We finally decided on getting a used Toyota Corolla. The decision actually wasn’t too hard in the end, once we were able to clearly define our wants and needs. First, Mercy test drove a manual in rush hour traffic. That pretty much eliminated the manuals. It also eliminated all of the new cars except for the automatic Yaris which still maintained its good value because of eco rebates. Mercy found the manual to be way too much of a pain in the arse in stop and go traffic. Next we decided that money and monthly payments, while important, weren’t going to be the deciding factors. Therefore we decided that the Yaris wasn’t wholly needed because we didn’t need to save the extra $2000. That pretty much left us with the Corolla, Civic and Fit. Next we decided that we preferred the slightly larger engines of the Corolla and Civic, and in the case of the Corolla it still kept extremely good fuel efficiency. Finally, the better deals were on used Corollas. A brand new 2008 Corolla would have been $22,500 out the door including interest. A brand new 2008 Civic would have been $23,500 out the door. Used, it is very easy to get a used 2007 Corolla for $16,000 while used Civics were in the $18,000 range. So the Corollas were cheaper and a better deal.

In the end Mercy found a used 2007 Corolla with only 13,000km on it for $16,500. It was in immaculate condition and also had a sun roof. We talked the owners down a bit and ended up getting what is essentially the same thing as a new 2008 for $18,200 after interest. That’s a huge $4000 savings, so we feel pretty good about it. I haven’t been in the car yet, I’ve only seen it from our window, but it looks nice. Why haven’t I been in it yet? Well, that’s a whole other story… Suffice it to say that our purchase of a new car came a couple of weeks too late for me. But hey, we probably wouldn’t have gotten a sunroof otherwise. You see, there is a silver lining to every cloud, even if the cloud is cleverly disguised as a white astro van with a tendency to cut across major streets and hit unsuspecting people driving scooters.