Within the next few days I’ll likely have an automobile chosen for purchase. This vehicle has the following conditions:
- Reliable : Last for at least a few years, and remain decent for resale
- Cheap : The total budget is $3500 USD
- Efficient : At least 30 MPG (12 KM/L)
- Rushed : Need it within a week (the minivan very recently blew up!) :(
It won’t be a life long car (but could be) mainly due to cheap Diesels being difficult to find. Within a couple of years a goal of mine is to have a Biodiesel vehicle, you know, something that is optionally powered by stuff that grows.
Throughout history I’ve done very little car shopping, especially with such defined budget and time constraints. So far I’ve discovered the following problems:
- Price: Most all of the desired vehicle prices exceed the budget
- Unsure: Not sure what I want, or why. First instinct is Honda or Toyota (or VW for diesel) but who knows!
- Distance: The Internet is nice for searching and finding but vehicles far away are difficult to transfer home. Driving from ‘Boston, MA’ to ‘Portland, OR’ sounds fun, or having it shipped, but not really doable.
- Time: The upcoming week is approaching fast!
- Reliance: I rely too much on having a car and must further utilize alternate methods of travel. This much is certain.
- Lines: Somewhere lies a fine line between a noteworthy car with 140 000 miles (~225 000 km) versus a sketchier one with 80 000 (~130 000 km)
- Information overload: Too many sites offering vehicles, a super hip meta car search tool needs to exist
Only time will tell what’s going to happen… enjoy (and be a part of) the ride! :-)