Be Mine, B9

It's time. I can no longer share a car with Madhubby because he does unnatural things it. I find used kleenexes stuffed in the seats, controls are sticky and frequently there are remnants of breakfast/lunch/snack (take your pick) hidden under the seats and in the glove compartment. Boys are just dirty that way.

So, I am on a search for a new car. One that doesn't have a dent in it from an irresponsible, a**hole driver who smashed into me in his rush to take advantage of low-priced fruits and vegetables. A car in which the turn signals and hazard lights work all the time. And, a new car that gets a bit better gas mileage, which may be difficult because I see another minivan in my future.

Since I hate making car payments, I want the best deal possible. So, out comes the list of corporate benefits from Madhubby's employer. I can get deals on Nissans, Daimler-Chryslers (not Mercedes, though) and Subarus. I remember the company used to offer benefits on Volvos, too. Apparently, I missed out on that deal.

Well, we already own a Subaru (the aforementioned dented one)and I like them well enough. The B9 Tribeca seats seven and has AWD, which makes me feel all warm and safe as I drive along poorly plowed roads. We can purchase the car at dealer invoice cost less any applicable incentives. Still, it's 35k for a gas-guzzling SUV. Sure, it's a Subaru but I don't want to break the bank buying the car then cringe every time it needs gas.

So, maybe I should go with something like this. How will I decide?