Many of us seem to be getting new cars this year. What are your plans?

[Atomic]

What would you like? Is it in reach?

Me? I ordered my Volvo as most are aware.

It is my dream car. In reach? Well, I will struggle some, but have no regrets.

[Atomic]

I like these 'spin polls and especially enjoy learning what all of my fellow CarSpinners' drive, what you would like to drive and/or plan to drive  ...

[Speed_Racer]

I'd like to avoid a car payment for as long as possible. I'd rather spend $300+ a month something other than a payment for the time being. Maybe travel, or other memory-making experiences.

Can't wait to see pics of your Volvo though, tom!

[sportyaccordy]

Long trips on the bike are agony for wifey. Wish I had more space. Wanna get a VN500 for touring and get silly with the 650.

[Atomic]

I'd like to avoid a car payment for as long as possible. I'd rather spend $300+ a month something other than a payment for the time being. Maybe travel, or other memory-making experiences.

Can't wait to see pics of your Volvo though, tom!

Thanks, buddy. I appreciate that. My dad, just prior to death had money transferred in an account reserved for the safest Volvo/other car of my choosing. Not a spoiled son, as I worked hard and earned what I am paying for the XC60 T6 but as he would do if still with us, I am helping my sweet niece and awesome nephew (incredible grandkids) get through college by paying part of their tuition.

I am gifting my dad's Accord EX to my niece when I take delivery of my new wheels. In time, my nephew (younger) will get the Civic EX I bought my mom post-MVA. I took over the Accord when my dad died in October 2011. With my mother's newfound dementia, we see to it that anyone but her does the driving.

My substantial injuries made his last year with us signicantly more stressful and painful as any great father would.

Your thinking makes excellent sense by not having high car payment or any in favor of doing some very exciting things. I, too, love to travel and hope to do more when things settle a bit here. I will definitely post car pics, as inexperienced as I am. I will review clear directions Greg (Catman) kindly laid out for me. With the head injury, I must relearn many things. So frustrating, but feel blessed doing better each day.

[SVT666]

We will be buying in the next few months.  As early as 2 weeks from now or as late as October.  We have driven a 2008 BMW 328i, 2012 Kia Optima, 2012 Nissan Altima, 2008 Cadillac CTS, and a 2011 Mustang GT convertible.  I have driven a 2009 Infiniti G37x , but my wife still needs to.  I am fairly certain that she won't even want to wait to see the 2013 Ford Fusion after she drives the Infiniti.  It's most likely what we will be getting. 

[MrH]

Likely ordering a BRZ in the next few weeks.  Take delivery towards the end of the summer, then will be selling the Miata.

[J86]

If all goes perfectly, I'll sell mine by years end and be carless for the first time since I learned to drive!

[CALL_911]

I'll be keeping the GTI until the wheels fall off.

[hotrodalex]

Either nothing will change, or there will be multiple changes coming at the end of summer. Saturn might get sold and my brother might get a new car. That or he might take the BMW and my dad will get something different. Or, I could take the BMW, my brother gets a new car, and my dad drives the El Camino. There's quite a few options and it'll have to get figured out soon.

[Vinsanity]

The Caddy's definitely sticking around until at least the last payment is made ~Jan.2014, and ideally until my student loans are paid off in 2017. By then, it will be 13 years old, and 10 years under my possession. Which should be just in time for me to buy a midlife crisis car

[280Z Turbo]

Focus until it cracks in half from rust, or I just get too sick of it.

[2o6]

When I pay off the Yaris, I'll likely get something else.

[93JC]

Keeping the Mazda for the foreseeable future, which is why I bought it. Unless it starts falling apart I'll keep it indefinitely. I'm not really sure where life's headed so I thought it prudent to buy a car that could do a little of everything, which is what the Mazda can do.

I'll probably supplement the car with something else when the need arises. Depending on my living accommodations (i.e. if I buy a new house) I could see myself buying a beater pickup truck for trips to the dump and carting stuff home from Home Depot and the like.

EDIT: Speaking of paying off, I only have two more payments left.

[AutobahnSHO]

Plan on buying a 94 Miata before the end of the month- if owner's son doesn't want it.

Either way, plan on keeping the Subie until it absolutely falls apart, it needs to be seeing a mechanic this summer so it'll last a year or two more...

[MrH]

Keeping the Mazda for the foreseeable future, which is why I bought it. Unless it starts falling apart I'll keep it indefinitely. I'm not really sure where life's headed so I thought it prudent to buy a car that could a little of everything, which is what the Mazda can do.

I'll probably supplement the car with something else when the need arises. Depending on my living accommodations (i.e. if I buy a new house) I could see myself buying a beater pickup truck for trips to the dump and carting stuff home from Home Depot and the like.

EDIT: Speaking of paying off, I only have two more payments left.

You back to work now?

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I'm staying with the G8 till I can pick up a C7 Vette.

[93JC]

You back to work now?

Yeah, started working again at the end of April. It's the same sort of crap I was doing before but I'm making a lot more money and the workplace is a lot more chill. A couple weeks ago the boss came by and asked how I was liking it and I said something to the effect of "I feel like I should be doing better."

He retorted, "I think you're doing GREAT! I can just give you something to do, leave you alone and you get it done!"

Never once got a reaction like that at the old job. So far everybody seems impressed, I think because I'm a little more versatile than most. Typically everybody there works in teams where there are designers who design, technicians who draft and contract administrators who deal with the project during construction. On the other hand I can carry (and have dozens of times in the past) a job from design development to detailed design to tender and all the way through construction. And to top it off I can draft it myself.

Unfortunately I live in a city where the average home price is creeping towards $500,000, so home ownership is a little ways off... If I lived where you live I'd probably own a house free and clear by now, and I'm still in my mid-20s.


EDIT: Thing I like about the new job most? I drive to work. No more fucking around on public transit. I'm going through about twice as much gas as I used to and I pay about as much in parking as I did for a monthly bus pass but my quality of life is immensely higher just from not having to wait around to catch some godforsaken bus that was never on time, took between 15 and 90 minutes to get me home, and sometimes didn't show up at all.

Oh and the dress code is preposterously casual. I think I've seen the guy next to me wear something other than blue jeans once, maybe twice, in the time I've been there.

[Rupert]

Fuck if I know. Maybe a Miata sometime next year, if the Porsche stops draining my wallet.

[veeman]

2009 buick enclave  with 55,000 miles.  Will have paid it off in 2 more years.  Hopefully will convince wife to keep car for 4 more years which at this rate would have around 130,000 miles.  Car has been completely worry free.  If big problems occur with powertrain or recurrent problems occur with air conditioning (some people have had recurrent AC problems with enclaves), I'll unload it but otherwise plan on keeping it.  Love this car.

2007 hyundai sonata V6 with 69,000 miles.  Car has been completely worry free.  Will keep it until a powertrain problem develops after warranty expires and the warranty should cover for 10 years/100,000 miles.  Car is ponderous but smooth and quiet.

Current dream car:  Nissan GT-R. 

[mzziaz]

Recently got a low mileage fat ass Megane and plan to keep both that one and the Laguna for 2 -4 years. A major toll road will be affecting my wife's commute in about 3 years, so we might get an EV ?r that point, since they are toll exempt atm.

[sportyaccordy]

I'll be keeping the GTI until the wheels fall off.

Its a good car. VW has come a long way. My buddy just got one and he loves it.

[cawimmer430]

One day, one day. 

[Northlands]

Possibly one of these in the next few months. New. We're in the process of replacing two 11 year old cars. The first being the Accent.

  So far the Elantra Touring fits the bill for looking for a bit more room, have four doors and some storage space in the trunk area, and still have relatively decent fuel consumption.

  In a year or so we'll be replacing the Civic. I have no idea with what. Another four door ...er..something.

[Atomic]

We will be buying in the next few months.  As early as 2 weeks from now or as late as October.  We have driven a 2008 BMW 328i, 2012 Kia Optima, 2012 Nissan Altima, 2008 Cadillac CTS, and a 2011 Mustang GT convertible.  I have driven a 2009 Infiniti G37x , but my wife still needs to.  I am fairly certain that she won't even want to wait to see the 2013 Ford Fusion after she drives the Infiniti.  It's most likely what we will be getting.  

It sounds like there is a specific '09 G37x you have in mind, eh? It is nice when you know who owned it. A friend just bought a used Volvo XC90 (not certain of the year) after accompanying me on test drives of a few different new 2012 Volvo's. She never mentioned her interest in even buying a new vehicle until I saw it in her driveway. Unfortunately for her, this very spontaneous purchase fueled by my extensive research and excitement we get looking at vehicles. Well, my talk of getting a 2013 XC60 T6 led her to acquire the first Volvo "XC" she spotted. She merely merely drove past this lot of a fly-by-night corner store dealer and pluncked down a deposit. The older car has been nothing but a headache. After the trouble had begun she researched this particular Volvo and its long history of accidents, multiple owners, being in a flood, etc.

Obviously, SVT666, you are highly knowledgable about cars and how to spot a good one from a lemon. In conducting my searches and just for the fun of it, I go to cars.com -- check it out if you are unfamiliar with this site... Within an instant you will have a list a mile's long depending on the parameters you select. I will be curious to here what your wife's opinion is of the Infiniti and what you both decide on. Good luck and keep us informed. I checked out the Infiniti G37 and an EX and was highly impressed with each. The quality of these two were amazing.

[CJ]

Thinking about buying an XC90 or an S60 T5M in the next two years. 

[Atomic]

Thinking about buying an XC90 or an S60 T5M in the next two years. 

Hey, guy. The S60 T5 (not just the T6) will be available in AWD for the 2013 model year. Cannot remember if we chatted about this. The price will obviously be less expensive than that of the Turbo 6. Do you prefer/need AWD? Curious as to why the LARGE XC90. Being so young and single it seems more like a vehicle suited for a family. Just wondering, then again I know a few young men driving an older Ford Explorer, Chevy Tahoe and even a Ford Expedition. AWD is highly desired in my region of NYS. The XC90 is a really nice vehicle of course  .

[CJ]

Hey, guy. The S60 T5 (not just the T6) will be available in AWD for the 2013 model year. Cannot remember if we chatted about this. The price will obviously be less expensive than that of the Turbo 6. Do you prefer/need AWD? Curious as to why the LARGE XC90. Being so young and single it seems more like a vehicle suited for a family. Just wondering, then again I know a few young men driving an older Ford Explorer, Chevy Tahoe and even a Ford Expedition. AWD is highly desired in my region of NYS. The XC90 is a really nice vehicle of course  .

Oh, we're talking a 5-10+ year old S60 or a 2004-2006 XC90 2.5T.  Nothing new.  I can't afford a new car any time soon.

[giant_mtb]

I'll have the A4 for quite a while, I suspect.  At least until I can afford to get something else if I desire...which will be a solid number of years, I suspect, since I've got another couple years left of school and such.  My next vehicle is unknown, but perhaps a used S4, or a new A4, or perhaps a 1-series...hard to say when it'll be at least 3-5 years before I switch out.

[Onslaught]

My cars only 3 years old. I won't need one for a very long time unless something bad happens.