heard from AAMCO and my transmission is shot, requiring probably $2500 of repairs. Despite the several thousand I’ve already spent on repairs this year, I think it’s time to cut my losses.
Also, all the prices above for new cars are MSRP, so I’m not actually certain what the prices at the dealerships are.
