So after last week's fiasco with my Impala I've decided I've probably had enough with it. I bought this car because I wanted to own it long term but it has become apparent a little over a year in that this is going to be an expensive vehicle to own for any reasonable length of time. Fortunately I took out the loan at a pretty short term so I'm not underwater on it. It's going in to the shop at the end of next week to get the broken infotainment screen looked at (after a year of it not working I've kinda gotten used to it). I'm not looking forward to that repair, but I want to get it fixed so I can enjoy it while I still have it. I'm probably going to end up fighting with them about any repair costs because in my opinion it's a defective part that shouldn't be my problem, at least not entirely. So we'll see how that goes. Researching what I want to put my butt in to is so damn hard though. I'm pretty sold on a new Malibu LT, which I would probably lease, at least to start. It's very similar to my Impala, but a little more down-market so I don't have to deal with some of the "premium car" hassles that the Impala is (and will be) giving me. The price is good and the features are good. I would probably be happy with it both in the short term and in the long term if I were to buy it outright. Cars have gotten nuts though. Trying to find something that I like for a price I like is really hard, mostly because I don't like much of what is out there. Everything is either too expensive, too fancy, too overrated, or extremely laaaaame. I. WILL. NOT. BUY. A. CROSSOVER. I have a soul goddammit! I wish Chevy made a wagon. The Malibu is on the same platform as the new Buick Regal Wagon (Opel Insignia). Why not give us a cheaper version of that Regal wagon? Ughhhh. I wish Chevy made an SUV version of the Colorado. I would give that a hard look. I'm just not a pickup truck guy (as a daily driver anyway) and the Tahoe and Suburban have gotten insanely overpriced and bloated. Gone are the days of those being even remotely in my price range. My ideal car does not exist. They do not make it. The full size wagon is dead, long live the full size wagon. Addendum: Reading reviews sucks too because everything is simultaneously great and also the worst. You read a review that is excellent and then go over to Car Complaints and there are 50 posts about how the thing is just a mess (I'm looking at you Jeep). So not only does everyone make cars that are too expensive, but they're also all garbage. Like...all of them. I'm starting to look at cars the way I never wanted to: as something where you're getting robbed blind no matter what you do. The corporations are getting their money from you one way or another.
