[asphaltgambler]

For us, we had delayed trading / selling our Jeep, continuing to put money and maintenance into it because of the $$ surge in the used market. To the tune of over @1-1/2 years delayed. This Fall it became clear we needed to do something soon as the clock was about go over 200K and the rear main seal started to weep. There were also other issues that needed addressed.

It was agonizing, really, as we knew we would paying a lot more for essentially less vehicle performance-wise than what we already owned - just newer. My wife and I are very calculated in our buying decisions. There is 'timing' for any commodity in any market, up or down.

We could've waited until the Spring but several things would be in play: Our vehicle would be 4/5 months older, more miles and we would've had to fix the rear main seal issue @$1K plus needed maintenance. The other is the time of year, Spring, when is usually an 'up' time in the new / used market as that's when a lot people buy new or new to them, driving the market higher.

So we bit the bullet, it was a long and tough decision. My thought is we basically paid $4-5K over in a normal market, but received @$1500 more on trade then what my research indicated. No regrets (regerts!) as we made the best move based on our lifestyle and budget. Hopefully the replacement will last just as long (10 years) and give the same or better service with less cost