As much as I love cars, lately, I am sick of them.

It doesn’t have anything to do with the major auto manufacturers. If anything, I am elated to see so many great cars are the horizon. Ford and GM have really kicked it up a notch, and the Camaro and Mustang are in the midst of a muscle car war unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It is beautiful, and nearly brings a tear to my eye.

Actually, a lot of things have almost brought a tear to my eye. Lately I have been trying to find a new daily driver. I love my Jeep-Jeep. It starts every time I ask it to, it never breaks down, maintainence is easy, and the few problems it has I am well aware of. Alas, I bought my Wrangler for two reasons. A) To impress a girl (who I have now been dating for several years…so I guess it worked) and B) Penance for destroying a beautiful 1995 Pontiac Trans Am.

Jeep-Jeep is slow. I can get it up to 70 mph on the highway, but every time I hit the slightest bump and the whole truck shakes from front to back like a dog drying itself off after a bath. But not nearly as cute.  It also takes a LONG time to get to 70 mph. I’m talking like 15 seconds or more. It is not a fast vehicle. Nor is it comfortable. I feel every bump, every pebble, every gum wrapper discarded on the road. It has power nothing, no air conditioning, two working speakers, a leaky slave cylinder, a broken gas gauge, scratches, dings, dents, rust…

I feel bad speaking ill about my Jeep. Because I love it, despite all of its problems. But I can’t live with it anymore, not as a daily driver. It rattles my bones, gets shitty gas mileage, and has the aerodynamics of a brick. So I need a new car. The question is, what do I need?

Need versus want is such an ancient argument, and it is always easier to know what one wants, rather than needs. I wanted a brand new, 2011 Mustang V6. 305 horsepower, 31 mpg, and its a Mustang. I’ve always wanted a Mustang, but my mom always said no. Now I am a grown man, I can buy what I want…but the Mustang just doesn’t make sense on a daily driver level, at least not right now. As cool as it is, it is also rear-wheel drive. Which means in the winter time, I’ll be boned. It also doesn’t have a ton of room to store stuff, and I tend to be the go-to guy for moving people. In a few years I can hopefully pick one up for a song and a dance. Until then, I need to consider other options.

I need either a front-wheel, or all-wheel drive vehicle. I also want an American car. Not that I wouldn’t consider a foreign brand, but right now I feel it is important for Americans to support American jobs and American cars. My money, my opinion.

So what are my options then? Ford Fiesta? Nice, but small. Maybe too small. Chevy HHR? They make a turbocharged SS version, and it gets great gas mileage, but I’m ambivalent about the looks. Ford Ranger? I love pickup trucks, but the Ranger is on its way out and it doesn’t come with a whole lot of bells and whistles (air conditioning still isn’t a standard feature? really?). I don’t really care for many Dodge vehicles, like the Caliber, but I do like the Dodge Magnum. It can get decent mileage, lots of cargo space, available with a V8 and all-wheel drive…but it is HUGE. And it doesn’t look like it has great visibility either.

So I am stuck. I want something big but not too big, fuel efficient yet powerful, and American and affordable. Is that really too much to ask?