Car hunting

Last Saturday, Derrick, Jamal and I went to CarMax to look at cars. As I already posted before, my current car is slowly headed towards that junkyard in the sky, so it's time for me to buy a new car. The problem is that I have absolutely no idea what I want. One minute I want an SUV, but common sense tells me that I don't like spending a fortune on gas, so that's out. The next minute I want something sporty like a Dodge Caliber (yes, I said it). It's different (part SUV, part wagon, part car), kind of cute, and good on gas. BUT it's brand spanking new, a Dodge (American!), and maybe a little too trendy (meaning no resale value). I also haven't seen the interior. The interior of a car is VERY important to me. If it looks cheap and plastic, then I don't want it. I want LEATHER!

I would really LOVE LOVE LOVE a luxury car, and I make decent money so I should just go out and get one, but the problem is that I just don't know if I want to spend $550+ a month on a car, and the maintenance on a car like that...UGH! My last car was just under $400 a month and there were times when I felt strapped. Besides, I have bills out the wazoo and I want to buy a new house in a year or two, so I'm not sure if I really want to saddle myself with an outrageous car note.

So now I'm thinking about a Toyota Camry. It's a decent car, gets great gas mileage, and currently looks way better than its predecessors. The only downside is that they are so common. It seems like every other person around here has one. But as my friend, Kelli, told me, it would be MINE so I wouldn't have to worry about what anyone else is driving...LOL

My top choices (in no particular order) are as follows:

• Lexus IS (Hefty price tag. Beautiful interior)
• Acura TL (Derrick thinks I should get this. Nice interior)
• Toyota Camry
• Infiniti G35 (Hefty price tag. Beautiful interior)
• Dodge Caliber

Your suggestions and opinions are welcome. Please share.