Which One?

Okay, Tony. You were right!

I am on my way to work 2 days ago when drama finds me. Traffic. On I-275. The guy in front of me, in his brand new Camry, complete with air conditioning and a motor that does not overheat, is to blame. Traffic is bumper to bumper. I know my crappy vehicle's limitations, so when I get into traffic jams, I will turn the car off while I am sitting still. But this jerk was too busy calling everyone under the sun to worry about the road. So instead of closing up the gaps between his front bumper and the car in front of him, he would let the gap get bigger and coast as slowly as molasses. In other words, I never even stopped, but instead coasted. The temperature gauge got hotter and hotter. And hotter still. And I ended up stranded on the side of the interstate. No one even stopped to see if I was okay. It was awful. Once the engine cooled, I was able to get to work, though 10 minutes late.

Don't even ask what happened to the Explorer. Another drama-filled story to prove I have the worst luck imaginable. So... I. Need. A vehicle. NOW!

I call my bank, and I tell them the situation. The problem is that my Summer of Hell left my credit in bad form. Seriously bad form. But I bank where I work, at the credit union. And my pay goes directly into my account. I pointed out to them that they receive my money before I do! Ta-da! I am approved for a loan. So I start looking online for the dollar amount I have been granted. After years of struggling, paying off debt, and being as automotively frugal as possible, I am approved for a brand-spanking-new car. And I have options. I do not have to settle. So here are my options: 2009 Dodge Caliber, 2009 Honda Civic Coupe, 2009 Chevy Cobalt coupe. I test drove the Caliber today and I love it. It's a very convenient little car, with everything I need in a vehicle. They even had the trim and color I wanted at our local dealer. And it has a 5-star crash test rating. Considering I will be barrelling down the interstate at 85 mph several times a week, and hauling my child the rest of the time, I figured this would be important. So I am leaning toward this one. And I like the body. It's like a compact car mated with a mid-size SUV and produced this car. I will get the benefit of the SUV, but still have the comfort of driving a small vehicle like I am accustomed to. The deal will be going down in the next week or so, so we shall see.