"It's a Brand New Caaaar!"

So, guess what I did?

Car had been diagnosed with fatal engine disease. He needed a new motor, which at $1500-$2000 was far more than Car was worth. Given that I drive 20 miles to the Metro every day to get to work (on I-95, no less) we needed something a bit more reliable.

So we started shopping. We weren't going to buy anything yet, just get a feel for what was out there that I could fit into (I'm 6'6", have I mentioned?) - I was interested in both the Nissan Xterra and the Jeep Liberty, neither of which (as it turns out) I can fit into well.

Long story short, we tried a few dealers and then went to Carmax in Laurel to try a number of different cars. Turns out this Carmax is the largest one in the nation, so we tried quite a few cars. This one was a 2005 Chevrolet Equinox that's still under manufacturer's warranty and has low mileage, and we got it at a decent price.

My first-ever new car! Even if it is used, it's the first time I've bought a car that was within five years of release.