SWMBUnderstood?

So I sent the wife a Craigslist ad for an Astro and she replies with the following:
Subject line:
"Not saying we should buy any of these..."

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=05401&endYear=2013&sortBy=distanceASC&showcaseOwnerId=53867166&startYear=1981&bodyStyles=VANS&exteriorColorSimple1=WHITE&maxMileage=60000&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=25000&listingId=306395932&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=05401&endYear=2013&sortBy=distanceASC&showcaseOwnerId=53867166&startYear=1981&bodyStyles=VANS&exteriorColorSimple1=WHITE&maxMileage=60000&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=25000&listingId=327094877&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=05401&endYear=2013&sortBy=distanceASC&showcaseOwnerId=53867166&startYear=1981&bodyStyles=VANS&exteriorColorSimple1=WHITE&maxMileage=60000&searchRadius=100&maxPrice=25000&listingId=318847598&Log=0

I'm liking the first one.

dculberson wrote:

thestig99 wrote: 3-4 years is constantly replacing?! Yikes, she would NOT approve of my car buying habits

My sentiments exactly! 3-4 years is a "long time" for me to hold on to a car.

I'm the total opposite. I still drive the first car I ever had, coincidentally a van. By the time I started driving it the thing was already 18 years old, too, and I have no plan of replacing it. Ever. I only have plans on what to do with it once it wears out. By what to do with it I of course mean what engine I should put in it, not what car I should get in its place. Just took it on a nice road trip this last weekend, too. Drove 14 hours loaded up with 5 people and all of our crap with A/C blasting and not a hiccup other than the need for more power going up mountains. Tell your wife 10 years of use doesn't matter as much as how the vehicle was maintained over that time. My wife's 10 year old car has far more problems than my 25 year old van, less miles, and the same amount of rust. One was cared for, the other was beaten in Boston traffic.

I'd agree I like that first one you posted, but I'm extremely biased toward Econolines. Nothing but good luck with them. My dad switched to a chevy express once, and the thing was in the shop every thousand miles or so for many years. He's pretty hard on vans but it never seemed to hurt any of his econolines.

Rufledt said: Tell your wife 10 years of use doesn't matter as much as how the vehicle was maintained over that time. My wife's 10 year old car has far more problems than my 25 year old van, less miles, and the same amount of rust. One was cared for, the other was beaten in Boston traffic.

That's the thing. She is unwilling to accept that used is okay. And, she's convinced I'm gonna be looking to replace it in 3-4 years. Finding the right rig means keeping it for a long time. This is just going to take longer than I thought. Guess I should look at getting and paying for it myself.