I'm thinking about trading in my 99 Tracker conv for a 02 4dr Tracker Lt so that we could have more room.

I owe aprox. $3500 on the Tracker and it will be paid off the end of next year. My payments are $250 a month.

I found a 02 Tracker Lt that I love nearby and they want $13,000 for it.

My problem is do I keep the 99 and deal with little room for our trips to Chicago(500 miles each way) and pay it off. Or do I get the 02 and have more room but be paying on it for 5 more years?

If I keep the 99 We have to get another car(she can't drive a 5spd very well and is scared... We have a 92 Dodge Caravan waiting on us to buy for $200 if we want it.( Great condition but smokes alittle bit.)

If I get the 02 we can both drive it and would only need one car then. But probably would have payments of around $300 a month

Personally I would deal with the limited space for a few years. If you pay off the 2dr within the next year, if you save up you 300/month payment for three years you will have over $10,000 to buy another ride. A 4 year old,a nd two paid for vehicles sitting in the drive instead of a big payment to the bank over the same 4 year period. Sounds sweet to me

Zig

Yeah, I'd pay off what you got and get the Caravan as her vehicle. All of ours are paid for, I hate car payments

Thanks for the replies guys.

We are still talking it over with each other, but we'll probably stick with the keep the 99 and get the Caravan solution.

I get a bonus of a atleast $600 in the begining of Nov. and then income taxes should be pretty good with the baby just being born, and then another bonus in May.

So what I was thinking was to buy the van and use my bonus to buy tires and fix the broken stuff. My income taxes should be enough to pay-off my Tracker and if not my bonus could pay the rest.  

The only problem is, when and if the van decides to poop on us do we fix it or buy a new vehicle.

check the history on the caravan - i see alot in my shop with various problems but the big one is transmissions - seemed to be a weak  point with those vehicles.

Sounds like a plan to me. I wouldn't put much in the Caravan cause it's not worth much more than what you are giving for it. Like derekj said, the trannys are junk. Just keep it alive until the Tracker is paid off, then explore your options.

I've heard about the trannys being junk, but I've also heard that it's mostly the one with overdrive on it(4spd)

The one we are getting is a 3.0 V6 w/3spd auto. 220K miles on it but still runs great. Smokes a little bit but I think I'm gonna try a can of "RESTORE" and see what happens. Also need to get new tires for it. It's supposed to have 195/75-14 but has... 1-195/75, 1-205/70 and 2-185/75.   (I have 2-185/75 and 2-195/75 in my storage building now)  Other than those two major things little things like the rear wiper, cruise and gas gauge DON'T work. But everything else is in great condition... Body has a couple dings and light scratches, interior is in great condition too, no rips or tears in the seats or carpet and all pieces are there.

The way I was thinking is. Buy the van, run it till it dies and then rebuild the engine and trans and have a reliable van to drive to Chicago and it would still be cheaper than a new car. Is that good thinking?