Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

This is hard to answer for someone else. Personally, I would keep the Dodge. But there are several differences in our situations -- first being that you're a two-income household; you accept car payments as a fact of life (I don't) and you need to consider the comfort of a spouse.

I think you might want to decide first on a maximum financial hit you are willing to accept for the prospect of trading a three-year-old vehicle. Then do the math before you put your posterior on the seat of the Avalanche. Don't let the appeal of a new vehicle get you to sign your name on a contract too early.

BTW, I drive a 1995 Honda Civic with 131,000 miles on it and have no intention of "trading up" for a while. Just so you see my perspective on cars.

What is the line in that country song... something like "trade your truck while it's still running." Maybe. But I'm running the wheels off the Civic until it starts to cost me something. I learned a long time ago (on another car) that even an expensive repair is less expensive than five or six years of car payments.
I think I'd say keep the Dodge at least until the warranty is about to run out.
 

I'd sell the Dodge and buy something I could pay off (which is what I did). My 97 Cavalier is my disposable car -- low, low insurance, cheap car tag, no car payment, and if the repair bills ever reach what a car payment would cost, I'll sell it and buy another paid off car.

:)

But that's just me.

I love those new Volkswagon Bugs, but I like being car payment free better.
 

I'll Dodge the question and post this for Teditor:

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this
taste funny to you?"
 

This is not an answer, it is my own personal attitude to car ownership.

I own a subaru wagon that's 15 years old; we bought it maybe five years ago, used, for $6000 (which was more than we should have paid, we were idiots). We've totalled it twice (not hard to do when the blue book value is only $2000), and the insurance paid off both times (we have a really good insurance company), bringing the total amount we paid for it down to $2000, in my mind.

We've replaced the transmission. And the clutch. And done some other work on it. But it's long paid off, and if you average the cost of that work over time--and take into account that the thing still gets 29 mpg, and doesn't cost that much to insure--the cost of ownership is WAY lower than a new car. Whenever some big repair comes up (every couple years or so, not all that often--Subies are good cars), I'll try to talk Mr. B. into replacing it, and he points out that the cost of fixing it is so much less than the monthly payments on a new car that I realize he's right.

I don't understand why anyone would ever buy a new car.
 

I LOVE that clown joke. Teditor should be pleased. :-)
 

We tend to buy new cars when we've driven the wheels off the old one. If it no longer will pass the tough smog test of California, or has needed too many major repairs in rapid succession, we start looking. I have a 97 Chevy Astro (171,000 miles), and DH has a 2002 Dodge Dakota truck (your truck's little brother.) The Astro has been paid off for awhile, and the truck is almost paid off--like one or two more payments--due to a big down. We are looking forward to not having a car payment, especially with a new house.

DH doesn't like to buy other people's problems, so we buy new when one is needed, but we practically run them into the ground. I do hate car trouble though, as it never seems to happen at a good time. However, I do like that extra $400 a month when I do get to keep it. I also won't buy American again, for the reason that Trixie gave, Hondas last a looooooooong time. When Detroit gets their act together, I'll think about it later.

I'd say if your truck is too uncomfortable for Dr. ER, then don't drive it with her in it. ;)

If you're complaining about shelling out $1,000 on tires and shocks (both maintenance items), then how are you going to feel shelling that out every couple of months on a car, and still have maintenance? I'd get thee to the dealer and have the transmission looked at and keep it.

Did I go around the mulberry bush enough for ya? :)
 

Trixie, Jody, Anon., B., Frenzied:

Thanks for helpin' me think. I think I'll use the paid-for warranty and revisit the issue in about 13,000 miles, when the warranty will be about up.

But, boy that Avalanche is hot! ;-)
 

How very sensible of you. ;)

The good news is that the Avalanche will be even better in another year or two. :)