Well, we are signing up for a newer used mini-van this week, and putting out 1988 Ford E150 conversion van to sleep permanently. May that fine piece of Americana rust RIP. It was great while it lasted, and currently is costing about $10/day for a single round trip to work, approx 30 miles.

As my partner is 6'8" and has a low back disability, small cars just don't work for him. So it is a "newer used" Grand Caravan Sport, I forget what year--2002?--but our first vehicle of the 21st century vintage.

We are currently driving a 1993 or 1994? Pontiac Transport we bought off our mechanic a year ago for $600, and it's running like a champ. We get around 15-18/city mpg, and are pretty happy with it.

The daughter got an ole granda car for college that we will be replacing with something more economical for her this summer. She has the 1989 Chev Caprice, a real ghetto ride. We bought it, literally, from a friend whose grandma had recently passed away. Single owner, around 30,000 miles on it when we bought it in the mid-90s--seems grandma never got out much. But it just isn't practical anymore, so we'll sell it off to one of the teen kids in the 'hood, who will love pimpin' it out.

Daughter can fit in anything and live with it. And since we're buying, she'll have to.

The one and only way we have found to conserve is to drive less. We carpool to work, which is also a savings. We use the bus in good weather quite a bit. Biking and walking really aren't very good options where we are at, except on the University campus where my partner works.

I'm seriously considering a motorcycle.