[Rose in RoseBear]

You know, I'm getting all giddy about buying my new car in a few months. In my whole life, I've only owned four cars, and only one of those was bought new. I was 22 back then, and my daddy did all the talking.

If you get a pre-approved loan from a bank, you're paying cash, right? Don't the dealerships give you a discount for paying cash?

[SuziQ]

I was excited when we got our first new car, in the year of our 25th anniversary! LOL! David’s driving it around Austin these days; a sporty Toreador Red Ford Windstar Minivan with contrast graphite striping on the bottom edge and a spoiler on the back!

[RosieCotton]

I dunno about the cash thing...I think it depends on how your bank does things. So far as I know, the Capitol One auto loan (which was a higher rate than my bank, for me) works as cash. Might be worth asking about a discount!

I’m going back and forth between a coupla models still. The Hyundai offers more for the dollar, for sure...but I still worry about longevity and resale, even though it’s unlikely to be a problem.

Plus it’d be interesting to get something with a bit more character...