BLT4SPD

....would be that my personal wrench time has gone done significantly with just ONE kids. I would anticipate wrench time to go to almost zero with 3 kids.

So, the minivans that are going to be in our price range WITHOUT selling the S8 are going to be out-of-warranty heaps (most likely) that I wouldn't want to work on even if I had the time. I downright loath paying someone to do work I KNOW I can do myself. So, we need something newer, more reliable, and possibly still in warranty.

Thomas D

It is a sad thing to consider giving up that nice S8. If you end up getting a minivan, I would be happy to offer my suggestions on which ones to consider. Hopefully, you can figure out a way to keep the S8.

BLT4SPD

...but to answer your question: Yes. For better or worse, I find myself getting attached to nice cars like the S8. Especially after spending the money to have the whole front of the car fixed up. Do I think the car has feelings and will get "hurt" by the rocks hitting it? No! However, I like to treat the car (esp an S8) with a little respect and take care of it as best as I am capable of.

The reality is this: We are faced with the fact that fact that we will be introducing two new children into our lives and my wife will no longer be working. Bills are going to go UP and income is going to go DOWN. Will make all our payments every month? You bet! However, we will be watching the money MUCH closer and will be MUCH more frugal.

In that scenario, minimizing deprecation on the S8 would be optimal. Colorado is very unique in the fact that our cars typically get heavily rock chipped/pitted. It makes our cars LESS valuable to out-of-state buyers. It has its trade offs...like, all my suspension bolts will unscrew and remove without penetrating oil and certainly without a torch. I would argue that an out-of-state buyer doesn't see that though. They see the rock chips in the nose and think back to that pristine S8 they saw for sale in IL.

I'm not trying to create a great resale debate here, just trying to explain my situation.

Hex168

Sanded roads = 3M Clear Bra

pkrasusky

...fathom a 735i back there 8-).

Agreed tho - great use truck bargain. We loved our '98 and the '02 is even worldses betterz. MB makes a real nice people moover fersure.

Damn !@#$%* GL she's got her eye on for "next year"... just shoot me _NOW_...

mart_o_rama

I know, that's what we had, and basically what made me change the S4 for the S8.

Actually it's funny, we just went to my brother-in-law yesterday with the kids. We usually take my gf Subie Forester for family trips. Yesterday she suggest that we take my car since she has yet to put on her summer tires. She was pleasantly surprised that the two seats (ok one is front facing but still) were in the back and she had not comprised an inch of her leg space (she's 5'10"). She actually suggested that we use the S8 from now on for our family outings. Fine with me!

But she did complain about the lack of lumbar support in the seats. D4mn leaking Recaros!

I currently have a Recaro Young sport and a Britax Boulevard. The Recaro is narrow but the Britax is huge! As soon as the small kid hits 1yo, i'm changing the seats for two Britax Frontier, that'll be nice.

Martin

YaoNYC

your babie is very cool/cute!

lupulin

<center><img src="http://i25.tinypic.com/30t75eq.jpg"></center><p>will be a hell of a lot cheaper than a new car!


Instead of securing the child seats directly to the car seatbelt your wife thinks that an additional cheap plastic base with two metal clips is safer?

Read the consumer reports test about side impacts with those bases. Although they retracted their findings it was because they falsely reported the tests were done at 35 mph when they are really tested at 70. Bottom line.....they popped out of the bases when hit from the side!