Shopping

I hate shopping for big-ticket items. I research until I'm blue in the face, often taking months to reach a decision. Those who have been reading me for some time may remember it took me three months to buy a laptop.

My wife feels we need a new car. While both cars run, they are both getting up there in mileage. Her vehicle, the one we'd be getting rid of, currently has 167,000 miles and an air conditioner that doesn't work anymore (and for those of you who don't know, it gets damn hot here). My car has about 145,000 miles, but its our family vehicle, so even though it's a newer model than her vehicle, it's quickly catching up in the mileage department.

When we went to the beach, we had to cram so much stuff into the trunk of the family vehicle that it wouldn't shut properly (and yet there were still items stored at her feet and at the kids' feet). She now wants a small SUV. I'm a little bit nervous about buying a car given the economy and the possibility that Obama might make us all turn in our cars tomorrow and purchase ones that run on rose petals and maple syrup.

We're leaning toward the Equinox and Vue (these are largely incentive-based decisions). We're also looking at the CR-V, the RAV-4, and the Forrester. If you own any of these cars (or any other small SUVs), feel free to share any information in the comments (pros/cons, etc.). And if you know anyone who blew up in one of those cars, that information would be extremely helpful.

Thanks!