Is It Time to Replace My Car?

I love my car. Liandra has character. (Yes, I name inanimate objects. For example, the toaster is named José.) She also is 20 years old and has 275,000 miles. She needs a new suspension system, the driver's side window is permanently jammed in the up position, the headlights short out every six months, there's a massive oil leak, and the heater/air conditioner only works on the high setting. But, she has four wheels and an engine, and she gets me where I need to go.

I've had my eye on a Toyota Yaris for a long time. They're cute little cars, and Toyotas run forever. (See above about Liandra. She's a 1990 Camry.) I was listening to the radio this morning, and Toyota has some really great deals right now. For people with good credit, they're offering a 60 month interest-free car loan on the purchase of a new car, and they're throwing in 2 years of free oil changes and tire rotations for people who already own a Toyota. Now, I'm a used car person, but this is a tempting offer. I ran the numbers, and it actually makes sense in my budget. (Getting a new car on these terms is about as cheap as a nice used car and only a little more expensive than keeping Liandra.)

Obviously, this is the kind of decision that's worth thinking about carefully. I'm not one to make impulsive decisions, so I'm definitely not going to do anything until the weekend. (Part of me would like to just go carless, but since I commute for both work and school, and my work isn't in a place that's well served by public transit, I need a car.)